Cheryl Schatz

Excellent comments about real events spoken from our perspective. It is also wise to realize that poetic language in the saying “the sun stood still” does not mean that we can make it mean anything we want – whatever we “feel”. Neither does it mean that the poetic language means that it was written to refute a pagan myth. It was written about an actual event and spoken from the perspective of the people who saw the event. That kind of language is acceptable.

I find the talk of “poetry” in a historical account to be difficult to put a finger on the meaning by the person who declares it to be poetry. There doesn’t seem to be a concrete meaning or an interpretation by God other than what it says. Without God telling us what His “poetry” means or what His reason for recording the account, how could we ever tie Him into the purpose of defending Himself against pagan gods? For what reason is He obligated to defend Himself? In other places God challenges false gods to do as He does, but He is never obligated to answer their challenges and I would like someone who believes differently to instruct me on why God would have to bow down to the level of paganism to even answer it?