Issued: 09/10/21  Revised: 12/16/23

“In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider:  God has made[both] side by side, [so] that man should not find anything after Him.”

Ecclesiastes 7:14

PLEASE NOTE:  Because Bible versions sometimes differ from each other in crucial ways, the version quoted here will be the one that best clarifies the point being made.  For a quick comparison between versions, please go to: http://www.biblehub.com.

   All bracketed material may be authorial comments, attempts at proper syntax, or minimal rewordings of Scripture for the sake of clarity and continuity.  These emendations will not be italicized.

   The “/” will be used to signify “and/or.”  The symbol “↔” is used to connect verses corroborating each other and so establishing doctrinal truths (Matthew 18:16↔2Corinthians 13:1).

   In differentiating between Yahweh Son [Jesus] and Yahweh Father [the Most High God], lower case letters have been used when discussing the former; upper case letters are reserved for the Only and Most High God.  Since Jesus was at pains to differentiate himself from Father, we have followed his lead here.

   The term neo-Christians will be used to differentiate between false Christians and Jesus’ true followers.

 At its most basic level, the Bible is a tale of unrequited love:  God loves men; men are in no hurry to love Him back (Isaiah 65:2; Hosea 13:6; Matthew 23:37; Luke 10:16).  Just as Aladdin used and manipulated his genie to fulfill his wishes, Aladdin never took stock of who his genie was or what his needs were.  In much the same way Judeo-Christians treat Father as their genie; instead of rubbing a lamp, they pray to Him expecting bounties and sundry benefits; and though regurgitating verse–bites learned in Sunday school [“God loves the sinner, not the sin”], these are recited by rote rather than being truly understood.  But Who Father is and is not, or what His needs are remain relatively unknown (Jeremiah 9:24).

   Everything is rooted in man’s ignorance of what love truly is.  Such a complex emotion, with its many nuances and depths of feelings, has become trivialized:  From loving family, to killing for sport, to sunbathing at the beach, to belching beer fumes watching sports events or sending trivial emojis, men indiscriminately “love” a gamut of fun activities/emotional pretenses.  When it comes to worship, men’s gods are mélanges of their preconceptions, religious indoctrination, fears and aspirations; and so is the case with Father, widely considered to be some amoral, loving machine dispensing forgiveness like Tinker Bell shedding magic dust.

   Places of worship preach Father‘s love, but their respective catechisms show how ambivalent and absurd perceptions of that love are.  As if measured against some sort of spiritual Richter scale, mankind’s ills are thought to be arbitrary punishments for sinfulness; the more catastrophic, the more reprehensible and deserved they must be.  If we are on a roll, Father is with us; if things go sour, we either get mad at or outright reject Him (Job 2:9-10; Proverbs 9:13).  Some “see” Father in nature while crediting evolution for its wonders; some “see” His hand in social controversies and polarizing spins contrary to the unity He champions.  Some have even burned their own children (Jeremiah 32:35), or killed in His name (John 16:2), to either appease or please Him.

   Today, Father remains as unknown as when Paul preached Him in Athens (Hosea 11:7; Acts 17:22-23).  Judeo-Christians grasp His basic attributes, but fail to probe what makes Him “tick”—if only insofar as He has chosen to reveal Himself (Ecclesiastes 3:11; Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 11:33-34).  Those who think they are being rewarded with material wealth for being good troopers are wrong on two counts:  Father has no favorites (Deuteronomy 10:17; Acts 10:34-35; Romans 2:11; Hebrews 11:39-40); and those who act according to His wishes are repaying debts owed Him, not getting brownie points (Luke 17:9-10; Romans 4:4).  The Judeo-Christian wealthy are larking (sic) around the symbolic tree [↔Matthew 13:32] and betting on Satan’s trifecta:  No membership in Father’s Kingdom (Matthew 10:25); relying on financial assets for safety and security (Luke 12:15-21); and procuring IDs of hypocrisy (James 2:26; 1John 3:17).  In point of fact, if consistent good fortune accrues on anyone, pause and consider, for Father “scourges every son [and daughter] whom He receives” (Hebrews 12:6-8)—including His own ((Isaiah 53:10; John 18:11).

THE HOWS OF FATHER’S LOVE

Fundamentals

   Thus, the first standard in Father’s love is His sense of fairness and equality:  No one gets a free pass (2Thessalonians 3:10); and everyone must bite the bullet—as Son did—in order to partake of Jesus’ inheritance (Romans 8:17).  While today’s evangelists numb congregants’ apprehensions with optimistic bromides  [nothing new↔Isaiah 30:10; Jeremiah 6:14],¹ the reality is that all faithful Judeo-Christians must be baptized in the fire of trials and tribulations (Isaiah 48:10; Zechariah 13:8-9; Matthew 3:11; 1Peter 4:12-19) to the extent he/she is capable of enduring (1Corinthians 10:13).  Judging by Jesus’ example, and his warnings (Matthew 24:9-10; John 15:18,23↔2Timothy 3:12), prospects looks grim.  Before getting our crown of glory [↔2Timothy 4:8], we must wear his crown of thorns.

   This in turn evinces another standard:  Father’s undying goodwill towards His people.  While providing means for all to be saved (2Samuel 14:14) in order to satisfy our aspirations—and then some (Jeremiah 29:11; 1Corinthians 2:9; Revelation 21:4), He will exact some form of accounting for past transgressions (Jeremiah 30:11).  The evangelical mantra that “by accepting Jesus as our personal Savior” our sinful slates are wiped clean is magical thinking.  With knowledge of Father’s laws comes awareness of sin (Romans 3:20); and through that awareness comes acceptance of and submission to Father’s discipline however costly or painful it may be (Micah 7:9; 1Peter 1:6-7, 2:20-21, 3:17, 5:6-7; Hebrews 12:5-11).  Unlike human parents who cave in to children’s arsenal of manipulative ploys while disciplining them, and contrary to child development theories, Father will not spare the rod—as He advises parents who love their children to do as well (Proverbs 13:24).

