Justin Hale

GOD fully intends to reveal the answers to every possible question, only He is careful to provide us with a 'filter' for how we experience knowledge, including which questions we ask and in which order they are asked.

Why?

“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." (Matthew 7:6). 

Knowledge is powerful and dangerous. 

GOD not only considers the 'truthfulness' of knowledge, but the impact of its arrival and the attitude or reaction that this new knowledge will inspire within every living thing. 

The very idea that we might consider ourselves 'qualified' for such a task is the height of arrogance, which tops GOD's list of things He truly hates, (Proverbs 6:17). This list also happens to be a clear description of the most dangerous attitudes and activities threatening humans themselves.

Implied in the 'absence' of any description of Creation's processes is the humble recognition that we are NOT 'qualified' to understand or address it...yet. Even the obvious presumption in Genesis that we need to be told that GOD is responsible for Creation itself is a major blow to our ego and a recognition that something is VERY wrong with us. 

So if our narrative of Creation already presumes that there are people fundamentally incapable of recognizing even the most basic observations about nature and GOD's abundant 'evidence' of Himself within it, (Romans 1:20), the Holy Spirit is naturally going to let this be the 'extreme' end of the 'knowledge filter' which He will retain throughout the entire Bible. The first verse of the Bible sets the perimeters of this 'divine filter.'

Mankind 'feels' intelligent for bypassing GOD's filter and speculating into the answers anyway. They are actually foolish and easily deceived as a result. On the flip side, those of us who choose to retain the divine filter start to 'feel' stupid, while actually being wise and remaining far safer from much of the horror arriving through the foolish speculations.

For example, GOD clearly told Israel NEVER to refine metals in the forge beyond copper implements even after their enemies started to produce seemingly superior 'iron' weapons. GOD promised to give them wisdom to still 'win' using the inferior weapons and to interdict the new weapons and transform them into 'superior' farming implements instead, ('swords into plowshares'). 

As long as Israel obeyed this seemingly 'backward' command, they remained the more powerful military force. Wisdom trumped technology and then any 'advancing' technology served wisdom and peace. Not only this, but any 'price of progress' was paid by Israel's enemies, not Israel themselves, because Israel was restricted from actually working on this technology on their own. 

However, not long after Israel finally abandoned the command and started producing iron weapons, an inescapable arms race began that continues to this day. It has killed hundreds of millions of people in increasingly terrifying ways, even culminating in the dreaded 'abomination of desolation,' better known as 'nuclear armaments.'

Oops.

The entire time, mankind 'felt' increasingly powerful and wise, while actually entering a 'god-like' realm from which only GOD Himself can now liberate them. Until He does, they are threatened with total self-annihilation.

Double oops. 

Fortunately, scripture does tell us that Jesus Himself will 'suddenly and unexpectedly' end this threat, (2 Thessalonians 2:8), which GOD actually finds 'humorous' when He is viewing it and treating it like an 'aspiring divine peer':

"Why do the heathen rage
And the peoples meditate on a vain thing?
The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
Against Yahweh and against His Messiah, saying,

“Let us tear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!”

"He who sits enthroned in the heavens laughs,
The Lord mocks them." (Psalm 2:1-4).

February 12 2023 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report