Sample by My Essay Writer
Quotation: I chose the following quotation from “The Confessions of Saint Augustine:” “Behold, O Lord God, yea, behold patiently as Thou art wont how carefully the sons of men observe the covenanted rules of letters and syllables received from those who spake before them, neglecting the eternal covenant of everlasting salvation received from Thee” (p. 11).
Paraphrase: Look God, be patient as people learn about your sacred rules on life. People are really looking carefully on these important rules of yours and they really want to obey them, but they are not fully aware of the implications about not following your rules. Give them some time and they will start to obey these rules of yours.
Interpretation: This quote is saying that God should be patient with people as they try to adjust to the word of God, and to follow His or Her teachings. The word of God is relatively new at this point, and the people do not know how to live a life where they are obeying the scripture. It is necessary for people to have some time to adjust to the words of God, and then they will be more willing and able to obey God. The primary difficulty at this moment is getting people to know what the implications are if they do not believe in God. People need to know that God will not save them, “neglecting the eternal covenant of everlasting salvation received from Thee” (p. 11), if they do not listen to his rules. This is evident because the story is about the need to thank God for His or Her redemption. God has saved people and He or She offers them salvation from the devil. However, the people need to become familiar with His or Her power, and the implications of not listening to God’s rules.
Critique: Due to the fact that the story is about the sinful life of Augustine, this interpretation makes sense. The quote is discussing the actions of God’s people, and this represents the actions of Augustine, because he has lived a life of sin. The quote is also saying that he and others still live sinful lives because they are not yet aware of the implications of not obeying the rules of God. The quote does a good job at summing up the story in one sentence. It cleverly uses the example of the people to communicate to the reader what the implications are for the sinful life that Augustine is living. The story is about the early years of Moses saying the 10 Commandments, and it discusses how many people believed in the word of God not long after, but they still needed a period to adjust before being able to follow the word of God with precision. It also provides an interesting look at what God might be feeling about the actions of the people, and provides an objective look at the fact that God may need to be patient before his rules and the implications of not following them are understood.
