Listening to God

This phrase enfolds man’s problem as well as its divine solution

This page deals with the essence of the divine expression "hearken unto me", that appears in various forms throughout the Bible: in the Pentateuch, in the Psalms and in Jeremiah.
The purpose of this page is to illuminate and prove the essence of this expression as well as to provide answers to questions that will be posed further on.
We shall also prove what "serving God" means.
Note: Clearly, "hearkening" refers to understanding,  internalizing  , rather than merely hearing God's word.

The questions we shall answer:
What is the content God wishes us to internalize, and in so doing, improve ourselves?
Should we internalize, these contents but not others ?

Which means will we use in order to achieve this divine improvement?
Are we only to improve ourselves or does God also intend us to perform specific activities? If so,  which activities and why?
Who is the alien God within us, which impedes this divine improvement-process and how can we rid ourselves of his presence?

How have the teachings of Israel's religion contributed to the peoples' inability to improve in accordance with God's word?
What goal or purpose does this internalizing serve?
How shall we go about internalizing the content of God's message?
Why did God turn to the people of Israel and not to another nation?
Which conditions does God set for a chosen people?
Why was the content of this message, delivered in a concealed way ?
Can we actualize this improvement?
Did Israel improve its qualities through this content?
What is the essential reason for Israel's non-improvement?

Here are the quotations that include these expressions:
"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people" (Exodus 19:5)

"And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deuteronomy 11:13)

"And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth" (Deuteronomy 28:1)

"Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god." (Psalms 81: 8-9)

"For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices:
But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.
But they would not listen to and obey Me or bend their ear [to Me], but instead followed the counsels and the stubborn promptings of their own evil hearts and minds, and they turned their backs and went backwards instead of forward" (Jeremiah 7: 22-24)

What is the message God wishes the people of Israel to "hearken to" ? Psalms 81:8-9,
As proved in chapter Man's Divine solution  this refers to internalizing the Divine improvement process, which comes to solve  Israel's spiritual problem - the strange God within - in order to function in an improved and proper manner, by means of which they cease worshipping the strange God..  
God regards the human being as a wise positive, developing creature, with a most exalted purpose; it is only due to its innate imperfection that he performs evil (sins). His Grace therefore presents a unique improvement process to steer one to do Good. 

Should we listen to this message and no other?
A caution to it can be distinguished already in the above-mentioned quote. Jeremiah, the Prophet, reinforces this warning when he quotes God in -Jeremiah 7: 22-24-  saying that following the exodus from Egypt, God did not instruct or talk to Israel concerning the offering of sacrifices but only commanded them to listen to God's voice, while the Pentateuch is full of offering  sacrifices.

My opinion regarding the reason for Jeremiah's warning and its consequences.
The offering of sacrifices must have greatly obstructed the actualization of the improvement process God wishes us to undergo in order for His Grace to express Himself thus.

What obstructed the people of Israel from realizing the divine improvement process?
In order to prove this, we must first turn to the main reason behind their continual offering of sacrifices. The people did it because they sought forgiveness for their wrongdoings and  to receive Divine assistance in obtaining things they otherwise failed to gain. One could say that they hold an inner truth which led them  function this way.

Since this inner truth forms the above-mentioned obstruction it must stand opposed to God's view of mankind. Therefore, it can be concluded that their inner truth (their self image) was one of a sinful , inferior and static creature.

The religion of Israel saw - and still sees   man as a sinful creature that, by his very nature, does evil with no ability to refrain from doing so. Therefore, religion in the name of God, established procedures designed to be absolved through the offering of sacrifices, prayer and so forth.
 And so, the "strange god"/the negative self-image in God's name, was created, developed, accepted and brought to its actualization.

Comment: Israel had already been offering sacrifices for a while before this decision, which means that this negative self-image was already widespread. The false command in God's name for these offerings greatly strengthened this negative inner truth.

According to the psychological principal presented in the chapter self-image, keeping this false inner truth, not only leads man to perform evil, but also severely harmed his positive development and his creative functioning, thereby harming the essence God instilled in man.
Thus, the people of Israel grew more and more distant from God's desired solution, particularly since this solution was delivered in an obscured form.

It can certainly be said that the offering of sacrifices and the cause of this activity were basic factors in obstructing the people of Israel from actualizing the divine improvement process.
This is, presumably, the reason for the expressions used by the Prophet Jeremiah.
Something similar may be said as regards prayer. It is no wonder that after the fall of the 2nd Temple, prayer appeared as a substitute for sacrifices.

We can now define the meaning of the phrase "strange God", referred to in Psalms 81. In general, it could be defined as man's severe spiritual affliction, due to a false belief (in God's name), that he is a sinful creature.

Similarly, we can now define the meaning of the phrase "bow before the strange god" as: doing the evil in God's name.

The resemblances between the strange god and man's self-image as a negative, inferior and static creature, allows us to identify this alien god as the religious man's most basic and essential spiritual problem. Which is – and has always been - the biggest obstacle he faced in improving and functioning positively, leading him, by nature, to bow before the alien God (which is the doing of evil).

