July 29, 2008 6:47 AM
Anonymous wrote:
Again, how can someone say the Bible, which is supposed to be God's Word, is flawless? In one verse God wipes out ALL animals....the Bible says so...yet in following verses, the livestock and animals are alive again.....go figure. I know it is blasphemous to say that the Bible is not flawless, but what I read can't make sense, so I assume that what I am reading has been tampered by men for centuries. No, I KNOW it has been. I know man. Man works things for his own purpose, even God's original Word. Now, do I believe the Bible is God inspired? Yes. Do I believe Jesus is the Son of God and died for the sins of all who might come to Him? Yes. Do I believe all the livestock and animals were killed as stated in verse 6? No. (See verses 10 and 21, for example). I still caution all who read the Bible to make sense of what God has allowed/commanded to be written. To take this book literally, can be dangerous..but to take it logically, can be life saving. I take it logically, even refuting some things it says because in places, it is not logical. You may take it any way you want...literally, logically, in whole or in part. What is important, however, is that you take it. Without reading this every day, one can have difficulty 'taking it'. The lessons taught are, as MasterCard might say, "priceless". Now, the story.....Pharaoh was even told that his heart was being hardened. It is (was) in God's plan. As mentioned the other day---are OUR hearts being hardened by God? Probably, at time...but I think we learn (like Pharaoh EVENTUALLY did--with his death in the sea) by having our heart hardened---and then softened again once we experience what God has set for us to learn. What is your heart hardened against today? Reply to this
July 29, 2008 11:01 PM
Rich wrote:
Good lesson Mac. I also agree. The Bible is not inerrant. It cannot and should not be taken literally. But that does not mean it is powerless. On the contrary, the Bible is the most powerful book ever written. It has the power to change our lives. But, as you say, it must be read carefully and consistently to have its impact. As I learned today by reading, a hard heart to God can hurt those who we lead. Reply to this
July 29, 2008 10:56 PM
Rich wrote:
It strikes me how much suffering the people of Egypt had to endure because of the hard heart of their leader. My guess is that many in Egypt would have gladly let the Israelites go after the first plague or two. (We see in verse 20 that there were officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord). But the hard heart of their leader caused them all to suffer, probably needlessly.
What is the lesson for us? We are the leaders of our families. Maybe we lead people at work. Are our hearts hard? Are we in tune with God so as to lessen the sufferings of those we lead? Or do we hurt them needlessly because of our pride, arrogance and hard hearts. I am just thinking of how my wife is feeling right now. Earlier tonight I was harsh with her. I did not help her when she was hurting. I was totally oblivious to her needs, to her hurting. I was only focused on myself. Much like Pharaoh here. He is only focused on himself. Not once does it say he considered the sufferings of his people. And his hard heart obviously caused others around him to also have hard hearts (verse 34 - he and his officials hardened their hearts).
I need to go apologize to my wife. The word of God really is powerful and effective. If we read with open minds and hearts we see ourselves as we are and we see what we need to do to change. We can learn from the "evil" people in the Bible as well as from the "good." Reply to this
Again, how can someone say the Bible, which is supposed to be God's Word, is flawless? In one verse God wipes out ALL animals....the Bible says so...yet in following verses, the livestock and animals are alive again.....go figure. I know it is blasphemous to say that the Bible is not flawless, but what I read can't make sense, so I assume that what I am reading has been tampered by men for centuries. No, I KNOW it has been. I know man. Man works things for his own purpose, even God's original Word. Now, do I believe the Bible is God inspired? Yes. Do I believe Jesus is the Son of God and died for the sins of all who might come to Him? Yes. Do I believe all the livestock and animals were killed as stated in verse 6? No. (See verses 10 and 21, for example). I still caution all who read the Bible to make sense of what God has allowed/commanded to be written. To take this book literally, can be dangerous..but to take it logically, can be life saving. I take it logically, even refuting some things it says because in places, it is not logical. You may take it any way you want...literally, logically, in whole or in part. What is important, however, is that you take it. Without reading this every day, one can have difficulty 'taking it'. The lessons taught are, as MasterCard might say, "priceless".
Now, the story.....Pharaoh was even told that his heart was being hardened. It is (was) in God's plan. As mentioned the other day---are OUR hearts being hardened by God? Probably, at time...but I think we learn (like Pharaoh EVENTUALLY did--with his death in the sea) by having our heart hardened---and then softened again once we experience what God has set for us to learn. What is your heart hardened against today?
Reply to this
Good lesson Mac. I also agree. The Bible is not inerrant. It cannot and should not be taken literally. But that does not mean it is powerless. On the contrary, the Bible is the most powerful book ever written. It has the power to change our lives. But, as you say, it must be read carefully and consistently to have its impact. As I learned today by reading, a hard heart to God can hurt those who we lead.
Reply to this
It strikes me how much suffering the people of Egypt had to endure because of the hard heart of their leader. My guess is that many in Egypt would have gladly let the Israelites go after the first plague or two. (We see in verse 20 that there were officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord). But the hard heart of their leader caused them all to suffer, probably needlessly.
What is the lesson for us? We are the leaders of our families. Maybe we lead people at work. Are our hearts hard? Are we in tune with God so as to lessen the sufferings of those we lead? Or do we hurt them needlessly because of our pride, arrogance and hard hearts. I am just thinking of how my wife is feeling right now. Earlier tonight I was harsh with her. I did not help her when she was hurting. I was totally oblivious to her needs, to her hurting. I was only focused on myself. Much like Pharaoh here. He is only focused on himself. Not once does it say he considered the sufferings of his people. And his hard heart obviously caused others around him to also have hard hearts (verse 34 - he and his officials hardened their hearts).
I need to go apologize to my wife. The word of God really is powerful and effective. If we read with open minds and hearts we see ourselves as we are and we see what we need to do to change. We can learn from the "evil" people in the Bible as well as from the "good."
Reply to this