ASPRINGMAN@eagle.wesleyan.edu (DAYSPRING) (11/29/89)
In article <Nov.23.22.27.11.1989.26759@athos.rutgers.edu>, palosaari@oxy.edu (Jedidiah Jon Palosaari) writes: > In numerous places in the old and new testament it states no to test God. > Yet in Malachi 3:10 it states > > "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my > house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty," and see if I will not ... > Eager for *any* answers, I'm glad you wrote 'any' because this is not coming from an expert. I think the problem lies in our reading of the word 'test'. There is no passage that advocates anything but releying on God's promises. Relying on promises is not usually refered to as testing, but I think that this is what is meant in Malachi. ie. "I want to show you that I keep My word so try out giving the entire tithe." 'Test' means something more like 'try to find out how much you can squeeze out of God' in the other passages. Again, nowhere does the Bible does any passage say not to rely on God's promises and goodness. That means that we should live our lives expecting God to come through for us as we seek to obey Him. The key phrase being, "as we seek to obey Him." It is amazing to step out in faith and and try something impossible that God leads you to do and to see Him do what you cannot. A passage form Dave Wilkerson's _The_Cross_and_the_Switchblade_ comes to mind. This is David's grandfather speaking to him. "When you learn to pray boldly in public, then you will discover power." Great faith is not testing God. I hope I have been of help. In Jesus, Andrew William Springman Aspringman@Eagle.wesleyan.edu