This is a fascinating thread so I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents on the actual historical aspects of scripture. It is hard to sort out still because I don't like to pick and choose -- either it's all historical or it's all parable -- but that becomes impossible. I don't believe the days in Genesis are 6 literal days but then that's when I start picking and choosing -- right there in chapter 1. Whew.
Here's how I explain it to the best of my ability. First, yes it all really happened in the natural:
1Co 15:46 (KJV) Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The events in the OT all happened first in the natural and now we understand them in the spiritual. Some are very, very, very hard to understand especially given what God has shown us about His sovereignty. It doesn't really matter if Moses was "commanded" by God -- it happened, it's in there, it's hard to comprehend the horrendous violence throughout the OT. Judges 19 is a particularly hard one for me.
Ecc 1:13 (CLV) I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens:it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it.God has just told us why this evil existed in the OT and still exists today. But all these things that happened in the OT to be written down were for a special purpose:
(
ASV) Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. As Joe said, they are now types and shadows. First they were natural and now they are spiritual -- for our admonition -- "our" is those given eyes to see.
But then all of the above does not really explain why I start picking and choosing right there at Genesis 1 to believe in 6 spiritual days as opposed to 6 literal days -- well truth be known, I really have no clue. I may be inclined to believe the 6 spiritual days but that doesn't make it so. Just because I want to believe that scientists have some foundation for big bang, etc. -- well, maybe they do and maybe they don't. Paul tells me that the wisdom of man is complete foolishness to God -- and that includes my wisdom, your wisdom and every scientist ever born.
And we know that God sends strong delusion so even believing in this scientific wisdom of man in the first place could be one huge delusion.
I know that it may sound fantastic to believe that Eve actually talked to a snake or Jonah spent 3 days in the belly of a whale BUT this sounds like a hollywood movie -- a ghost came and impregnated this virgin woman who gave birth to this impossibly perfect being who was then turned back into spirit when he died. Oh, this guy's going to save all mankind in the process.
So I can't deny that fantastic sounding stuff actually happened without denying Christ's resurrection -- but then again do I absolutely know for a fact that Joshua actually knocked down those walls historically and literally the way it is written in God's word -- well, no.
So I have to fall back on the dozens of scripture refering to God's wisdom and God's will and God's word as a mystery and a secret.
1Co 2:7 (CLV) but we are speaking God's wisdom in a secret, wisdom which has been concealed, which God designates before - before the eons, for our glory,I have been given eyes and ears to understand what it means for me while reading it now in 2008 -- it's all spirit. Fundamentally, it doesn't matter if every single thing happened historically or not. It's spirit. Now this certainly doesn't make the part of my brain that wants to put everything into a little logical box very happy. It certainly makes it hard to get into a debate with others about whether these things are true or not.
Conclusion -- this is an evil world and the OT reflects that. God has revealed to me His sovereignty in this so I can't blame man's free will, Moses or the devil. But God has also revealed that He has a glorious purpose behind this evil experience and my small little brain can only see some of that mystery.
And yes, I realize that I'm picking and choosing in saying it is all historical fact but some details might be spiritual parable -- but it's a MYSTERY DADGUMMIT AND JUST LEAVE ME ALONE