daily scripture 14 march 06

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 3/14/06 at 9:31am

isaiah 1 (kjv)

10 hear the word of the lord,
you rulers of sodom;
give ear to the law of our god,
you people of gomorrah:

16 “ wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes.
cease to do evil,

17 learn to do good;
seek justice,
rebuke the oppressor;
defend the fatherless,
plead for the widow.

18 “ come now, and let us reason together,”
says the lord,
“ though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall be as wool.

19 if you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;

20 but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be devoured by the sword”;
for the mouth of the lord has spoken.

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 3/14/06 at 9:39am

So odd that so many people see the sin of Sodom and Gamorrah as being homosexuality -- when the verses that comment on it (like this passage, and passages in Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Judges, among others) seem to agree that that is not the sin at all.

Verse 17 comments on the sin (the lack of justice and goodness).

Another interesting thing is what God's "reasoning" looks like (it is VERY much not like our reasoning). God's reasoning says though our sins are bad, we are clean. It is like God is saying something is A and not A at the same time (a seeming logical fallacy). But, for God, this is how we are to reason -- our sins, though harmful, are remembered no more.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 3/14/06 at 9:46am

what stood out for me in this were the lines, "cease to do evil, learn to do good." i mean it seems to me that this is the lesson that the scriptures hammer home again and again. do good to one another. i know i'm simplifying immensely, but, i've been trying not to over-think things.

now i'm sure there could be a debate on the nature of evil, but i don't think you could get that much of an argument on what is good.

[children&art]

Posted: 3/14/06 at 10:12am

maybe you should take that scripture to heart papa: "cease to do evil, learn to do good".........

Updated On: 3/14/06 at 10:12 AM

[beacon1]

Posted: 3/14/06 at 10:28am

Obedience is urged. Good moral conduct. And the promise is made of forgiveness and cleanliness.

Justification and Sanctification.
Justification: Being made "right" with the demands of the Law.
Santification: The effects of the sin being removed.

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 3/14/06 at 10:53am

very true, papa.

What is interesting is that evil is something we just STOP doing, and good is what we LEARN (not what we "think about"). The power of in depth education is something that you can't make too much of biblically.

I've also found that doing good is something that isn't as simple as logically knowing. It is about doing it when you can convince yourself logically not to do so.