Down2Earth: 2. Asking Questions

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Posted by Larry | Posted on 25-05-2007

Category : Bible, Down2Earth

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Deuteronomy 29:29 (NKJV)

My parents died when I was relatively young. I became a Christian when I was 22 and just one year later I was with my mum in the hospital when she died after a long illness aged just 58. Two years after that, my dad died very suddenly of a heart attack and he was 64. Heââ?¬â?¢d actually remarried but the new marriage had only lasted a mere eight months. Many times since then Iââ?¬â?¢ve asked the question ââ?¬Ë?Why?ââ?¬â?¢ as Iââ?¬â?¢ve reflected on the implications of their early deaths. Thereââ?¬â?¢s been so many aspects of my life that I would have loved to have shared with them, seeing my kids grow up, enjoying her great cooking, things I needed to tell them etc. We probably all have those kind of questions, sometimes to do with our own personal situation, sometimes to do with wider issues, for example, why are certain people in certain places having to suffer so much?

Asking questions of God is a healthy thing to do and many times in the Bible weââ?¬â?¢re positively encouraged to do so; indeed, itââ?¬â?¢s part of learning and growing in our faith. But whatââ?¬â?¢s important is the attitude in which we ask. We can ask with an arrogance that says ââ?¬Å?I want to knowââ?¬Â¦ I have a right to knowââ?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â or we can ask with a humility that recognises that there are some things that belong in the category ââ?¬â?? ââ?¬Ë?the secret thingsââ?¬â?¢ ââ?¬â?? things that we may never know or understand. There are some things that not even the greatest brains on the planet will ever find out because Godââ?¬â?¢s decreed them ââ?¬Ë?the secret thingsââ?¬â?¢. However, heââ?¬â?¢s also chosen to reveal certain things to us and, where this is the case, then we can claim them as really belonging to us ââ?¬â?? even to the extent of passing them on to the next generation through our children.

Deuteronomy tells us something very fundamental about Godââ?¬â?¢s character. We know that He is all-knowing; now we know that, in His wisdom, He chooses to keep some things to Himself ââ?¬â?? which at times might frustrate us, yet on the other hand, it can also reassure us that God knows whatââ?¬â?¢s best for us ââ?¬â?? to know or not to know. To this day, I donââ?¬â?¢t know why my mum and dad died at such an early stage but I feel secure in the knowledge that, despite not having answers, I can trust Him and let the situation go.

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Down2Earth: 1. Introduction.

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Posted by Larry | Posted on 14-05-2007

Category : Bible, Down2Earth, Jewish, Old Testament

You�d be forgiven for thinking sometimes that the Old Testament seems so completely different from the New Testament. For example, language, style, the character of God portrayed, the nature of events recounted, the relevance to our everyday lives etc. That they both exist in the one Bible can be thought of as a bit strange.

For me personally, growing up in a Jewish family, I only ever knew the Old Testament. In fact, I didn�t know anything at all about the New Testament until the age of about 21 when I was bought a Good News Bible. Having recently been introduced to some of the basic ideas of Christianity, I was hungry to read through the NT and was staggered by its significance. It was like being given the keys to a secret closet that contained great treasures. Or more to the point, it was like being given the last part of a book that I�d been longing to understand and finish for many years.

Two main things struck me:-

First, the OT law (which in the past Iââ?¬â?¢d been strongly encouraged to follow to the letter) was merely a way of revealing our human nature ââ?¬â?? i.e. sinful! It was actually impossible to fulfil the lawââ?¬â?¢s requirements. Iââ?¬â?¢d somehow missed that verse in Isaiah that talks about all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.

Second, that for the first time I glimpsed something of Godââ?¬â?¢s true character through the life and person of Jesus Christ. Heââ?¬â?¢d always been a God ââ?¬Ë?out there somewhereââ?¬â?¢, and certainly a very impersonal God. Now I was realising that God was actually someone I could relate to and who wanted to be close to me.

Anyway, over the course of the next few months (or maybe years!), Iââ?¬â?¢d like to share with you some reflections from the Old Testament, often from an autobiographical point of view – i.e. verses from the OT and some thoughts about the way those verses have really helped and encouraged me in my life and in my journey of faith. Occasionally, I’ll refer to verses in the NT too when it’s appropriate. Iââ?¬â?¢ve called this series ââ?¬Ë?Down2Earthââ?¬â?¢ ââ?¬â?? probably not a very original name but I want to share things that I hope you will find to be meaningful and relevant in your everyday lives ââ?¬â?? in other words, not a load of super-spiritual stuff that’s difficult to relate to but rather things that are strictly down to earth! Feel free to respond by posting your own comments, thoughts or personal experiences.

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