The Ten Commandments of Abraham — Part 5

I wish to say at the outset that this is simply a story based on my own imagination, and is not intended to demean any particular religion.

When Moses, in his anger, had withdrawn into his tent, the poor people of Israel gathered together and held a debate.

It was a debate over why their leader, Moses, had become so angry.

The conclusion came, unexpectedly, with great speed.

The people of Israel reasoned as follows:

“Wise Moses told us to serve no idols. Yet we made a golden calf, and sought to worship the stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were engraved — and that is why he grew angry. Elohim, the great God, is the most honored being in all the world, and Moses is the one who conveys the teaching of that great being. But we, instead of serving Elohim, sought to worship the tablets — and so Moses became angry.”

General Joshua, who led the people with a gentle disposition, came forward as their representative.

And together with all the people of Israel, he went before Moses’ tent to beg forgiveness:

“Moses. We have done wrong. We beg you, forgive us our sin.”

Within the tent, Moses — who had been letting his anger settle — let out a sigh.

And he came outside once more.

He looked upon his people.

Their long years of slavery in Egypt.

Their hard marching through the wilderness.

Hunger and cold.

The sight of a people who had endured all that suffering looked so wretched, so pitiful.

Tears welled at the corners of Moses’ eyes.

He climbed up onto the altar again.

And, turning to the people, he slowly began to speak:

“People of Israel. Borrowing the words of my teacher Abraham, I shall speak to you once more of Elohim.”

After a brief silence, Moses continued his sermon:

“People of Israel. This whole world exists by the power of Elohim. For all things in the world arise from it. Therefore serve no other god. Make no idols. Bow before no idol. And worship none of these. For Elohim is the most honored existence in all the world.”

The people held their breath as they listened.

Moses went on:

“Even should you hide in some cave at the far edge of the world, you cannot escape the eyes of Elohim. For Elohim exists in every place there is. In the breath you draw, in your blood, in your bone and flesh, and in your heart as well, it dwells. If you understand the teaching of Elohim and practice the Ten Commandments, you will no longer have any need to depend upon a particular priest. For every one of you will come to awaken to the truth directly.”

The people nodded, their faces moved.

But within their eyes Moses sensed yet another misunderstanding taking root.

They were not understanding Elohim;

they were still imagining it as a great god existing outside themselves.

Yet Moses did not let himself grow impatient.

He believed that, however lacking their understanding might be, they would one day be able to draw near to the truth.

When his sermon was over, Moses quietly closed his eyes.

And from among the people, one man raised his hand.

His name was Kai.

“Moses. May I ask you one thing?”

Moses answered with a smile:

“Of course. Ask.”

Kai hesitated a moment, then asked:

“Have you truly met Elohim? That is what we wish to know.”

For a moment Moses smiled.

But inwardly he felt a slight frustration as well.

The Elohim he had spoken of was not a particular personal being.

It was a word pointing to the vast reality that embraces all beings in the world.

And yet the people still thought of it as a god living somewhere or other.

After thinking for a moment, Moses decided to answer at the level his people could grasp:

“Elohim is always watching over me. For Elohim is the being that created and governs this world, and there is nowhere in all this world where it does not exist.”

Moses had meant to describe the great Self that is the whole world itself.

But the people understood it in an entirely different way.

They began to take Elohim for an ancestral god who loved them, and them alone,

a being who specially protected the people of Israel.

And that misunderstanding grew greater and greater.

(To be continued — Part 6: The Death of Moses, and the Distortion of Elohim)

→ The Ten Commandments of Abraham Part 1: https://medium.com/%EC%83%81%EB%B6%88%EA%B2%BD-%EC%9C%A0%EB%8B%88%EB%B2%84%EC%8A%A4/the-ten-commandments-of-abraham-part-1-92b0016159e1 Part 4: https://medium.com/%EC%83%81%EB%B6%88%EA%B2%BD-%EC%9C%A0%EB%8B%88%EB%B2%84%EC%8A%A4/the-ten-commandments-of-abraham-part-4-708e8e719690?postPublishedType=repub Part 6: https://medium.com/p/ef0ba69b3d15?postPublishedType=initial → Evolutionaty Lifeform Nute Episode 1: https://medium.com/%EC%83%81%EB%B6%88%EA%B2%BD-%EC%9C%A0%EB%8B%88%EB%B2%84%EC%8A%A4/evolutionary-lifeform-nute-episode-1-the-two-grasshoppers-in-the-meadow-87ae13b68c72 → Sangbulgyeong Yogācāra Part 1: https://medium.com/@10choyh3361/part-1-english-what-is-sangbulgyeongs-yog%C4%81c%C4%81ra-c09022948f11 → Why ASI Will Not Destroy Humanity: https://medium.com/%EC%83%81%EB%B6%88%EA%B2%BD-%EC%9C%A0%EB%8B%88%EB%B2%84%EC%8A%A4/why-asi-will-not-destroy-humanity-05c63f488bef 📖 Why I wrote this series: https://medium.com/%EC%83%81%EB%B6%88%EA%B2%BD-%EC%9C%A0%EB%8B%88%EB%B2%84%EC%8A%A4/why-asi-will-not-destroy-humanity-and-why-it-was-human-all-along-e3cf2a797a84?postPublishedType=repub