The Strand Study Bible

GENESIS

56

GENESIS

( humanism ), or as an illusion ( transcendentalism ). For example, * Naturalistic psychology believes that the physical world came about via the Big Bang, and since life came forth out of an accident, that everything, including suffering and evil, is simply the product of chance. To them, evil is non-existent. It’s an accident. It’s just bad luck. Evil has no point, no value, and neither does your life. Their motto – Stinks to be you –especially if you’re suffering due to evil. NOTE - One fourth of the world (communist countries, like China, Russia, Cuba, and much of South America) is engulfed in this type of thinking. * Humanistic psychology , on the other hand, came about as a result of dissatisfaction with naturalistic psychology, which cares little for the human being. Humanistic thinking is different than naturalistic thinking in that they believe the world can be a better place if only they could get a hold of their inner self. Their motto – Its great to be you (even if you’re suffering due to evil). Humanists believe that all suffering due to evil is due to a lack of love for self. If people could only learn to get in touch with their inner being, the world would start to heal itself. NOTE -One fourthof theworld (socialist countries, likeEurope, Canada, andmuchofAmerica) is engulfed in this typeof thinking. Whereas the naturalistic psychologist believes man is nothing more than an animal, evolved from the product of chance, the humanistic psychologist believes man is the exception within the animal kingdom, which evolved from the product of chance. Their global cheer –“Give man the chance he deserves to discover himself and thus develop his potential.” My question, of course, to the humanistic thinker is this: “Hasn’t man already had 6,000 years to self-actualize? How many more years is he going to need, because we”re running out of time?” * Transcendental psychology , which is a mixture of religion and science, believes that the physical world is an illusion, created by the mind’s limited perception of reality (II Ki 6:13-17). Therefore the evil that happens is also an illusion. Instead of asking the question, “Why does evil exist?” Transcendentalists ask, “Why does the illusion of evil exist?” They believe it exists because man has yet to see the real world on a spiritual level. Their motto – Its not you –its only you’re imagination that it’s you. The real you is spiritual, even though the physical you is suffering due to evil. NOTE - One fourth of the world (mystical countries, like India and much of Far East) is engulfed in this type of thinking. Three fourths of the world sees evil as an accident (naturalism), as ignorance (humanism), or as an illusion (transcendentalism), which leaves one fourth of the world with the theistic view. The theistic view of why suffering occurs can be divided into two views: 1. Islamic – Muslims see suffering due to evil as being foreordained, that is, what happens occurs because Allah foreordained it to occur. Islam believes that God alone has authority over the forces of the universe, and that He alone can fulfill or frustrate man’s hopes. In other words, Muslims believe suffering due to evil to be ordained by God. This, of course, is a fatalistic view of God. 2. Christian – Christians see suffering due to evil as the product of free-willed creatures, and that God became the victim of that evil, answering the personal problem of evil with Himself (Isa 53). In so doing, He provided mankind with a better tomorrow (Acts 7:54-60). NOTE – God did not plan evil; He permitted it. The very nature of God is love (I Jn 4:7-10), and the nature of love requires that the one being loved have free choice in whether to accept or reject the love that is offered. If evil had never been permitted, the love of God could not have appeared in answering it, nor His wisdom in over-ruling it; nor His justice in punishing it; nor His 2:11b Gold is the first metal mentioned in the Bible. Gold , which according to secular scholars was discovered sometime around 6000 BC, is considered one of the seven Metals of Antiquity; the other six being: copper (c. 4200 BC – Ezra 8:27 ), silver (c. 4000 BC – Gen 13:2 ), lead (c. 3500 BC – Num 31:22 ), tin (c. 2000 BC – Num 31:22 ), iron (c. 1500 BC – Gen 4:22 ), and mercury (c. 750 BC). These metals were known first to the Mesopotamians, then to the Egyptians, Greeks and the Romans. There are currently 86 known metals. As of 1986, approximately 121,000 tons of gold has been mined. Yet there is 70 million tons of gold floating in the ocean, with another 10 billion tons sitting on the bottom of the sea floor. The scarcity of gold ( gold is widely dispersed throughout the earth’s crust at 0.005 ppm) and its value, due to mankind’s fascination with its color and its known properties, have lead to gold being the one of the more important metals in life. For example: 1. Gold is a soft metallic element that resists corrosion Because gold is a noble metal, it does not corrode when exposed to the atmosphere and is virtually tarnish free. Gold is a comparatively inert (slow to move or resist) metal. It is also a good conductor of heat and electricity, as it lies in the middle of the periodic table at 196. 2. Gold is the most ductile (malleable, yielding, supple, flexible) element known In fact, one gram of gold can be stretched a mile and a half long, or beat into a sheet six square feet in area and 33 ten- millionths of an inch in thickness. 3. Gold has but one naturally occurring isotopes – gold (197) Meaning: Gold is one of the most stable elements in the world. 4. Gold is used of God to symbolize His deity There is something uniquely special about the properties of gold that, once discovered, will unveil the uniqueness of God’s deity. 2:12a Bdellium is a name given to a group of oleo gum resins from trees of various species of Commisphora . 2:12b The black onyx stone is the first gem mentioned in the Bible. For almost everything in this world there may perhaps be a mercy in pardoning it; nor His power in subduing it. 2:11a Pison was probably a canal off the main river.