Sunday, October 24, 2010

Hermeneutics


Hermeneutics is “the art or science of interpretation, as of literary or religious texts” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary p. 667).

Last week I started a two part series on God and time, “
It’s a matter of time, Part 1” comment was made on the article by Jesse Clark which I decided needed to be addressed before continuing the series.

Jesse comments,
“… however for non-scientific reasons it would seem that the “formless” and “void” and “darkness” before “let there be light” implies from a hebraic standpoint a condition of destruction.”

I disagree with this. Nowhere in Scripture does it state that destruction took place at the time of creation. It only says that “God created”. The curse of creation did not come until after Adam disobeyed God by eating of the fruit of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This one act caused sin and evil to dwell in all of creation. This is why Peter writes that God will do away with the old and create new “wherein dwelleth righteousness” (II Pet. 3:7, 10, 12, and 13).

Jesse, you are adding to the text of Scripture what it does not state. This is forbidden by God!

Proverbs 30:
Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Deuteronomy 12:32
What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

God requires accuracy.

3 comments:

  1. Sam, thank you for your reply feedback of most kinds is a blessing. It’s encouraging that there believers who will stand behind the word of God and respectfully and sincerely correct their brothers.

    I would clarify, I said “seem…implies…” I did not add to the word of God, I interpreted.

    Secondly, in Gen 1:2 the Earth was “without form” the Hebrew word is tohu meaning more often vanity, confusion, nothing, waste or desolation. What follows? God “divides” day from night, firmament from water, water from land, kind from kind, man from woman, etc…

    The next word is bohu; emptiness or ruin. The only other places it is used is Jeremiah 4:23 and Isaiah 34:11 both of which are in the context of judgment and ruin.
    The last word is choshek which means darkness of course and is often also a picture of judgment (but not always).

    What does the enemy do today? He makes everything the same. Everyone should receive equal stuff. Men and women are the same, homo vs hetero sexuality is the same. All religions are the same. Etc.. The enemy “confuses” and ruins and darkens. What does God do? He distinguishes; he builds up; he enlightens. He differentiates. So why does the Earth enter the scene as a mudball (mix water and earth) covered in darkness?

    Deu 29:29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

    If God has not revealed something that is his prerogative, I’m merely saying that the fall of the angels is not revealed. And that the verse 2 implies some sort of judgment. I think this is where angels “left their first estate,” and I would ask why there is a “king” over the demons of the abyss in Revelation whose name is destruction, while Satan the great deceiver is left to roam? Is it perhaps that Abaddon received his name from the struggle that ‘marred’ the Earth?

    And I would add that the capstone of this idea is Hebrews 11:3. The word “framed” here can also be rendered “repaired.” The same word is used in Gal 6:1 for “restoring” a brother.

    I’m not saying it’s a slam dunk, but I see a gleening from scripture. I’m not saying evolution happened. I’m not saying billions of years. I’m just saying there does appear to be a period of time which is not enumerated.

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