Cpiddy,
True, very true, that very well could be the meaning behind the lyrics- but I think you might be missing something-
The title of the album is "When I Am God". Very confusing, right? It made me angry even to see the title, I thought "What do you mean? No one can ever be God but our God the Father in Heaven!" This song reveals the meaning to the title. I think that you have a very good point, that's true for sure, but I don't feel that they meaning the phrase "When I Am God" in a literal sense.
It says it in the bible- You can worship material things, not neccessarily by literally bowing down to it and praying to it, but by making it the most important thing in your life (an example is money, as talked about in Matthew 6:24- "You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both."). You can even worship yourself by making you the most important thing in your life (which, by the way, is against what God says to do. He directly told us to put God first, then others, then yourself). I don't think it's something like what Satan did. Satan literally thought "I am God." Most people don't go to those extremes, but lots of people put themselves before God, therefore making themselves God. I think that this song, if I'm not mistaken, is about a person who has lots of demons in his life. I think "the viper" referrs to Satan- not only because a viper is a snake, and a snake symbolizes Satan, but also from the idea of "Like the viper I kept when You said, "Let go!"" He had sin in his life- he put himself before God, and was doing whatever he felt like doing(that's where I feel the lust of the girls comes in). God told him "Let it go! Come back to Me!" but he wouldn't get rid of his sinful ways(the viper). Now he's running away from his demons("My heel's the meat to sink their teeth" Possibly?), and he's running back to God.
The next thing- "Since all the alibis of ignorance are void..." Ever wonder why people say that children, saved or not, will go to heaven if they die? It says it in the bible as well(though I'm afraid I can't put my finger on it, unfortunately), Children will go to heaven because they don't know yet about sin. That makes sense- how could you try to live a Godly lifestyle if you didn't know what was Godlike, and what was of the world? Here's the thing- when you're young, you don't know that it's bad to lie(as an example). You may tell a lie, and then someone will tell you that it's wrong to lie. Before then, you weren't held accountable for the lie because you had no idea that it was bad. As soon as you have knowledge of the fact that it's bad to lie though, you are held accountable for it in the Kingdom of God. Therefore, the next time you lie, since you have the knowledge of it being bad, you have committed sin. Jesus didn't sin- which pretty much means that when he was told not to do something, he never had to be told again in his entire life. Now that you know that, I can explain that, in my opinion, the phrase "Since all the alibis of ignorance are void..." (which is used in multiple songs in the album) means that he realizes that he can't try to say "Well, Lord, I didn't know that these things that I was doing were bad." He know that we did wrong, and so now at the end of the song he finally gives God "the viper"(his sins) and comes back to God.
I really haven't interpretted all of the song yet, so some things I'm not sure on. All I know is that this is an amazing song, and I love Oh, Sleeper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For now, I'm only going to respond to the line about alibis of ignorance. Yes I do agree with that fully, and I also love how it's used in the second to last track "you can't use ignorance as an alibi anymore." However, I disagree with you slightly, ac flem, but it's definitely on more of a theological basis than lyrical :)
Romans 1:20 says "From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse...
For now, I'm only going to respond to the line about alibis of ignorance. Yes I do agree with that fully, and I also love how it's used in the second to last track "you can't use ignorance as an alibi anymore." However, I disagree with you slightly, ac flem, but it's definitely on more of a theological basis than lyrical :)
Romans 1:20 says "From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God." (NLT)
So even before it's been explained to you, even if you're living in complete separation in a jungle somewhere, you're expected to know and follow Christ, and will be judged as such. Ignorance is NO alibi for that. Once the singer realizes that he no longer has any justifiable excuse, he needs the great councilor to take what's left. Even though it may not be much. Such an amazing band. Lyrics are better than anything I've ever heard, and the music is epic enough to house them. By the way they're back in the studio in March. I'm stoked.
Cpiddy, True, very true, that very well could be the meaning behind the lyrics- but I think you might be missing something-
The title of the album is "When I Am God". Very confusing, right? It made me angry even to see the title, I thought "What do you mean? No one can ever be God but our God the Father in Heaven!" This song reveals the meaning to the title. I think that you have a very good point, that's true for sure, but I don't feel that they meaning the phrase "When I Am God" in a literal sense.
It says it in the bible- You can worship material things, not neccessarily by literally bowing down to it and praying to it, but by making it the most important thing in your life (an example is money, as talked about in Matthew 6:24- "You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both."). You can even worship yourself by making you the most important thing in your life (which, by the way, is against what God says to do. He directly told us to put God first, then others, then yourself). I don't think it's something like what Satan did. Satan literally thought "I am God." Most people don't go to those extremes, but lots of people put themselves before God, therefore making themselves God. I think that this song, if I'm not mistaken, is about a person who has lots of demons in his life. I think "the viper" referrs to Satan- not only because a viper is a snake, and a snake symbolizes Satan, but also from the idea of "Like the viper I kept when You said, "Let go!"" He had sin in his life- he put himself before God, and was doing whatever he felt like doing(that's where I feel the lust of the girls comes in). God told him "Let it go! Come back to Me!" but he wouldn't get rid of his sinful ways(the viper). Now he's running away from his demons("My heel's the meat to sink their teeth" Possibly?), and he's running back to God. The next thing- "Since all the alibis of ignorance are void..." Ever wonder why people say that children, saved or not, will go to heaven if they die? It says it in the bible as well(though I'm afraid I can't put my finger on it, unfortunately), Children will go to heaven because they don't know yet about sin. That makes sense- how could you try to live a Godly lifestyle if you didn't know what was Godlike, and what was of the world? Here's the thing- when you're young, you don't know that it's bad to lie(as an example). You may tell a lie, and then someone will tell you that it's wrong to lie. Before then, you weren't held accountable for the lie because you had no idea that it was bad. As soon as you have knowledge of the fact that it's bad to lie though, you are held accountable for it in the Kingdom of God. Therefore, the next time you lie, since you have the knowledge of it being bad, you have committed sin. Jesus didn't sin- which pretty much means that when he was told not to do something, he never had to be told again in his entire life. Now that you know that, I can explain that, in my opinion, the phrase "Since all the alibis of ignorance are void..." (which is used in multiple songs in the album) means that he realizes that he can't try to say "Well, Lord, I didn't know that these things that I was doing were bad." He know that we did wrong, and so now at the end of the song he finally gives God "the viper"(his sins) and comes back to God.
I really haven't interpretted all of the song yet, so some things I'm not sure on. All I know is that this is an amazing song, and I love Oh, Sleeper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have a blessed day!
For now, I'm only going to respond to the line about alibis of ignorance. Yes I do agree with that fully, and I also love how it's used in the second to last track "you can't use ignorance as an alibi anymore." However, I disagree with you slightly, ac flem, but it's definitely on more of a theological basis than lyrical :) Romans 1:20 says "From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse...
For now, I'm only going to respond to the line about alibis of ignorance. Yes I do agree with that fully, and I also love how it's used in the second to last track "you can't use ignorance as an alibi anymore." However, I disagree with you slightly, ac flem, but it's definitely on more of a theological basis than lyrical :) Romans 1:20 says "From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God." (NLT) So even before it's been explained to you, even if you're living in complete separation in a jungle somewhere, you're expected to know and follow Christ, and will be judged as such. Ignorance is NO alibi for that. Once the singer realizes that he no longer has any justifiable excuse, he needs the great councilor to take what's left. Even though it may not be much. Such an amazing band. Lyrics are better than anything I've ever heard, and the music is epic enough to house them. By the way they're back in the studio in March. I'm stoked.
You have a blessed day too.