   If some people are excluded from this loop, it is not because they were pre-destined for destruction; otherwise the freely-made choice to either submit to or disobey Father would be a sham (Deuteronomy 30:19-20; Ezekiel 33:11).  Neither does He pick and choose the righteous or unrighteous as time goes by:  Father does not need to get to 425 BCE to embrace someone in ancient Greece, or to 2021 CE to discard someone in the United States.  Those individuals were foreknown to default (Proverbs 16:4; Romans 9:15-23); and as Moses (Exodus 32:32) and David (Psalms 56:8, 69:28, 139:16) indirectly let us know, names and deeds of unrighteous people were inscribed before time was in books to be opened on Judgment Day (Daniel 7:10; Luke 10:20; Revelation 3:5, 20:12).

   Thus Father’s love is men’s version of “tough love,” deemed to be productive when applied by men on men but chafing when Father applies it to them.  Despite being beset by all forms of suffering, men have not learned their lesson (Jeremiah 2:30-31); nor apparently will learn it even during end times (Revelation 9:20-21) but only when they burn at Armageddon (Proverbs 5:11-14).   Imagine what this world would be like if Father withheld His discipline altogether on grounds of all-forgiving, morally-bankrupt love; especially since punishment not carried out swiftly encourages evildoers to commit further evil (Ecclesiastes 8:11↔Jeremiah 5:12). A stitch in time may save nine; but in Father’s ‘knitting,’ He delays comeuppance to give transgressors the time to get their act together (2Peter 3:9↔Matthew 13:28-30).

   Why then are men resistant to embrace and repay Father’s love?  The advantages are all theirs:  Except for loving Him back, men can give nothing material in return (Job 41:11) for promised rewards beyond imagining (Jeremiah 29:11↔1Corinthians 2:9).  And these are within human grasp by worshipping Father as is His wont: In truth and spirit (John 4:23-24) mediated by faith without which it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). Surely, meager contributions when so much is at stake?  Anyone offering personal substitutes, like Cain (Genesis 4:2-5), will be rejected; yet even Cain, had he followed rules, could have made the grade (Genesis 4:7).

His Word is His Bond

   One of Father’s outstanding qualities is that He never goes back on His word.  Through His prophets, He lets men know where He stands on any issue well in advance of acting on them (Amos 3:7, 4:13↔John 16:13). The idea that He ‘changes’ His mind is one of evangelism’s bad-spels (sic), evidencing men’s refusal to take Him at His word.  The many Scriptures giving the impression that He does (Exodus 32:14; Jeremiah 26:19; Jonah 3:10; Amos 7:3,6 and others) all involve Yahweh Son proxy God.  Scriptures like Numbers 23:19, 1Samuel 15:29 and Isaiah 31:2, in contrast, do reference Yahweh Father.  Men’s inability to differentiate between the two has been discussed previously in this series and On the Divinity of Jesus.

   Father’s detractors, whether scholars or lay people, love to remark on these ‘contradictions’ as proof that Father is a flip-flopper and the Scriptures ripe with errors; but these ‘contra-fictions‘ (sic) are the result of faithless myopia, unlike the 20-20 spiritual vision calibrated by the Optometrist of faith (2Kings 16-17; Mark 4:12; Luke 19:42, 24:31; 2Corinthians 5:7).  As 2Corinthians 4:3-4 states, it is that other, fraudulent practitioner who alters the prescription for spiritual insight.

 Father wants us to take Him at His word in the absence of proof, which is His criterion for identifying true believers (Genesis 15:6; John 20:29; 1Corinthians 11:19; Philippians 3:13; Hebrews 11:39).

Telling it like it is

   Father’s definition of ‘transparency’ far surpasses the spurious variant our secular/religious leaders readjust to suit ideological spins.  Father’s first recorded deed was creating “Light,” symbolizing the Jesus who dispels the darkness where evildoing festers and prospers (John 3:20); the “Sun of Righteousness” who like its celestial counterpart gives meaning, shape, and depth to all things (Malachi 4:2; John 8:12; Revelation 22:16).  Likewise, though unperceivable to His detractors, Father’s “hidden wisdom,” pre-destined for the faithful, comes through the Holy Spirit mediated by Jesus (Deuteronomy 29:29; Mark 4:11-12; John 15:26; 1Corinthians 2:7-14; 2Corinthians 4:3-6, 5:7).  Father is for illuminating every nook and cranny where Satan may have planted his IED’s [Improvised Erroneous Dogmas].

   That transparency is nowhere more evident than in assuming full responsibility for mankind’s ills (Isaiah 45:7; Daniel 4:35; Lamentations 3:38; Amos 3:6):  The buck truly stops with Him.  We have discussed the underlying dynamics for this in previous writings, so there is no need to belabor them here; but let the point be repeated that whereas men fail to own up to their failures by shunting them elsewhere, Father is authentic enough to own up to the consequences of His decisions.

   Satan cannot ruffle a feather (↔Ezekiel 28:14) without Father letting him; and what he is allowed to deploy against humanity, again permitted by Father, is thankfully delimited.  Unlike the Lola of Damn Yankees, Satan does not get all he wants; for being exponentially wiser and cleverer than us (Ezekiel 28:12), he would be at liberty to make us far more detestable than we could manage on our own.  We do have a choice to either honor the terms of Father’s covenant or default on them. If we opt for the former, we are on a roll; if opting for the latter, He remands us into Satan’s custody.

   Still, Father has instituted preaching as a loophole of last resort (Ezekiel 2:5; Luke 20:13), while making binding on all His people to warn others of their transgressions (Ezekiel 3:18-21; 1Corinthians 9:16).  While the sons of darkness could not care less about the prospects of others, the sons of light had better burn incandescently emitting God’s truth—and if need be snuffed out while doing so (Matthew 5:14-16; Mark 8:35; Philippians 2:15).

