In recent weeks there has been a theme running through our lives: we’ve heard audio teachings (see the Audio Teaching links in my sidebar), it’s been a topic of conversation with friends, and it’s been part of our Scripture readings. It’s something that seems so easy, so simple, so correct that it’s hard to believe that we had missed it in the past. Where HaShem is, where His Ruach (Spirit) is, there is order.
We have been taught in the past that when we are being led by the Ruach (Spirit) that there will sometimes be chaos. You’ve probably heard something similar. “The Spirit is like the wind, we never know where it blows or from where it comes.” We’ve been at events where someone will “be filled with the Spirit” and will cause some sort of disturbance. We’ve been at events where people are encouraged to do some rather strange things because “that’s the spirit moving through you”. We’ve not felt comfortable blaming the chaos of that moment on the Father or anything of Him. However we’ve also been at events where the Ruach has moved in a way that seems to be in line with HaShem and His order of things.
Way back in the beginning the Ruach was hovering over the deep. We’re told that before creation there was chaos in the universe. While the Father was creating, the Ruach was working with Him, as was the Word. In reading the creation account we find no evidence of chaos, but we do find every evidence of order. Of course, right? HaShem is the G-d of order, not chaos. Everything from Him would display the same order because that is Who He Is.
So why do people teach that the Spirit brings chaos?
Where the Ruach is, there will be order. Granted that order may not be “order” in our limited scope of things, but chaos will not be evidence of the Spirit of HaShem. In every place in Scripture, that I am aware of, the Ruach is present in situations that bring order. The Ruach takes the chaos that runs wild around us and puts things into HaShem’s order.
The same is true for Torah. Torah brings order into our lives. We have said before that after “discovering” Torah that our family simply began to work better – things flowed, things worked, less stress and frustration. This only makes sense. HaShem is the G-d of order, not chaos. His Word, His Torah, His Spirit – all bring an order representative of Who He Is. Creation, the Commandments, the Tabernacle instructions (complete with what “neighborhood” each tribe lived in while in the desert and who carried what), the cycle of His festivals, etc. are all evidence of His order.
So – who brings chaos? (the enemy) And why do some teach that to follow that chaos is “of God”? (they are being led by another ‘god’?) And why do we fall for that teaching? (because it’s easier to be told than to search for ourselves?)
HaShem is the Author of order. With Him there is no chaos. The order and structure of our lives should be evidence that He is at work. We should embrace the structure and order that He brings. It is SO freeing!!
There is an old, classic Science Fiction series called the Nine Princes of Amber. I read this about 20 years ago, but I remembered it clearly when Marissa and I were reading Paradise Lost recently. It seemed to have a similar “feel.” In Amber, there is perfect order… the opposite of Amber is the Courts of Chaos. When I read Milton’s description of evil and chaos, I wondered how much inspiration Roger Zelazny took from the Milton.
Of course, the similarities had to end… in Zelazny’s book there are many ‘gods’ in both Chaos and Amber who are fickle, moody and well more like theh gods of Ancient Greece or Rome. Too human to be worshiped, yet blessed with long life (they can be killed) and powerful.
It is weird, when I read those books as Science Fiction it never occured to me that I was reading a “religious” book that was communicating something to me about the spiritual world. How could I have missed it?
Shalom Acceptance ~
I don’t know if I’ve heard of those books before. I’ll have several hours at the library this afternoon while the kids take a class there, maybe I’ll look for these books there.
I think we’re all created with a definite need for order and structure and that it comes out in a wide variety of areas of in lives. Nature is ordered and structured and we observe that order every season. The heavens are ordered and structured too. It seems that we humans tend to cause more chaos than order at times and that is why the structure and order that the Father outlines for us is so appreciated. I think that those who don’t know of or submit to His order and structure will still find ways to create it in their lives, because we’re created with such a need.
Like most things, our “creativity” is merely a masking or a copy of the way we are intended to be living and walking before our Creator, our G-d. We are creative, to be sure, because we are created in the image of Our Creator. But what we create tends not to be so original – like science fiction.