Abraham's lesson of kindness

by MikeNightHaShev 4 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  MikeNightHaShev

  Abraham's lesson of kindness

  Once Abraham had traveled from Ur into the land of Canaan he was then referred by the people of Canaan as 'the Hebrew', meaning 'the man from the other side of the river'.

  This is when G0D offered the land to him and his children and his children's children FOREVER.

  His tent was always open to strangers, but once an old man came to his tent in which after being fed he thanked Abraham for his kindness. Abraham replied not to thank him but thank G0D for it is G0D who gives us our food.

  But the old man refused, claiming his own G0D was not the G0D Abraham worshipped. He claimed to have a G0D of his own while pulling out a little wooden idol out of his cloak.

  Well you know Abraham from his smashing the idols incident would not tolerate this, so he angrily drove the old man from his tent.

  The next moment he heard the voice of G0D speak to him saying that the man was 99 years old and all these years he had been patient with him while pointing out to Abraham that he could not be patient with him for even one night.

  So Abraham asked G0D's forgiveness, however G0D's reply was that it wasn't he who needed to hear it, for it's the old man who needed to be approached for forgiveness.

  So quickly Abraham ran out to get the old man
  (being 99 he obviously didn't get very far).
  Abraham caught up with him and asked for his forgiveness for sending him away and asked for him to come back and stay and so Abraham prepared a bed for the old man and even gave him his own blanket to cover him in. Never again did Abraham turn a stranger away from his door, and his kindness was spoken highly by many travelers in which turn had them say that it is G0D who teaches him to be our friend. And so they put away their idols and prayed only to the G0D of Abraham.
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  dreamer

  Hi Mike,

  Sorry to be so cynical:

  The next moment he heard the voice of G0D speak to him saying that the man was 99 years old and all these years he had been patient with him while pointing out to Abraham that he could not be patient with him for even one night.

  Joshua 10......I guess God's patience ran out?

  Dreamer
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  MikeNightHaShev

  You forgot his impatience with the people during Moses time where Moses had to intervene.
  This shows somethings are more important then others and there are boundries that can not be crossed. But most of all you forget the Hebrew Bible is used for lessons and some accounts are for learning not literal interp therefore you're trying to spite the lesson more then absorb it this makes you opposite that essence which is called
  G-d.
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  dreamer

  Hi Mike,

  Thanks for the reply. I am afraid that there is only one way genocide on that scale can be interpreted. The only lesson lesson I can gain from that (Joshua 10) is that God will kill you if you do not believe in him. Very true, you may say, but...

  ...please bear in mind that these people were never offered the gospel or preached to; they simply had a different culture and religion. This, in my humble opinion, is not worthy of death, especially in the absence of any chance to change.

  Dreamer
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  MikeNightHaShev

  No you have to understand what the Hebrew G-d is before you can grasp what these things are telling you.
  It's not a man nor form being taught it's an essence and once you understand that essence you will not confuse the expressions of G-d trying to make this essence tangible in our language.
  When you see the warnings it's explaining your errors in your ways will lead to death (G-d is that power in Life to be all it can and should be will balance your actions if it need be to perfect life)
  This included removing you if you are a cncerous cell to the creation just as a good cell removes bad cells in your body in order to keep it healthy and alive.
  It can also in some context be as a threat to the seriousness of that warning-people also feared G-d so this was used to show the severity of their behavior past or present.
  Then there's also the context liken to:
  If your parent says I'm gonna kill you if you ride that motorcycle, will you take it literal or as a warning that you will get hurt if you do thus the saying is a warning?

  Depending on the expression and intent of the prophet writing the story one can see many reasons for his use of the vengeful G-d in his accounts. But if you admit nature can be cruel and balancing to our actions then you should be able to understand how that essence we call G-d can be seen vengeful at times.