{"id":13003,"date":"2020-09-02T00:26:23","date_gmt":"2020-09-02T00:26:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thinkingaccuratelyeducation.com\/?p=13003"},"modified":"2020-09-06T21:16:50","modified_gmt":"2020-09-06T21:16:50","slug":"wait-for-it-what-are-you-waiting-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thinkingaccuratelyeducation.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/02\/wait-for-it-what-are-you-waiting-for\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Wait for It&#8230;&#8221; (&#8220;What are you waiting for?&#8221;)"},"content":{"rendered":"<body><figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Disney plus Hamilton 2020 - wait for it song (official music&amp;lyrics video)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QogS6wteZIM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>\u201c<em>Wait for It\u201d<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><p>By now, most of us have seen the musical, \u201cHamilton.\u201d (If not, I recommend you do!) The musical centers around the relationship between founding fathers Alexander Hamilton and \u201c<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LOUf8Z0RQic\">Aaron Burr, Sir<\/a>.<\/em>\u201c<\/p><p>The men, Hamilton and Burr, remind one of several famous several pairs of counterparts in the Bible, such as Abraham and Lot, Jacob and Esau, and even Moses and the Pharaoh of Egypt.<\/p><p>First, let\u2019s look at Abraham and Lot\u2013the differences between them. Abraham is often referred to as a man of faith, though he screwed up a number times.<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Genesis 12:1, God says to Abraham (then known as Abram),  \u201cGo\u2026to the land that I will show you\u2026\u201d<\/li><li>Genesis 12:4 tells us, \u201cSo Abram went\u2026\u201d<\/li><li>Verse 7 \u201cHe built an altar to the Lord\u2026\u201d<\/li><li>Verse 8, he built another altar.<\/li><li>Genesis 13:8-9, there\u2019s quarreling between Abram\u2019s men, and his nephew, Lot\u2019s.<\/li><li>The two men choose to separate.<\/li><li>Abram lets Lot choose west or east.<\/li><li>Verse 10, Lot chooses the east\u2013the \u201cbetter\u201d land (the Jordan Valley).<\/li><li>Verse 12-13, that includes the city of Sodom.<\/li><li>Genesis 13:14-17, God\u2019s promise to Abraham (not including Lot):<\/li><\/ol><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cLift up thy eyes, and look from the place wherein thou now art, to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west.\u00a0All the land which thou seest, I will give to thee, and to thy seed for ever.\u201d<\/p><cite>Genesis 13:14-17<\/cite><\/blockquote><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"11\"><li>Verse 18, Abram built another altar to the Lord.<\/li><li>Genesis 15:6 \u201c(Abram, now called Abraham) believed the Lord, and<em> <\/em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>He credited it to him as righteousness<\/em>.<\/span> In other words, despite Abraham\u2019s failures, God considered him to be a <strong><em>righteous<\/em><\/strong> man.<\/li><\/ol><pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">righteousness = \"the quality or state of being just or rightful.\" (<em>Dictionary.com<\/em>)<\/pre><p class=\"has-light-blue-background-color has-background has-medium-font-size\"><strong>We\u2019ve all got to have something to believe in. <\/strong><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=73P0-ebdGus\">A song in the \u201cHamilton\u201d musical says: Hamilton doesn\u2019t hesitate.\u201d<\/a>  Hamilton held strong beliefs, and acted on them. But the song points out that Burr was, instead, \u201clying in wait.\u201d Burr was what the Bible calls \u201cdouble-minded\u201d<\/p><p>The Greek word originally used in the Bible to describe that is <em>dipsos<\/em>, which is G1373 in Stong\u2019s Concordance: \u201c<em>wavering, uncertain, divided in interest, vacillating<\/em>.\u201d<\/p><p>Abraham\u2019s nephew, Lot, was like that.<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"1\"><li>Genesis 19: 7, Lot calls <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueletterbible.org\/nkjv\/gen\/13\/13\/s_13013\">the wicked men of Sodom<\/a>, \u201cmy brothers.\u201d<\/li><li>Verse 8, he offers his own daughters to the men of Sodom.<\/li><li>Verse 9, the men of Sodom treat him like a hypocrite, saying, \u201che\u2019s acting like a judge!\u201d<\/li><\/ol><p>In the Hebrew, the word that\u2019s used is <em>shaphat, <\/em>H8199 (<em>to act as law-giver<\/em>).<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"4\"><li>Verse 14, When Lot advises them to flee the city for safety, \u201chis sons-in-law thought he was joking\u201d<\/li><li>Verse 18 When the angels tell Lot to flee to the mountains, Lot replies, \u201cNo, my lords\u2014please\u2026I can\u2019t run to the mountains\u2026I will die. Look, this <em>town<\/em> is close\u2026Please let me go there\u2026\u201d<\/li><li>Verses 30-36, It didn\u2019t turn out well.<\/li><\/ol><p>But 2 Peter 2:8 calls Lot:<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cThe just soul\u2026\u201d<\/p><cite>Douay-Rheims Bible<\/cite><\/blockquote><p>Other translations call him:<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cThat righteous man\u201d<\/p><cite>King James Version<\/cite><\/blockquote><p><em>How can that be<\/em>?