I really enjoyed Lewis’ The Great Divorce, and it was really thought provoking for me. However, that also made it difficult to come up with a blog topic. All the ideas and thoughts are still bouncing around and I can’t find any to focus on. So I thought I’d pick out a little piece of this book, and connect it to something else.
When reading this book, I was constantly struck by how much I saw myself in the characters from Hell. And one sentence, said by the Teacher George MacDonald, reminded me of passages in the Bible. He said of damned souls: “Their fists are clenched, their teeth are clenched, their eyes fast shut. First they will not, in the end they cannot, open their hands for gifts, or their mouths for food, or their eyes to see.” (p.538 in my book) This makes me think of times in the Bible where the author says that God hardened someone’s heart. The only specific case I can think of off the top of my head is Pharaoh in the story of Moses.
What’s interesting to me is that it seems to contradict Lewis’ account of the way it works. God hardening someone’s heart seems different than someone closing themselves off and eventually hardening their own heart. And I think with that difference, the theology changes, too. If it’s the person him/herself, it’s easy to accept (at least for me). If it’s God’s work, however, it’s harder to justify in our philosophies of free will and a good God. So I think we’re more likely to agree with Lewis’ version, but then that means we’re giving more credence to a human author than to God’s Word. But that’s kind of a tangent, because what I’m actually thinking is that the Bible isn’t literal. Because of the reasons already mentioned, if this passage were read literally, it would contradict our view of God and free will. However, if we can see it as written by a certain author in a certain historical context, I think it makes it much easier to grasp. Lewis seems to understand and run with this, so we have the result: his own view of how that might be interpreted.
But maybe he’s wrong; maybe God does harden people’s heart. How could that fit into our current views, or would we have to change them? What do you guys think?
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Just happened to pick up 'The Great Divorce,' today in honor of George MacDonald's birthday next week.
God is in the business of hardening already hard hearts. Pharaoh had chance after chance then finally God hardened his heart for him. The religious leaders saw Jesus' miracles and heard his words but hardened their hearts (John 12:37-40)and finally God heartened them completely and made sure they were blind to boot. Roman 11:25-32 tells us God has bound every man to disobedience that He might show them mercy and He has blinded the Jews that the gentiles might be brought in. One thing for sure though, He has darn good reasons for all of this and we can trust Him completely.
I love the paradox here. Absolute sovereignty of God and absolute responsibility for us.
If I keep saying, 'yes' to something I know God is saying, 'no' to in my life eventually for my own good, God will let me have my way. 'My(Cindyred60's) will, will be done' which I believe is G. MacD's description of hell in 'The Great Divorce.' Then perhaps that stone-like heart will finally crack and want His will. Even if it hurts, I want His will now. Good bye, my friend.
The love of our neighbor is the only door out of the dungeon of self."
George MacDonald
"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will
certainly be wrung and possible be broken. If you want to make sure
of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an
animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid
all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfish-
ness. But in that casket--safe, dark, motionless, airless -- it will change.
It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, ir-
redeemable…The only place outside of Heaven where you can be
perfectly safe from all the dangers…of love is Hell." -- C.S. Lewis
Thought you might enjoy these quotes...also I wrote alot about Romans 11 in my blog, hebrewholidays.blogspot.com :)
It's a blog about why Christian should LOVE the Jewish holidays.
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