And a mighty fine LOVER HE BE! I’ve since forgotten what the estimate is of the number of animals that were sacrificed in the name of God. Who would really want to know such a number if they could? I’ve also seen estimates of the number of females sacrificed to the Gods by being thrown into volcanoes or burned at the stake. Did I mention I don’t know how many witches were burned at the stake also?
I guess if I lived several thousand years ago and I sacrificed a dove and I immediately discovered a treasure trove the next day, I might equate a cause-n-effect scenario. But, probably not!
Why would a God want all those animals that he created killed? Tell me why God would need such a thing in the first place. Somewhere in the Hebrew psyche (it was in many other cultures as well), there came this mythic lower level consciousness that pictured God as an angry tyrant and one had to be fearful of Him. If you didn’t do what He wanted He would send you into exile, smite you with leprosy, destroy your cities, issue forth some damning plaque, or send you to hell for eternity.
And we’re to love such a being?
Spilling the blood of so many innocent animals made God happy and somehow paid for our sins? It seems far more logical to me that the Hebraic consciousness dictated such acts, not God. And then along comes Jesus. Thank you Father-Creator-Consciousness! Jesus tried to correct the religious bias and craziness, but alas the religious mindset won out- for most, not all.
I’m in the “not all†group.
We don’t BUY our way into the Kingdom of God through some outer form, speaking a confession, being baptized regardless of the method, reading five verses a day, confessing sins, ad nauseum. For you see, the Kingdom IS already WITHIN us. God didn’t CREATE us to TORMENT US IN HELL FOREVER. No one is going to hell. It’s MAN-THINKING that sees God as a HUMAN BEING that created such a reward-punishment paradigm. Whatever our HUMAN thoughs are, we thus place on GOD too It doesn’t work that way! Read Isaiah 55:8 again.
It’s the Father’s GREAT PLEASURE to have given (past tense) us the Kingdom-life. Jesus said it! God is LOVE. Therefore my logic and most importantly my Spirit says, God’s not a KILLER of ANYONE!
God is LOVE!
A fellow blogger and friend, Paul, wrote on this recently and mentioned something I’ve never thought about before.
http://paulsspirituality.blogspot.com/
Here’s an excerpt:
Read say, Exodus 9: 1-7. Everywhere the phrase “the Lord” is used, substitute the word “love”. Let me share an example:
Then love said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, “This is what love, the love of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, the hand of love will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field-on your horses and donkeys and camels and on your cattle and sheep and goats. But love will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.”
When you read the Bible like this Love has a way of standing out. Just thought I would share this with everyone.
Excellent post, Ernie. Nothing I didn’t already know. But, I need to be constantly be reminded, until it becomes a integral part of me, that the Old Testament paradigm of sacrifice, and rule-following to please the deity is man-made, not LOVE-made. If Jesus came for any reason whatsoever, it was to show us we have it all wrong about the Source. Even the writers of the New Testament, and his closest followers were still fully immersed in the OT paradigm. They didn’t fully GET all the things Jesus was trying desparately to tell them, to change those follower’s paradigm about God. Therefore, the New Testament is still following, in many respects, that same ole paradigm which Hebraic writers established in the OT.
I like what Eruesso said about word substitution. It can be the first step if we truly want to see what Jesus and the Source want us to know. We will never change until LOVE becomes the object of our attention instead of RULES & REQUIREMENTS.
I really love what you said:
” It’s MAN-THINKING that sees God as a HUMAN BEING that created such a reward-punishment paradigm.”
God told His children to sacrifice animals so they could understand that sin carries a huge price (death) to a holy God. The animal sacrifices were a sign that the blood of Jesus, the only perfect man, was the sole way man’s sin could reconcile humanity to the Lord. When you realize the blood is identified with the life of the creature (Lev. 17:14), and the wages of sin is death, (Romans 6:23), you comprehend the meaning of Jesus being the sacrificial lamb. Christians who accept this truth humbly admit they overcome the accuser of the brethren by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony and not loving their souls unto death (Rev. 12:11). Even Jesus’ cousin, John the baptizer, exclaimed when he saw Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
If only we saw John 1:29 as an autobiographical statement. It’s all a psychological drama, taking place in the deep recesses of man’s inner being. Our life experiences prepare the way for the Lamb of God–the Christ consciousness–to emerge.
Too many rules for me. I prefer to set my mind on higher things and consciously get into Spirits presence. This formaula works for me even driving my car on road trips. Whatsoever things are pure…. etc, think on these things. It works for me, but then I am downsizing my mental arsenal back to childsize. For some, you will have trouble.
