Full disclosure, I'm a born-again Christian who believes in the soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the meanwhile, let's discussion the question that relates both to politics and biblical prophecy. So just where is America in Bible prophecy? Are we the young lion cub or the people in the distant isles? Is United States the daughter of Babylon? Why hasn't God brought judgment on the United States? So many questions. A few years ago I was introduced to Chuck Missler's book "Learn the Bible in 24 Hours." Dr. Missler states that it's impossible learn the Bible in 24 years much less 24 hours. Nevertheless, his book is a very good survey of the Bible and I recommended it. Nearly two years ago I spent hours on the Internet listening to various commentaries that Dr. Missler had recorded over the years. From that I did a springboard into his online Christian think tank, Koinonia Institute. I've been a member there for over two and as I tell my fellow classmates it's a lifeline to the real world.
I remain in this world but not of it except for the times that I really feel like I should get back in and be politically incorrect thus the blog The Politically Incorrect Club It seems like this country is on a collision course with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I often say our country is guilty of the trifecta of activities that God condemns. Homosexuality is a sin and it is not hate speech to say so. Second in the trifecta is unfettered abortion. People talk about a woman's right to the her body, this is just code word for abortion. And then there is throwing Israel under the bus.
So in addition to this blog I have a long neglected blog, The Politically Incorrect Club. Eventually I will move my more PI posting to this blog. Then there is my original blog, sallycp for odds and ends.
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The phrase, 'In the beginning, God', is not the Inspired perfect first complete thought in the Bible. The Hebrew of Genesis 1:1 is the Inspired first complete thought in the Bible. One preacher is right to state that 'we must ponder the amazing truths implied by' the 'phrase, in the beginning God.' But if that statement is right, then so much more it is right regarding the *Hebrew* word order of v. 1.
ReplyDeleteThat preacher notes, and I quote:
We must stand in awe of this incomprehensible, infinite, eternal and unchangeable God, who created all things out of nothing. As we have seen, we can infer from these four words that God is eternal, independent, multi-personal, powerful, wise, and sovereign. And Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:4 that God “chose us in [Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” In other words, in the beginning we were already loved and chosen by God and our salvation was certain. And, as a result, we must love him with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength. We must strive to understand and obey his Word. We must work hard to put our sinful nature to death and serve him in the obedience of faith. We must long for his appearing. Fix your eyes on Jesus Christ and your eternal home, not on this earth. God is the source of all true joy and strength.
End Quote. ( https://gracevalley.org/sermon/in-the-beginning-god/ gvcc@gracevalley.org )
That quote is implied even more in the Hebrew:
'In the beginning created God the.... '
The English grammatically presents the word 'God' prior to presenting the word 'created'. The Hebrew, by presenting the word 'created' prior to presenting the word 'God', far better implies that God not only is prior the objects that God created, but that God is a relational being in regard to what He created.
The English, in fact, more suggests an aloofness on the part of God. For, in that it presents the word 'God' prior to presenting the word 'created', it confirms any bias we may have that favors any notion, on our parts, that God is aloof. This is because there is a kind of complete thought thereunto in the phrase, 'In the beginning, God'.
God does not need anything. Nevertheless, God is not the 'Divine Autistic'. We are. And we are not divine. Just autistic. Just in need of retreating.
If God is a Trinity of Persons, then He logically cannot be autistic. He cannot be aloof.
God may 'hide' Himself from the rebel. But that does not mean that God, in Himself, needs to retreat. Genesis 1:1 is not any kind of act of God to retreat from anything. It is an act of generosity. The Hebrew word-order shows this.
We may feel a need to be aloof. We may feel a need to remove ourselves from a debate. We even may actually need to 'retreat into ourselves' sometimes. But God never feels any need, in Himself, for Himself to retreat.
So the English word-order of v. 1 is not what is inspired about the English translation. Rather, what is inspired about that translation is its explicit full meaning: 'In the beginning God CREATED....
The Hebrew, by presenting the word 'created' prior to presenting the word 'God', implies that God is a God of action. And it begs us to anticipate the subject, 'God', in His acting.
First, it begs our anticipation of the subject. Then, by begging this, it also begs our anticipation of the objects and the fact that God takes actions in relation to them: first by designing and creating them. Finally, in our being in mind of His designing them, it begs our attention to the relation between the various objects. Thus:
ReplyDelete1. The general, (or 'masculine') cosmos and the special (or 'feminine') Earth (Genesis 1:1).
2. The Earth, as its own general subject, implying that which we all intuit is most valuable about the Earth unto itself in all the cosmos: its abiding maximal abundance of open liquid water (Genesis 1:2).
3. that water and its special relation to the Sun's light, hence the water cycle (vs. 3-10);
4. The water cycle and its special beneficiary and member, biology (vs. 11-12);
5. biology and its special category, animal biology (plant/animal/mineral = animal) (vs. 20-22, 24-25);
6. Animal biology and its special category, human (vs. 26-28);
7. The general man and the special woman (Genesis 2:21-23).