Some Would Call God "mean."

Now the challenge of determining the theology of the Creator God as portrayed in the Old Testament. 

To do that I want to share the opinion an eighth grade confirmation student I talked to many, many, years ago.

It was my custom to have individual conversations with each student in the Fall and in the Spring.  This particular Spring conversation occurred after the eighth grade class had experienced a full school year of Old Testament.

During the interview I ask the student: “Now that you have learned the Old Testament stories, what is your image of God now?

The response:  “He is mean.”

Here we have one of the more graphic examples of how we might see God is capable of  “mean.”  

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,

   whose right hand I have grasped

to subdue nations before him

   and strip kings of their robes,

to open doors before him—

   and the gates shall not be closed:

“To subdue” Is to strive against. 

It is not just a verb that quiets down or calmly reprimands. 

It is a verb that describe an over-powering, forceful trampling underfoot in order to disable father resistance.  

To reduce to tenderness, to melt, to soften the rebellion

One commentator puts it this way: “God will “subdue” actions before Cyrus — the uncompromising Hebrew verb radad  means “to beat down” or “to stamp flat” — and the kings will be publicly humiliated by having their loins exposed….underlining the aggression with which God will breach public boundaries and enemy leaders’ honor alike….(p. 173 Feasting On The Word Year A Volumn 4))

I imagine that God’s brain exploding at that point in history.  

No more patience to offer His uncontrollable human creation.

What we are witnessing in this portions of Isaiah asked us to go beyond the lion lying with the lamb vision; to a God who can, and does indeed, go beyond His passionate love for his people, and creation, in order to make an extraordinary impression on those who have blatantly chosen the way of evil.

Right smack in the middle of the Hebrew Bible we read of this God who shows His passion and determinations to right the wrongs of human temptation. 

It must be kind of like a parent feels when children make horrible decisions that can ruin their life.  There is circuit in the parents brain that just pops with fear and yes anger.   And tough love is the position taken.

What I want to invite you to consider is:  This same God is passionately active in correcting political a culture that has invaded this nation. 

Remember on the Day of Pentecost when God invaded the disciples with tongues of fire and a mighty wind?"

Some would call that "mean" too.   

I believe God is actively busy righting wrongs, injustices and the unkind mindset of the human world view.  Calling all, who will listen, back to the image of emptying themselves.

What do you think?