The Merit System

   Which brings us to Father’s rewarding priorities.  Humans act on the premise that family comes first, but Jesus begged to disagree:  “If you love only someone who loves you, will God praise you for that? Even sinners love people who love them” (Luke 6:32).  For Jesus “family” were the doers of Father’s will, not blood relations (Matthew 12:46-50); and Paul, while not altogether discounting familial duties, prioritized the needs of the family of faith over everyone else’s (Galatians 6:10; 1Timothy 5:8).²  The so-called ‘hard sayings of Jesus,’ all of which sound anti-family (Matthew 10:35-38; Luke 12:51-53, 14:26) do not advocate “hating” or “abhorring” loved ones so much as making us realize that notwithstanding our loyalties to them, if they do not share our faith and do not prioritize Jesus like we do, they are our spiritual “enemies.”  In times of persecution, they may even be complicit in our deaths (Matthew 10:21; Mark 13:12; Luke 13:10); and the same applies to ‘friends’ and cronies (Psalms 146:3; Micah 7:5).

 In times of prosperity or of relative hardships, people pull together; but when things get beyond unendurable, as they have been prophesied to be, relatives’ and friends’ loyalties will be sorely tested (Luke 21:16-17).  If the Great Tribulation is unprecedented in history (Matthew 24:21), then Biblical horror stories like mothers eating their children or espouses turning against each other (Deuteronomy 28:53-57; Jeremiah 19:9; Lamentations 2:21) will pale in comparison to what is to come (Ezekiel 21:7; Luke 21:25-26).  And though incontestably allowed by Father, His homicidal sword-wielder, Satan (Isaiah 14:6,12,16-17,20; Ezekiel 21:3-5,9-15; Revelation 6:8), will unleash his hatred against those dismissive of him and minions alike (Revelation 9:1-11).

   Obedience is Father’s fee to elude such a fate, but it is a price human beings are not willing to pay; therefore most will be tested according to levels and degrees of culpability—the “eye for an eye” principle which excludes the “sealed” (Ezekiel 9:6; Revelation 7:1-3).  But let us not discount the grace of exemption by proxy, as for example, granted to Noah’s family (Genesis 6:8: Hebrews 11:7), Rahab’s family (Hebrews 11:31), and to people whose righteousness may result in special consideration given to their significant others (1Corinthians 7:12-16).  Father’s sense of justice, of what may or may not mitigate guilt, is infinitely more nuanced than the outright revenge and payback which are men’s primary options.  All being said, it is His system of justice; and just as is the norm in our courts of law, He will not entertain defendants dictating terms regarding their conviction or acquittal.

 For anyone subscribing to Father’s faith platform, membership is guaranteed (John 14:23).  Anyone refusing to honor Him will be disdained (1Samuel 2:30).  Anyone betraying a vow of loyalty to Him may suffer dire consequences (Ezra 8:22; Ecclesiastes 5:4-5; Hebrews 6:4-6, 10:38; 2Peter 2:20-21).³  He will not love those who do not love Him back (Proverbs 8:17).  He listens to the obedient but tunes out the disobedient (Proverbs 28:9; John 9:31; James 1:25).  And though neo-Christians put a lot of stock in their ‘personal relationships’ with Father, this is true insofar as they keep persevering towards righteousness.  That aspiration to be better is what Father loves in them (Luke 4:23; Colossians 3:2; 1Peter 3:21); lacking it, all former conditions still apply.

   Thus Father operates according to a merit system.  One suffers with Christ, one inherits with him.  One dies fully convinced of his/her resurrection, one rises immortal out of the grave.  One feeds the hungry, one is fed; one clothes the naked, one is clad with the linen of righteousness (Revelation 6:11, 7:9,13-14, 19:8).  No favoritism; no nepotism:  One is remunerated according to the measure given, the sacrifice incurred (Matthew 25:23; 2Corinthians 8:12), and the conviction expressed in acts of love to Father and to men (Proverbs 14:35; Matthew 25:21, 35-46; James 2:17).  This is why socialism, a dirty word in conservative politics, better describes Christianity in action than soulless capitalism—the worship of Mammon redux. And Jesus told us what that type of worship meant (Luke 16:13).

 But let us be mindful of pitfalls.  As Paul says, we do not even know how to pray for things truly beneficial to us; on that score, the Holy Spirit contributes His spiritual assessment of what is lacking in us (Romans 8:26).  If we ask Father for wealth, let us remember that only bare necessities were guaranteed (Psalms 37:25; Luke 12:29-31; 1Timothy 6:8-11); and this only if we do not deviate from His script.  If Lamborghinis, Med cruises, real estate holdings, 6-pack abs, and status-seeking are the goals, our prayers do not rise above roofs overhead (2Kings 5:26; Luke 17:26-30; James 4:3-4).  Father only hears and grants pleas made in conformance to what He is willing to bestow upon the deserving (1John 5:14-15). Any add-ons are matters of His personal choice (1Kings 3:11-14; Isaiah 38:1-5).

   In summary, we find in Father’s stances the integrity and authenticity we expect from but never find in our leaders; nevertheless, like the ancient Israelites, we continue entrusting the latter with our well-being and expectations while getting perennially shafted in the process (1Samuel 8:9-18).  Or to use Jesus’ allegory giving what should be Father‘s to “dogs” and “wolves” in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:6.15; Acts 20:29). And in a graphic, real sense, we seem to be OK with laying both our lives and our loved ones’ at the feet of predators for whom our collective deaths are collateral carnage (sic).  Human nature has degraded to such an extent that it molecularly-binds to behaviors/opinions destructive to us, a ‘new normal’ far from being really ‘new’ (Deuteronomy 31:20,29; Ecclesiastes 1:19-11; Zechariah 7:12).  And if anyone believes these warnings were strictly for the Jews, think again (Deuteronomy 29:14-15).

