God – Then… And… Now

WED., APR. 28, 1999, 9:23 AM
OFFICE, PULLIAM

Jeremiah, that old prophet, had a close relationship with Me, the Yahweh of that time. He spoke to Me, and I spoke to him. You have a relationship that is somewhat similar, but I speak quite differently (apparently) to you. Hear what I have to say, after your mid-week, morning joust with Jeremiah.

In the “then” that was Jeremiah’s time there was no “world power,” in any way comparable to your culture’s dominance in the sweep of a “family” of nations unknown at that time. There was the “great power” of Babylon, but where is that power now? I spoke, almost alternately, of love and care for My people, Israel AND then the need to punish them for their unfaithfulness to Me. But, as you said, Who was the Creator of these folk who would not obey God completely? If they were not created to obey in such all-encompassing ways, why am I angry with them?

I tell you, now, in this last year of the 2nd millenium after My life as Jesus, that there are always good reasons for what I did and said… do and say… but if these are important for you to know I shall reveal such. Otherwise, just accept that in relation to life and death of humans I need not be consistent and predictable.

I tell you (often, you’ll have to admit) that though I can show forth anger and rejection, I am, finally, a good Father, confident that the “good” in most humans will prevail over the evil that I have allowed in this realm of life. As at least an “average” father of sons (a bit better than your evaluation) you tried to consider how actions would affect your sons as men… beyond teenage… and you weren’t very comfortable or very “good” as a punisher. You are generally pleased with how those (who have survived) are, as men, but… should you have acted differently?

As you are now nicely into elderly status you are less and less likely to judge past actions, of your sons and of yours. Is it blasphemous to think and suggest that I have “matured” as a God, with humans? Or is this present time just a prelude to destruction that I shall both cause and allow?

Are you Christians My present “chosen people,” comparable to or even surpassing the Jews? As the God of Scripture you can interpret in two… or several… ways. The truth may be that I chose the Jews, have punished them down through history, but still consider the covenant with them to be “primo”! Or it may be that because they have not accepted My appearance as Jesus, the Christ, to be their expected Messiah, they have lost their favor with Me, which now is offered to Christians. Or… I have no special “favorites” among human groups. I have created diversity, and I love it. I like to see long-held traditions continued, with devotion, but I also smile at new ways, and rediscovered ways, of relating to Me and to this earth realm. I tell you what I do not tell all others, that I do enjoy the diversity that often appears to be competition.

If you try to see a close parallel between the events of the present, in relation to war, deaths, and destruction, and the events of Jeremiah’s time, you will be only partially successful. Jeremiah “knew” that Israel was My “chosen,” but this meant they had to be repeatedly punished for being unfaithful. If Christians are My currently “most chosen” should they be punished for comparable unfaithfulness? Since the power of NATO comes from nations that are predominantly or at least historically Christian am I using this to punish the Serbs? But since they are historically Christian also (a different “sort”) is their “punishment” of Albanians (some of whom are Moslem) justified? Is Kosovo a sufficiently “holy place” to be “cleansed” of those who are not appreciative of this “blessedness”?