Had a similar conversation - and ask the question "did Satan know it was God Standing there" "She was just 17 - you know what I mean.. and I saw here standing there" "Beatles"
The one standing there is a man of 30 years old . who has just been made divine. Remember the reader has nothing else to go on - as this is the first Gospel .. and in fact the first page of the Gospel.
Put yourself in the position of an early Jewish Christian - who has nothing to go on but messianic tradition and stories from others - word of mouth about this new Messiah that everyone is talking about. The messianic tradition that is hot and heavy in the first century .. Jesus being only one of many .. and not the first.
This person then reads the first page of the Gospel of Mark- Who is Jesus in this story ? - after the first page. A man of 30 who God has patronized .. a common theme - be it Jesus or various OT figures from Abraham to Moses on Down - then of course there are the numerous other similar well known stories from other religious tradition.
Then - as per how many other similar stories and traditions go .. upon being given the spark of the Divine - the subject is tested prior to completion of the ritual.
Satan knows who Jesus is - and clearly does not think this is his Father standing before him - Satan is not going to ask the "Most High" to bow before him - or at least nobody reading the story at the time is going get "Jesus is The Father" from the encounter with Satan.
As we read further in the story - Jesus continuously refers to "The Father" as someone other than himself. By now in the story it is clear that Jesus is more than Just a man .. and more than just a divine spark .. but he is the "Son of Man" - but this in no way makes him "The Most High" and people simply didn't believe this.
Note the early Christians - Not the Disciples - and not Jesus. You are trying to make man made trinity doctrine that would not even exist for another 150 years - into scripture - something that no one believed in at the time .. and would have declared any such utterances as Heresy .. well past 200AD .. and this includes all the early Church Fathers up to this point.
Near 200 years after the death of our Lord - and No One believes that Jesus was "The Father" - and infact believes it heresy were anyone to say such a thing.
1700 years after this Doctrine became "Official" The Church Still can't agree on the finer details .. To Filioque or not to Filioque ..
In any case .. I don't buy the "Jesus is the Father" claims - and still maintain the subordinate perspective of the early Church - in my quest for the real Jesus :)
In Job "The Advocate" - is depicted as a Son of God - one who is on speaking terms with the Father ..and who does not go outside the will of the Father .. this son of God is also subordinate to the Father in Job.
Poor Satan - always getting "demonized" for things not of his doing. Bathsheba did not seduce David - lets that much clear.
The downfall of man is an interesting story - one that comes from the distant past - and so in this respect - one that is not so easily reconciled with passages coming from the time of Moses.
but lets look at the story and ask a few basic questions. Here we have a couple of humans - who have the mind of a child - not knowing good from evil. They trust everyone as a child does.
These two babes are put into the ring against ? "The Greatest Deceiver with God-like Powers" -- not sure if you are a Gambler - but who do you put your money on ? It is no contest.
Suppose you leave your 3 yr old with an uncle - and have told that child "don't touch the stove". When you come home - you find that indeed the child has touched the stove - but has done so because Uncle told him to .. and then you punish the child with a severe punishment.
So then .. did God not know the outcome of this battle prior to putting the two contestants in the ring ? Of course he did .. only an idiot would not .. never mind the "Most High"
So God puts these humans into a battle where they have no chance of winning .. and God knows they will not win .. and then punishes them for losing.
AWESOME!!
Where shall we begin??
So looking at this from the reader's advantage yes I would agree.. who knew?
But it was written by those who had studied, discipled, walked with Apostles, and got the first hand account.
Some think Mark is the same Mark that travelled with Paul.
Paul, like John the Baptist is an enigma to me.
I've seen this guy as both night and day. Someday I will "know" the answer.
But then I've seen Jesus as the serpent in the garden too..
He speaks like him.. here eat this you.ll live forever then follow me.
So I've walked many paths. Been through many battles in my own mind.
I'm still standing, yeah yeah yeah...(Elton John).. I love the Beatles too.
