Uncanny Similarity

In all the talk of "come out from among them and be separate" it appears we may be overlooking a very clear and obvious fact.

How many things in our society do we say are "G-d approved" or we claim to dedicate to Him, when the reality is, we are doing what is right in our own eyes?  How many times do we compromise or bite our tongue to keep peace in the family?  How many times do we work on Shabbat, telling ourselves it's all right or even necessary?  How many areas of our life do we say we trust G-d, but add a bit of our own ingenuity, or that of others?

Please stay with me for a moment, here.  These are questions I'm asking myself, because they all appear to have a significant impact on a recurring theme.  Family gatherings usually revolve around man-made holidays,  job security is a contradiction in terms these days, and although Sabbath appears in Scripture as the 7th day of the week consistently, our society claims it's been changed or open to interpretation . . .  Then there are all the things we think we need, or expenses that are considered necessities, but are they really?  

The recurring theme in all of this is our economy.  Statistics now show most retailers need the Friday after Thanksgiving  . . . 11 months into the year to get out of operating in the red for the year!  As for job security and Sabbath observance . . . what if that is a trick of the enemy or a work of the flesh to hold us in fearful bondage and keep us from the real plan of our Heavenly Father?  How much do we really need in regard to how much we think we need or already have?   What if our societal programming has already lured us into the captivity of slavery?

The image for the American economy can be found in Scripture, and interestingly the celebration in which it was centered was said, by the religious leader, to be a celebration unto Adonai.  The children of Israel really started this entire ordeal telling themselves they were pleasing G-d.  Interestingly, the gold mentioned for this project was what they wore in their ears.  I find that a fascinating connection, in that they didn't even hear what they were proposing to do . . .

The only difference I can determine between Wall Street bull and the golden calf is the golden calf was made of real gold . . . while the Wall Street bull is bronze, I believe; a much less precious metal.   Similarly, this is what has happened with our currency.  Fifty years ago, 1964, was the last year, our coins were minted in the metal that actually represented the value of the coin.   Since that time our money has had no standard, except our "full faith" in it.  

 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.   And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.  And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to YHWH.  Exodus 32:3-5