QUEST FORQUEST FOR

QUEST FORQUEST FOR

QUEST FORQUEST FORQUEST FOR

THE LIVING GODTHE LIVING GODTHE LIVING GODTHE LIVING GODTHE LIVING GOD

By

Sundara Rao Tsappidi

PHILIPS PUBLICATIONS

47-2-7, Lurdhu Nagar, Gunadala

VIJAYAWADA - 520004

(cid:38)

A.P., India 0866-2451783

QUEST FOR THE LIVING GOD

Sundara Rao, Ts.,

First Edition: December 2009 © The Author Price: Rs. 100/- Published by:

Philips Publications

D # 47-2-7 Lurdhu Nagar, Gunadala VIJAYAWADA - 520004

(cid:38) A.P., India 0866-2451783 Printed by:

Ankitha Christian Graphics

28-24-23, Hussain Saheb St., Vijayawada - 520002

(cid:38) A.P. India 0866-6451678; 9246415717

PREFACE

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you! And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, Amen.” (Matt 28:19,20).

“Praise and glory to God”

My heartfelt thanks are due to our Almighty and Merciful Saviour, Jesus Christ for giving me this gift of art of writing, I made use of this gift for my first book entitled, “The Legacy of God’s People” published in 2008, which won the appreciation of many. With the publication of this book I was able to spread the word of God as far as possible in India and certain parts of America. The information “The Legacy of God’s People” contained could not be found in the Bible and I got it from various sources.

The experience of the first book prompted me and encouraged me to go for the second book called “Quest for the Living God”. As I did for the first book, I looked into the books on the history of the Bible for more information. The writers I mentioned in the following list have been serving the Lord by their preachings and writings. Their writings helped me to contribute my own humble share to spread God’s word through my publication. This way we are co-workers in the vineyard of the Most High.

I would like to present some salient features of the topics of the present book entitled “The Quest for the Living God”. I found that the people of Old Testament gave priority for the meaning of the names of their children. For example Rachel the wife of Jacob named her two sons, Joseph and Benjamin.

The importance of the Scripture to the Israelites about the prophesies – the importance of four gospels – Queen of Sheba – Persons who became Martyrs etc.,. Then, some wonderful stories from a magazine called “Zion’s Fire” patronized by various writers. So the writers of all those topics helped me to write my book. I am always thankful to the following:

J. Ellsworth Kalos–The Old Testament

N.T. Wright–The Lost World

John Piper–Future Grace

Karem Amstrong–The Bible

John Kennedy–Jesus

Garry Wells–What is Gospel meant?

Thomas Carnhills–The Gift of Jesus

Robert Strand–In the Company of Angels

Then stories collected from–Zion’s Fire

Mr David Ettenger–1. Women of Zeal

-2. Queen of Sheba

Dr Bill James–1. The Temple of Israel

2. Moses and His Five Excuses

Mr Stan Rosenthal–Messianic Prophesy and Fulfillment

Dr William Vatner–Jesus as Prophet, Priest and King

Sherkat Kumar–From the book of Turkey

- History of St. Nicholas

Christine M. Thomas–The Seven Churches. Ephesus etc.,

I am again thankful to all the above mentioned writers for their valuable contribution to the Christian world. As Christians, we belong to one God, one church and one faith. I pray to God to bless them with long life and good health, so that they can do some more service to Christian community by writing many more books.

Christ came into this world to do two things.

2.To preach the Gospel.

Therefore let us offer our humble services as far as possible basing on the dictum “service to humanity is service to divinity.” VijayawadaYours in Christ,

Ts Sundara Rao

This book is dedicated to

my parents

Ts Philips and Mrs Rojamma Philips

FOREWORD

Our gracious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ bestowed on Mr Sundara Rao Tsappidi, the gift of writing to spread His word and preach. After serving over three decades as lecturer in English at K.B.N. College, Vijayawada, retired and went with his wife Mrs Grace Vijaya to US to live with his children.

