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Theology in a Pre-Christ World
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Author:  Andrew Amnon Mimetes [ July 25th, 2011, 8:19 am ]
Post subject:  Theology in a Pre-Christ World
OK, so I have a sort of strange question. It's a major change I'm pondering making to my book, and I wanted to get a few opinions first.

In my book, the Dagger is a ceremonial artifact entrusted to the lineage of helts, the 'priests', so to speak, of Nerandia. Nerandia is destroyed due to wickedness and only the helts and their families escape, forming the tiny city of the Enclave, to the east.

The Dagger is sort of like the Ark of the Covenant, and these helts are sort of like priests. And yet, in a post-Christ world, I can't really think of a reason for them to be in there. I mean, after Christ has come, we don't need the Ark, do we? It's still buried somewhere or destroyed.

But I'm hesitating to write a pre-Christ world. I'm guessing that people in the Old Testament were truly saved, and had a relationship with God (King David, for example). But, I'm not sure exactly how to write all that. :? Did ordinary people pray back then? Or only the priests? Did ordinary people actually have faith, or only the Law?

Does anyone have any good books on the OT that they could recommend, too? I want to do this right if I do it at all :D

eru
Author:  Rachel Newhouse [ July 25th, 2011, 9:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Theology in a Pre-Christ World
Whether they did it or not, God encouraged the OT populace to pray to Him:

Quote:
1Ki 8:37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be;
1Ki 8:38 What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:
1Ki 8:39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)
1Ki 8:40 That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.


Many of David's psalms speak of crying out to God daily.

Quote:
Dan 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.


Israel's spiritual state fluctuated. I think when things were going good, when they "had a heart to serve the Lord," people actually had a personal relationship with God. It was when they started trusting in the Law, "drawing nigh with their lips," that the spiritual collapse prior to the Babylonian conquest occurred.
Author:  Aeleknight [ July 25th, 2011, 11:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Theology in a Pre-Christ World
Well they were saved by their faith, law was used to show their need for a savior but they were saved by their faith that a savior would come.
It says in the Bible that Abraham was made righteous through his faith in a coming savior, not through works.

God spoke to people in those days and God spoke back. Take when Samuel was called by God and he thought that Eli was calling him. Prophets frequently spoke with God.

Its hard to say if ordinary people did many of those things. I would say some did and most did not. Israel is shown rebelling against God, falling into sin so much in the old testament so I would think that only a few held true to God.

The priests were intercessors between man and God. So they generally had VIP access to God. The priests got the backstage pass and the normal people would be told through the priest the will of God and such. When Jesus died, he became the intercessor and tore the veil (literally) between man and God. In the old testament however priests were used to communicate between man and God. Does that help?

I think you should do it. Go for it!
Author:  Andrew Amnon Mimetes [ July 27th, 2011, 8:14 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Theology in a Pre-Christ World
Hm. Interesting. One of the things I'm considering with this rewrite is that my book is too..."preachy." Maybe creatively expressing faith through the OT will help that, I don't know :?

eru
Author:  Airianna Valenshia [ July 30th, 2011, 6:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Theology in a Pre-Christ World
*Agrees with previously stated comments *
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