Life Learning Series

Almost always, the first ripple of the pebble of iniquity, as it enters the water of our possible reactions to adversity, is personal.  Let us move, slowly, to understanding of this dynamic.  First, realize that, your action (or inaction) is the pebble.  Therefore, you–the pebble–receive the inward directed pressure of the recompense that precedes the outward ripple, or ripples.  Your personal ripple is of this sort.

And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty;

. . .

(Exodus 34:6-7a)

. . . Once that inward pressure has been applied; ripples proceed outward, thusly:  visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.  (Exodus 34:7b)

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– Explore Collateral Damage and the Heart of God: Part Eight

In the LORD, collateral damage has a definite purpose:  however, it may not give us any comfort to know what it is.  But, we will still pursue the knowledge of this portion of the way of the LORD.  So, I guess we will just have to be uncomfortable, some more.

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One of the purposes for collateral damage is to broaden the base of understanding.  Among the more public times that, that purpose was evident, is this one.

And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.  And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.

And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.  For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

(Exodus 7:6-13)

Oh, the calamity for the poor serpents.  They were not involved in the decision to be destroyed for the sake of understanding.  No, this is not just a calamity for serpents and other creatures.  In time, we will see the human collateral that was damaged.  Please note the beginning of collateral damage that is in this portion of the event:  he hardened Pharaoh’s heart.  As proceeding from that damage to Pharaoh; Pharaoh stretched his influence out, and dragged much collateral into several episodes of damage.  Those episodes of damage are enumerated in the plagues of Egypt, as occurred during the redemption of the children of Israel.  Here is an overview of that time, as speaking of the LORD, and telling . . .

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– Explore Collateral Damage and the Heart of God: Part Seven –

Prior to the settling of the New Age pioneers of the teaching ministry of faith, there are twenty four other pioneers that need our attention.  Scripture describes these pioneers as being integral to the structure upon which we will all depend, in the Spirit.  This is the awesome way that these twenty four pioneers are described.

And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

(Revelation 21:10-14)

These all rest on the construction that is the body of this Heavenly Pioneer.

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– Explore Collateral Damage and the Heart of God: Part Six –

Consider this hypothetical situation that may not be so hypothetical:  you are allowed to proceed from death into the second birth, only to come face to face with those who you have prematurely removed from the earth (including, any ones that might have been removed at a time when they were able to become viable living souls, except for the intervention of abortion).  In such a situation; what crosses your mind?  Do you start in with some sort of apology?  No, this is not appropriate because; at that time, they do not have malleable feelings.  At that time, they are in the state that is described here.

The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 

Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:  Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.  And last of all the woman died also.  Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. 

Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.  For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

(Matthew 22:23-30)

At that time, the ones you see are as the angels of God in heaven.  Now, if this was an earthly situation, there would probably be some length of awkward silence.  In an earthly situation, one would hope that the offended one would be the first one to speak.  It might be desired, as toward the cause of this man’s death; that, they have the kind of attitude that was in Jesus, here.

– Explore Collateral Damage and the Heart of God: Part Five –

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There is nothing in the Bible that says that, the Father God has to proceed immediately to relieve the suffering caused by those who maliciously violate His Law.  The offenders might receive a form of delay of recompense, such as the one that was done for those who are mentioned in the following Scripture.

And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

(Mark 9:42)

In that recompense, the reputation was damaged, and there was associated disdain for that person; much like the disdain that is heaped on a child abuser.  Though; even if this was the final earthly state of their being, it need not be an eternal one.  Let us think about the place of the after-life, and the behavior of the mind of man in it.  We need to accept that; the mind of an individual, in some form, persists after the end of the earthly life.  This is a necessary attribute of man, if this Scripture is to have any meaning.

– Explore Collateral Damage and the Heart of God: Part Four –

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In the matter of lack of awareness, some humbling study of the Scripture needs to be done because; it is easy for us to be aggressive and demanding about that requirement.  On that order; the statement, “ignorance is no excuse for the law,” keeps pressing itself on my mind.  So, I ask, “Wouldn’t this be a reasonable principle to overlay on the activity of God?”

Short answer:  No!

Larger answer:  It does not fit well with portions of the Law of God, as presented in that which was released as the law of Moses.

In a certain portion of the law of Moses, God presented a criterion for applying allowances for insufficiencies.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying,

If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:  If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering.  And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock’s head, and kill the bullock before the LORD.

(Leviticus 4:1-4)

Please note that; the criterion for applying allowances is not as open-ended as one might desire.  The thought may come to mind that; we can say we did not know, and, thereby, avoid discipline.  At best, that is a wish:  please, never forget the Judge that is watching.  Particularly, remember this, the indictment for this lapse of memory . . .

– Explore Collateral Damage and the Heart of God: Part Two –

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Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.  In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity, The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.

And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

(Ezekiel 1:1-4)

There is grandeur to the glory of God–of such a magnitude that, we, humans, cannot condense it into our neat intellectual packets of understanding.  The condensation can only be done by the LORD.  That is the premise from which we start.  To that premise, we add this insight . . .

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

(Isaiah 55:10-11)

In this evaluation of collateral effect, we will review some Bible history.  To begin, we will concentrate on the time that is before the Scripture that in included below.

– Explore Collateral Damage and the Heart of God: Part One –

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