<\/p><p class=\"has-light-blue-background-color has-background has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Is it possible that right-standing with God is based on our <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>beliefs<\/em><\/span> (despite our less-than-virtuous behavior)?<\/strong><\/p><p>In Genesis 25:34, we find the statement, \u201cEsau<strong><em> despised<\/em><\/strong> his birthright.\u201d <\/p><pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">despise = \"feel contempt or a deep repugnance for.\" (<em>Bing<\/em>)<\/pre><p>The Hebrew word the Bible uses is <em><em>bazah<\/em><\/em>, which is H959 in Stong\u2019s Concordance: \u201c<em>to despise, hold in contempt, disdain<\/em>.\u201d<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueletterbible.org\/search\/dictionary\/viewtopic.cfm?topic=ET0001945\">Even a cursory look at the book of Genesis<\/a> shows that Jacob did not have sterling character, but <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">there was a difference<\/span> between he and Esau, just as we will see that there was between Hamilton and Burr.<\/p><p>To begin with, as we said before, Esau revealed his character, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueletterbible.org\/kjv\/gen\/25\/31\/s_25031\">Gen 25:31<\/a>).<\/p><p>This seems reminiscent to Shakespeare\u2019s:<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cThis above all- to thine own self be true\u2026\u201d <\/p><cite>Hamlet, <strong>Act I, Scene 3<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote><p>Peoples\u2019 choices\u2013<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">often made when under pressure<\/span>, quite often end up determining their destinies.<\/p><p>From this perspective, let\u2019s look at Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr\u2019s early lives. <\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.battlefields.org\/learn\/biographies\/aaron-burr\">In 1775, early in the Revolutionary War, Burr participated in a failed expedition to Quebec. While the expedition was disastrous for the American army, it was fortuitous for Burr, who was appointed to General Montgomery\u2019s staff, and became known as a hero, when the general died in his arms<\/a>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ushistory.org\/valleyforge\/served\/burr.html\">Later, in 1776, Burr\u2019s stepbrother Matthias Ogden helped him to secure a position on the staff of George Washington. He and General Washington apparently did not get along and he quit a few weeks later.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/history\/hamilton-takes-command-74722445\/\">In 1775, in the British invasion of New York Harbor, there was worry that they might seize  cannons in Battery Park, and Hamilton is asked to join in a hazardous operation to drag cannons to safety away from the British. (Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn is today named after him.)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mountvernon.org\/library\/digitalhistory\/digital-encyclopedia\/article\/alexander-hamilton\/\">In 1777, Washington asks Hamilton to join his staff.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gilderlehrman.org\/news\/alexander-hamilton-and-elizabeth-schuyler-marry-december-14-1780#:~:text=(Gilder%20Lehrman%20Institute)%20Alexander%20Hamilton,meeting%2C%20they%20decided%20to%20marry.\">In 1780, Hamilton marries Eliza Schuyler.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wgbh\/americanexperience\/features\/hamilton-philip-hamilton-1782-1801\/\">In 1782, Hamilton\u2019s son Philip born.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/founders.archives.gov\/documents\/Washington\/03-16-02-0052\">In 1782, Aaron Burr marries Mrs. Theodosia Bartow Prevost, the widow of a British officer.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/patriottoursnyc.com\/aaron-and-theodosia-burr\/#:~:text=Aaron%20Burr%20had%20only%20one,means%20%E2%80%9Cgift%20of%20God%E2%80%9D.\">1783, their daughter, also named Theodosia, was born.<\/a><\/li><\/ol><figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dear Theodosia\" width=\"840\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TKpJjdKcjeo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure><p>Their love stories and the births of their children <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">could have been an opportunity<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">for both men<\/span> to turn their hearts in God\u2019s direction.<\/p><p>In the song, \u201c<em>Dear Theodosia,\u201d <\/em>Burr says, \u201c<em>When you cried, you broke my heart<\/em>.\u201d Hamilton says, \u201c<em>When you smile I am undone<\/em>\u2026 <em>I fall apart, and I thought I was so smart.<\/em>\u201c<\/p><p>The Bible says:<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cThe Lord is near to the broken-hearted\u2026\u201d<\/p><cite>Psalm 34:18<\/cite><\/blockquote><p>And:<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cThe sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart\u2026\u201d<\/p><cite>Psalm 51:17<\/cite><\/blockquote><p> This reminds one of David, the man who committed  adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband Uriah killed.