Continued from "Designed for Work, Destined for War, 4"
Man's design allows for a broad range of physical and intellectual application. The hands that grasp a hoe, rake or shovel can also grasp a club, spear or firearm. The mind that plans parks, orchards and gardens can also plan strategy and tactics.
I believe humanity's ability to adapt to widely differing aspects of work and war has resulted from the providence of his Creator. God made man as His vice-regent to bring godly rule and order to the world by means of fruitful, fulfilling and purposeful labor.
In order to do this, Adam might have had to fight a dragon. Whether he would have slain the dragon immediately, or the attacks would have persisted over centuries as Adam and his progeny subdued creation, we cannot know.
We do know that our first parents' Fall into sin changed the nature of man with profound effects upon the nature of Nature (Rom. 8:22). Conflicts among men became inevitable.
From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war . . . . (Jas 4:1-2)
From the time that "Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him (Gen. 4:8)," it was manifest that, ultimately, war is an expression of rebellion against God and, by extension, against those upon whom God has set His love and grace.
As part of Christ's elect body, Christian Martialists must give thanks to their King for the high calling of placing themselves between the forces of evil and His people. And likewise thank Him for fitting us spiritually, mentally and physically for the task.
Blessed be the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. (Psa 144:1)
For we are workers by design, warriors by destiny.
End of series (for now).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Discussing this series with my sister prompted an interesting question that she came up with.
If sin had not yet brought death, could Adam really fight, or kill?
Spencer
IMNSHO (as usual), the question turns on the scope of Romans 5:12, to wit "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." It seems man's mortality is rooted in his sin-nature, for "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 3:23).
Man's sin, therefore, results in the death of men and, by extrapolation, the animal realm because of man's special stewardship of the animal kingdom (see Rom. 8:22).
Satan, however, rebelled against God at least by the time he tempted Eve. Since the wages of sin is death, he (the serpent, the dragon) had put himself under the sentence of death even before man sinned. Since God had given
Adam and Eve responsibility for asserting dominion over the earth, and since the dragon was operating in their jurisdiction, I assume that it would fall to them to execute justice upon the trespasser.
Some people do not like these conclusions, because some Sunday school teacher along the way taught them that "Paradise" meant that in Eden Adam would lie beneath a tree, and fruit would plop into his open mouth. No challenges, no problems to solve and no world to conquer.
I think Genesis chapters 1-3 show that Adam & Eve DID face challenges, problems and the the responsibility for world conquest.
Anyway, that's how I see it. If your sister doesn't agree, that's okay. I come here to lay out my own convictions, not to fight my brothers, sisters & friends. Take what you can use, and file the rest for future reference.
BTW, thanks to her for formulating the question & to you for bringing it up.
:-)
I vote that this series be put in the reader's choice section.
Awesome job!
Thanks, Stephen. I have added this series to that section.
Anyway, that's how I see it. If your sister doesn't agree, that's okay. I come here to lay out my own convictions, not to fight my brothers, sisters & friends. Take what you can use, and file the rest for future reference.
No need for that! I will indeed ponder what you said! Thank you!
Spencer
Post a Comment