Definitely is a very good Post Ernie.
We humanity have to break many paradigms that we are blind, we have created so many methods and systems that are now trapped in them.
I hope we can wake up without having to see us stuck against the wall.
PS: This is not about punishment from God (Never,God is love)is the result of our lack of conscience.
Muy Bueno!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t unerstand. Killing an innocent animal made a person more conscious of the price to be paid for sin? And then supposedly they would sin less? I can’t find anything to support that rataional. It certainly didn’t stop any of them for sinning because it continued for so long even God said he was sick of the stench of their sacrifices. About all that would do for me is heap more condemnation on what was already there, knowing they had a nature vastly different than God’s. And even after the cross, Christians still sin. I don’t see even the loudest bible thumping believers operating in much power. If you can stand to watch american television christian programming, there’s a whole lot of noise and not much show of power. FELLOWSHIP over law anytime.
A word came to me Sunday morning when I was getting ready to join a friend who left a cult group to go to another friends church and the one that I left to join LRC. She was skeptical about going and wanted me to meet her so she could have someone with her when she went in. She was ready to bolt out the door if someone said the wrong thing. I told her what revelation I got that morning and told her it’s not about buildings,doctrine,etc, but it’s about relationships. Well during the service the Pastor said it’s not about the building, doctrine, it’s about relationships. She smiled and said you just told me that an hour ago!. So if I hadn’t heard what He was saying, I think she would have bolted out the door. She is trusting me. Anyone wants to hear what God is saying LISTEN!!! He is speaking.
I didn’t get to prayer this morning due to rain, but I heard something that made my heart leap for joy.
I thanked a friend who has put up with me while going through the death of my mother, illness with my Dad, and loss of my job all in a 6 week time frame. I heard this. You can only get to the Father by Me. Pharaphrasing. The Fruit of the Spirit, helping one another, orphan, widows, etc. I think this is what God is saying. Love one another to the fullest. Don’t look at others faults, just love on them because they are precious and a gift. He put us all together for a reason. Will we go to HELL for loving but don’t have all the answers or live exactly what is written down in a book? What is the command? Love!!!! It is pouring rain outside,and the earth will soak it up, so let HIM rein inside of you, and soak it up. God Bless, and enjoy the gifts God has placed before us.
Mario the Venezuelan Chrissy and I met yesterday at the tamale factory during lunch, was desperate for healing. He as a boy wanted to be a priest but an abusive dad changed all that for him.
He chose to drink the voice of God away and was going to a bar after lunch to do the same as he had been doing for years.
He saw something in us and just asked where did we go to church. We spoke of a loving God and called to the young boy in him who is still searching for this goodness of God, to come forth.
We only spoke of God’s Love and we realized that he is in the process of waking up and is searching all religions for an answer. He told us that he will check us out on Friday. I hope he will. Keep Mario collectively in your thoughts and prayers.
This man needed the Lover not the killer God, he’d had enough of that.
Geo- Killing animals was the lower level of consciousness of the Hebraic people at the time. It was their “perspective” of God, and NOT GOD!
Yes I understand that. I wrote that to make a point of the spoon fed way so many of us used to think. Which makes me also wonder what else will change in the future. More light coming.
Killing animals was a very graphic way for God to show the heinousness of sin compared to God’s holiness. The people were instructed by God to kill the sacrifices, they didn’t make it up!
The Passover was prophetic in showing that the blood of Jesus covers the people’s sins (Exodus 12). Hebrews 9:13,14 declares, “For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinking those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” The writer continues to speak by the Spirit in verse 22 when he says without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.
So I’m hoping all is forgiven now. We are good with God. No more wrath now cause Jesus paid it all, His blood even covers the disobience of mankind to this day without our help.God is gracious to give us the ultimate sacrifice even though some don’t feel it is enough, there must be other steps and punishments, like Jonah thought.
It is finished
Yes. Great encouraging post. In the OT man found a way that he thought would be apeasing to God. In the NT we find that love, not blood covers a multitude of sin. If I am to forgive my brother 7 times 77 in one day without requiring blood of him or her, why would God require this.
So good to hear all the testimonies like Wendy and Cindy where love is reaching the hearts of people. This is God in action. We are the church, God’s arms, legs, feet, etc. Let it flow. Be the Light!
We are the omnipotence of God
Thank you all for the great insight you write in here. The more I read today, the more I respect every one of you. Living with one foot on 3rd floor and one on 4th is rough. Ernie, How soon does it get easier? I just can’t get my right leg (or the part of my mind that controls it) to budge an inch sometimes. Any crash course methods you know to speed me along? I feel like the caboose on the longest slowest train, but I do know this, I am moving forward. It has been harder than I care to admit to turn loose of my childish ways!
