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Old Testament

OLD TESTAMENT

It was wisdom that I sought within those venerable old pages
Yet found tales of folly, arrogance and cruelty in profusion
Where were knowledge, truths, enlightenment, refined throughout the ages?
What direction to a righteous life, discernment, no illusion?

Say ‘tis mankind’s wilful sin that’s outlined in these tales of old
Given detailed laws prescribing how to conduct men’s affairs
By a wise all seeing God whom all the people then extolled
Yet it seems: He had demeanour scarce more ethical than theirs

He gave one selected tribe protection and a special favour
Bringing them a long way round to take a land of milk and honey
But neglecting one small fact that was to compromise the flavour
For the folks already there, it was decidedly unfunny

In the multitude of conflicts that ensued throughout the years
There were some with help from God emerged the winners well delighted
While they without the favour that was given to their peers
Despite all their own best efforts, they would end up being smited

But the one thing it was wise for you to shun before all other
Was to show some interest in another god not called Jehova
If you barbecued some beast for different deity e’en His brother
You could wind up in deep trouble, it could be for you - all over

Now some assert: mankind is product of God’s blest creation
The God defined, described and named by those who answers sought
Ah! But does this not suggest that here’s an inverse speculation
And The god defined an artefact by men’s invention wrought

So this anthropomorphic deity described in the Old Testament
Could be just one more sample of man’s desperate grasping straws
To negotiate a get-out from dire personal investment
And to find another source to blame and flee from being the cause

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Kim Rodrigues

Date: 11/16/2017 7:26:00 AM

The fact that we believe anything leads to the evidence that God exists. The Jews were given the responsibility of carrying the oracles of God to mankind. The sins of the O.T. show us sinful mankind. God in flesh came to take all our sins upon Himself. We live a mere average of 100 years, here on earth. Our eternity depends upon our free-will choice to serve the one who created us. All happiness, joy and love is found in Him. In the blink of an eye, we shall see the truth. Worth investigating.

Geoffrey Brewer
Date: 11/17/2017 4:07:00 AM

Dear Kim, thank you for your thoughtful and detailed response to my poem. I knew when I wrote it that it was likely to cause some questioning of my observations and conclusions. I appreciate hearing your opinions on the subject, although some of them may not be real to me. I agree that it’s worth investigating, which is something I have been doing for some seventy years and continue to do.