Essay Sample on the Concept of God in a Community

God is a powerful, mighty, and Supreme Being that is omnipresent, loves, and takes care of His people. In the book, Errands into the Wilderness, Samuel Danforth depicts God's character by giving vivid illustrations from the Holy Book, The Bible. The idea of God in society dramatically influences the behaviors and opinions of the people as well as the manifestation of God's work. This paper addresses the concept of God in a community, the nature of God, how the depiction of God influences the society, and the values that seem to be upheld in such a society.

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At the beginning of this book, we see John the Baptist driving people into the wilderness to preach about Jesus Christ, the Savior, and asking people to repent their sins. When John's authority and esteem start to decay and weaken, the Savior gives a tribute and recommendation of John's work so that he could continue with his ministry. This shows that the Savior is one who recognizes and appreciates the actions of people who praise Him. The Savior rebukes temptation where he sets forth John's excellencies by his important consistency in asserting the truth no matter the tribulations and temptations that he went through; he was still firm on his testimony concerning Christ. God also chooses His people that preach His word and also prepare them to receive it. We see that John the Baptist goes out into the wilderness to teach about the coming of Jesus Christ, who is the son of God.

He calls upon the people to confess and repent their sins. God is also one who loves persons with pure hearts. John led people into the wilderness out of the cities because they were filled with secular sins and pleasures and were not fit for people to hear and perceive the word of God. He is also a miraculous God. He calmed the raging sea. The idea of God and who He is has dramatically influenced the text in that His ways are the core references of how the society in the book should conduct itself and the values and morals that they should uphold in their daily lives.

Moreover, the nature of God is set out in the text. God is merciful to His people. God sent out Moses to go and rescue the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt; they were supposed to worship and glorify God in the wilderness. Once in the desert, they turned their ways and started worshipping idols instead of God, but through God's mercies, He still gave them the Promised Land even after spending 40 years in the wilderness. The Lord also heaps his people with mercies, favors, blessings, and also loads them with his benefits and love. God also despises sins. He says that he will punish all those that are clothed in that are covered in pride and arrogance of the ladies of Zion who brought about sin into their homes and upon their husbands and children. God also redeems people from their transgressions, tranquilities, and languishing.

He fills his people with the spirit to redeem them and lead them into His ways. People went out into the wilderness to see John the Baptist because they wanted to see this man who was preaching the word of God while their God calls upon them to examine their souls and turn back to Him. God is a miraculous God. His son, Jesus Christ, we see Jairus' daughter being raised from the dead as well as Lazarus. Jesus also heals the man with the withered hand. He tells him to stretch forward his hand, and with the Almighty Power accompanying his command, it enabled the man to stretch forth his shrunken had, and it was restored. God also protects his people.

He promises his people divine protection if they cleave to Him, His prophets, and to his Ordinances, it will strike such fear into the heart of the enemies such that they will end their wits and not know what to do. God is all-knowing. The Lord strictly and rigidly examines our hearts and calls upon us to worship and glorify Him. He is a faithful God. He promised the Israelites the Promised Land, and He guided them there no matter how much they sinned against Him in the wilderness. He still allowed them to build His temple in Jerusalem even though they had been rendered unclean to do so.

Through this depiction of God in the text, Samuel Danforth seems to understand such issues as justice, ethics, human suffering in a certain way. John the Baptist was very vigilant in preaching the road and the true testimony of Christ. This preaching did not please many, especially the Pharisees and the lawyers due to his sharp reprehensions of their viperous opinions and practices. Herodias was among the many who despised John because he rebuked her abusive ways. This led to John being jailed and after that being killed because of preaching the word of God. This clearly shows that people who preach the Gospel often go through injustice. God's ways set up a basis of the ethics to be observed.

Obedience, faithfulness, perseverance set forth the values that people should uphold. Human suffering is brought forth by sinning. The Israelites when they went into the wilderness they were supposed to worship and adore God but instead the worshipped idols in the form of the hosts of stars, golden ox and a calf in Horeb. This brought about God's wrath upon them, and they had to spend 40years in the wilderness before they reached the Promised Land. Also, John's preaching of the true testimony of Christ attracted many into the wilderness. His consistency in teaching seemed to agitate the teachers of the law who had for many years taught about the prophecies of Christ.

They nauseated his doctrine, repudiated his Baptism, and calumniated his Baptism. There are those who went into the wilderness to see this great prophet of God. Some believed in this word and became followers of Christ, and later, his disciples and Jesus Christ filled them with the Spirit that leads them into the ways of Christ. The truthfulness of what John preached in the wilderness made him the greatest prophet the world has ever known even though the least of angels in heaven was a greater prophet than John because of the great ministry in them.

Nevertheless, there are some of the values that the text seems to advocate. Obedience is a critical value in the Kingdom of God. If the Israelites had obeyed what God had ordered them to do in the wilderness (to worship and glorify Him), they would not have faced God's wrath that was set upon them in the desert. God also wants us to be pure and holy. Through John the Baptist, He rebuked Herodias incestuous ways because they were unholy. John preached in the wilderness because he needed to drive people out of the cities that were filled with worldly pleasures and desires that were not fit for them to hear the word of God. The text also advocates that people should be diligent and faithful in hearing God's word.

People must diligently and faithfully prepare their hearts for the reception of the word laying apart all their filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness so that they may receive with meekness the Word of God that can save their souls and purge out all malice, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil is speaking. God ought to lead us to believe in Him and his ways. Jesus Christ was born in Nazareth with his heart full of love and compassion and his hands full of blessings to bestow on his old acquaintances and neighbors. But the people did not believe in Him, and therefore, He did not perform any miracles in his hometown. Unbelief straitens the grace and power of Christ and hinders the communication of divine favors and special mercies.

When Jesus was walking on water, Peter joined him in the water, but once he started doubting his belief, he started sinking, but Jesus held onto him and reprimanded him for losing faith on what was happening. God also calls upon His people to be reliable, dangerous, and sober Christians. He tells them not to be light, empty, vain, hollow-hearted, but constant and steadfast in the profession and practice of the Truth.

The author, Samuel Danforth, has extensively asked the reader to participate in various ways. First of all, is to nurture their children into the ways of God. This is through training them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, keeping them under the awe of government, restraining their enormities and extravagancies; charging them to know the God of their fathers, and serve Him with a perfect heart and willing mind; and publicly asserting and maintaining their interests in the Lord and his Holy covenant. Seeking the word of God with their hearts, and this will bring forth God's spirit, blessings, comfort, and His words promise and perform that which is pleasant and comfortable - solving the issues in the church.

Churches should solve issues within themselves and also in sister-churches. Anyone who seeks out for help should get it from the churches. Samuel Danforth also calls upon his readers to grow in faith in Christ Jesus; this is because, through Him, nothing is impossible. Through Faith, the dead have been raised, and Peter was able to walk on water even though he later doubted it. He also calls the people to serve and give all the glory to the Almighty God, and they shall have real and experimental manifestations of the Glory of God for their goof and comfort. God calls up His people to discern embrace and profess the Truth. He advises the people not to be like a reed shaken in the wind.

In that they are empty and inconstant persons, who in times of peace and tranquility, give a fair and plausible testimony of the truth; but no sooner do the winds of temptation blow upon them, and waves of troubles roll over them, they incline into the prevailing party; but when the temptation is over, they recover and assert the truth again.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the author has given a clear image of God, his nature, and ways. The author as well, as engaged his readers into ways that please God and those that displease Him and also urged his readers to follow God's ways to receive His blessings and comfort.