God Is Straight Forward

I am sure that most of you at some point has heard it said that G-d works ( or moves) in mysterious ways. Usually this is in reference to something miraculous, good or bad ,that happens that no one was expecting.

I know someone, who shall remain nameless, that was supposed to be on a plane going from Miami to Boston. The car that he was in, heading to the airport, broke down, and he had to get a cab to finish the journey. He was just late enough to the airport that his flight had left without him only a few minutes before and he had to take another flight. The plane that he had been scheduled to be on crashed and all but two people on board were killed, and one of them died a few days later.

Some might suggest G-d moved in a mysterious way to save that man, yet many more died. Were they any less worthy of life? No, I think G-d is much more open and blunt.

I have also heard the term used for the bible,especially the prophets, with people, usually in three piece,expensive, suits and mega churches, trying to suggest that there are hidden meanings or things that can't be understood by someone unless they are a brain surgeon and can dig out all the nuances of the scriptures.

I would say that there are a few things, such as “a wheel within a wheel” in Ezekiel that is kind of hard because the prophet is trying to describe something that is quite beyond his expertise in describing. Or sometimes the descriptive nature of the wording can get confusing,especially when the prophet is writing in such a way that might be more familiar to the listener of his day, but for the most part the scriptures are fairly straight forward and mean exactly what it says, G-d Himself says so.

Isaiah 42:9 “See, the things once predicted have come,And now I foretell new things, Announce to you ere they sprout up.

Isaiah 43:12 “ I alone foretold the triumph And I brought it to pass; I announce it, And no strange G-d was among you. ….”

Isaiah 44:8 “ Do not be frightened , do not be shaken! Have I not from of old predicted to you? I foretold and you are my witness.”

Isaiah 45:19 “I did not speak in secret, At a site in a land of darkness; I did not say to the stock of Jacob. Seek me out in a waste land. I the Lord who foretell reliably, Who announce what is true.

Isaiah 47:10 “I foretell the end from the beginning , And from the start, things that had not occurred...”

Isaiah 48:3, 5-8 “I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.... Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, My images brought them about;my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’ You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? “From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you. They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today So you cannot say, ‘Yes, I knew of them.’ You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ears have not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth.”

One thing that is clear from these passages is that G-d is blunt and speaks right to the truth of the matter. He made it clear to Israel what would happen to them, for good or bad ,going right back to the days of Moses and He did just as he said. There was nothing hidden or mysterious about it.

So with G-d speaking so bluntly, and full filling prophecy just as fore told, why would He now decide hide, what would arguably be the most important of prophecies ever?

Why would he hide His “ plan of salvation” in obscure passages, that most would scan right over or even worse never hear or read in the first place?

By suggesting that it's hidden in obscure passages that can only be understood by those who study the deep mysteries and assign meanings that just aren't there or are taken out of context you are condemning billions to hell and you make G-d out to be a tyrant and a liar. Look at the this verse;

Deuteronomy 30:11-14

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

G-d told them then that His laws and ways were not difficult and, as the passages I shared earlier make clear, He proclaims things though the prophets and they come to pass. Nothing hidden,just straight out truth. Nothing mysterious about it.

In all fairness there is a savior mentioned in these passages but I don't believe that it means what many think it does, but that's a subject for the next post.

Shalom.