Moses spoke to all the people, saying: "A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you
from among your own kin; to him you shall listen.
This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God, at Horeb
on the day of the assembly, when you said,
'Let us not again hear the voice of the LORD, our God,
nor see this great fire any more, lest we die.'
And the LORD said to me, 'This was well said.
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth;
he shall tell them all that I command him.
Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for it.
But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name
an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die.'
**
Sounds threatening, as in "Listen the Lord or else!" I was at a Bible study this morning and I was not in the mood for "or else" kind of thinking, but it was my turn to comment. Then it hit me. It is not that. It is: "I'll figure out a way to reach the people who do not listen to the Prophet."It is similar to the Mary, Martha, Lazarus story where the women urge Jesus to go get their demented brother from hell.
"... he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. "
Promise of personal intervention for all really bad sinners.
I like to think of these Then-It-Hit-Me moments as manna from heaven.
ReplyDeleteAnd isn't it interesting that it wasn't until you were on the spot ("it was my turn to comment") that the manna came through? I think it happens like this a lot. It tends not to be delivered early (so there's little chance of it becoming stale), but comes out of the oven freshly baked at the precise moment it can effect the most good.
Promise of personal intervention for all really bad sinners.
ReplyDeleteNot for the good sinners did He make the trip.
o When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Mark 2:17
Ruminating...
ReplyDeleteSinners sin, that's what make us sinners. But Jesus doesn't hate sinners for sinning, He loves us that we might do so less.
Repent - To feel remorse, contrition, or self-reproach for what one has done or failed to do; be contrite.
Remorse - Moral anguish arising from repentance for past misdeeds; bitter regret.
Regret - To feel sorry, disappointed, or distressed about.
Contrite - Feeling regret and sorrow for one's sins or offenses; penitent.
Sorrow - Mental suffering or pain caused by injury, loss, or despair.
Penitent - Feeling or expressing remorse for one's misdeeds or sins.
Note the emphasis on feelings. Note also that side of the middle ground on which these feelings tend to congregate.
One of the criticisms made by Swedenborg had to do with a perceived emphasis on sola fide. And one of the criticisms made of Swedenborg has to do with a perceived emphasis on sola actio. Rounding out these two perceived emphases--that on sola fide and that on sola actio--is a perceived emphasis on sola sensum.
These solas make for an interesting trinity, but one whose existence is due to an amputation. Two amputations, as a matter of fact--that of sola scriptura and that of sola gratia.
Here is a multiple choice question:
Salvation of life is actualized by:
(1) Sola fide (faith alone).
(2) Sola sensum (feeling alone).
(3) Sola scriptura (scripture alone).
(4) Sola actio (works alone).
(5) Sola gratia (grace alone).
(6) None of the above.
(7) Some combination of each of (1) through (5), i.e., a co-operation of faith, feeling, scripture, works and grace.
Whatever salvation may be said to be actualized by, however, it also may be said that the actualizer is Sola Dominus.
You are so clever, Anon! Ok, the answer is probably #7. Except I don't think #3 would be needed, it's just icing on the cake. No, I changed my mind. It's #2 if feeling means love/intention. If you feel it, you will do the works and accept the grace, etc.
ReplyDeleteIf feeling means love/intention, that would be the juncture, yes.
ReplyDeleteOops. I've been hit...
ReplyDeleteTo the heart of the matter doth she go. If by feeling is meant love/intention, then, yes, this is the juncture.