   Solomon put it succinctly:  “The evil of man is great upon him” (Ecclesiastes 8:6); and misjudging Father’s ways contributes greatly to that evil.

Not Rendering unto God

   Human beings love recognition for their accomplishments:  Nobel prizes, Oscars, Olympic medals, awards for excellence in chosen fields—the most publicized, the better. When it comes to Father‘s creative powers, we credit Mother Nature, a man-made concept.  The gender switch is particularly telling, since Satan always relies on female entities [Eve, churches, cities, Babylon the Great, the queen of heaven]⁴ to deprive Father the Man [as in Son of Man↔Luke 9:56] of His rightful acclaim.  Granted that nature as we experience it now is not the pre-existing one before Adam was kicked out of Eden:  That one was conceived along non-predatorial, vegetarian guidelines (Genesis 1:30).  But Satan, always a destroyer rather than a creator, is skilled at improvisation; which may be the reason why human beings are busy ‘re-inventing’ themselves in as many ways as they possibly can.  As absolutely breathtaking as nature is, the internecine habitats among fauna and flora are Satan’s devolutions from Father’s original designs.  Underneath every enchanting rose bush, there is some sort of inter-species carnage going on; as well as over all forms of terrain and under all bodies of water.

   We know that Satan lost his bid to unseat Yahweh Son (Isaiah 14:12-20).⁵  Like all his hand-picked choices amongst human rulers (Luke 4:6), Satan bears undying grudges [sounds familiar?]; and since he cannot strike back at Father personally, he will do all he can to deprive Him of the recognition He wants and deserves.  A glaring example is Matthew 6:13, part of which is omitted from the Roman Catholic Our Father prayer.  Even if choosing Luke’s version (Luke 11:24) over Matthew’s, there is no reason not to glorify Father the way Jesus taught us.

   Enter science, Satan’s counter-gospel.  Why so?  If faith is the certainty of what cannot be seen or proven, and this is what pleases Father (Hebrews 11:1,6), is not faith-bankrupt science a soul trap?  The antithesis opposing the thesis?  The visible denying the invisible (↔Romans 8:24-25)?  Even then we need to acknowledge the limitations of our faith.  Inwardly we may be sure Father exists but not one of us can prove His existence or convince anyone that He is.  And what is more telling, Father never gave us the means to do so or show any desire in settling the controversy; otherwise the heavens would open up as they did for Stephen (Acts 7:55-56) and He would show Himself to men.

Repeating Father’s Talk and Doing Faith’s Walk

 Nowhere in the Bible does Father leave behind evidence proving His intervention in human affairs—be it Noah’s Ark, the Ark of the Covenant, or the Ten Commandment tablets written with His own finger! (Exodus 31:18).  Even in a historical context, Jesus’ existence—let alone his Messiahship—is far from established like Herod’s and Pilates’ are.  It is men who feel compelled to fill in Scripture’s blanks.⁶  

   For example, Creationists juggle science and faith to reconcile what is seen with what Father tells us could not have been.  It may be that to temper the “foolishness of preaching” (1Corinthians 1:21) with a modicum of common sense, Creationists borrow the tools of the “falsely called science” [Paul’s term↔1Timothy 6:20-21] to state the case for ‘intelligent design’ in a pious but misguided bid to acknowledge the Creator.  Of course neither Creator nor His proxy Creator Son could care zilch about public opinion, since both subscribe to the notion that people, once they have been told otherwise (Ezekiel 3:19↔John 15:22; Romans 14:5), are free to believe what they will (Romans 14:5). Unlike men, Father does not need human verification, given that no mortal was a witness to, nor consulted in, His Creation.  As far as He is concerned, let the chip fall where they may; though to be sure, seeking human validation for whatever reason is never the way He wants us to go (Galatians 1:10; James 4:4).

 Plus He wants us to put our credibility on the line to gauge the depth of our convictions, with one objective in mind:  Sharing the ridicule and condescension Jesus endured for us.  For as it is written, “We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ if in fact we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:17).  When Jesus said, “I’ve set an example for you, so that you may do as I have done to you” (John 13:15); and, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes with the holy angels in his Father’s glory” (Mark 8:38), he was not shooting the breeze.  He expects us to be laughed up and be branded fundamentally addlebrained, a spectacle to the world at large (1Corinthians 4:9).  This is one way we atone for past sins; and since none of those laughing at our expense has the means to save one hair on our heads, we should pay our dues to the ones who can (Matthew 10:30; Luke 21;18).  We will be having the last laugh (Psalms 52:6-7, 58:10-11, 126:5-6). 

   We have been told not to do specifically what Creationists et al are engaged in:  Getting bogged down in scientific arguments contributing to the perdition of agnostics, skeptics, wavering, and undecided. For them science, irrespective of competing and contradictory schools of thought, best conforms to and addresses the realities and challenges of this world.  Creationist endeavors have the opposite effect:  Instead of shoring up non-evidentiary faith, they undermine it with arguments unsupported by written Scripture (Proverbs 30:6; Galatians 1:8-9; Titus 1:9); thus bringing discredit upon Father (1Timothy 6:20-21; 2Timothy 2:14), gainsaying the Holy Spirit‘s testimony (2Peter 1:19-20), and tripping the weak in faith (Matthew 18:6-7↔Ephesians 4:14).

   Luke 16:31 defines the parameters of faith:  Answers are to be found only in Moses and the prophets, which was Paul’s golden standard (Acts 26:22) and Isaiah’s maxim (Isaiah 8:20).  Including science, everything outside those parameters violate the prohibition not to add anything to the Bible (Deuteronomy 12:32); which in Solomon’s opinion Father insisted on so “that men should fear before Him” (Ecclesiastes 3:14).  It follows that if fear of Father is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), Creationists et al should cease and desist—which of course they will not; being loathe to discard the science that validates their hybrid faith and justifies endeavors bundled up with jobs, salaries, and peer standing no matter what Jesus said (Matthew 16:26).

