Posing A Few Questions

1.
God is very serious about his people not making any images (idols) of anything
on the earth or above the earth and even of Him (Deuteronomy 5:8). Any image we might make of God would
fall short of representing who He is.
An image of anything other than God would be no god at all; rather a
piece of creation we are worshiping.
We know God Himself is invisible (think Romans 1:20, 1 Timothy 1:17) and
that Christ is the perfect image of this invisible God (Colossians 1:15). It seems part of God’s prohibition against
images is meant to be a preparation for and amplification of the advent of
Christ. God wants us to see Christ
as “the image” of God and nothing else.
If this is the case, would the greatest image we can make of our God,
second to Christ, be a life lived out in faith in Christ which becomes more and
more a reflection of His character through our obedience to Him (think 2
Corinthians 3:18)?
2.
In Deuteronomy 7:1-26 as well as in other parts of Deuteronomy Moses sets
before the people the plan God has for them to take over the nations in the
Promised Land. In a pattern after
the people of Israel, modern day Christians are also Israel headed to a new
Promised Land, the new heavens and the new earth. How much of the plan in Deuteronomy for the acquisition of
the Promised Land mirrors our acquisition of the new heavens and the new
earth? Or to think about it in
slightly a different way, how much of the program in Deuteronomy will mirror
the earthly millennial reign of Christ over the nations?
3.
Thinking about Deuteronomy 7:22, does the overall population of Christians need
to grow before we can adequately manage the new heavens and new earth?
4.
Thinking about Deuteronomy 8:1-20, if God tested Adam and Eve through the tree
in the Garden, was it to root out the faithlessness in all humanity? The big idea being that He would punish
some of humanity while perfecting others (think Romans 9). Would the result be that throughout
history humanity is disciplined to be the Son of God and thereby display the
Glory of God in the chosen people of God?
5.
Thinking about Galatians 6:12, if the modern day circumcision could be
considered average Evangelical works of the flesh (going to church, mission
trips, morality goals) would persecution include living in Grace with other
believers that only have these works of the flesh; a tension between works and
real life in the Spirit, persecution from within the church for following the
Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 18, 25)?
6. It is well recorded that God was silent in the period from the end of the Old Testament
until the time of Christ. During
this time did God’s Word in the form of the Old Testament not speak as well or
was it just a factor of the people’s hard heart, closed eyes, and closed ears?
7. Thinking about this sermon on Amos by Kevin Lund at Risen Life Church, If some forms of inequality in humanity are God ordained in this life for
mutual dependence and the opportunity to pour love out on those around us in
need, is there any inequality that persists in the new heavens and new earth?
*The image above was used in accordance with the licensing agreements of WikiCommons and in no way reflects the views of the artist that produced the image.
*The image above was used in accordance with the licensing agreements of WikiCommons and in no way reflects the views of the artist that produced the image.
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