Moses‘ Sunday school or why cannot sinners go to heaven

Yes, indeed. The question “Why cannot sinners go to heaven“ belongs to the Sunday school, or maybe Sunday school intermediate. It’s the basic of the Gospel, meaning every person who believe in Christ’s sacrifice needs to be able to answer this question.

In fact, God answers in a way this question even to Moses on Sinai. Moses begged Lord for grace and his presence. He gets these all (Ex 33:17). However, Moses asks to see God by his own eyes – to see His glory (Ex 33:18). The Lord says: “No man can see me by his own eyes and stay alive.“ (Ex 33:20). Following God’s word we know that nobody can see God¨s glory and stay alive – but why?

In one of the new-testament stories Jesus walks through the street, when, suddenly, some sick woman touches his coat (she is healed immediately). Jesus says: “Who touched me?“ His disciples advice him not to bother with this. But Jesus keeps saying: “No, somebody touched me. I could feel my power going out from me!“ (L 8:46). That’s pretty funny. Almost seems like Jesus could not control his power – somebody touches him and the power goes out from his body. Of course, it’s not like that, ale but it shows that the power and glory is his “human“ nature – that’s the wayy his is, he cannot not be in the glory of God (Psalms 26:8).

And the glory of God, that’s something pretty awesome – nothing can be better than that (Psalms 89:9). Jesus himself came out of the arms of God Father (J 6:57, Mt 16:27) and also angels stay in the glory of Father (Mt 18:10b), but Jesus adds: “You are sinners. You can’t go where I go.“ (J 8:21). That’s pretty much the same what Lord said to Moses... what’s the deal, then?

Let’s compare God’s glory to the glory of the Sun. The Sun is the brightest object of the sky. You could observe its glory with my star telescope, but if you didn’t use the filters (cover glasses), the sunlight set to very thin line would burn your eyes down like a damaging laser beam. Then what if God’s glory is so powerful, that it burns down every single sin? (God hates sin and He won’t let it stay in his presence – Psalms 5:6, Psalms 45:8). That’s why a sinner cannot see the glory of God. The man must put on something, what will stay such sin-burning-down glory – and that’s the Christ – and if we do it...well then...the show may start.

About jealousy or Story about Laban

Is jealousy wrong? The Lord himself is God who loves jealously (Deut 4:24, 5:9, 6:15), but in the same time he commands: “Do not envy anybody anything!“ (Deut 5:21). So what about the jealousy? Is it possible, that God simply said can envy, because he just can control himself?

Look at the story of Laban. When Laban first appeared, he was just a young man (Gn 24). I must say I edmired him in few things. He really looked like man. He served and cared about his guest Isak, he fed his animals without asking. It was his duty at that time, however, Laban seemed to me like a man of self-reliance and reliability.

We don’t read about Laban for a while then; we meet him later, when Jacob, the son of his sister asks him for his daughter Rachel (Gn 29). Laban was a quite dissapointment for me. Suddenly, he looked like some kind of jealously despot – hiding behind his nice face. I would blame him for his feelings though. He had to say goodbye to his youngest daugther and that’s never easy. You need to know that at that time, when a father married his daugther, he would probably never see her again. So I don’t wonder that he wanted to keep her close so deeply. I get it at least in the beginning.

At first, Laban tries to walk on the path of honor, Jacob must serve him for 7 years, before he marries Rachel. However, after that Laban offers to Jacob his elder daughter – Lea. Jacob refuses, then Laban secretly changes Rachel for Lea and so cheats on Jacob (Gn 29:23). After that, Jacob wants his real wife. In stead of that, Laban steals cows and sheep which are Jacob’s and he forces him to serve him for another seven years! Laban did all of this to keep his daugther Rachel in his house for the longest time he could.

But in the moment, when those seven years passed, Jacob leaves. Laban’s daughters also leave with him saying: “ Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? Are we not counted of him strangers? For he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.“ (Gn 31:14-15). Did Laban gain what he wanted to? Instead of being the old Laban, being man, having honor, giving Rachel to Jacob – he tried to decieve Jacob and act to her like she was a possession. At the end, he ended up much worse then he would have ended up if he had given his daughter to Jacob in the first place.

So, jeylousy does not have to be wrong all together. I suppose we understand Laban at first, his first worries. God is jealous in the same way – he is worried that he’s gonna lose us. The difference is, that he is not possessive and he leaves us the free will. And that is something what Laban – and sometimes we – cannot do.