In The Old Testament we often see God killing babies and children, and much more besides.
How can this be?
I know the New Testament puts a different a slant on truth and majors on love, but how does one come to terms with numerous instances of 'God telling others to slaughter....
I have noticed Bible teachers avoid these difficult O.T. passages and cannot give a straight answer.
I don't think that Bible teachers avoid such passages; maybe those passages just don't come up in their course of studies or preaching. If you look at a commentaries, I'm sure you will find detailed comments about such issues.
When I consider them (such as 1 Samuel 15:3), or when God commands that the heathen be driven out of their lands, or to kill the males & save the women & children, I understand that God is exercising His Authority & right to do what He wants with His creation. Do we feel the same way when only 8 souls were saved in the Great Flood & many thousands of men, women, children & animals were destroyed? Or, when tragedy strikes us today (e.g. a Tsunami, earthquake, virus) & again an innumerable number destroyed?
Jeremiah 18:1-10 teaches us that God, the Potter, has the full right to do as He pleases with His creation. If God decides to strike me down today, does anyone have the right to ask Him, 'Why'. The problem then arises, when referring to those OT Scriptures, is in regards to whether any of God's appointed leaders, such as Joshua, Saul, etc., did actually receive God's Commands or were prompted by their own lust for war & destruction. I'm in no way suggesting this as I believe that God did speak & directed His servants in how they should deal with the heathen, but I only suggest this because people will query the authenticity of the Divine Command & therefore the issue needs to be dealt with them.
In this vein, I think of the Islamic prophet, Muhammed, who too claimed to be called by God to destroy the heathen idolators living in the cities of Mecca & Medina. Did He call him to do so, or was it done of his own volition? In the NT, we're never told to go out & slaughter anyone, but sadly it has been done in the name of Christianity (e.g. the Crusades, etc.). Ours is always the Gospel of love to all people. Yet, God hasn't finished with the World: millions more will yet be struck down by God through various means for their sins.
How can this be?
I know the New Testament puts a different a slant on truth and majors on love, but how does one come to terms with numerous instances of 'God telling others to slaughter....
I have noticed Bible teachers avoid these difficult O.T. passages and cannot give a straight answer.
Best wishes, Cliff Kent
Cliff Kent
When I consider them (such as 1 Samuel 15:3), or when God commands that the heathen be driven out of their lands, or to kill the males & save the women & children, I understand that God is exercising His Authority & right to do what He wants with His creation. Do we feel the same way when only 8 souls were saved in the Great Flood & many thousands of men, women, children & animals were destroyed? Or, when tragedy strikes us today (e.g. a Tsunami, earthquake, virus) & again an innumerable number destroyed?
Jeremiah 18:1-10 teaches us that God, the Potter, has the full right to do as He pleases with His creation. If God decides to strike me down today, does anyone have the right to ask Him, 'Why'. The problem then arises, when referring to those OT Scriptures, is in regards to whether any of God's appointed leaders, such as Joshua, Saul, etc., did actually receive God's Commands or were prompted by their own lust for war & destruction. I'm in no way suggesting this as I believe that God did speak & directed His servants in how they should deal with the heathen, but I only suggest this because people will query the authenticity of the Divine Command & therefore the issue needs to be dealt with them.
In this vein, I think of the Islamic prophet, Muhammed, who too claimed to be called by God to destroy the heathen idolators living in the cities of Mecca & Medina. Did He call him to do so, or was it done of his own volition? In the NT, we're never told to go out & slaughter anyone, but sadly it has been done in the name of Christianity (e.g. the Crusades, etc.). Ours is always the Gospel of love to all people. Yet, God hasn't finished with the World: millions more will yet be struck down by God through various means for their sins.
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