Cynthia, regarding Mario: That is the kind of witness we should be showing the world. It is genuine in you or He would not have responded the way he did, or indicate interest in LRC. Had you been a fake, he could detect it. You were walking in the grace of the moment which you obviously are doing more and more.
Jesus’ blood was poured out to forgive our sins, even as the Lord stated that truth in Matthew 26:28. There is no other way to reconcile humanity. That is love. It’s also love when God disciplines His obstinate, willfully rebellious children by touching their lives with His wrath if we continue to walk in immorality, impurity, and evil desires (Col. 3:5; Eph. 5:6). This type of strong correction does not exclude us from being God’s children and cannot be construed as losing salvation. It is the discipline of our Heavenly Father towards His most wayward children that is motivated by His desire for them to share His holiness (Hebrews 12:10).
May I submit to the reader of this blog that there is nothing but God in this world? The appearance of the thing is of no importance—good, bad, indifferent or the like. All is God, All is flowing, All is loving, and All is revealing. We are a Consciousness ever unfolding; we are a Love ever embracing ourselves and others (there really is no other in God). I AM that and so much more.
There is no other way to reconcile humanity than to awaken to myself as the Being that I AM–Christ. This Christ presence will seemingly subject our human lives to the “furnaces of affliction”, only to reveal in the end that we are the ones we have been waiting for, as the poet has stated.
Amen JBF- And as long as I am waiting to get there I delay my arrival. Therefore I am already here. If that makes sense.
Ernie what a post! Anybody read Leviticus 26 lately? OUCH! Talk about meritocracy – obeying & punishing. NO! That’s NOT God. That’s NOT love. That is definitely “mythic lower level consciousness that pictured God as an angry tyrant and one had to be fearful of Him. If you didn’t do what He wanted He would”…as Lev 26:21 reads: Send wild animals to kill your children. Lev 26:27 You will eat the dead bodies of your sons & daughters. However, in Lev. 17 One is prohibited from drinking blood? I don’t get it? But that’s definitely somebody waking up on the wrong side of crazy!
For one who supposedly “sees through a glass darkly” (1 Cor. 13:12) I am beyond myself with unconditional love for my children and would NEVER bring my thoughts nor heart near that depiction nor that of an eternal hell. Neigh, the God I KNOW and LOVE and who in turn LOVES me beyond my comprehension is not the God depicted in Leviticus and else where in the stories of the lower level consciousness. My journey calls me elsewhere. It calls me to Rom 8:38-39 and “beyond”. LOVE is the only answer there is. The only one.
Sojourner- You’ve nailed it! If there ever was a blasphemy, it’s attributing to God that which HE IS NOT (far deeper than saying DAMN) or SAYING God SAID something when HE-She-It DIDN’T. God is the LOVER of our SOUL & the UNIVERSE (His creations). How awesome is that? Or as SHAFT asked, “Can you dig it”? He’s a BAD $#*&@^% (which is GOOD)
Leviticus 26 is a prime example of where God gives His people a choice, stating ahead of time what the blessings are for walking with Him, as well as the consequences of deliberately disobeying Him. Similar consequences are stated throughout the New Testament. Jesus spoke about receiving rewards for being persecuted for Him (Matthew 5:10-12) He also spoke about judgment for those who reject Him (John 3:18)
I hear much about God being love, but nothing about God being just, righteous, and holy. The angels in heaven extole God for His holiness (purity, which is intouchable) in Rev. 4:8. God’s love, mercy, righteousness and judgment continue forever.
In Romans 2:2, Paul states that those who are stubborn and unrepentant are storing up wrath for themselves as God renders to every man according to his deeds. This is not aimed at the person who is sincerely seeking the Lord and walking in His ways to the best of their ability, but at those who are defiant. People who have received many warnings from God are subject to His loving discipline. Hebrews 10:26,27 reads, “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.”
Children disobey. grown-ups make conscious choices. Not one of us is saying ‘I want to walk in sin’ everyone wants to walk in love. His Love. How can God deny those who want to follow Him. Against Love there is no law.
No willful sinning here.
Love has lots of synonyms but wrath,judgement,discipline are not apart of them.
Just, Righteous and Holy means something different to me also.
I am beginning to see that there is one here who enjoys being beat down, punished, having strong correction used on him/her because it makes them feel that that wrathful, just, righteous God is paying attention to them and making them feel that they are “loved”??? They are simply being a whipping post for a schizophrenic God.