As a child, one always questions authority and discipline especially from a parent. A father’s love may appear measurable, to a child, based upon how much time he spent together, and how much punishment he delivers. Some people believe in physical punishment, which may include a spanking, or they believe in taking nonphysical measures, which may include a timeout or going to bed early. Throughout the ages, people argue the issue that parents may play favorites or discipline one child more harshly than the next. However, there stands one Father, throughout history, who has never shown favoritism nor has His disciplinary action ever been unjust. Many know this Father as a Heavenly Father who shows grace and mercy countless times. God demonstrates an unconditional love towards everyone, no matter their actions or attitudes. God’s Word has been used for centuries as the basis of laws and stipulations for man’s actions. Even in the beginning of time, the first two people ever created are given one stipulation: “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die (Gen. 2:16-17 NIV). Adam and Eve are living in perfect harmony with God. However, they fail to abide by the stipulation which broke the unity with God causing separatation. God then sacrifices a perfect lamb to save Adam and Eve from their impurities. In the first five book of the Bible, the Torah, man must perform sacrifices, like God demonstrated for Adam, in order to maintain purity and sanctification from sin. Yet, mankind performs sacrifices again and again because they could not stop sinning, which, consequentially, ends in more laws. Man’s actions and sacrifices alone result in separation from God, but...
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...t the message of the Torah gives hope to all readers that a final sacrifice will be given to restore a relationship with God because the sacrifices offered by man are not sufficient enough. Although God brings down punishment upon multiple generations throughout the Torah, His unconditional love and mercy tends to always be present. Although man continues to sin, God delivers His people and saves them from death. Just as an earthly father will sacrifice his own life for his child, God sacrifices His own son. The ultimate intension of God’s plan is for all people, everywhere, to worship and trust Him. Without the reassurance and hope found in the Torah, the readers are left helpless and desolate. However, because of the author’s structured message, everyone has hope because of the relationship and unity between man and God, the Heavenly Father.
...fact, it is the saving grace of mankind: the hope that God will save society and establish harmony and justice. The modern story takes the opposite view; it shows what happens when hope is lost, when society has nowhere to turn: it is a more pessimistic, more complicated view of humanity’s progress.
The telling of this story provokes many questions. Why didn’t God, being all-good and benevolent, "immediately restore His fallen creatures to their original union with...
Chastisement or punishment can be performed in various forms that can produce in a variety of consequences. In J.B., the sudden punishment of God on J.B has caused a commotion in his family physically and mentally. Nevertheless, J.B’s faith does not die and he also continues to fulfill his responsibility as a “puppet” in a play created by God. After the death of his five children, J.B is placid and not abhorring God for his punishment. “God will not punish without cause, God is just.”, said J.B (109). J.B knows that there must be a reason for God to punish him, because God always acts impartially. Ev...
... We learned that dishonesty can lead to many serious consequences. Just like in Romeo and Juliet, dishonesty can lead to even death. The Bible says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” God tells us in the Bible that we must obey our parents and be honest to them for this is the right thing to do. When we obey our parents, many good things can happen. When we obey them, there is harmony in the family. There will always be peace in the family. When we obey our parents, we make their life so much easier. We avoid many problems in the family. Sometimes we think that we know what is right for us. Sometimes, we think that we know everything. Really, our parents know more than us. They have lived longer than us and therefore, know more than us. We should always obey our parents because this is what God says and also because that is what is right.
Let’s go back to biblical times for just a moment. Fromm explains that during the time Adam and Eve reside in the Garden of Eden, they live in innocence and harmony. This harmony is disrupted by the “Act of Disobedience,” which is labeled in biblical terms as the “original sin.” This act of disobedience describes the first moral flaw, and the consequential corruption of mankind. By disobeying God, Adam and Eve take the first steps towards independence and freedom. This helps them reach their spiritual and intellectual capacity. After Adam and Eve leave the Garden of Eden, they create a new harmony referred to as “the end of days” (622). To the prophets, man is right to disobey; this allows him to think for himself. In many ways, parents encourage kids to think for themselves. By simply picking out their clothes or packing their own lunch, children move away from following their parents, and towards the formation of their own identities...