When he was shattered in health, he had a dream. In the dream he saw that he was dead and went to heaven. The Lord took him into His hands and showed him the houses and a church. He asked him to go and tell people all about Christ and salvation. This incident became a turning point in his life. Though he lost 40% of eye sight, he determined to live for God. He recovered from illness partially. When he came to India he built a church at a village Ramannapalem near Vijayawada and named it “Jehovah Jireh.” His Holy Land tour, with his wife also brought exceptional change.

In America, instead of taking rest, he read various books from the library for the blind using lenses and started writing. His first book came out with the title “The Legacy of God’s People” in 2008. This book brought him good response from the children of God, both in India and America.

Prompted by the Holy Spirit and encouragement from his readers and the members of the family he wrote the second book entitled “Quest for the Living God” This book will certainly win the hearts of the children of God and they will be greatly benefited by the information of the history of the Bible. "Quest for the Living God" contains eight chapters with thirty one sub-titles. Each article centres round God as the Saviour, the Redeemer and the Comforter of humanity. The information in these articles will satisfy the thirst of the readers.

Though Mr Sundara Rao Ts. is 73, with poor eye sight, he has the thirst for reading books and he wants to spread the Word of God in India and in the US by writing books. May the Lord our Saviour provide him with good health and wisdom to come out with more and more books on the Bible.

D.S. Sundara Rao,

Vijayawada M.A., M.Phil. 27-11-2009S.A.S. Degree College, Vijayawada

CONTENTS

CHAPTER-11.Faith in Future Grace.............................................................7

3.What can Faith do?..............................................................18

4.The Future Grace of Suffering...........................................24

CHAPTER-2

5.The Scripture..........................................................................30

6.The Exiles................................................................................37

7.God and History....................................................................42

CHAPTER-3

8.How God’s Word worked in Apostalic Church?...............46

9.Importance of Faith..............................................................51

10.Persons who became Martyrs.............................................55

11.The Word of "YEHWEH"......................................................61

12.Apostle Paul, a great Preacher...........................................66 CHAPTER-413.The Second Sin......................................................................71

14.Importance of the Name.......................................................76

15.Service of Angels to Humanity............................................80 CHAPTER-516.The History of St. Nicholas..................................................86

17.History of The Seven Churches...........................................89 CHAPTER-618.What is Gospel?...................................................................104

19.Introduction to Marks’ Gospel..........................................108

20.Matthew and His Gospel.....................................................115

21.A brief note about John.....................................................122 CHAPTER-722.Deborah and Jael - Women of Zeal.................................130

23.The Temple of Israel............................................................135

24.Queen of Sheba & King Solomon....................................140

25.Messianic Prophesy and Fulfillment.................................146 CHAPTER-826.Moses, the Servant of God................................................151

27.Prophet Nehemiah - A Leader for Ages..........................158

28.The Story of John the Baptist............................................164

29.Jesus - Prophet, Priest and King......................................170

30.Job's Wife..............................................................................176

31.The Doctrine of Martin Luther.........................................181

CHAPTER - 1

1.

FAITH IN FUTURE GRACE

The writer is of the opinion that humanity is not a popular human trait in the modern world. It is not turned in the talk showed or celebrated in the valedictory speeches or Commercial Diversity Seminars listed with corporate core values and if you go to the massive self help section of your sprowling mall, back stores, you don’t find many items celebrating humanity.

It is not difficult to find its main reason. As humanity can only survive in the promise of God, wherever God goes humanity will go with Him. In fact you might say humanity follows God like a shadow. We can expect to find humanity applauded in our society.

A writer accordingly found some important news in the local news paper recently in the guest editorial which captured the atmosphere of our times about humanity and also about humility. Those are some mostly cling to the “nostalgic” mainly to God. The average church goers take a few hours, out of the work to experiment the sacred.

But the rest of time he is immersed in the society that no longer acknowledges God who is an Omnicient, Ominipresent and Omnipotent force to be blessed and worshipped. Today, we are too much sophisticated for God where we are able to stand on our own legs. We are prepared and ready to choose and define our own existence, at the same time our own faith.

