Mingling with "those' people

[phkrause]

Originally Posted By: JoeMo

Hey, joeb,

Good to see you back!

I don't deny that relationship has always been available; nor do I deny that a common sense reading of the OT would show one the working of the Holy Spirit. But "relationship" was not the theme of the OT; nor is it the theme of many conservative denominations and cultures today that preach salvation through law-keeping and good works.

How can people read the books of Isaiah and Zechariah and not "get" the concept of a suffering Messiah? Yet millions still don't recognize Christ as the Messiah. Just cuz people "should" have understood it doesn't mean they did. I didn't get it until just a few years ago.

Hey JoeMo,

It's nice to be able to post once in a while again.

Again and again the OT portrays the relationship betweeen God and His people in terms of marriage. For me that is the kind of the ultimate in human relationships. We marry out of love, or at least we should if we want our marriage to last. So, when God speaks of His relationship to us in terms of marriage He's talking about a love relationship.

I would say this idea of marriage to convey God's idea of His relationship with us is a very common theme in the OT. It's just as common as God speaking about His people as His children, which once again is a love relationship.

Now, I'll get a little personal, but you opened to door to it. Why, if we have a much greater portion of the Holy Spirit than was available to the OT people, does it take us just as long, if not longer even though we have them as an example, to learn the same lessons? Why are people even more dedicated to evil today than they were back then? Why do we have people who have consciences seared as with a hot iron today? Why is it people still think they can obey God on their own? Why do they still ignore the idea of being born again? It's all through the NT and the OT. Would that not suggest, the way you are positing things, an even smaller portion of the Holy Spirit being given to us today?

You make some good points joeb, and its good to see you posting.