I don't know how to do that Quote thing so I'll just put yours in quotations.
"Then - as per how many other similar stories and traditions go .. upon being given the spark of the Divine - the subject is tested prior to completion of the ritual."
Any many shall come in my name saying I am Christ.
So what makes this guy so special? Prophecy. Demonstrations of Miracles. He knew the scriptures without a Phd.
But he had just been baptized by John and the dove which represented the Holy Spirit that descended on him,
filled him, hmm, like a cup running over. It's a recharging of the battery. The battery/Spirit is there, this just gives him a Booster, to get through the next 40 days.
"In Job "The Advocate" - is depicted as a Son of God - one who is on speaking terms with the Father ..and who does not go outside the will of the Father .. this son of God is also subordinate to the Father in Job."
Because he walks among them doesn't mean he is a son. And if we jump over to the Lucifer theory you will see that Satan was one of the Archangels/Cherubim that resided over the mercy seat. Probably the guy on the Left :/
He didn't recieve the title "adversary" until he challenged God and there was war in heaven.
Can you see the battle in your mind between the Archangel Michael on the Right hand and the Archangel Lucifer on the Left, and they are in a battle over the Mercy seat?
And He got thrown out, and recieved a new name... Satan.
"Satan knows who Jesus is - and clearly does not think this is his Father standing before him - Satan is not going to ask the "Most High" to bow before him - or at least nobody reading the story at the time is going get "Jesus is The Father" from the encounter with Satan."
I'm sure Satan knows exactly who he's facing. And it's not Michael. God came down from that mercy seat and engaged himself in the war.
Battles on.. Gloves off... Ding...Ding...
So if I don't believe like the hmm Pharisees tell me how to believe, then I'll be burned at the stake?
I would probably be in good company.
"Poor Satan - always getting "demonized" for things not of his doing. Bathsheba did not seduce David - lets that much clear."
THAT"S not how this WORKS!!
The seducing is in David's mind, it's in his heart. Satan is the virus of seduction.
She just happened to be in the right place at the wrong time.
So if I put the blame on Bathsheba .. my wrong
And I have no pity for Satan.. none.
I used to think if I prayed for him he would change, and then I read the book of Enoch and it was tried already and God said No.
"but lets look at the story and ask a few basic questions. Here we have a couple of humans - who have the mind of a child - not knowing good from evil. They trust everyone as a child does. "
For such is the Kingdom of God.
"These two babes are put into the ring against ? "The Greatest Deceiver with God-like Powers" -- not sure if you are a Gambler - but who do you put your money on ? It is no contest."
Now your assuming these are not full grown male and female?
They have been in the Garden for awhile.
God has breathed into Adam his own breath of Life.
The Golden rule was already vested in him.
This is now bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh.
Do unto others.. no man hath ever yet hated his own flesh...
so many verses..
They knew the Law.
Well, here we are.
We have Jesus and the Church on this side, and the Adversary on the other.
Ding...Ding...
First round we lost.
2nd round we win.
"Suppose you leave your 3 yr old with an uncle - and have told that child "don't touch the stove". When you come home - you find that indeed the child has touched the stove - but has done so because Uncle told him to .. and then you punish the child with a severe punishment. "
If they never knocked on "uncle's " door, they never woulda got burned.
But they did. And there are always consequences for actions. There is a law about that I forget what it is.. KARMA?
"So God puts these humans into a battle where they have no chance of winning .. and God knows they will not win .. and then punishes them for losing."
Winning! Winning! Winning!
Trust the Plan,
WWG1WGA!
wow..
Adam and Eve were never meant to take up permanent residence in the Garden.
They had a whole Kingdom they were going to be in charge of.
Instead of taking the easy way, they chose the hard way.
And instead of being the King and Queen, they became the servants.
But there is a day coming,
When the King and Queen after hard labour, pain and humbleness, will once again be worthy to sit upon the Throne.
And that Kingdom is called New Jerusalem aka: Paradise.
And then we get to do it all over again
:)
Thank You!