Abraham Lincoln, one of the most revered presidents of our country, once expressed “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.” Throughout history, many men have tried to teach their people by punishment. From the times of ancient Egypt, to the Dark Ages of Europe, even up to the times of colonial America, persecution, humiliation, and torture have been used to enforce the principles of righteousness. But God has seemingly different ideas. From the very beginning, God has been teaching his children on Earth by showing them mercy instead of giving them misery. This theme is exemplified in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter as Hester and Dimmesdale suffer
Moreover, Stern’s explains how God is the creator of all things he is the uncreated [author’s italicization]. Furthermore, he gives in details God’s unfailing love for his creation by showing creation right from wrong. “According to the New Testament, he is love. His love is expressed, in part, in providing law
In the short story, “The Old Testament: Genesis,” the Lord God had forbidden Adam from eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat….” (“Genesis” 54). Adam followed the rules, but however the woman that the Lord God created was tricked by the serpent. “Ye shall not surely die...” (“Genesis” 55). This was stated by the serpent, who tricked the woman into eating from the tree. When the serpent told the woman that she would not die, which made her want to eat from the tree more. The woman knew that she was not going to die, so she didn’t listen to what the Lord God told Adam. By being disobedient to Lord God, Adam and the woman had to face consequences. “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thy shalt bring forth children…” (“Genesis” 55). The Lord God punished the woman and Adam, because they did not listen to his command. This connects to our society today, because many people who are forbidden from doing something follow the rules until that one person tell them something different to break the rule. While breaking this rule, that person will most likely face ...
In Judaism, God is seen as having a contractual relationship with the Jewish people where they must obey his holy laws in return for their status of the chosen people. God rewards or punishes Jewish people based on whether they obey or disobey his will. In parts of the Old Testament, however, God does show mercy or forgiveness, and in later interpretations God’s laws such as the Ten Commandments are followed
...e most such works, it tries to convince heathens to convert by co-opting the extant value system. Christ emerges as a powerful king who will stoically suffer for us, and reward us, for the price of our piety.
The divine command theory is an ethical theory relating to God and how his commandments should guide the morality of humankind. Objections to this theory include objections to the nature or existence of God or to the nature of his character or commands. For the purposes of this paper, I will present the divine command theory, introduce a serious objection evident in Genesis 22, propose and explain an alternative to the divine command theory that is the divine will theory, explain why this theory avoids the objection, and critique and respond from the perspective of a divine will theorist.
203). When reading the Bible, it is clear that God 's plan was for the redemption of mankind through his son Jesus. From the fall in Genesis to the glorious return described in Revelation, we see that the entire story, even if it appears obscure at times, is showcasing the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the defeater of death and the only hope we have. Just like lead goes down the middle of a pencil, Jesus goes right down the middle of God 's great redemption story called the Bible. He is the centerpiece and the hope for all mankind. The Bible is his
In the days of Christ’s life on this earth, believers did not have access to the Bible in its entirety as we know and are familiar with today. Believers in this ancient time period only had access to the Old Testament. However, through their access to the Old Testament, believers were provided a foundation for New Testament times. This foundation provided New Testament believers with the Lord’s established principles of right and wrong they were expected to follow. In addition, the Old Testament is overflowing with accounts of people whose lives exemplified the future life of Christ on this earth. These pictures allowed the Israelite nation to begin to have an understanding of why Christ needed to come as their Messiah and the work He needed to do on earth. Finally, there are common themes that are interwoven throughout the entire Old Testament. Three of these themes: transgression, redemption, and consummation point to the purpose of Christ’s atoning death on the cross. These themes portray God’s work both in the lives of Old Testament believers, but they also foreshadow God’s desire and plan for believers in New Testament times and beyond.
Common misconceptions about God run rampant. Some believe He sins just as humans do. Others believe he craves the destruction of mankind. However, in reality, a righteous God exists, a Lord who tests His subjects' faith, a Ruler who controls all. People often contest that God holds no power over the earth. However, God's sovereignty remains evident in that countries fall when He decides to disestablish them. The fact that He disciplines the profane and prospers the deserving displays His uprightness. Though afflictions will come, people must persevere and continue to look towards God. Even though life appears hopeless at times, God remains all-powerful. His love for His followers remains everlasting. His control over the earth endures forever.
Have you ever experienced unconditional love, the kind of love that forgives and foresees everything? The Holy Bible is a book written by many Apostles and Jesus himself which features many texts that demonstrates basic principles and standards through stories, testimonies, and especially parables. A parable is a fictitious story designed to teach a lesson through comparison or contrast (Intro to Parable). “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” is a short story about a son who is not satisfied with life and leaves his fathers’s home to seek worldly riches; very shortly he realizes he is a broken man without his family. The text may be interpreted multiple ways based on religious view and may have multiple themes, but the strongest theme of them