God and Nature

 Scripture says that Father fills everything (1Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:24) and that men move in Him (Acts 17:28); so technically, He inhabits nature.  But Father is not found in nature. Nature has neither creed nor morality; Father does.  Nature is not always compassionate; Father is.  In nature apex predators usually fare best; but Father is attuned to the weak, the broken in spirit, and contrite in heart (Psalms 51:17).  Nature does not grieve for all its creatures; Father does (Isaiah 63:9).  Nature is soulless and disconnected from men; Father’s Holy Spirit is inextricably intertwined with men’s souls (Romans 8:26; Ephesians 4:30).

   What nature does offer is evidence of Father’s limitless richness.  Everything in nature, the diversity of all living forms; its calming effects on the human brain; the emotional responses that colors elicit; the feeling of exultation mountain ranges generate; the daunting impressiveness of the ocean; the awareness of one’s relative insignificance under heaven’s canopy—everything is programmed for our appreciation and ours alone. Science gives odds of extraterrestrial life existing somewhere in the universe; but Scriptures positing a vanishing cosmos (Isaiah 34:4, 51:6; Matthew 24:29) and an upgraded one (Isaiah 20:36; 2Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1) challenge that contention.

 But Father conceived nature to serve more pragmatic purposes.  From high mountains to tall trees [i.e., empires and rulers↔Isaiah 2:11-17, 40:4; Jeremiah 51:25; Ezekiel 17:24, 31:3-6; Zechariah 4:7]; to rivers draining into the ocean [i.e., nations composing the whole of humanity↔Ezekiel 29:4-5; Revelation 17:5]; to predators and prey symbolizing men (Psalm 68:30; Ezekiel 34:25; Acts 20:29)⁷—Scripture relies on nature to mirror human affairs (Ecclesiastes 3:18). So that when some animals behave against type and instinct to protect, nurture and befriend species that are otherwise enemies/prey, may that not be Father’s way of showing that irrational beasts are capable of doing what He expects every rational human being to do? God may love men (John 3:16); but nature is the mirror He holds before mankind so that human beings “see” what needs changing in themselves.

THE WHYS OF FATHER’S LOVE

   And thus we come to the question:  Why does Father put up with us?  He could have started from scratch once men became perverse; though being All-Knowing, He allowed for that turn of events prior to Lucifer’s creation.  In entrusting Yahweh Son with His creative powers, Father, always loathe to subjugate minds, gave Son room to learn from his errors in judgment—a boon equally extended to all living beings rational or not.  However loving and well-intentioned Yahweh Son was,⁸ all-mighty yet not all-wise, there came a time when he wanted to do away with men, desisting only after Noah found grace in his eyes (Genesis 6:7-8).  We find the same dynamic in Exodus 32:14; Jeremiah 26:19; Amos 7:3,6; Jonah 3:4,10; evidence of quick-temperedness clashing with loving impulses.⁹ Though there is no way of resolving this issue, one wonders whether Paul’s comment in Hebrews 5:8 suggests Yahweh Son‘s indecisiveness in enforcing the stern discipline needed to rule over fractious humanity was one reason for his suffering on earth.

 On the other hand, there is the obvious disconnect between Yahweh Son’s proclivity not to carry through with stated threats (Genesis 6:7; 2Samuel 24:13,15-16; Jonah 3:1-4,10) vis-à-vis Father‘s resolve to carry through with His decisions (Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 14:24, 46:11).  Even here we find evidence of Father’s desire for every creature—Son included—to exercise free will.  While we do know Father was firmly behind Jesus (Matthew 3:17; John 10:25, 14:10), Jesus did not learn to fully imitate Father’s uncompromising ruling style until after his resurrection, when ambivalence on Jesus’ part disappeared.¹⁰

 The short answer is that Father was fully and firmly committed to mankind even while knowing most of it would betray Him.  This is evident from Jesus’ crucifixion to all other provisions conceived before the world was (Matthew 25:34; 1Corinthians 2:7; Galatians 3:13; 1Peter 1:20); whose objective was upgrading a ritual-dependent covenant to a faith-based one where grace would decide the fate of human souls (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Along those lines Father was willing to let His only Son be killed (John 3:16); and look past the “times of ignorance” (Acts 17:30) with the proviso that every transgression against Him would not be completely overlooked or forgiven without some sort of atonement (2Timothy 3:12; 1Peter 1:6-7, 4:12-13).

   Being made in Father’s image does not mean strictly sharing His outward features:  It implies sharing His holiness as well (Hebrews 12:10).  While paying lip service to absolutes like justice, equality, love, and truth, men are aware of their exalted value and ostensibly subscribe to them.  It is the same with divine jealousy (Exodus 34:14), not the human variant breeding mistrust and vindictiveness, but the love-generated one confirming we are indeed deeply loved.  Are we not peeved when loved ones take us for granted and lavish on others the affection we deserved?  Is not being the object of loved ones’ jealousy, perhaps vainly but patently so, comforting and rewarding?

   It seems to be the same with Father.  Thus when in Exodus 20:5 He admits to being a “jealous” God; and when James says, “The Spirit that God caused to live in us jealously yearns for us” (James 4:5), we find those same standards ruling our emotions.  We want to be first and foremost in loved ones’ affections and loyalties; though we carry things a bit too far by insisting on unconditional love.  There is no such thing as far as Father is concerned:  His loving us is predicated upon obedience and righteous behavior (John 14:23); barring those, there is nothing to be had from Him. Consequently, neither Esau (Romans 9:13; Hebrews 12:16-17), nor Judas (Matthew 26:24; John 6:70), nor any of the “vessels of wrath made for destruction” as numerous “as the sand of the sea” (Romans 9:22; Revelation 20:8) were/will be forgiven.

