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WHOSE GOD? An Alternative View
Chuck Klein © 2012

Somewhat over 3000 years ago, G_d delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses. All versions of the Torah//Bible (Old Testament) reference one of the Commandments with statements to the effect: “I am Hashem (also referred to as Yahweh) your God, who has taken you out of the land of Egypt and the  house of slavery. You shall not recognize the gods of others in my presence.”

In other words, Our G_d is acknowledging there are other gods, but that He is Our G_d. “Our” meaning, the descendants of Abraham who kept the covenant.  Conventional thinking is, G_d is indicating idols, statutes and other physical property. Maybe not. Consider the possibility that “other gods” might mean the gods of different peoples, such as the Asians, Indians, Arabs, Africans, et al.

Additional explanations include the time line of planet earth and the universe, per se. The Torah begins (Genesis) with a chronology of how the earth and its wherewithal was formed. According to this accounting, “god” did not make the sun until the fourth day. Thus, without a sun for the planet earth to rotate about, there was no way to tell how long the first three days were. This observation is unambiguously brought forth in the movie version of the 1920s Tennessee, “Scopes Monkey Trial,” Inherit the Wind. Here, Clarence Darrow (played by Spencer Tracy), gets the bible preaching prosecutor, William Jennings Bryan (played by Fredric March) to admit, under oath, that the “first day” might have been 24 hours and one second. The logical conclusion, Tracy draws, is that if that first day might have been 24 hours plus one second, it also might have been 24 million or 24+ billion “days” long.

Therefore, if we allow the possibility that the planet earth is being formed over a longer time than just four days – perhaps that would explain “pre-historic” mammals and dating’s of other minerals, plants, animals and fish. It also might clarify the existence of “other peoples.” These other peoples could have been fashioned in the image of their god. Perhaps the gods of these other peoples created a sun to generate light and energy, but that sun burned out or was burning out when Our G_d made Our sun. As to Noah and the great flood: The earth was believed to be flat at that time and thus continents – and their peoples -  not of Noah’s knowledge or view might not have been flooded.

Supplementary evidence that Our G_d is not the only god comes when Our G_d tells Moses to command Joshua to enter Canaan (aka The land of Milk & Honey, aka modern day Israel) and kill all the Canaanites. If Our G_d was the god of all peoples, why would He urge the slaughter of His own making? He wouldn’t – He is ordering the killing of another god’s “people”. Our G_d and the god of other peoples are in competition – at war – with each other and we, the images of these gods, could merely be pawns in their game of trying to best the other.

Jews - and those who have strayed from the tribe, i.e. Christians, are about to be tested against the Muslim god. Though the Christians believe Our G_d has already sent the Messiah (Jesus) who was killed and will return, those still holding to their historical lineage to Abraham believe the Messiah is yet to come. It makes no difference. Jesus was a Hebrew (Jewish) and so were his followers. Followers of Jesus decided to call themselves Christians, but they continued to believe in one god – Our G_d. For all intents and purposes, any Christian with European roots and who has been circumcised – or whose father has kept the covenant – is a Jew.

When the Messiah comes (or returns) no one will know the difference because there is no photographic, fingerprint or DNA evidence of exactly what Jesus looks like or what the Messiah will look like when He arrives. All Jews and converts (Christians) will recognize the coming of the Messiah and all will obediently serve Him as He will be the agent of Our G_d.  

Alright already, I know this is just one man’s interpretation of hearsay . . . but, the entire Torah/Bible is made up of verbal accounts.  Stories told by word-of-mouth, of course, are subject to spin and then there’s the matter of semantics – what exactly do the words of Our G_d mean when translated from ancient Hebrew to ____ to ___  . . . and finally to modern-day English? For example: One publication of the Commandments says, “Thou Shall Not Kill.” Another English printing by a different Judeo/Christian bible says, “Thou Shall Not Murder.” There is a significant difference. If there is this much variance in this line, what other words/lines have dissimilar meanings?

These ancient renderings may be coming to a head – Armageddon (the battle between good and evil) – when the peoples of the Arab god turn their threats of annihilation of the peoples Our G_d into action. How else can the hatred against the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Christians and Jews) be reconciled?  Believe what you choose, I’m just tendering different possibilities.

Chuck Klein, a former American Israelite columnist,  is the author of many books, articles and essays. He may be reached through his web site: www.chuckklen.com

 

See also: Rhetorical Biblical Questions by Chuck Klein