In such atmosphere humanity cannot survive. When God is neglected, the runner up God takes his place, mainly man. And by definition, he is the opposite of humanity, namely the highly spirited called pride. Therefore, the atmosphere in which we live is opposite to humanity.

1.AN APPETITE FOR GOD IN THE HEART

We have to mention an important point in this connection that is a hearty spirit is its form of unbelief and the only way to fight that unbelief of pride by faith in future grace. The Faith in Future Grace trusting God and using arrogantly are its two opposites. Man sets up strife but who trades in the Lord shall prosper.

A popular writer Stephen Chumoch Said, “A proud faith is as much as a contradiction as a humble denial.” To see why faith and pride are opposite to each other, we need to remember ourselves what faith is. The heart of Biblical truth is that Jesus will come to him for the satisfaction of that God is for us in Him. So Jesus said in John 6:35 “I am the bread of life, who comes to me shall not hunger and he who believes in me shall never thirst”. From our quotation we have drawn out truth, that belief in Jesus means coming to Jesus for the satisfaction of all that God is for us in heaven. This disbelief will be turning away from Jesus in order to seek satisfaction in other things.

Belief is not simply an agreement with faith. It is also opposite to God in the heart which fastens on Jesus for satisfaction. What Jesus had said is, “he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst” Therefore eternal life is not given to the people who merely think Jesus is the Son of God. "The water I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

He is also the bread of life and those who feed on Him for nourishment and satisfaction live by Him. I am the living bread that comes down from heaven. If any one eats of this bread shall live forever. These images – drinking and eating are to make clear the essence of water and food. And it is more than believing Jesus as life giving water and food. Faith is coming to Jesus and drawing water and eating food are the gifts so that we find our hearts satisfied in Him.

With this background, we can see and understand more clearly that pride is a species of unbelief and this disbelief will turn away from God and His Son, in order to seek satisfaction in other things. Therefore, pride is turning away from God, specifically to the satisfaction in life. It is also said that pride goes before one’s fall.

So pride is one specific form of unbelief, and its antidote is awakening and strengthening of faith in future grace. All the information we looked into so far can give impression that this form of unbelief is the unbelief of pride. It is also self-determination and self exaltation lie behind all these sinful disposition.

Anyone turning from God for anything presumes of autonomous or independence that is the essence of pride. Turning from God one assumes he knows better than God Himself. This pride lies at the root of everything away from God. It is the root of every act of distrust towards God.

To explain this important point more accurately, pride is not so much the root as it is the essence of disbelief and its remedy is faith in future grace. Therefore, battle against pride

Quest for the Living God means battle against unbelief and fight for humility means fight for faith in future grace.

Biblical references to this pride can be categorized as different ways of distrusting God. Each test on pride reveals that we refuse to trust God for more especially each one knows what we prefer to find in ourselves. According to prophet Jeremiah God says “let not a wise man boast of his wisdom and let not a mghty man boast of his might and let not a rich man boast of his riches” In these three phrases God makes his great competition for the boast of human heart. For each one’s wisdom might earn riches, tempts us to take satisfaction about them. It is radically humbling to confess the source of all our joy.

2.GOD WILL NOT EXTEND HIS GLORY TO THE PROUD

The writer is giving some of the proud and arrogant people. The king of Assyria illustrates pride that rests in the heart. When both wisdom and power conspire to lure the heart from God to self. God made the king of rod of His righteous wrath against the people of Israel. Yet the king did not delight in God’s enabling power and guidance. But he took credit for himself and said “By the power of my hand and wisdom I did this for I have an understanding and I removed its boundaries of the people and plundered their treasures and like a mighty man I brought down their inhabitants” (Isaiah 10:13).

This is not smart and God will not share His glory with the proud. In fact He promises “ I will punish the fruit of arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and pomp of its hautiness. The antidose to kings desire and pride is to believe this threat and find his greatness in God’s power and wisdom but not his own.

A man who ate too much grass in the history of Israel was king “Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon for his proud nature. “Is this not Babylon the great which I myself have built as a royal resident by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty” (Daniel 4:30). For that ego or pride God humbled him and made him eat grass. Like an animal in the open fields until he learned to exalt God’s supreme and sovereign power far superior to him.