What means will we use to actualize the above-mentioned divine improvement, even in this harsh spiritual state?
This is specified in Deuteronomy 11:13. It is through "my Commandments" (all of them). And what are all of His Commandments? As this verse explains – they are the love of God (genuine love of God). But love of God leads to love of man (genuine love of man), since whoever truly loves God, naturally loves His creation, particularly the creation of man. Therefore –genuine love of man is the means for actualizing this improvement.

For similar proof, see the chapter Commandments

Comment: Being in a state of worshipping the alien God, does not enable one to actualize love of man. Firstly, certain spiritual qualities need to undergo improvement.
This improvement can be achieved through the correct observance of the Sabbath, the Day of Atonement, the Exodus from Egypt and the genuine Love of God.
Since correctly observing a commandment involves a specific activity, it could be said that positive doing to benefit fellow man and society, will realize the expression of this love. 

Now it is possible to prove the meaning of the expression "serving God", ("with all your heart and soul") Deuteronomy, chapter 11, verse 13. It is a unique activity, which should be performed continuously and under any circumstances.

Since offering sacrifices are no longer an option and owing to the closeness between this expression to the love of God in the quotation (which is, in fact, love of man), we are lead to conclude that to worship God, means to lovingly, continuously and creatively (at increasing levels) perform positive acts to benefit man and society. .

Since the content of this message represents a principle, I allow myself to state that every reference of "serving God" in the Pentateuch and in the Bible too, refers to a positive activity to benefit man and society.

This is the unique activity that God wishes man to devote most of his time to, with all his heart and soul. It is also this, which God asks of us, when instructing  to walk in His paths. In the realization of our purpose, it will be this activity that we will perform. That is the reason that His Grace revealed Himself to mankind, providing humanity – through the people of Israel – with the above-mentioned improvement process and it is for this purpose that God invested so much, in order for it to be actualized by the people of Israel; serving as a role-model for other nations to emulate. Those things presented in Deuteronomy 11:14-15, would be bestowed on Israel due to this activity.
We can estimate that  this lies behind God's warnings, mentioned in Jeremiah 7:22-23 and in Psalms 81:9-10.
 

What purpose does this improvement process serve?
1.For mankind on Earth.
a. For our own personal benefit.
b. For attaining to Israel a unique standing, as detailed in the following quotations: Exodus 19:5 and Deuteronomy 28:1. Probably to assist other nations to emulate the example that the people of Israel have to offer.

2. To achieve a greater divine goal.
As presented in Jeremiah 7:23: "walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you".
As per my opinion, the purpose is to help develop populations outside of planet earth. For further details please visit the chapter "Does man have a purpose- summary"

Why was this improvement process delivered in a concealed manner?
I suppose because following the exodus from Egypt, the people of Israel did not yet possess the spiritual level required to genuinely realize its true content.
The estimated aim was that as the nation spiritually progresses, it shall discover the true content of God's message, will recognize its Goodness and will naturally actualize it in the proper manner.

Why did God turn to the Israelites and not to some other nation?
Perhaps Abraham (with whom God began this process) was the most suitable for this purpose.

Which conditions does God set for a chosen people?
According to Jeremiah 7:22-23, "Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people"

Can human beings generally and the people of Israel in particular, actualize the Divine improvement process?

- Certainly. His Grace would not have given it to us and asked to use it, had we been incapable of carrying it out.

- The condition for it is that they first see themselves as positive, intelligent and evolving creations. 

Did Israel improve through the Divine improvement process?
Unfortunately, despite the numerous warnings given by Moses, the prophets and by God Himself, this improvement has not been actualized till this very day.

What is the essential reason for this failure?
It is Israel's inability to be freed of  their mistaken religious principle of  being a sinful  entity.
 

Comments
The aforementioned negative self-image is still common amongst a great part of the world’s population and is the main reason for  the dangerous situation in which we currently live.

The people of Israel have received a unique content in order to improve and set a correct example for others to follow and so cure mankind of evil doing, which is his most fundamental problem. Due to the aforementioned reasons, this did not happen.

But the above-mentioned divine improvement has been available to the world for more than two thousand years, and yet it has only now been discovered, and only to a select few people. This is a typical result of man’s weakness, which is a great tragedy, but at the same time poses a great threat to man’s existence.

Conclusion
In accordance with all that has been said, one could state with a high degree of certainty that holding on a self-image of a negative and static creature is the main reason for person's difficulties in achieving positive development and functioning and the main reason, for his evil-doings along mankind's history.
To succeed in realizing the spiritual improvement generally and the divine improvement specifically, one must first be freed from his negative self-image and accept the truth that he is an positive, intelligent, evolving creation.

Periodically residing in the Sabbath's holiness (a unique meditative state), will dissolve your above-mentioned negative self-image  and will promote the appearance of the proper one: That you are a positive, wise and evolving Creation.
Achieving it will encourage your positive development with all it entails.