 The human being has not been born who merits ‘unconditional’ anything; still, we prioritize family, friends and cronies irrespective of their moral worth. We are gung-ho on being loyal to whomever or whatever we judge—or misjudge—deserves it.  We are beholden to those who manipulate us or at the very least are far less committed to us—in words and actions—than we are to them.  Father is much worthier of these commitments than the people we give them to.  Blood may indeed be thicker than water; but in spiritual matters, as in nature, the water of baptism is the universal solvent diluting the bonds of human co/inter-dependency.

   Furthermore we turn to idols: “My people ask their wooden idols for help. A piece of wood tells them what to do.¹¹  A spirit of prostitution leads them astray. They commit adultery by giving themselves to other gods [that do not exist↔Psalms 86:10; Isaiah 44:6, 45:6; 1Timothy 1:17]…For [they] consort with harlots [churches and synagogues], they sacrifice with temple prostitutes [false religious leaders].  [Such people lacking] understanding will come to ruin” (Hosea 4:12,14). So fine, let Me call mankind’s bluff.  “When you cry for help, let those idols of yours save you!  A puff of wind will carry them off!”  But even then, an escape clause:  “Those who trust in Me will live in the land [His Kingdom on earth] and will worship Me in My Temple [Jesus’ body, the Church↔Isaiah 57:13; Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 3:6]. Let us remember that in the Heavenly City there will not be an external Temple (Revelation 21:22).

   In times of affliction, remember and be warned:  “I sent all my servants the prophets to you again and again, saying, ‘Don’t do this repulsive thing that I hate.’  But they didn’t listen or pay attention by turning from their wickedness and not offering sacrifices to other gods… Therefore thus says [Yahweh Son], the [proxy] God of Israel [and Father’s Spokesperson]:  Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, even to cut off all Judah [Jesus’ “tribe” and Scripture’s symbol for Christendom at large↔Jeremiah 44:4-5,11; Hebrews 7:14].”  Remember Baal’s prophets:  They were convinced their gods were running the show, but it was Father Who sent the fire from heaven that consumed Elijah’s holocaust (1Kings 18:22-39); and it will be His fire at Armageddon that will consume Baal [Satan], his gods [fallen angels], and all his human minions (Revelation 20:7-10).  Yet again another way out:  “It will happen that whoever will call on the name of Yahweh shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as Yahweh has said, and among the remnant, those whom Yahweh calls” (Joel 2:32; Luke 14:23; Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13).

   Now Father’s all-consuming jealousy forbids even uttering false gods’ names:  “Be careful to do all things that I have said to you; and don’t invoke the name of other gods, neither let them be heard out of your mouth” (Exodus 23:13; Joshua 23:7).  In point of fact the eradication of such names from conscious memory will be a forever law in Father’s New Kingdom (Hosea 2:16-17; Zechariah 13:2).  But throughout Christendom pagan gods continue to be worshipped in Roman Catholic ‘saints’—in turn appropriated by Haitian Vodun and Yoruba-derived religions like Santeria and Cadomblé in nations contaminated by Rome.

 Quoting from 1Corinthians 13:4-6:  “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs.  It does not delight at unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth.”  Paul was talking here about aspects of divine love.  In terms of patience and not being easily angered, “I have been silent a long time. I have been quiet and restrained Myself” (Isaiah 42:14); “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2Peter 3:9).  In terms of kindness, “For I know the plans that I have for you…plans for well-being, and not for calamity, in order to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).  In terms of envy or self-seeking, He expects nothing from men but their worship; for “everything under the heavens is Mine” (Job 41:11).  He surely is entitled to boast of exercising “loving kindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight” (Jeremiah 9:24).  He is not proud:  “Who is like Yahweh, our God, who has His seat on high, [and humbles Himself] to look on [His people]” (Psalms 113:5-6); to the extent of preparing a City for them (Hebrews 11:16).  And in terms of keeping no account of wrongs, “I, I am the one who blots out your transgression for My own sake, and I’ll remember your sins no more” (Isaiah 43:25).

 Granted that these standards of divine love are hard for humans to emulate; in fact when Paul advises us to feed our enemies, which is a way of “loving” devoid of emotional components, he sees it as a way of showing Father who is deserving of reward or condemnation (Romans 12:20).  Love thy enemy does not mean lavishing upon him/her emotions that are neither shared, nor understood, nor valued—the proverbial pearl-trampling swine Jesus told us to eschew (Matthew 7:6, 13:45-46).  It only means supplying basic needs common to us all, even if deriving ingratitude, betrayal, or the proverbial stab in the back for it.  We are all inclined to do evil (Ecclesiastes 8:11; Mark 10:18; Romans 3:9-12); only that those of us who aspire to be better go against the grain of our natures to please Father and hope for a breakthrough.  The proof of the evolving Christian is in the ‘budding’ (sic); not in a blossoming that will take place at the very end of life—if and only if we win the battle of faith (Philippians 3:12-14; 2Timothy 4:7-8).¹² 

The Nearness of God

   In our eclectic, anything-goes world, it is said all roads lead to Father; though Judeo-Christianity begs to differ:  No one gets to Father except through Yahweh Son/Jesus, who have always been the same person (John 14:6; Hebrews 13:8).

   Of course everybody is entitled to his/her own beliefs/preferences; it will all be sorted out on Judgment Day.  But it behooves Judeo-Christians to remember, no matter how laden with angelic revelations or miraculous events competing gospels may be, it is only on the foundations laid by Yahweh Son/Jesus in Scripture that salvation lies (Matthew: 24:24-26; 1Corinthians 3:11-15; Galatians 1:8-10; 2Thessalonians 2:1-12; Revelation 13:11-17). Doubts (Romans 14:23); inconstancy (Ephesians 4:14; James 1:6-7); hypocrisy (Matthew 23:13; Revelation 21:8); lack of true, radical conviction (Jeremiah 48:10; Hebrews 10:23,38; Revelation 3:16); and prioritizing worldly concerns over spiritual matters (2Kings 5:26; Jeremiah 51:58; Luke 17:26-30; 2Timothy 2:4; James 4:1-4) alineate us from Father. Yet we are told He is always near to us; certainly prayers away through the veil of Jesus’ flesh, in whose body the Divinity dwells (Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 10:19-22). Is not such accessibility patent proof of His desire to bond with us (Jeremiah 32:37-4; Ephesians 4:6)?