"All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing but he does according to His will in the host of heaven and the inhabitants of earth and no one can ward off his hand or say to Him what hast thou done? Now I, Nebuchadnezzar praise and exalt and honour the King of Heaven for all His works are true and His way is just and also His ability to humble those who walk in pride."

The antidose to Nebuchadnezzar’s pride was not simply a new knowledge in the head but a new exaltation in the heart. His pride and exaltation renewed the awakening of faith Faith in Future Grace and gladness that God reveals the future with the Omnipotent grace to establish His plan and humble the proud. He was satisfied with God’s programme to do as he pleases in the sovereign freedom of His justice and grace.

So far, we have understood wisdom and might are perhaps the greatest tempters to pride. We can purchase the resources of intelligence and power that we may not have in ourselves. God gave us a good example of the proud people for their arrogance in the book of Hosea.

The result is described by God (Hosea 13:6). “As they had their postures, they became satisfied and busy satisfied. Their hearts became proud. Therefore, they forgot me” Pride is an issue of where your satisfaction is. As they have their positions, they are satisfied which is other way of saying, pride is an issue of what you are trusting in for your future. Hence God used the language of trust.

Israel trust in treasures is made for the security from invading armies. Her faith is not in future grace and that is the problem. She had been lured into a delusion of false delights and treasures of which themselves are the gifts of God’s grace. Therefore, they prune the hand if they lean on themselves instead of God.

The Apostle Paul might ask these people as he questioned the Corinthians in the same manner. The question is “What do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1Corinthians 4:7). Today in a simple manner whatever we have we must have received from God only. It lies in his heart to leave or to take to turn for us or against it.

A true Christian lives by faith only. Then whatever we possess we must believe we got it not with our effort but it is the gift of God for our faith. That is why Bible never tells us some examples of truth. The king is not saved by a mighty army. A soldier is not delivered by great strength and a horse is a false hope for a victory not it deliver any one by its great strength.

We trust in His holy name. The trust that looks away from our own resources and rests in God is what I mean by faith in future grace. This is the only remedy for our pride.

5.PRIDE LEADS TO ATHEISM

When you are sure of yourself to all kinds of temptations to self-reliance, wisdom, riches and might that form a powerful endorsement to war. This is the ultimate form of pride that may be called Atheism. A famous quotation worth to mention in this connection “war is the child of pride and pride, the daughter of riches” So the safest way to stay supreme in our own estimation is to deny the above. This is why the proud pre-occupy themselves with

Quest for the Living God looking down on others. A proud man always looks down on things and people and of course as long as you are looking down you cannot see anything.

In order to preserve pride it may be a common thing to proclaim that there is nothing to look at. The wicked in the haughtiness of his countiness does not seek them. All these thoughts prove that there is no God ultimately the pride persecute themselves to say that there is no God.

One of the reasons for this is that God’s reality cannot be comprehended in all the details of life. Pride does not allow and tolerate the intimacy and involvement of God in running even the ordinary affairs of life.

For example, James the brother of Jesus diagnoses pride behind the simple presumption of planning to go from one city to another. Come now you who say today or tomorrow we shall go to such and such city spend a year and engage in business in order to make a profit. You didn’t realize you are only a vapour in the sight of God. It appears for a while and then vanishes away. Instead of that you must say if the Lord wills, we shall live and also we can do this work or that. But if you boast in your arrogance, all such arrogance as well as boasting is nothing but evil.

Pride does not like the sovereignty of God. Therefore pride does not like the existence of God because God is the sovereign power. We must express this by saying, “there is no God” or it might be expressed by saying “I am driving to New York for Christmas. James says “Don’t be so sure” Instead of this you must say if the Lord permits, we shall live and we shall go anywhere for Christmas. That means “if the Lord wills.”

This is extremely offensive to the self sufficiency of pride. Not even to have control over it. James says it is not good in not believing the sovereignty of God to manage the details of your future arrogance. In such conditions, you must whole heartedly accept the omnipotency of God.

