Psalm 96: from naturally declining polytheism to exponentially expanding monotheism (chaos)
Before
Abraham, about 3700 years ago, there was Sumer (polytheistic), the inventor of
writing, about 5500 years ago. So far, Sumer seems the origin of Western
history. Their city-states had either a king or a priest-leader, but either
way, citizens worked for their economic survival and to serve their city-gods.
Some gods were common to the cities and thus to the Sumer civilization.
So far, humankind does not know where the Sumerians came
from. They had black hair, light skin, and various eye colors. They kept and
ate domestic animals, including pigs. They raised grains, especially barley and
made beer from it. Human sacrifice happened, for example, to serve deceased royalty
in their tombs. Sumer political philosophy was that male and female civic
people rule on earth and flourish in service to the gods. The gods were
co-existing forms for what humankind had not discovered. For example, Shamash,
Sumer’s sun god is now known to be a natural nuclear reactor. In other words,
as human discovery progressed the system of gods could have, might have
dissipated, gradually relieving citizens of the gods-burden.
Sumer was conquered by Semitic-speaking peoples. Semitic-speaking
Terah, with son Abraham, left Ur to escape human sacrifice to the gods. Scribes
benchmarked human-progress under the creator in Genesis 1:26-28, then in
Genesis 2 joined competitive monotheism, introducing Adonai, seemingly representative
of their God, Yahweh. Israel branched 4 generations from Abraham and struggled
to terminate human sacrifice, suffering in the 4 generation past Isaac.
When Christianity joined competitive monotheism, Yeshua (Jesus)
represented The Father in providing a savior, not of necessary goodness but of souls,
under the Holy Spirit.
A couple years ago, aided by Nomads Sunday school, I
recognized that my life has been guided by Yeshua’ civic influence, regardless of
divinity-school-competitive-monotheism.
I pursue human being (a
practice). I think we may and can understand how to pursue human being, because
the consequences of human action are constrained. We can observe our own
experiences, read about the past, and share with fellow citizens to learn how
to not deserve restraint. Meanwhile, we can aid discovery of the benefits of
life on earth and its extensions. The more I comprehend consequences of past
choices, the better my opportunity to aid “ourselves and our Posterity” in the
pursuit of necessary goodness. Thus, choices made between 8000 and 4000 years
ago are important to me, if for no other benefit than to help me comprehend
choices made from 4000 years ago until now.
In religion, I want to associate
with civic humankind. “Civic” means pursuing reliable responsibility to
necessary goodness. When necessity seems unclear, humility may often prevail. I
do not want anyone to follow my motivation and inspiration. However, I do wish
to converse with fellow citizens and learn opinions that could improve mine. If
anyone chooses a path similar to mine, I will celebrate my opportunity to
improve.
I am grateful that we studied
Psalm 96 on 12/29/24, when UBC sang carols and discussed Yeshua at age 12
having conversation that impacted adults in church. I hope both adolescents and
adults enjoyed the message.
Psalm 96 was a hymn by David
celebrating establishment of the tabernacle in Jerusalem. Hebrew singing is
available on YouTube. The King James Version makes it a celebration of Jesus’
birth; also available online. I read CJB for Yeshua’s civic influence and for
historical perspective.
From the Complete Jewish Bible CJB. (The King James Version
is “O sing a new song unto the Lord”.)
96:1 Sing
to Adonai [NIV, the Lord] a new
song!
Sing to Adonai, all
the earth!
2 Sing to Adonai, bless his name!
Proclaim his victory day after day!
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his wonders among all peoples!
4 For Adonai is great, and
greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared more than all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are
idols,
but Adonai made
the heavens.
6 In his presence are honor and
majesty;
in his sanctuary, strength and splendor.
7 Give Adonai his due, you
families from the peoples;
give Adonai his
due of glory and strength;
8 give Adonai the glory due to his name;
bring an offering, and enter his courtyards.
9 Worship Adonai in holy splendor;
tremble before him, all the earth!
10 Say among the nations, “Adonai is king!”
The world is firmly established, immovable.
He will judge the peoples fairly.
11 Let the
heavens rejoice; let the earth be glad;
let the sea roar, and everything in it;
12 let the fields exult and all that is
in them.
Then all the trees in the forest will sing
13 before Adonai, because he has come,
he has come to judge the earth;
he will judge the world rightly
and the peoples with his faithfulness.
[I think Genesis 1:26-28 informs humankind to flourish in
necessary goodness rather than accommodate badness and allow evil:
Then God said, “Let us make
mankind in our image, in our
likeness, so that
they may rule over
the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all
the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God
created mankind in his own image, in the image of
God he created them; male and female he created them.
God blessed them and said to them, “Be
fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in
the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on
the ground.
Acceptance
of the power, authority, and responsibility to rule on earth is human being
(verb). Human-beings pursue necessary-goodness to actual-reality. The rest of
the Bible discloses the chaos that ensues if most individuals choose wanton
behavior -- neglect the laws of physics and progeny, e.g., biology and
psychology.
The
civic collective cannot rule if most fellow citizens practice/accommodate
badness and allow evil.
Political
and religious philosopher Yeshua affirmed Genesis 1:26-28, e.g. in Matt 5:48
(be as perfect as goodness), 18:18 (don’t expect error-correction), and 19:4-6
(don’t divide/lessen goodness).
Today there are more than 8,000 religions and
45,000 Christian sects on earth. Today is time for individuals to accept the
power, the authority, and the responsibility to practice civic integrity.
“Ourselves” may either continue to leave reliable
responsibility to “our Posterity”, referring to the preamble to the US
Constitution, or practice necessary goodness.
Notes
re modern perspective:
1. Since monotheism is a human construct, I use
“The God, whatever it may be”, to express objection to any doctrinal God yet
reserve humility.
a. Blue highlight is to emphasize the pronoun
usages, our and we.
b. Perhaps the “we” infers an androgynous pair,
like a married couple
c. It seems human choice may and can conform to
the laws of physics.
d. Yet human inspiration and motivation are
driven by goodness
e. When goodness is uncertain, humility
prevails.
2. Scholars understand that humankind in its
present mutation is Homo sapiens (HS)
a. Distinguished by brains with synapses and
neurons with speed and capacity to handle exponential complexities
b. Indeed the dominant species on
earth and extensions
c. Yet HS is challenged-to,
perhaps will-not, control earth as much as possible
d. Unfortunately, after 200,000 years,
sexual-attraction dominates society.
3. The rest of the Holy Bible
expresses the validity of Genesis 1:26-28: Humankind may and can but
does not choose to rule on earth.
a. Genesis 1 predates the
existence of Israel by at least 1500 years.
b. About 2000 years have passed
since Yeshua lived.
c. Yet war in the Middle East
threatens humankind’s opportunity.
d. It seems time to pay more
attention to primitive thought – psychological and civic discovery during the
period 8000 years ago to 4000 years ago.]
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