I've been meaning to finish reading this book for a couple of months. I always like the way Philip Yancey comes at things. He asks good questions and tells some great stories..they always make me think and often stay with me a while. Plus they're never heavy going!
This book stems from some encounters he had with people who were really fed up with God and felt He'd really let them down. He starts with three questions that "no one asks aloud":
Is God unfair?
Is God silent?
Is God hidden?
As a friend of his asks, "If only God answered those questions - if only he answered one of them. If, say, he would just speak aloud one time so that everyone could hear, then I would believe. Probably the whole world would believe. Why doesn't he?"
He starts by looking at the Exodus. To the Israelites rescued from Egypt and wandering in the desert God is neither unfair, silent nor hidden. Yet God's directness didn't produce worship and love but fear and rebellion!!
H asks the questions, what is God like?
The God of the Bible behaves not like an abstract idea but an actual Person, with deep emotions and passion. "I marveled at how much God lets human beings affect him."
PY starts in Genesis, working through the Old Testament, considering the relationship that God has with his people, and with Bible characters. He is especially good on Solomon, quoting Oscar Wilde: "In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it."
I have got to the section on the Prophets and I love the clear way in which he explains and humanises these men. The way he looks at things makes so much sense to me and brings some much needed insight - and a sense of the overall picture which I haven't had in the same way before.
The Prophets ask the same questions of God - are you unfair, silent, hidden?
And God replies..
I'll leave it for you to read, but here's my favourite:
'Despite everything, I am ready to forgive at any moment'
"Often, the midst of a stern reproof, God would stop -literally midsentence- and beg Israel to repent."
The question I've got to in the book: are we really the ones betrayed?
(Thoroughly recommended so far... hard to put down and a lot of really interesting things to think about. Hope I haven't given too much away!)
Saturday, June 11, 2005
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1 comments:
Good stuff.
What you were saying about the Israelites made me think that perhaps our rebellion and frustration with God very often comes from our not seeing the big picture. I guess its about understanding that we cant see as far as God can.
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