Therefore, the good solution to battle arrogancy is to surrender to the sovereignty of God in all the details of life and rest in His infatiable promises to show Himself on our behalf to preserve us with goodness and mercy every day and to work for those who wait for Him and to supply with all we need to live for His glory. In other words the remedy to pride is unwavering faith in future grace.

6.THE VOID IN SELF SUFFICIENCY

It is really ironic to say self sufficiency should free the proud person from the need to be made much of it by others. This is what self-sufficiency means. But evidently there is a word in this so called self-sufficiency. Then that was never designed to satisfy itself or depend upon itself. It can never be self sufficient. We are only the images of God’s not to real thing. Faith in Future Grace We are the shadows and echoes. So there will be always emptiness in the soul that struggle to be satisfied with the resources of power.

The empty covering of pride of others signals are the future of pride and absence of faith in future grace. Jesus saw terrible effect of this itch for human glory. He named it in the glory “How can you believe, when you receive honour and you do not seek the everlasting glory that is one only from God” (John 5:44).

The answer is, you cannot itch for glory from other people who make faith impossible. Why? Because faith is being satisfied with all that God will forgive in Jesus and if you are bent on getting the satisfaction of our itch from the search of others claim, you will turn away from Jesus.

But at your turn from that self as the source of satisfaction (repentance) come to Jesus for the enjoyment of all that God is for us in Him. Then the faith that itch would be replaced by a “well of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

7. THE CAMOUFLAGED PRIDE OF ANXIETY

Anxiety is pride. It appears to be weak. And the admission does not kill the pride until that proud heart is willing to look to the one who controls the future and rests on Him. Until then the pride are handing on to the right of self sufficiency even as it crumbles on the horizon of future.

The remarkable, historical evidence is found in two places. The first one is when God indicts the anxious Israel by showing them the pride beneath their fear. I then I am, he who comforts who are you that you are afraid of a man who dies and of the son of man who is made like grass that you have forgotten the Lord your maker who stretched out the heaven and laid foundation of the earth that fear continuously all day longer.

In other words, who do you that you are afraid of mere man. You must really think that you are somebody to be afraid of like this? Now that is an odd rebuke. But the meaning is plain. Your fearing of man is a form of pride.

Why is anxiety about the future a form of pride? For this question God gives the answer. In the Lord your master – “I am He who comforts you who promises to take care of you; and those who threaten you are mere men who die. So you fear the most men but you do not trust me. You must think your protection hangs on you.

Even though you are not sure of your own resources will take care of God, yet you opt for fragile self reliance, rather than faith in future graces. So, all our trembling weak as it reveals pride. Then what is the remedy for this? Turn from self reliance, selfishness to God and put your faith in all sufficient power of future grace.

Quest for the Living God

In this context let us look into the grammatical structure of the following. In the quoted example from the Bible verse, “Humble yourself”. It is just a phrase. Under the mighty hand of God, casting all your anxiety upon Him. Then humble yourself by casting anxieties on Him. This is only a subordinate clause. That means casting your anxieties on God is the way of humbling yourself under God’s mighty hand.

It is like saying “eat politely, chewing your mouth shut, Drive carefully keeping your eyes open, be generous inviting someone on Thanks giving”. Similarly “Humble yourself casting your anxieties on God” One way to be humble is to caste your anxieties on God, which means that undue worry is a form of pride. Now why is casting our anxieties on God; the opposite of pride. Because pride does not like to admit that it has any anxiety. And if pride as to admit that, it still does not like to admit, the remedy might be trusting some one else who is wiser and stronger, that is God Himself.

The conclusion of this topic about pride is that it is a form of unbelief and it does not trust in future grace. Faith admits the need to help, pride will not do such things. Faith banks on God to help others who wished for that but pride won’t. Faith leaves the anxieties on God, pride won’t. Therefore, the way to battle the unbelief of pride is to admit freely that you have anxieties and check the promise of future grace in the words “He cares for you”.

