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Mysterium Tremendous If one thinks about what holy means, he will most likely answer in terms of exemplary ethical behavior, but that is not the true meaning of the word. In his attempt to define holy, Rudolph Otto, in his classic book The Idea of the Holy (1923), adopted the term numinous, from the Latin word numen, meaning a deity. Rarely used before, this term became immediately popular as a description of the supernatural. Otto was careful to define what he meant by the numinous. For a start, it is that sentiment which arouses a feeling of creature-consciousness, an awareness that one is actually in the presence of a numen. The awareness of this presence is so powerful that the mind is consumed in rapt attention to and worship of the numen, losing all sense of self.
What is this numen of which the creature-conscious mind is aware? Otto described it as the mysterious tremendous, the mystery that arouses trembling. This tremendous he described as the awareness in the individual of awfulness (tremendous), of overpowering ness (majesty), and of energy. The mysterious he described as the Wholly Other. The God who awes, overpowers and is energetic is far removed from the remote, well-behaved, contained god of the rationalists. This is a God who repeatedly irrupts into the world of human affairs, not the deist god who sits back and watched his clockwork universe slowly unwind.
The Bible opens with a description of the creation of the universe by a Creator God who is wholly other, wholly different from all rocks, trees and rivers. Though the first chapter of Genesis is written in the mythological language of the Ancient Near East, its theology is radically different from that of contemporary mythology. This is what Brevard Childs describes as broken myth. The Old Testament shows that while God was transcendent, he was also immanent, desiring friendly communication with his people. These two aspects of transcendence and immanence are held in tension throughout. The Old Testament bears ample testimony to the irruption into daily life of the power of God, but we find that Israel frequently misinterpreted Gods intentions, slipping into plain pagan fear.
For example, when God descended at Mount Sinai to resume contact with an estranged humanity, the people were terrified and pushed Moses forward to intercede for them. When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die. Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.
The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. (Exod 20: 18 - 21 NIV) Though Israel responded in cowering fear, the subsequent narrative shows that Moses was able to approach into the very presence of God. The presence of God inspires awe, but it need not inspire terror. Though God has created all, the Bible does recognize that there is a realm occupied by other supernatural beings. But the New Testament shows that Jesus Christ has defeated all of these powers.
The work of Frank Peretti notwithstanding, the Christian need therefore have no fear of things that go bump in the night, of spooks and ghosts, of unfriendly spiritual powers at whose mercy he lies. God is a tremendous mysterious before whom we should bow in humble awe, but he is a trustworthy God who desires intimate communion with us.
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Research essay sample on Presence Of God Testament Shows Moses
