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NASB | Obadiah 1:8 "Will I not on that day," declares the LORD, "Destroy wise men from Edom And understanding from the mountain of Esau? |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Obadiah 1:8 "Will I not on that day," says the LORD, "Destroy the wise men from Edom [removing all wisdom] And understanding from the mountain of Esau? |
Subject: Does God plunge mortals into ignorance? |
Bible Note: Hello again Reighnskye; “I guess that I'm under the impression that humanity born in sin never really possessed the higher wisdom in the first place.” Proverbs 8 says that wisdom has existed from the beginning and the start of it was seeking God. Rom 1:18-21 shows that they knew about it but made a deliberate choice to reject it. The evidence of God’s existance “His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature,” was always there for them to see. “Children from the womb lack the light of spiritual awareness, and therefore cannot discern between good and evil without the Law of Moses to eventually instruct them.” I’m not convienced this is completely true. Children seem to have a far keener sense of spiritual things than adults. We very recently had a child in our church that was sick but saw an angel. The angel came and spoke to him saying that he was sent to heal him and he did. It is us adults that have years of dealings in this world of corruption that have a difficult time in sensing the spiritual realm. Children are far more likely to have faith in Christ than we adults. As for children discerning between good and evil I do think you are right that they cannot without some form of instruction indicating to them what is right and what is wrong. And even then they often chose the wrong because they are very much driven by self interest. ”Does God elevate mortals to the light of spiritual awareness prior to their rejection of the gospel?” I don’t believe you can reject something you have no knowledge of. Therefore they must been given a choice to chose from. But the choice may not have come from being elevated to “the light of Spiritual awareness” as Rom 1:18-21 indicates that even the natural creation declares the glory of God. Rom 1:18-21 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. We can see in the OT people like Noah and Enoch who found grace with God prior to the giving of the law. The fact that at least these two had some form of relationship with God show it was possible for all during that time to also. Those that rejected Him did so inspite of the testimony of the entire creation. “Or do people usually merely reject the gospel with no more than the Law of Moses to enlighten them?” I think many people reject the pospel because of the Law of Moses, thinking it just a bunch of rules and regulations. They never realizing that the Law points us to Christ who gives us freedom and the Father who conforms us to the image of His Son. It is not a thing that we can do ourselves, it’s all a work of God’s grace in us. Blessing to you Aaron |