Part 2
In Part 1, I stated that the difference between the characters Helel and Michael, is that Michael knew God as Abba, exemplifying a child-parent relationship. I examined how Helel Ben Shachar (Lucifer) could turn against his Creator. Relationship means everything to God. He wants us to know Him just as He knows us. Being known as an endearing Parent is what God desires first and foremost. (Gal. 4:6)
One of the first consequences of sin was the loss of intimate relationship between Creator and the created. Adam hid when God came to the garden due to his nakedness. On this side of the Cross, God wants us to run to his Throne of Grace, crying "Abba, Father!" in our “nakedness”. (Hebrews 4:6)
Do you know the story of the prodigal son? My husband, Doug, encouraged me to look at the relationship between the “good” elder brother and the father. I did.
So he... said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time;...and you killed the fatted calf for him.’...“And he said to him, ‘Son...'" Luke 15:29-31
My character Helel would have responded this way. The elder son questioned his father’s decision to kill the fatted calf for his reprobate younger brother. This older brother focused on his performance. His father was not concerned about performance…if he had been, he would not initiated a big celebration and gathered friends, who, due to the Mosaic law, also would have been performance oriented. This father was focused on relationship. Through a meal for the younger and the direct address to the elder, this dad was reminding these young men about their sonship. The money was gone. His son had been immoral. This dad did not even mention his son's sinfulness. Reminding him about his sonship was what mattered to him.
Doug often says this story is more about the father than the son. We’ll discuss that in the last part of this series. See ya next time!
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