The questions just didn’t do anything for me today. It took me read thru twice before I found what mattered to me today. It was the first line of Isaiah 1:18:
“Come, let us discuss this,”
says the Lord.
Wait – did you catch that? Here is another translation:
Come now, and let us
reason together, saith Jehovah:
Isn’t this amazing? That God, the creator of the Garden, of life…of snow and of us…that He wants us to come to Him and discuss “this” with Him? Of course I know this strikes me because of all the debate I have wrapped myself up in with Rob Bell’s book – Love Wins. How some in the Christian world are blasting him for his book and jumping to conclusions about what he is saying – because of the questions he brings up and the challenges to the modern day Christian world he poses. Like I’ve said, some of their conclusions about what he is saying doesn’t seem to be founded…but one of the things I feel like I have gotten from God Wins – the counter to Rob’s book – is that sometimes we are not supposed to question God. While the author of this other book comments that God can handle all of our questions, the attitude of our heart in asking the question is what matters. I think I agree with this…but when I think about the questions that Rob asks – I don’t think he is asking these with contempt or disbelief in his heart…as many of us do not either.
Furthermore, in God Wins he talks about how God put Job and others “in their places” when they started asking questions. Yes, God did return most people’s questions with questions of his own…just as Jesus did. But is this because God is saying not to ask the questions? That the questions in and of themselves are wrong? Or is it because that is the best tool to get someone to do some reflection that we have? Could we possibly look at the way God responded to Job as a loving way to gently show him that God knows we cannot handle the full knowledge of Himself and that sometimes not answering the questions are the kindest thing to do?
I don’t know, I am just writing now. But as I go on my journey of learning to rid myself as judgement for I see my friends who have suffered much as the Church judges them for the lives they have been dealt without their asking, as I see the Church use the Word of God and Jesus to hold me and them in bondage and tell us we aren’t allowed to even ask questions…I find so much comfort in these 5 tiny words from Isaiah uttered from the very mouth of God.
………….”Come” is an invitation from God. He is the one that initiates the conversation…not Isaiah. He is the one that starts this whole thing…and He is inviting you and me to bring our questions to Him. ………….”let us” means it is a two way conversation, not just Him laying down the law and telling us how things are going to be. As a parent I am learning this is key in getting to connect with my children…even as young as they are. They need to know that they are heard, that their feelings are valid, that I am not just this authoritative figure with no compassion for their souls
……..”discuss” means to “examine or consider (a subject) in speech or writing”. I do not think you can really discuss something in detail without asking questions, having a dialogue that goes back and forth. I know that with those people in my life that were extremely authoritative – there was no “discussing” anything.
………”this” in this passage is referring to how Israel, God’s chosen people had completely turned their backs on God and God was ready to let them suffer the consequences of their “turning away” or sin from Him. Yet, God was willing and ready to still open up His arms and invite us in to discuss, to reason with us.
Again, I find so much freedom and grace in these passages…not authoritative dictator that must shut us down at the first sign of separateness. Only someone who doesn’t truly know who they are uses this type of method – one of power and control who must squash any one that questions authority because then the authority can be overthrown.
Yet God knows exactly who He is…and He invites us to investigate Him for He will not change based on our questions of Him and His world. He is who He is…ever the same, never changing as we humans are so apt to do. He did not edit the Bible, His Word remember, to remove any of the questions that we find there. The Psalms are filled with people crying, shouting out to the Lord their frustrations. And even when Zechariah, John the Baptists father, asked his question …the question was allowed to be asked. It wasn’t shot down before it left his mouth, but was still uttered. It revealed to Zechariah his own state of his heart…and was used to do a work in his heart and that of Elizabeth and the town folks.
So, the next time someone tells you that you must just accept something about God on blind faith…I don’t know…I don’t know if I agree with this anymore. I think God gave us minds to “reason with” to use in discussion and debates…and I think God is more concerned with us just “coming” to Him with these questions instead of staying out in the dark and never entering His presence because we are too afraid to ask. Kevin Kim did an amazing sermon on this that makes my point so much better than I do!
Does it ever feel like God does not hear you? Have you ever felt like it’s impossible to feel God in the midst of the darkness surrounding you? Kevin Kim leads us in a look at Psalm 88 and the song of lament
