"B"

I was just haveing a conversation with my classmates regarding the gentile rule of Israel during the time of Christ. He mentioned that he appriciated the contrast between God's intented rule and the results of disobediance, gentile rule. I thought about this and responded that I thought he had hit a very big theological nail on the proverbial head. Even more than contrast, I think what we are seeing here is the "big dichotomy" thay plays throughout scripture. In my mind it goes all the way back to the question of why God permitted Satan when he could have made him cease to exist. It seems like a very necessary part of God's plan since the beinging is what I like to refer to as simply "B." Adam and Eve in the garden happly talking to a rabbit and eating some blueberries.God wants them to have a genuine relationship with him. As we know any genuine relationship has within it an important element of choice. But where is the choice for Adam and Eve? They don't have one. Enter the tree, enter the serpant, enter "B." The other thing which from then on man will keep going after and which the whole story of the bible is based on. In order to glorify God "A" there has to be a "B" because the way our eyes and minds were designed to function, we can neither see nor perceive anything without contrast. God is light, but without darkness, how would we know how bright is the light of God?