Chapter IX

 

OTHER RELIGIONS

 

Q.  Referring to the story of Moses and the 'Promised Land' in Old Testament, is it possible that the true meaning of this story is that because of Moses' leniency towards the Israelities the Lord did discipline him by not allowing him to look into the Inner Planes but prevented him from entering.

A.  It is a matter of common experience with Godly Man that when They forget, however momentarily, that They are Agents of God and hove a delegated authority to work for and on behalf of Him and arrogate to Themselves the honour and glory which rightly belongs to Him, the inner vision is curtailed, let alone to speak of entering into 'the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey.'

While encamped at Kadesh, Moses and his brother, Aaron grievously sinned.  When commanded by God 'To speak unto the rock for water,' he and his brother said unto the people (their followers when being led through the desert of Yin, with no water to quench their thirst), 'Hear now ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?' --(Num. Ch. 20).

It was for this sin that they were denied the privilege of conducting the people into the Promised Land.  Even    the earnest prayer of Moses: O Lord God thou has begun to show Thy Strong Hand¡­ Let me go over, I pray  Thee, and see the good land that is beyond Jordon, proved ineffective. -- (Deu 324-27).  Such indeed is the result  of transgressing the commandments of God even by an Iota and it may mean intolerably long suffering.

Q.  The Bible says: The first shall come last and the last shall come first.  What does this mean?

A.  These words are from Matt.  19:30 and also appear in Ch. 20:10 (Ibid) and again in Mk. 10:31 and in Lk. 13:30.  They connote that the grace of the God-Man like so many gifts of God: air, light and water, flows freely and fully to all and sundry, no matter whether one comes to his 'vine-yard' early or later by us are of no consequence to him and each comes, early in the morning, or at the third hour, the sixth hour, the ninth hour the eleventh hour, but all get alike beginning from the last to the first, as it has been so beautifully described by means of a parable of the Kingdom of God, in Ch.20 of the Gospel of St. Matt. for He is the best Judge to dole out His Spiritual Riches in the manner He thinks right.