The Experience of God in the Old and New Testaments - Part 3

[Guest guest]

Conclusion to Part 2:

 

(P.212) Elijah and Elisha are both involved in the political affairs of their

time, and yet at the same time they are open to extraordinary mystical

experiences, particularly when Elijah is taken up to heaven. (P.213) Elisha, his

disciple, wants to be with him when he departs and Elijah says he may accompany

him. So they walked together and " as they still went on and talked, behold a

chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up

by a whirlwind into heaven. " [16] Again this is a subtle, psychic experience. In

the experience of Elijah it was not of course a physical chariot or a physical

fire, but rather a psychic chariot and a psychic fire. In Hindu tradition

psychic phenomena of this kind are generally accepted and in Yogananda's 'The

Autobiography of a Yogi', for instance, there are many examples of a similar

nature which are reported as having happened recently. So these experiences are

simply part of the universe in which we live, though people today have generally

lost contact with them.

 

A New Vision of Reality (Western Science, Eastern Mysticism and Christian Faith)

- Chapter 10, Pg.212

 

 

Part 3:

 

The Experience of God in the Old and New Testaments

 

(P.213) When we come to the later prophets whose revelations were recorded we

can consider the experience of Amos and Hosea, two prophets of the eighth

century BC, through whom the supreme transcendence of the God of Israel is

revealed. Through Amos came the great revelation of God's creative power. So

Amos says, " For lo, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and

declares to man his thought - the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name. " [17]

This is the creator God, utterly transcendent, who creates the world and at the

same time knows the thoughts of men, that is to say, who is Lord both of the

physical world and the world of men. At the same time this God of creation is

the God of righteousness. " Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; " and,

" Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness as an over-flowing

stream. " [18] This is a demand for judgement, justice and righteousness. So the

link between human conduct, moral behaviour, and God is clearly established.

 

God is the God of justice and he demands justice, but he is also the God of

mercy. This comes out beautifully in Hosea. Through Hosea there is a profound

and sensitive revelation of the 'hesed' of God. (P.214) There is no exact

equivalent of 'hesed' in English, but it is often translated as loving-kindness.

Hosea experiences God in a love relationship, in a bridal relationship. The Lord

says, " I will betroth you to me for ever; I will betroth you to me in

righteousness and in justice and in steadfast love and in mercy. " Linked with

this bond of love is knowledge. He goes on, " I will betroth you to me in

faithfulness; and you shall know the Lord " [19]. That is the 'gnosis' which is

knowledge of the Lord through love. This is the theme of all mystical

experience. Interestingly this passage goes on to say, " I will answer the

heavens and they shall answer the earth and the earth shall answer the corn and

the wine and the oil and they shall answer Jezreel. " That means that this God of

heaven above is also the God of the earth and when this relationship of love and

righteousness is established with him, then the earth also prospers and bears

fruit. This is an expression of the cosmic dimension in Israel's experience of

God. Whereas in Hinduism it is the dominant theme, in Israel it is secondary but

it is always present. The God of Israel is also the Creator of the world and he

controls the world from above. He is never immanent in the same way as the Hindu

God is, but he has this power over the whole creation and the creation responds

to his will. The other significant passage in Hosea is where he says, " When

Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. " [20] This

brings out again how the God who reveals himself as love is also the God who

acts in history.

 

A New Vision of Reality (Western Science, Eastern Mysticism and

Christian Faith)

Chapter 10, Pg.212-214

Bede Griffiths

Templegate Publishers - Springfield, Illinois

ISBN 0-87243-180-0

 

Notes:

 

[16] 2 Kings 2:11

 

[17] Amos 4:13

 

[18] Amos 5:14, 24

 

[19] Hosea 2:19-20

 

[20] Hosea 11:1