Let us conclude this topic with the final glimpses at the council of God through Jeremiah. Earlier we heard him say, “let not a wise man boast of his wisdom and let not a mighty man boast of his might, and let not a rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boast of his this and that, understands and knows me that I am the Lord. Exercise loving kindness, justice and righteousness on earth for I delight in those things’ declares the Lord”.

All discussion on the topic that is the rock bottom is the Biblical answer to the question, How best we can fight with pride. Be stunned and satisfied that we know God and He knows us.

2.

ISRAEL – PEOPLE OF GOD’S KINGDOM

We must be curious to understand what the meaning of the ‘Kingdom of God’ and consider the role of Scriptures within it. The question of God’s kingdom or kingship raised in the Old Testament and subsequent Judaism, by the presence of radical evil within the God’s creation and within the covenant of people themselves.

Can God be king if things are as they are? Or can we call God as earthly king? The affirmation of God’s presence or future kingdom therefore means the affirmation that God will act as to deal with the problem to rescue His people and complete the purpose for the whole of His creation.

The two purposes (rescuing His people and completing His creation) are intimately connected as seen in stories and passages from Genesis to Revelation. God’s call of Israel to be His people and live under His rule has itself designed as the central move in putting the world in correct position.

So, Israel became God’s part of problem (being composed of sinful human bodies). This generated a second order problem, mirroring the direct parallel between the Babylonian exiles and expulsion from the garden of Eden as both witnesses. In both the cases (humankind in general and Israel in particular) idolatry generations all kinds of lession, truly human way of living both outside and inside Israel. This produces double problem which determines much of the Old Testament and Jewish thought and writing; as how Israel to be rescued and how the whole world is to be put to proper condition.

If there is no problem of evil, then there will be no need of speaking about praying to God or invoke God’s kingdom or authority. It is apparent as a present reality, to speak of Gods kingdom means to invoke God as the sovereign one. He has the right duty and power to deal appropriately with evil in the world in Israel and the human beings. This fresh gracious and forgiving purpose is about new creation put into preaching through the renewal of the Covenant.

Quest for the Living God

Then our question can be sharpened by the permanent role of Scripture within the “Divine purpose”. If this is what God’s authority looks like and what part does an authoritative scripture play. When full allowance is made for the striking differences of genre and emphasis within the scripture, we may propose that Israel’s sacred writings were the place and where the means by which Israel discovered again and again.

He was the true God and the purpose of His kingdom purpose being taken forward. Recalling the Scripture control to worship for God’s kingdom is your hope in your heart.

In view of YHWH “word” in the Old Testament is very instructive. It is like an enormous creative treasure, full of “Divine wisdom” and power into which the prophets and other writers are attracted by God’s call and grace. The notion of “speech acts” which we referred to is always fairly new in philosophy. It would have surpassed ancient Israel prophesy. The imagery is of a powerful sovereign, who utters a decree from the throne.

1.ISRAEL THE SCRIPTURE HEARING PEOPLE

From the very beginning the people of Israel were constituted from one point of view as the people who heard God’s “Word” in call, promise, liberation, guidance, judgment, forgiveness, further judgment renewed liberation and renewal promise. This sequence is needed as a summary of the entire Old Testament narration from Abraham to post exile period.

This is what the writer meant. The scripture can be reduced to the notion of record about revelation. This is with the sense of mere writing down of earlier and assumedly prior to religious experience. If we imagine that would be super impose categories entirely foreign to the Old Testament authors, editors and listeners. We can not reduce that says “YHWH” to Jeremiah without squashing our own from work on top of others and indeed on their experiences as well.

Scripture did not reflect the experiences of religious awareness, social and cultural turmoil. So the faith of God’s people through of course did all that as well. Again and again the point of Scripture was that they adhere first prophetic word to Israel. This was done in the midst, with very ambiguous experience breaking into Israel’s own word of mistakes – facts in verbal form; what God Himself was doing, in breaking into the world and into Israel; Their life was left with judgment and mercy at the same time.

Though it is in the prophetic books that we can see this most clearly through the autobiographical passages through which the prophet’s call for struggle within God’s word. In this point a full account of the note of Scripture within the life of Israel would appear as a function of Israel election for the sake of the world. Through Scripture God is equipping Israel, His people to share His purposes.

