Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear ones

It’s way too late…nearly 9am. I think my lateness is evidence of the difficulty I had in composing my thoughts below. I often do not even know where I’m going when I start these things. It only takes a lead sentence or idea…and things kind of flow from there. I hope it makes some sense.

Becki and I did our walk/jog excursion and enjoyed constant dynamic conversation. The topic that captivated our attention is not a new one. It helps us to avoid surprise at the signs of corruption and perversity in our world, but rather anticipate it. When men, for whatever reason, do not FEAR THE LORD—not BORN OF THE SPIRIT, all they have left is a broad spectrum of Jeremiah 17:9 materials to work with…without even knowing that’s all they have to work with.

Much to do. Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Don’t tell me you’re not a philosopher or a theologian—because you, most definitely, are both. Everyone with any kind of functional mind develops a view of life, their personal significance, with an accompanying view of God—forming a worldview.

As I grapple with the data available to me, I observe compelling evidence that mankind has always lusted after heaven—although they seldom call it that. They strive for a form of utopia where everything is wonderful, happy, comfortable, and just the way they want it, forever. But have you noticed that utopia has never yet been achieved by humans on planet earth?—NEVER—at least not for very long, or to everyone’s liking. This has to lend support to the Biblical fact of SIN—man’s fallen nature in the context of a fallen natural world that produce fallen cultures (families, societies, governments, nations).

So how should we view our own life courses? Is it just a big exercise in futility? Without God’s gracious intervention, it really seems to be that way. By comparison, is the Biblical Christian life designed to be utopian? Nope—not at all—but it’s the only one with a substantial promise for getting there.

Jacob was a chosen man. God’s promises to him at Bethel were profound and powerful (28:13-15). But they did not promise an earthly utopia. These chapters demonstrate that. The lesson values of Jacob’s struggles along the way were much too important for God to allow it to be a utopian course for him. Is there lesson value here for us? I believe so.