   But heed the warning:  “Seek Yahweh while He may be found; call you on Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6); for the time will come, once the time of grace expires, that Father will retreat out of bounds.  As He says: “’At an acceptable time I listened to you, in a day of salvation I helped you.’  Behold, now is the acceptable time.  Behold, now is the day of salvation’” (2Corinthians 2:6-2).  Let not the temporal delights of this world lull you into believing that Father or Jesus are in the bag:  “Be careful, [and let not] your hearts be loaded down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, [lest] that day will come on you suddenly like a trap” (Luke 21:34).  For just as surely as in the times of Noah no one ‘got it’ until the Flood came sweeping the unrighteous away (Matthew 24:37-39); and the populations of Sodom and Gomorrah were nuked while going about daily concerns (Luke 17:28-29); so mankind is blithely congaing (sic) towards oblivion in a lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15).

 The Day of the Lord will come when we least expect it (Luke 21:34-35; 1Thessalonians 5:2-3; 2Peter 3:10↔Matthew 24:43-44).

The Refuge of Last Resort

   With the forces of evil now exponentially in the ascendant (2Timothy 3:1-5) and geared towards the total rejection of Father and Jesus (Psalms 1:1-2)—the night when no one can work (John 9:4), our choice should be clear.  In Father we have the assurance of help in times of need (Psalms 26:5, 37:19, 91:3-12; Hebrews 4:16); while our secular and religious ‘cheerleaders’ have nothing to offer but new sets of chains.  Their mouths speak of what fills their hearts (Luke 6:45):  Hatred and malfeasance—the stuff of daily news. They loathe public scrutiny (John 3:20), puzzling in light of claims they have nothing to hide. Why not prove their detractors wrong and mendacious by practicing the ‘transparency’ bandied about in political rhetoric?

 Bottom line:  None of us is safe from Satan’s wiles unless refusing to go along with the flow (James 4:7).  Which involves risk and a host of unpleasant consequences, but that is what Father demands of us:  “The person who has God’s approval will live by faith. But if he turns back, I will not be pleased with him” (Hebrews 10:38).  In the final analysis submitting to evil men may buy time until the day of reckoning when even they will be put through the wringer.

 Yet on the other side of the battlefield of faith, there is Father, the golden-lining in the very dark clouds spreading over humanity.  If the whole Christian endeavor rests on His promise to Abraham (Hebrews 6:13), then our hope of protection lies on similar iron-clad promises.  “He will surely give me shelter in the day of danger; He will hide me in His home; He will place me on an inaccessible rocky summit” (Psalms 27:5).  “Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.  For He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalms 91:9-11↔Revelation 7:2-3).  And if the dismal statistics of Revelation 7:4 shows us how few met Father‘s standards, the fact remains that an uncountable multitude will be saved (Revelation 7:9,14); perhaps at some personal cost for dilly-dallying at the time firm commitment was called for.  Neither Father nor Jesus look kindly on partial commitment (Hebrews 10:38; James 1:6-8; Revelation 3:16).

If one has the temerity to call oneself a Christian, that person had better follow Jesus’ lead (John 13:15); never ever relying on men for any type of guidance; never ever getting ensnared in human controversies (Proverbs 10:19; Ecclesiastes 6:11; Matthew 5:37; John 6:15; 1Timothy 6:20-21; 2Timothy 2:14-16); never ever being complicit in undermining Father-sanctioned institutions established for our protection (Matthew 12:25; Romans 13:1-2); and never ever rendering unto men what should be exclusively Father’s (Matthew 7:6; Luke 20:25).  If men command your loyalties, part company with them (2Corinthians 6:14; Galatians 1:10).

Closing Words: A Personal Perspective

   I would like to end this article on a personal note.  I must admit faith has been easy for me.  Despite reports of UFOs, ghosts, after death spirits in lighted tunnels, dinosaur bones, expanding cosmos, geological dating, and all the compelling counter-evidence science can muster against faith, I have always regarded these as Satanic ‘special effects.’   In one way or another, Scripture argues against the possibility of their being authentic; seen and recorded, yes, but not real.  I guess this makes me look a blind fool; but in good literature, fools and the blind are often channels of wisdom.  Add them to Paul’s mix (Hebrews 11:7-40), and I find myself in good company.

   Amongst my inexhaustible trove of personal faults and shortcomings, I have in part lived up to Father’s standards.  I do not place family above everything else; I do not love indiscriminately or unconditionally; I value friendship above any form of love; have no favorites when it comes to people—at least not to the degree I would betray justice and truth to side with someone dear to me; and I do not love life enough to hold on to it tooth and nail.  As far as I am concerned, I am done with living; would prefer to go even if unsure of salvation, for to remain in this world smacks to me of complicity in its evils.  No wonder Solomon envied the dead and the unborn:  “Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.  Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 4:2-3; see 7:1).  On top of that, if one excels at something on behalf of others’ welfare, the hounds of hell will keep trying to tear him/her to pieces (Ecclesiastes 4:4; John 15:18-19; 2Timothy 3:12).

   As I grow older, I find myself in the grip of a heightened appreciation of things.  A tree or a flower mean more to me than meets the eye, as do birds, animals, the whole of nature, music, art.  To me these are means of communication at the heart of which I find Father, His creativity, His imagination, His artistry, His almost touching desire to both impart and impress upon my sensibilities the beauty He is capable of conjuring up.  In order to dissolve in the epiphany of it all, one needs jettison human conceits and let His essence tsunami over one’s soul.

