Life Matters - February 14, 2024
“Every generation imagines itself more intelligent than the one that went before it and wiser then the one that comes after it.” - George Orwell. While we may argue Mr. Orwell’s application, as it applies to each one of us personally, very few of us, I suppose, would dare argue with his premise. That is our tendency, as a whole, is it not?
The information age has exacerbated that base tendency as we now have knowledge at our fingertips that our forebearers could only dream of. Or, perhaps have nightmares about. Had they been indued with visions of nuclear fission, jet war- planes, submarines, ammunition that follows its target like a living thing, armored tanks blasting out shrapnel, bombs dropped from above and torpedoed from the deep, the ensuing nightmares may well have kept them up at night after a horror-stoked nightmare in which mankind seems bent on destroying itself.
We may soon be entering the final phase of that nightmare, if artificial intelligence is allowed to run its course. And if it is to be reined in and brought under subjection then the question becomes: in subjection to whom? Klaus Schwab may well have gotten something at least partly right at the 2023 World Economic Forum (WEF) when he said, “Whoever masters zis technoelogy vill be za master of za vorld.” (German accent included) Peter, Paul, Daniel, and John the Revelator all four prophecy of one who will do just that, set himself up in the place of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:4) But wrong, dead wrong, because when God says “it is done” then indeed it will be done. (Revelation 21:6) Then, whether mankind does it to itself and the world or whether God will merely “step back” and cease to hold all things together by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3) matters infinitely little to those who are still here trying to keep it from happening by using the incinerating power of mass destruction, because the end result will be the same. In seeking to understand prophecy it does seem to me that both will happen. That mankind will eventually destroy itself when God ‘’steps back,” and allows it to happen. It should be in our end goal to no longer be here. Not by our own hand. Not by taking control of life. Nor of death. The only way possible to escape this final meltdown is to be subjecting ourselves to the authority—and ultimately the protection—of God Almighty.
Since the first man, Adam, and the first woman, Eve, swerved aside by the devil, left that place of subjection and protection, the ensuing troubles, hardships, grief and travail, upon being turned away from the Garden of Eden by their Creator God has mankind, to this day, struggling against those troubles and hardships, grief and travail. Though God meant it for good, to help us see our need, (Romans chapter 7) and then our deliverance, (Romans chapter 8), mankind has generally taken it for evil, seeking and striving for the equality with God initially promised by the devil. (Genisis,3:5) Though we may imagine ourselves more intelligent and wise then our predecessors and/or our successors, we are in reality only using up this finite world’s natural resources faster than those gone before and merely have more experience than those coming after. Whether the use of natural resources has helped our intelligence or whether we are the wiser as a result of our experience on this spinning orb are other questions entirely. The first depends on the exercise of our brains and both answers depend on how well we respond to and experience God in our life. Some become more foolish with age and some increase in wisdom as the hoary head overtakes the vigor of youth. Some of our brains need extra exercise because of suffering injury and I’ve found the best exercise to be the memorization of Bible verses when done for the purpose of nourishing the spirit and soul. Wherever it may take us, being faithful followers of God increases wisdom with age.
When God sent a wiser Jonah to Ninevah, telling Jonah to warn the Ninevites of impending doom, His later withdrawal of that doom does not mean He did not really mean it, but it does mean that He is God Who delights in mercy. When the Ninevites repented, God’s mercy shone through. True repentance is a heart-felt sorrow without bargaining for the withdrawal of God’s judgement but is rather an acceptance of God’s judgement of sin and a casting of oneself on God’s mercy. A turning away from the sin. God is still giving us—Americans in general and each person in particular—a space for repentance. If we have not. Wisdom turns to the possibility of God’s mercy. It is our move. Who can tell what He will do? Knowledge is not necessarily wisdom. Wisdom is the Godly application of knowledge. The words of Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, are ultimate wisdom. Many may imagine otherwise, but Jesus is Living Proof.
Life Matters!