Finding God

[Deeje]

kinda hard to say...I AM!....with nothing to show for it

Did he say "I AM" or did he say "I Will BE"? Here is Exodus 3:14, 15 in a Jewish Bible.....

Exodus 3:13-14:
"Moshe said to God, “Look, when I appear before the people of Isra’el and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you’; and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?” 14 God said to Moshe, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh [I am/will be what I am/will be],” and added, “Here is what to say to the people of Isra’el: ‘Ehyeh [I Am or I Will Be] has sent me to you.’”
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

The divine name was not an acknowledgment of God's existence, but a statement of his intentions....to "Be" whatever he needed to be in order to fulfill his purpose. Israel already knew their God because he had delivered them from Egypt in a spectacular display of his power. They wanted to know what else they could expect from their deliverer.

 

[Sententiae]

It as crossed my mind....you find God....in the darkness

post your reaction

Which God did you find? It seems many people find many different gods. (Maybe they are all confused and just finding the same god you did and misinterpreting their findings...)

Maybe.

 

[Thief]

Which God did you find? It seems many people find many different gods. (Maybe they are all confused and just finding the same god you did and misinterpreting their findings...)

Maybe.

the One that has no name

 

[rusra02]

Not so, according to the Bible. Jesus Christ said; "Now this is the basis for judgment: that the light has come into the world, but men have loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were wicked. For whoever practices vile things hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his works may not be reproved. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that his works may be made manifest as having been done in harmony with God." (John 3:19-21)

 

[Thief]

Not so, according to the Bible. Jesus Christ said; "Now this is the basis for judgment: that the light has come into the world, but men have loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were wicked. For whoever practices vile things hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his works may not be reproved. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that his works may be made manifest as having been done in harmony with God." (John 3:19-21)

that would be a different context.....morality

I 'am' focused toward existence

 

[fallingblood]

Welcome back. I remember you, although I think it was pretty early in my time here.

Thank you. I've been craving some good religious debates and discussions, and now that I'm done with college (for the time being), I've got more time. And I think you're right. I left the forum shortly after you got here, but I do remember you.

 

[LuisDantas]

As one would expect, the question in the OP is at best half formed.

There are a great many understandings of what "God" would be, and even more of what "finding God" would be.

I can't even attempt to answer the question until some detail is offered. Are we talking about Haile Selassie? About a God of my own creation (I have made and destroyed a few back in the day)? Some exalted form of Abrahamic conceptions of deity? Shakti?

If we are talking Shakti, I am all for it.

 

[Thief]

how about God the Almighty?

top of the line........no one greater.....

 

[Aiviu]

It as crossed my mind....you find God....in the darkness

post your reaction

turn on the light and yell : "Suprise Party! Happy birthday, Father Dad!" ... well that makes me sad.

 

[ArtieE]

and I have reasoned.....

God found Himself......!......and THEN created light!

Because he was tired of looking for himself in the dark?

 

[ArtieE]

Perhaps it would be more correct to say that we don't often look for God until we are in the darkness and can't find our way out.

A flashlight would also be useful.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Thank you. I've been craving some good religious debates and discussions, and now that I'm done with college (for the time being), I've got more time. And I think you're right. I left the forum shortly after you got here, but I do remember you.

The advantage of never changing my avatar...

 

[Thief]

turn on the light and yell : "Suprise Party! Happy birthday, Father Dad!" ... well that makes me sad.

consider the event.....think of it as your own.....

you wake up.....in the dark.....

and of course you turn on the light

but in God's position.....you would be the First in mind and heart

there would be no response to your pronouncement.....I AM!

you would be alone

 

[Deeje]

the One that has no name

He most certainly does have a name....one that he gave to himself and revealed to man.....YHWH. (Translated as Jehovah or Yahweh in quite a few translations) It literally means "He Causes to Be" or "to Become".

Psalm 83:18:
YLT......."And they know that Thou -- (Thy name [is] Jehovah -- by Thyself,) [Art] the Most High over all the earth!"

ASV...."That they may know that thou alone, whose name is Jehovah, Art the Most High over all the earth."

KJV...."That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth."

HCSB...."May they know that You alone—whose name is Yahweh—are the Most High over all the earth."

NOG....."so that they must acknowledge you. Your name is Yahweh. You alone are Elyon of the whole earth."

WEB...."that they may know that you alone, whose name is Yahweh, are the Most High over all the earth."

It is found in the Bible almost 7,000 times, but humans have removed it and substituted a title, (LORD) without any authorization from God to do so. God's name has always been associated with his people.....even Christians. (Acts 15:14)

 

[Desert Snake]

Did he say "I AM" or did he say "I Will BE"? Here is Exodus 3:14, 15 in a Jewish Bible.....

Exodus 3:13-14:
"Moshe said to God, “Look, when I appear before the people of Isra’el and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you’; and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?” 14 God said to Moshe, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh [I am/will be what I am/will be],” and added, “Here is what to say to the people of Isra’el: ‘Ehyeh [I Am or I Will Be] has sent me to you.’”
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

The divine name was not an acknowledgment of God's existence, but a statement of his intentions....to "Be" whatever he needed to be in order to fulfill his purpose. Israel already knew their God because he had delivered them from Egypt in a spectacular display of his power. They wanted to know what else they could expect from their deliverer.

