I had the good fortune to hear this excerpt from Kings this morning:
"When Elijah reached Horeb, the mountain of God, he spent the night in a cave."
Does God no longer frequent mountains? Why? And why do divinities like caves?
The passage that follows tells us God wasn't hiding in the wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire but apparently he was in a zephyr. And the human being named Elijah went out to meet the divinity, covering his face respectfully, of course.
What distinguishes this tale from the many fictions in Roman and Greek mythology about people encountering gods? If Mike Smith related a similar tale today we would regard him as a liar or a fantasist. Why do we accord the unknown troglodyte, Elijah, more credence? Should we?
Did God really wander around in the past?
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Re: Did God really wander around in the past?
Post #11It is a famous passage. I have nothing against Elijah camping out. I find God's interaction with primitives rather odd. Divinities seem to be attracted to holy people spending time in caves. Muhammad founded a religion that incorporates billions, dead and alive, through his sessions in a cave somewhere.Monta wrote:
You have not given the refference.. according to the above Elijah spent the night in a cave.
Why is that a problem?
I believe the semi-sane St. Anthony of Egypt gave away his inherited fortune, put his sister in care, and spent time in a cave, presumably awaiting divine instructions.
Would God appear in a hotel, on a skyscraper or even in a cathedral? Biblical writers suggest he prefers austere settings.