  But the Divinity is a God; though Father, He is not like a human parent we can have informal relationships with.  There is inevitably a boundary of reverence and respect between us and Him that cannot be breached; just as the heavenly elders, while praising Him, kneel before His throne in worship but do not rush forward to pat Him on the back (Revelation 19:4).  We will never know His embrace, or His handshake, or be kissed by Him; but in our souls we will experience His presence; and through His new Creation, in His wiping off every tear shed in suffering (Revelation 21:4-7), even while worshipping Him during every eternal Sabbath (Isaiah 66:23; Zechariah 14:16), we will bask in His radiant light (Revelations 21:23) and be certain of a love and a sense of belonging such as we have never known before.

   For these reasons we were given Father’s next, best substitute:  Jesus.  This is why Father entrusted him with the Creation; and why he is both path to (John 14:6) and revealer of (Matthew 11:27) the Father.  This is why he was made to come amongst men; share their ordeals; embrace and kiss them; eat with them; teach them to be strong in faith; befriend them; and yearn for the day he could always be with them (John 14:3).  Jesus could do what was unseemly for a Deity; yet through him, that Deity could experience first-hand the challenges besetting human nature.  The mortal Jesus was Father’s ‘probe,’ His earthly proxy, His conduit to let men know He was not disengaged from them (Romans 8:38-39).

   Consequently, the heavenly elders did approach Jesus; and Jesus in turn could approach Father’s throne, crossing over an off-limits area around the Heavenly throne to take charge from the very hand of God (Revelation 5:5-7). Once Armageddon is over and done with, Jesus will abdicate his Interim Godship and submit to Father’s authority (1Corinthians 15:24-28).  Then he will live amongst men as their King and High Priest; and he will continue providing the sense of intimacy (Revelation 2:17) and fraternity (Isaiah 8:18) men cannot have with Father.

   Call it pipe-dreaming, magical thinking, raving lunacy—nothing matters but the faith that makes all things credible:  “The assurance of things hoped for, the proof of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).  Even while conceding, for the sake of argument, that Father and His deliverance is a 50%-50% proposition, I am 100% absolutely sure I cannot trust men to bring about anything else but more of the same mayhem they have wreaked since Cain bludgeoned Abel to death.

   And so I am not ashamed of Jesus’ word and have enough sense to hedge my bets on his God (Revelation 3:12) rather than on men constantly proving themselves self-serving and false.  If I believe in divine promises not yet fulfilled, and this seems crazy, I deem it less insane than expecting men to deliver on clichéd and never-fulfilled assurances.  If that makes me look stupid, character assassinations, as were the cases of John the Baptist and Jesus (Matthew 11:18-19), are part of the course.  The one good thing about evil lies in its consistency:  You find a Satan mole in every person addicted to name-calling and muck-raking (Matthew 5:22; James 3:8-9).  Luke 6:45 marks the rot (sic): Watch your daily news and see them at work.

   The Bible is not an optimistic book; Voltaire had the good sense of realizing that optimism is the madness of maintaining all is well in the midst of misery; and the Bible is the definitive treatise on who lies at the root of that misery.  No amount of “audacious” hope or positive thinking will put an end to Satan’s ascendancy over us.  What the Bible does offer is a promise, unrealized as yet, that Father will intervene in due course to sort things out. That hope is anchored in Him.  Paraphrasing the Monkees’ Oldie Goldie, I have not seen His face, yet I am a believer.  I am His.  If He wants to be loved in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), I am game.

   Like Paul I long for the day when my knowledge of Father will be as complete as His knowledge of me (1Corinthians 13:12).  Like Paul I want to know the depths of Jesus’ love in order to be subsumed in the love Father channels through him (Ephesians 3:18-19).  And like Paul, despite the skepticism, ridicule and condescension of a doubting world, in my mind’s eye I see the contours of Him Who lives in inaccessible light, for I know in Whom I have believed (2Timothy 1:12).

¹ Including confirmed bookings aboard the Rapture Shuttle before the Great Tribulation begins; which will not happen because the 144,000 “first-fruits” of Revelation 7:2-4, 14:4 are “sealed” in order to remain on earth during the final plagues.

² Which agrees with the spirit of Ecclesiastes 11:6: “Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether one or the other will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.”

³ Rule of thumb: “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it” (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5).

⁴ Though American English now favors gender-free nouns except when unavoidably necessary, science and evolution are feminine nouns in most languages.

⁵ Lucifer’s desire to be like the Most High God involved setting up a throne like His (Isaiah 14:13-14), not usurping it which he could never have done. But since Yahweh Son proxy God occupied such a position, and he was an Angel like Lucifer, Lucifer wagered that with his given attributes, he was the man for the job (Ezekiel 28:12-19↔Isaiah 14:16-17). Thus Lucifer waited until Yahweh Son became incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth (Philippians 2:6-7) to attempt his coup in Heaven, whereupon he was booted out by Michael and his host (Revelation 12:7-12). Jesus, who was on earth at the time, witnessed Satan’s fall (Luke 10:18).

⁶ In the Middle Ages this was the case with baby Jesus’ milk teeth or his circumcised foreskin. At one time, they numbered in the tens in various Roman Catholic shrines.

⁷ Refer to series Genesis:  The Myth That Never Was.

⁸ Not in his pre-existence (Hebrews 13:8); not when he walked the earth (Mark 13:32); and not after his resurrection (Acts 1:6-7; Revelation 1:1).

⁹ Who can definitely tell?  Isaiah 46:3-4 certainly suggests someone driven to distraction.

¹⁰ Psalms 2:9 prophesying it; Revelation 2:27, 12:5 confirming it.

¹¹ Suggesting satanic forces at work; since communications with the ‘other side’ are forbidden (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).

¹² A big “if” that does not seem to trouble many evangelicals boasting of pre-approved tenancy in God’s many mansions. Not for them the ego-tempering, sobering advice of Job 9:20 and Galatians 6:3.