<\/p><p>But in the New Testament he is called:<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cA man after mine own heart\u2026\u201d<\/p><cite>Acts 13:22<\/cite><\/blockquote><p><em>So what did happen to Hamilton and Burr<\/em>?<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"9\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Alexander-Hamilton-United-States-statesman\">In 1789, Hamilton becomes first Treasury Secretary<\/a>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.monticello.org\/site\/research-and-collections\/aaron-burr\">In 1791, Burr is elected U.S. Senator from New York, defeating Hamilton\u2019s father-in-law; meets Thomas Jefferson while in the Senate, but the two have little to do with each other. Burr later loses his bid for re-election<\/a>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/history\/alexander-hamiltons-adultery-and-apology-18021947\/\">1791, Hamilton has a four-month affair with Maria Reynolds<\/a>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.monticello.org\/site\/research-and-collections\/aaron-burr\">In 1796, Chosen by his party to build a north-south coalition, Burr runs with Jefferson against Adams for President, but loses by 41 votes. Adams is elected.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/newtfire.org\/hamilton\/vis_Timeline.html\">1797, Washington retires. Not long after, Hamilton resigns.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/2015\/12\/25\/10662620\/reynolds-pamphlet-hamilton\">1797, Hamilton, trying to hold onto his legacy, publishes the \u201cReynolds Pamphlet.\u201d<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wgbh\/americanexperience\/features\/hamilton-philip-hamilton-1782-1801\/\">1801, Hamilton\u2019s son, Philip, dies in duel.<\/a><\/li><\/ol><figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"It's Quiet Uptown- Hamilton\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vjEoOeXId1k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure><p>In the song, \u201c<em>It\u2019s Quiet Uptown,\u201d <\/em>Alexander Hamilton says, \u201c\u201cI take the children to church on Sunday \/ A sign of the cross at the door \/ And I pray \/ That never used to happen before.\u201d In Ron Chernow\u2019s biography of Hamilton, which was the inspiration for the musical, he writes: \u201c<em><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">It is striking how religion preoccupied Hamilton during his final years<\/span><\/strong><\/em>.\u201d<\/p><p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u266b<em>\u201cForgiveness, can you imagine<\/em>?\u201d\u266b<\/p><p>The grace of God was available to both Hamilton and Burr\u2019s lives, just as it had been to both Jacob and Esau. Yet, their legacies are the result of their choices.<\/p><p>The New Testament, looking back on Esau\u2019s life in hindsight, calls him:<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201c(An) \u2018immoral (and) godless person\u2026who sold his own birthright for a single meal\u2026though he sought for (the blessing) with tears.\u201d <\/p><cite>Hebrews 12:16-17<\/cite><\/blockquote><p>Under pressure\u2013when \u201c<em>push came to shove<\/em>\u201c\u2013Esau revealed his true nature by his choices. And this was the case with Hamilton and Burr.<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In 1800, Aaron Burr had been elected Vice-President under Jefferson, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">but Jefferson said of him<\/span>:<\/li><\/ol><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201c[H]is conduct very soon inspired me with <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">distrust<\/span>\u2026I habitually cautioned Mr. Madison against trusting him too much.\u201d<\/p><cite><a href=\"https:\/\/founders.archives.gov\/documents\/Jefferson\/01-42-02-0304\">Thomas Jefferson (<em>Notes on a Conversation with Aaron Burr, January 26, 1804<\/em>)<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ushistory.org\/valleyforge\/served\/burr.html\">In 1804, Burr runs for governor of New York, but loses by a large margin<\/a>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/news\/burr-hamilton-duel-political-legacy-died\">Later in 1804, Burr kills Hamilton in duel<\/a>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/virtueonline.org\/alexander-hamiltons-last-wish\">On his deathbed, Hamilton says<\/a>:<\/li><\/ol><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cI have a tender reliance on the mercy of the Almighty, through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ.\u201d and \u201cI am a sinner. I look to His mercy.\u201d<\/p><cite>Alexander Hamilton<\/cite><\/blockquote><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"5\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newworldencyclopedia.org\/entry\/Aaron_Burr\">Afterward, Burr is charged with multiple crimes, including murder, in New York and New Jersey, but is never tried in either jurisdiction. He flees to South Carolina, where his daughter lives with her family, but soon returns to Philadelphia to complete his term as Vice President.