Actually equipping is the same which inadequates short hand multiple text that the scripture Israel, People of God's Kingdom accomplished. Through scripture only Israel was given order for her national life; a structural worship, wisdom for daily conduct of life, or rebuke or praise through the prophets.

2.INSPIRATION AND THE WORD OF “YHWH”

The Israel got the notion of inspiration at this time only. The inspiration is the short hand way for telling about the belief and by the spirit of God guided every different writers and editors, so that the books they produced were the books that God intended His people to have.

But this is not the subject of the present book. We have to be reminded of some kind of “divine inspiration” and the scripture was taken for granted in most of the ancient Israelites. We have to remember one thing that is the Scripture played a vital role in influencing Israel and the early Christians.

The emergence of a “Canon” (principle) of Scripture though it has been controvertial in some respects, in recent discussion was at the heart an attempt to track the way, still those books had become formulative to the life of God’s people. It is to renew the Israel to honour and attend themselves appropriately. But the powerful idea of God’s “Word” not as a synonym for the writers of the Scripture, but as a strange personal experience of creating, judging, healing and finally recreating.

The word “YHWH” was heavenly made and all the host of Him breath of His mouth. "Is not my word live afresh and like a hammer that breaks the rock into pieces? All the flesh is like the grass. It withers and fades, but the word of God will stand forever. It is like the rain and snow coming down and watering the earth. So shall my world be that goes forth from my mouth. It will not return to me empty but it will succeed in the tasks for which I send it." The word is near you on your lips, further living embodiment of YHWH’s call and promise.

It was written to stage and direct the life of God’s people. The inner and puzzle of Old Testament was one thinks for instance the apparent clash between Deuteronomy and the story of Job. That story suggests virtue is rewarded at the end of this life itself. The Israel have to recognize as bearers of God’s healing promise not only to themselves but also to the whole world. They were also people who belong to the world and who stand under the same need of judgment and healing.

The word “Authority” is frankly too narrowly followed to do justice to all. To attempt and to sum up the role played by the Scripture within Israel, we need to say some thing like God’s sovereign authority for Israel by means of His spoken and written word. And to put it in a more simple way God’s sovereignty operating through Scripture, God spoke and it was done. The word itself is in who carried power and now life (Isaiah 40:8).

Quest for the Living God

3.SCRIPTURE IN SECOND TEMPLE JUDAISM

During the second temple period about fourth century B.C., it was observed that the Scripture authority was operating in at least two interlocking. Controlling story in which Israel to find its identity also destiny. They were the covenant people for whom God’s justice would ultimately break upon the word. The controlling story itself became a controvertial in the ancient world. But their story was heard in different ways.

Jewish scripture and their observed problems did not present the Scripture precisely this way within the Judaism of Jesus day. It was followed accordingly by living under scripture as controlling narrative which helped as a guide for daily life. The Scripture was read by them, taught, prayed and sung in the temple, in the synagogues, in the Qumran community daily, weekly, at the great festivals and finally in solemn feasts. Why all this was done because for more sharpening Israel as real people; who have been waiting for God’s kingdom for a long time.

The multiple and weakly changing types of Judaism in Jesus day came to be placed in terms of different ways of understanding and attempting to live. The Israel preferred this kind of life by following Scripture, then work, pray and wait for God to bring the story in which they were living to its proper condition.

Israel was thus continued from one point of view, as the people who heard God’s call of promise of liberation, guidance, judgment, forgiveness and then further judgment, renewal liberation and renewal promise (this sequence is intended as the summary of the entire post exile period.

The main purpose of Scripture is simply about giving information of the people who had religious experience. In addition to that the Biblical writers were telling the story of Israel which was in order and preserved. Their story also contained some facts about their way of life. The story was told in order to generate once more the sense of Israel as the people called by “YHWH” for His purpose to do something in this world. This writing and telling the story was found for the testing embodiment of “YHWH” call and promise. Finally the most important point about the writing was to shape and direct the life of God’s people Israel.

3.

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