Today is a rush because…well, I’ve got to sleep in preparation for my medical procedure in the morning. I wanted to at least put something to paper saying I indeed had done my devotion finally and was back on track. So here we go.
The greatest questions for me always come into play when the Old Testament is on the table. The “old school” way of doing thing with God is both fascinating and terrifying. God had innocent animals that he had created killed to shed blood to absolve our sins and misdeeds. There were reams of rules, regulations and requirements for the people of God to follow in order to be considered upstanding and upright followers of The One True God. All of these rules and regulations of course led to interpretation which led to the events that eventually brought us to the Crucifixion of Jesus and the symbolic tearing of the curtain that had long separated us from God.
I think God’s head was in the right place (dangerous territory I’m headed into so bear with me) because he knew of our simple needs and simple hearts. We needed boundaries. We needed laws. And most of all we needed to have object lessons to remind us that indeed we were sinners. Killing of the sacrifices and following the rules of them was a consistent slap in the face for the people. You might fall into the ritual of the act and probably forget the real reason down along the line but for however long…you knew why innocent blood was spilled. You understood the implication.
God’s world had turned to Darkness and the way of sin had become pain. That pain extended to his creation and the people living within it. I’m no theologian but I can imagine God trying to impress upon generation upon generation the lesson of what the original sin had done to the once perfect world and why the fight against it must be waged. I would like think knowing my abstract history of the Old Testament that he succeeded with His people more than he failed.
That begs the question (which I won’t answer) does God ever fail? Or is it his stubborn stuck up creation doing the failing over and over again until eventually someone gets it right?
That is the question I will leave myself and you with.
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