Yes, Jesus delivered the /Israelites, out of Egypt; here, we have verses from Hebrews,
Hebrews 8:8-9

 

[Desert Snake]

Did he say "I AM" or did he say "I Will BE"? Here is Exodus 3:14, 15 in a Jewish Bible.....

Exodus 3:13-14:
"Moshe said to God, “Look, when I appear before the people of Isra’el and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you’; and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?” 14 God said to Moshe, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh [I am/will be what I am/will be],” and added, “Here is what to say to the people of Isra’el: ‘Ehyeh [I Am or I Will Be] has sent me to you.’”
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

Yes, this is what the Master Jesus calls Himself in John 8:58

 

[Deeje]

Yes, Jesus delivered the /Israelites, out of Egypt; here, we have verses from Hebrews,
Hebrews 8:8-9

It was Jehovah (Yahweh YHWH) who delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. Never in all of scripture is Jesus ever called Jehovah.

Hebrews 8:7-10 in context, says....
"7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, He says,
“Behold, days are coming, says the LORD, When I will effect a new covenant With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; 9 Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers On the day when I took them by the hand To lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in My covenant, And I did not care for them, says the Lord. After those days, says the Lord:
"I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people." (NASB)

Paul was quoting OT scripture where the divine name was clearly seen in the original text. "LORD" in capital letters is a substitute for the divine name.

According to Exodus 12:51:
"51 And it came to pass the selfsame day, that Jehovah did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts." (ASV) So, it was Jehovah who brought Israel out of Egypt....not Jesus. Not to say that as the Word, the pre-human Jesus was at his Father's side, actively involved in the implementation of his Father's will.

 

[Desert Snake]

It was Jehovah (Yahweh YHWH) who delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. Never in all of scripture is Jesus ever called Jehovah.

Hebrews 8:7-10 in context, says....
"7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, He says,
“Behold, days are coming, says the LORD, When I will effect a new covenant With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; 9 Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers On the day when I took them by the hand To lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in My covenant, And I did not care for them, says the Lord. After those days, says the Lord:
"I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people." (NASB)

Paul was quoting OT scripture where the divine name was clearly seen in the original text. "LORD" in capital letters is a substitute for the divine name.

According to Exodus 12:51:
"51 And it came to pass the selfsame day, that Jehovah did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts." (ASV) So, it was Jehovah who brought Israel out of Egypt....not Jesus. Not to say that as the Word, the pre-human Jesus was at his Father's side, actively involved in the implementation of his Father's will.

I'm using the standard Bibles, and the Greek. They all give the title by which Jesus is specifically referred to.
so, according to 'titles', in the Bible, if you're differentiating, it actually specifically states that, Jesus, led the Israelites, out of Egypt. Unless, that 'title' differentiation, is arbitrary, or completely meaningless.
It's either one or the other,

/means Jesus led the Israelites out of Egypt
or
/The ''title'' /Deific, differentiation, is completely arbitrary, or meaningless.

There isn't another option here, which is it?

 

[Deeje]

I'm using the standard Bibles, and the Greek. They all give the title by which Jesus is specifically referred to.
so, according to 'titles', in the Bible, if you're differentiating, it actually specifically states that, Jesus, led the Israelites, out of Egypt. Unless, that 'title' differentiation, is arbitrary, or completely meaningless.
It's either one or the other,

/means Jesus led the Israelites out of Egypt
or
/The ''title'' /Deific, differentiation, is completely arbitrary, or meaningless.

There isn't another option here, which is it?

There is absolutely a differentiation in the terminology. The title "Lord" simply means the equivalent to addressing someone as "Sir" in English. That title rightfully belongs to anyone who holds rank over anyone else. Both Jesus and his Father qualify to be addressed as such, but it is not and never was a substitute for the divine name.
Abraham was a patriarch and was addressed as "Lord" by his wife Sarah. (1 Pet 3:6)
Paul said that there are "many gods and many lords" but he said that only the Father was God.

"For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him." (NASB)

The Father is God and his son rightly bears the title "Lord" out of respect for his position as "the son of God".

It is the same with the title "god".
In Greek, as a polytheistic society, it doesn't mean the same as it does in Hebrew. Israel had one God who had a name that was not shared by anyone. The Greeks had many gods, so the concept of monotheism was foreign to them. In John 1:1, it is said that the Word was "god", yet in the Greek, the only way to distinguish the one God of the Jews from any other god-like personage, was to use the definite article (the). It is much the same as having two men in a room with the same name, (say Brad Pitt), but only one of them is famous....he would be "THE" Brad Pitt. So if you read John 1:1 in Greek, you will see that only one is "the God" (ho theos) whereas the other "god" is not identified that way. Both are divine persons, but only one is "the" God.

 

[LuisDantas]

how about God the Almighty?

top of the line........no one greater.....

Did you mean to ask me?

I actually tend to forget about that idea quite a lot. It has no practical significance to me.

I guess if he did exist and chose to manifest in a way that I could perceive I might well fail to notice it.