I just did a background check on Moses, and it just came back. He killed someone!!!!
Maybe I will not believe what he says now!
:laugh:
Thats not so far off.
Scripture says he DID kill someone.
Nor did Moses apparently deny this.
What can we properly get out of this?
I think several things:
(1)
Moses did treat the dispute between two Israelites,
and the dispute between an Israelite and an Egyptian differently,
and he
had no patience with, and did not love the Egyptian.
Some kind of Satanic racism, tribalism, or xenophobia/hatred was at work.
(2)
Moses was not acting in the right spirit at this time,
and his later obedience and humility do not exonerate his behavior
at a time when he acted in anger and cowardice.
(3)
What Moses did was indeed a sin.
The fact that Moses was later forgiven, even chosen by God,
to deliver a message and a people out of bondage,
does not justify murder, nor 'explain' the incident.
It may have been a prophetic 'sign', but it was still murder.
(4)
There are different kinds of homicide recognized in the Bible,
even in the O.T. God allowed that unpremeditated killing
was not as severe a sin as cold-blooded planned murder,
and later Moses allowed a merciful law and 'cities of refuge'
for those who had killed during a dispute gone awry.
(5)
Does Moses' established guilt disqualify him as a teacher/witness?
Normally YES. The Law of Two Witnesses for instance,
presumes the witnesses are law-abiding citizens,
community members in good standing,
and not guilty of or involved with the crime they are witnessing against. Many auxillary rulings in the Torah show this.
Solomon would never allow for instance any a priori credibility
to a murderer, prostitute, or someone personally involved in the case.
(6) T
he fact that God chose a cowardly killer to save the Israelites
from the bondage in Egypt should not blind us to the requirements of justice.
The Israelites probably got the leader they deserved or better.
Poetic justice or irony is not true justice. Judgement Day is pending.
(7)
The testimony of Moses was not established by his previous history,
or even his 'good behavior' subsequent his encounter with God.
Moses should not have been believed, nor did God expect him to be,
without accompanying signs and wonders proving his mission was from God.
Moses' credibility was irrelevant and unconvincing.
God's miracles were unavoidable and utterly compelling.
(8)
God is able to save sinners, including Moses.
But even Moses didn't get to the Promised Land on his own steam.
Like all of us, Moses needs a Redeemer and a Pardon.
(9)
We can believe Moses will be or was ultimately saved,
because he cooperated with God and repented.
Neither Moses nor his supporters tried to claim Moses was innocent of his prior crimes.
What matters is that Moses repented, and the Bible says
that he DID the crime, and does not try to cover it up.
(10)
How does this apply to Calvin?
a)
Calvin's "repentance" remains invisible.
Neither he nor his followers properly acknowledge Calvin's heinous SIN.
b)
Calvin's subsequent career was not accompanied by Signs or Miracles.
There is nothing in the following history of Calvin to show that
God was with him on the level of a Moses, John Baptist, or Jesus.
Calvin is just an ordinary man, a not particularly spiritual person,
and someone who for a long period really didn't understand the
Gospel Message of repentance, and forgiveness based on forgiveness.
c)
The NT is not about Calvinism, Predestination, or Law and Order.
Its about
the contract we affirm every day in the Lord's Prayer:
"Forgive us our trespasses (sin is acknowledged),
as we forgive others their trespasses against us" (commitment and action is required).
Its about
the behavior we practice in daily Christian living:
"Do as be done by." (constant living according to righteous principles is required, not predestination).
Nothing in Calvin's story reflects this basic NT foundation for true Biblical Salvation.
Forget Calvin. Follow Jesus.