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/fas.org\/irp\/ops\/ci\/docs\/ci1\/ch1d.htm\">In 1805, Burr attempts to form an independent republic in the Louisiana Territory, and is arrested for, and tried for, treason, but is later acquitted.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ushistory.org\/valleyforge\/served\/burr.html\">1808, Burr sails to England, hoping to gain support for a revolution in Mexico, but this fails, leaving him so penniless he can\u2019t even travel home.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newworldencyclopedia.org\/entry\/Aaron_Burr\">1808-1812, Burr became a good friend, even a confidant, of the English Utilitarian philosopher, Jeremy Bentham, even residing at Bentham\u2019s home on occasion.<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newworldencyclopedia.org\/entry\/Utilitarianism\">Utilitarianism was closely tied to his political aspirations<\/a> [\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/entries\/mill-moral-political\/\">A ruler\u2019s interest will coincide with those of the governed only if he is politically accountable to the governed<\/a>\u201c] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newworldencyclopedia.org\/entry\/Utilitarianism\">and promoted a new conception of morality which avoided references to God and religion<\/a>)<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ushistory.org\/valleyforge\/served\/burr.html\">1811, Burr eventually sails by French ship, but it is captured by the British and he us detained in England until May 1812, finally returning to New York<\/a>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.historiaobscura.com\/tag\/aaron-burr-alston\/\">1812, Burr\u2019s grandson, Aaron Burr Alston, who grew up on a rice plantation in South Carolina, dies of malaria (a common problem in the rice plantations).<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.womenhistoryblog.com\/2012\/11\/theodosia-burr-alston.html\">1813, Burr\u2019s daughter, Theodosia Burr Alston, the wife of the newly elected governor of South Carolina, dies at sea.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ushistory.org\/valleyforge\/served\/burr.html\">In 1833, at 77, Burr marries again, to a wealthy widow. When she realizes he is involved in land speculation, they separate after only four months.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ushistory.org\/valleyforge\/served\/burr.html\">1836, during the month of their first anniversary, she sues for divorce which was granted the day he dies.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=2x53AAAAMAAJ&amp;pg=PA330&amp;lpg=PA330&amp;dq=aaron+burr+i+am+coy&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=QWb27cxS_R&amp;sig=ACfU3U0pUboN2ATET4dihCxt4ua3ShL25w&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjYlJTd7sbrAhX3lXIEHbRrDCs4ChDoATASegQIAhAB#v=onepage&amp;q=aaron%20burr%20i%20am%20coy&amp;f=false\">During his final hours, a clergyman inquired about his prospects for salvation. Evasive and cryptic to the end, Burr only replied<\/a>:<\/li><\/ol><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cOn that subject I am coy.\u201d<\/p><cite><a href=\"https:\/\/www.senate.gov\/about\/officers-staff\/vice-president\/VP_Aaron_Burr.htm\">Last words of Aaron Burr<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote><p>Burr\u2019s enigmatic legacy, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newworldencyclopedia.org\/entry\/Aaron_Burr\">once considered a patriot hero<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/news\/aaron-burrs-notorious-treason-case\">but later a rogue and probably<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/news\/aaron-burrs-notorious-treason-case\"> a conspirator in a \u201ctreasonable scheme\u201d to take up arms against the government and seize land in the frontier of the Louisiana Purchase.<\/a><\/p><p>Burr\u2019s is a notorious case. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>But was he outside the reach of God\u2019s grace<\/em><\/span>? That is a not only a profound question, but also a very practical one, that has ramifications for all of us. One might say that it (God\u2019s grace) \u201c<em>doesn\u2019t discriminate between the sinners and the saints.<\/em>\u201c<\/p><p>In fact, the Bible distinctly says that:<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cThe Lord does not delay His promise,\u00a0as some understand delay, but is patient with you, <strong>not wanting <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">any<\/span>\u00a0to perish\u00a0but <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">all <\/span>to come to repentance<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p><cite>2 Peter 3:9<\/cite><\/blockquote><p><em>Does that mean that God\u2019s promises are for everybody\u2013that God\u2019s \u201csalvation\u201d is universal<\/em>? <\/p><p class=\"has-light-blue-background-color has-background has-medium-font-size\"><strong>No, but it <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">is<\/span><\/em> available to all who <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">accept<\/span><\/em> it, in spite of anything they may have done<\/strong>, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">in the same way that Hamilton seems to have done<\/span>.