Burgy,
As you will recall, Ephesians 2:1-3 says: "As for you, you were dead
in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you
followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of
the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings
of our sinful nature [Or our flesh] and following its desires and
thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."
[Of course, this passage itself may be a "sub-Christian" reflection
by the early Christian community...it certainly is not likely to be
an infallible Word from God himself...I guess we have to decide for
ourselves (in community, no doubt) based on our more informed and
enlightened present status. (TIC)]
The doctrine of original sin suggests that we all come into this
world guilty and deserving of the divine wrath. There is nothing
unjust about the judgment of a sinner (even baby sinners). There is
also a covenantal aspect to the death of the Canaanite women and
children. In being represented by their leaders, they deserved the
punishment that the leaders deserved. (We're way to too
individualistic in our present age, but we still suffer the
consequences of being part of a corporate identity. National policies
affect individuals who are personally far removed from the policy
itself (taxes, waging war, ignomy of being an American, etc.)
The mystery of salvation and grace is not why aren't some people
saved, but why is anyone saved. Our condition prior to God's
application of the work of Christ which is received by faith is
"object of wrath".
Sorry if this offends anyone's ethical sensibilities, but the first
and foremost sensibility ought to be toward the holiness of God.
Sinful fallen humanity is without excuse and justly deserves God's
wrath. If he saves some along the way in his Sovereign good pleasure,
well..."to the praise of His glorious grace."
Finally, let me make it clear that I delight in none of this. Sin is
bad--the consequences of sin are bad. They are all around us and it
should make us mourn. But this is not to say that they are not
deserved. What the scripture teaches us is that sin and its
consequences are a disruption in the original creation and that in
the end that original creation will be restored and consummated.
TG
>robert6625 wrote: "Following is my present rationale.
>
>In Gen 15:12 - 15 God explains to Abraham that his descendants are
>to be set aside for 400 years while He deals with the Amorites, one
>of the tribes in the land of Cannan. We know that God had a
>spokesman among the Cannanites because Melchizedek, described as a
>priest of God, is King of Salem, a Cannanite city. There were
>undoubtly more witnesses but that part of the story is not recorded.
>After 400 years of God's dealing and appealing to the Cannanites
>what was the result? The reason for God's judgement on the
>Cannanites is vividly described in Deut 9:1 - 6; 12:29 - 32; 18:9 -
>13; 20:16 - 18. God gave 2 reasons for asking Israel to destroy the
>peoples in Cannan; because of their wickedness and so that Israel
>would not learn their wicked practices. In other words God was using
>Israel to enact judgement on the Cannanites. Judgement is not a
>pretty sight but God did give the Cannanite tribes a 400 year window
>of opportunity, but they rejected it."
>
>With all due respect, that rationale has an odor to it which is not
>pleasant. I smell the blood of babies, small children, and all kinds
>of people who had no say in whatever the "bad tribe" did. Not a
>"pretty sight?" Surely that has to be among the understatements of
>the year on this list. What kind of a sight was it? We have all seen
>pictures of the NAzi camps in 1945. Worse than that.
>
>JB
>
>_________________________________________________________________
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-- _________________ Terry M. Gray, Ph.D., Computer Support Scientist Chemistry Department, Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 grayt@lamar.colostate.edu http://www.chm.colostate.edu/~grayt/ phone: 970-491-7003 fax: 970-491-1801
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