Mornin', dear Zoe, and peace to you!
Yeah, saw that on the news last night and discussed with hubby. What a tragedy. And this is just one reason why calling the Bible "the word of God," is SO wrong (and dangerous!): people reading only parts, not understanding the "whole"... not knowing or understanding JAH (OR Christ!)... and doing something like this "in the name of God." What "god", though?
Under the OLD Law (notice, OLD Law), it was upon parents to stone rebellious children. Okay, wait, before you gasp... parents weren't SUPPOSED to actually stone their children. The particular law wasn't issued to force parents to kill their own children for "being bad." The PREMISE was that man... Israel... would have enough LOVE in him (for Israel, from being the issue of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for others, because, well, they SAY they do, yes?), that:
1. Parents would do all they could to raise their children with and in LOVE so that they never even had to CONSIDER "fulfilling" this Law (because children who KNOW they are loved don't "rebel" and do stupid shit - it's those who don't know for a fact/aren't sure who "act out" or seek "love" elsewhere, whether through sex, drugs/alcohol, the wrong "friends", criminal activity, etc.);
2. CHILDREN (who, in turn, loved their parents) would never want to even disappoint their parents, let alone have them have to fulfill this Law and so would behave themselves;
3. In the event a child did NOT behave (and we're not talking small kid stuff, but "grown" kid stuff - crime, etc.), the parents... AND THE REST OF ISRAEL... would SURPASS the Law... with LOVE. In which case, they would extend MERCY and then work with the kid toward rehabilitation and salvation. Indeed, it was their DUTY to do so, having brought the child into the world (which they didn't HAVE to do - they could have remained childless).
UNFORTUNATELY, because most of Israel... and most of the so-called "christians" today, particularly this group of yahoos, as evidenced by this tragedy... didn't know CHRIST (as in "yada" - from literally having a/being in union with). Had they known him... and so been known BY him... they would ALSO have KNOWN that such a Law could NOT be fulfilled... without TRANSGRESSING the ENTIRE Law itself ("Thou shall not commit murder").
So why even have this Law? Simple: to show... bring out... manifest... what is TRULY IN FOLKS' HEARTS. People can SAY... all day LONG... that they "love" God. Love "Jehovah." And "love" Christ. Love "Jesus." Or whatever names/titles they use. But it is not our words that prove that love; it is our ACTIONS. And beating... killing... one's child... is NOT love. CAN'T be. Else God would beat/kill every last one of US.
But God is love... and He is merciful. How do we know? How CAN we know? We can SEE that through the manifestation of His SON, the HOLY One of Israel and Holy Spirit, JAHESHUA, the Chosen One of JAH (MischaJah). Not just what that One said WE are to do, but what THAT One himself DID. HIS actions. Imagine, then, him stoning, beating, one of his disciples. Or his own child. Can't imagine that, can you, at least not pursuant to the record we have? He said, though, if you see HIM... you see God. He did not mean that in looking at him one literally saw [the face of] God. He meant that in seeing HIM... HIS ways and actions... one would see the ways and actions of his Father, the MOST HOLY One of Israel, JAH of Armies. Because (1) He is the IMAGE God and the representation of God's very being, and (2) EVERYTHING he did was (a) what he learned from his Father, (b) was told by his Father to DO, and (c) what he saw his FATHER doing: showing love and mercy... even upon His enemies.
These poor, poor yahoos... and I call them "poor" because I have NO doubt they were misled by some greater yahoo who claims to "know" the "way of God." If such one did, however, s/he would know that "Way" was one, Christ, and that HE... NEVER... would have sanctioned, let alone done such a thing. That in NO way could ANY of this be pleasing to HIM, Christ, and therefore, to God.
I don't wish them to "burn in hell," as the saying goes and as I know most will say. I HOPE instead that, because of this, they come to REALIZE just how misled, wrong, and bloodguilty they are... and so just how MUCH they (now, even more!) NEED a savior... and perhaps, like the man on the pole next to our my dear Lord... turn to him so as to receive it. I hope this because of the glory it will bring to HIM... and to the Father... when he GRANTS it. Because he would, to them as well as a saving resurrection of their poor sons... if they only ask.
A real tragedy. Sadly, not a very surprising one, given what those religions who claim to "know" Christ actually teach (from the Bible).
May JAH have mercy on all of them.
Peace to you!
YSFS of Christ,
Shel
|