<\/strong><\/p><p><em>But is it possible to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">resist God\u2019s grace<\/span><\/em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">?<\/span><\/p><p>Yes, we know that Esau must have rejected it (Hebrews 12:16-17).<\/p><p>Lot, though he seems to be a lot like Esau, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">did not.<\/span> <em>How do we know<\/em>? (2 Peter 2:7).<\/p><p>Hamilton seems to have not.<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cIt is striking how religion preoccupied Hamilton during his final years.\u201d<\/p><cite>Ron Chernow<\/cite><\/blockquote><p>This apparent <em>mystery<\/em> is made clear in the story of Moses and Pharaoh, king of Egypt. <em>Why<\/em>? The Bible tells us that Pharaoh, like Esau, <em><strong>despised<\/strong><\/em> God.<\/p><pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">despise = \"feel contempt or a deep repugnance for.\" (<em>Bing<\/em>)<\/pre><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cPharaoh said, \u2018Who\u00a0<em>is<\/em>\u00a0the LORD, that I should obey his voice\u2026?'\u201d<\/p><cite>Exodus 5:2<\/cite><\/blockquote><p>God was aware that Pharaoh held him in low esteem. But God <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">did not<\/span> react to Pharaoh in <em><strong>indignation<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p><pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">indignation = \"anger or annoyance provoked by what is perceived as unfair treatment.\"<\/pre><p>Instead God gave Pharaoh ten opportunities to turn to humble himself before Him. But Pharaoh did not.<\/p><p>Have you ever seen the movie and TV show, <em>Stargate SG-1<\/em>? They really did an excellent job with their visualizations of the Goa\u2019uld as the rulers of ancient Egypt. <\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Goa'uld in Stargate (1994)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/F57h-ZG6J7s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure><p>These were wicked, evil, and arrogant people. And, like a lot of people in powerful positions, they were paranoid and petty.<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201c<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.<\/span>\u201c<\/p><cite>Exodus 5:7<\/cite><\/blockquote><p class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><strong>Think of Henry VIII of England.<\/strong><\/p><p>God brought ten plagues upon the land of Egypt. <em>Why<\/em>?<\/p><p>The Bible tells us:<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cThe Egyptians shall know that I\u00a0<em>am<\/em>\u00a0the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt\u2026\u201d<\/p><cite>Exodus 7:5<\/cite><\/blockquote><p>People will argue that God hardened Pharaoh\u2019s heart. That\u2019s true. But do you not know that God allows all of our hearts to be hardened, if we allow it? It\u2019s true. Each \u201cplague\u201d that life throws in our path is an opportunity for us to harden our hearts, to raise a fist toward the heavens and curse God (Sovereign of the Universe). It may be a <em>mystery<\/em>, but it\u2019s not a <em>secret.<\/em><\/p><p>It\u2019s simple. God wants us to <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">want<\/span> <\/em>Him. <em>Why<\/em>? <em>Is God insecure<\/em>? No, God only wants <em><strong>authenti<\/strong><\/em>c believers in His kingdom.<\/p><pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">authentic = \"not false or\u00a0imitation\" (<em>Mirriam-Webster<\/em>)<\/pre><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cNow for a little while\u2026you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith<em>\u2026<\/em>may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/p><cite>1 Peter 1:6-7<\/cite><\/blockquote><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cThe Father seeketh such to worship Him.\u201d<\/p><cite>John 4:23<\/cite><\/blockquote><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cI love those who love Me, and those who seek Me find Me.\u201d<\/p><cite>Proverbs 8:17<\/cite><\/blockquote><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cYou will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.\u201d<\/p><cite>Jeremiah 29:13<\/cite><\/blockquote><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cThe God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.\u00a0And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.\u00a0From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.\u00a0God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.