>> So God needs to use entrapment? >Heh. I just report 'em. I don't make 'em up. This is the sort of >thing that makes me a very liberal Christian.
In defense of the Jews of about 400 BCE to 200 BCE their theology was actually a bit different than the characterization of it by folks who haven't studied what they wrote. At the time, everyone in the area were very aware of overkings and underkings; and of the overkings court. In post-Restoration Jewish though, the great court was Yahweh's. He had, as court functionaries, the equivalent of the DA and the advocate for humans: Satan and Michael. In the stories, Satan's job was to test man...to see if he would keep covenant, and to argue for man's failings. Michael's was to be man's advocate. Michael tended to win, but Satan had his proper role. In many ancient, and actually modern, social structures, one had to be tested, to be refined in the flame to be proven worthy and true. That testing was Satan's job. But, from the standpoint of the Jews, he was rather too zealous in his work. Thu, in God's mercy, we were given a stronger advocate. Even when the theology changed to Enoch's, Michael was still stronger than Satan. God, of course, ruled all, but allowed for his creatures to have the freedom of their own wills. Dan M. _______________________________________________ http://box535.bluehost.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
