Dismantling the Shack (pt. 2)

Our continuation of the thesis/anti-thesis comes from chapter 4 of The Shack. The story's main character, Mack, finds himself in the embrace of what we will later find to be a manifestation of God, Himself.

Mack decided to bang loudly and see what happened, but just as he raised his fist to do so, the door flew open, and he was looking directly into the face of a large beaming African-American woman (pg. 82).



Now before I proceed any further with this particular point, let it be known to all that this thread should in no way be assumed to be derogatory to ethnicity or gender. To begin with, it is in my opinion, very dangerous to reduce God into human terms or thought. God is not a person. Any depiction of Him as creation is idolistic in nature. Jesus is different. He came as a man, therefore He can be depicted as a man.

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is blessed forever (Romans 1:25, HCSB).

The truth of God is not only the truth concerning God, but also God's truth concerning all things, including mankind. This truth is that people are creatures of God and can find true fulfillment only in living obediently to His Word. Living obediently to God's Word includes not making false idols.

Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on earth below or in the waters under the earth (Exodus 20:4, HCSB).

The second commandment builds on the first, prohibiting any "image in the form of anything." In the ancient Near East, people conceptualized their many gods using images. they made statues and carvings and idols as physical representations of the divine beings they believed controlled their fate. A statue or carving gives shape and size and depth to the divine. An idol helped people understand just who their god was and what their god was like. But this exodus God is different. This God is inviting these people to be priests, to show the world what this God is like through their lives. This God doesn't need images in the form of wood or stone or marble, because this God has people (Rob Bell, Don Golden, Jesus Wants to Save Save Christians; A Manifesto for the Church in Exile, 33-4).

Other translations say "graven image"; a graven image is taking the invisible God and making Him visible. Young is taking the Creator and trying to make Him part of creation. This is nothing more than paganism wrapped up in an aesthetically pleasing package.

Additionally, we can only come before God with Christ as our Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5-6, Hebrews 4:14-16). To come before God in any other way would mean certain death.

Next is Young's portrayal of the Trinity. If you read the reviews and listen to accolades from people that may be genuine followers of Christ but lack the true understanding of the Trinity it is truly disheartening. You see, the majority of Christians lack discernment. This is one of the great gifts Paul spoke of in 1 Corinthians. Discernment comes with and by much study. We must saturate ourselves with God's Word, daily. It is not something simply learned by osmosis - it takes work and dedication. How incredibly tragic that readers (believers and non-believers alike) would not hold true to God's Word;

For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will accumulate teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new (or hear what they want to hear; lit themselves, itching in the hearing). They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths (fables), (2 Timothy 4:3-4, HCSB).

They will turn to myths; fiction, and regard it as truth. People are reading this and taking it for what it is not - TRUTH. This is no different than the masses flocking to the way of the da Vinci Code. Mankind does not want the truth because the truth is foolishness to them (1 Corinthians 1:18 & 2:14). It is simpler to buy into a lie than it is the truth.

The word "fables" here is muthos, the Greek word for fiction or mythology. The doctrine of demons equates the truth with mythology, and it surrounds the Church today on every side. Who is at the forefront of this onslaught? It is the theologians and church seminaries. The very places that should be giving the truth, now promote the deadliest of lies. Their Bible is mythology: fables and legends that must be reconstructed to meet the needs of our age. The truth has been equated with mythology (Walter Martin, The Kingdom of the Occult, 61-2).

When we have a lack of biblical understanding (discernment) we make ourselves vulnerable to the lies of this world. Remember that God has granted Satan the power as "ruler of this word" and "the god of this age." His power is only temporary and we should not fear for God's Spirit is within us and that shakes Hell to its very core.

-God speed