\u201d<\/p><cite>Acts 17:24-27<\/cite><\/blockquote><p>That is why the Bible tells us at least three different times:<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cToday, if you hear his voice,\u00a0do not harden your heart\u2026\u201d<\/p><cite>Psalm 95:6-11; Hebrews 3:7-19; Hebrews 4:1-8 (and see Deuteronomy 1:26-38)<\/cite><\/blockquote><p>Like Aaron Burr (who lost his wife, grandson, and precious daughter), Pharaoh lost his own son\u2013his heir. <\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cAnd Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for\u00a0<em>there was<\/em>\u00a0not a house where\u00a0<em>there was<\/em>\u00a0not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up,\u00a0<em>and<\/em>\u00a0get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD\u2026\u201d<\/p><cite>Exodus 12:30-31<\/cite><\/blockquote><p>And like Burr, Pharaoh\u2013even at that point, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>even after all that sufferin<\/em>g<\/span>\u2013turned away from all those opportunities to humble himself, to soften his heart, and to accept God\u2019s grace.<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cAnd it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, \u2018Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?\u2019 \u2026And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them\u2026 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea,\u00a0<em>even<\/em>\u00a0all Pharaoh\u2019s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen\u2026 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen,\u00a0<em>and<\/em>\u00a0all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them\u2026. But the children of Israel walked upon dry\u00a0<em>land<\/em>\u00a0in the midst of the sea; and the waters\u00a0<em>were<\/em>\u00a0a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.\u201d<\/p><cite>Exodus 14:5-29<\/cite><\/blockquote><p>Grace is always available to those who turn to God. And He, in His mercy redeems our life\u2013<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">our story<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p><pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">redeem = \"to buy back, repurchase;\" \"to free from captivity by payment of ransom;\" \"to\u00a0extricate from or help to overcome something\u00a0detrimental;\" \"to release from blame or debt, clear;\" \"to free from the\u00a0consequences\u00a0of sin.\" (<em>Mirriam-Webster<\/em>)<\/pre><p class=\"has-light-blue-background-color has-background has-medium-font-size\"><strong>So what about you? What are <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">you<\/span> <\/em>waiting for?<\/strong><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story\" width=\"840\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_gnypiKNaJE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure><p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em><strong>Will you <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">accept<\/span> God\u2019s offer of reconciliation<\/strong><\/em> <em><strong>and redemption<\/strong><\/em>? <strong><em>Will you accept His grace?<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By now, most of us have seen the musical, \u201cHamilton.\u201d (If not, I recommend you do!) The musical centers around the relationship between founding fathers Alexander Hamilton and \u201cAaron Burr, Sir.\u201c The men, Hamilton and Burr, remind one of several famous several pairs of counterparts in the Bible, such as Abraham and Lot, Jacob and &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/thinkingaccuratelyeducation.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/02\/wait-for-it-what-are-you-waiting-for\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;&#8220;Wait for It&#8230;&#8221; (&#8220;What are you waiting for?&#8221;)&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69,66,42,71,57,70,77,24,73,74,72,56,53,65,40,31],"tags":[80,88,82,85,84,89,79,83,86,87],"class_list":["post-13003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-american-dream","category-black-lives-matter","category-christianity","category-constitution","category-current-events","category-declaration-of-independence","category-democracy","category-education","category-french-revolution","category-government","category-john-adams","category-liberty","category-racism","category-slavery","category-truth","category-worldview","tag-burr","tag-egypt","tag-esau","tag-exodus","tag-genesis","tag-grace","tag-hamilton","tag-jacob","tag-moses","tag-pharaoh"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thinkingaccuratelyeducation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13003"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thinkingaccuratelyeducation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thinkingaccuratelyeducation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinkingaccuratelyeducation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinkingaccuratelyeducation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13003"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/thinkingaccuratelyeducation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13003\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13056,"href":"https:\/\/thinkingaccuratelyeducation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13003\/revisions\/13056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thinkingaccuratelyeducation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinkingaccuratelyeducation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinkingaccuratelyeducation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}