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In the first sentence, God told Moses to take full vengeance against the Midianites. Do you really think God would say that?
Later in the chapter, it tells how the Jews slaughtered all the Midianites except for the virgin girls, who the soldiers kept for their own pleasure. The battlefield probably looked like that field of murdered people in Rwanda about 15 years ago.
As to your question, no I don't think that God wanted the Jews to do that, but that's just my opinion. I think a lot of atrocities were attributed to God in the OT when in fact it was just people being people and blaming God for it. I'm sure that you'll get a lot of responses otherwise, saying how wrong I am.
In the first sentence, God told Moses to take full vengeance against the Midianites. Do you really think God would say that?
Later in the chapter, it tells how the Jews slaughtered all the Midianites except for the virgin girls, who the soldiers kept for their own pleasure. The battlefield probably looked like that field of murdered people in Rwanda about 15 years ago.
Do you think God wanted the Jews to do that?
Moderator cut: orphaned reference
Yes, this is one of those passages in the Bible that leads to a few conclusions:
1. It was literally true as recorded, but god had his divine reasons (this is generally followed with the "his ways are not like our ways and his ways are beyond our understanding" excuse)
2. The passage is spiritualized and the Midianites were not really slaughtered. They were just a "type," representing an enemy presence and how we should deal with our evil nature.
3. Ignore the Old Testament as just some Jewish book detailing the "primitive understanding" of ancient man. By the New Testament these same people became "civilized" in their understanding of god because Jesus supposedly did not roll like that.
4. The story is based on some truth, but later writers, with some kind of an ax to grind spun god into the story to add justification and effect.
5. The story is hogwash
6. Silence because if believed to be literally true, it presents some rather embarrassing scenarios for literalist to explain.
Last edited by Miss Blue; 12-20-2010 at 07:33 PM..
Reason: orphaned because I corrected the spelling :)
Of course, there are people who believe every word in the Bible. In fact, I recall one of the presidential primary debates where a person asked the candidates if they believed 'every word' in the Bible and I think they all said Yes.
I wonder what those people think of Numbers chapter 31.
In the first sentence, God told Moses to take full vengeance against the Midianites. Do you really think God would say that?
Later in the chapter, it tells how the Jews slaughtered all the Midianites except for the virgin girls, who the soldiers kept for their own pleasure. The battlefield probably looked like that field of murdered people in Rwanda about 15 years ago.
Do you think God wanted the Jews to do that?
Naw. People did and said those things, not God. He just gets all the blame cause no one wants it for themselves. Too immature I guess.
Yes, this is one of those passages in the Bible that leads to a few conclusions:
1. It was literally true as recorded, but god had his divine reasons (this is generally followed with the "his ways are not like our ways and his ways are beyond our understanding" excuse)
2. The passage is spiritualized and the Midianites were not really slaughtered. They were just a "type," representing an enemy presence and how we should deal with our evil nature.
3. Ignore the Old Testament as just some Jewish book detailing the "primitive understanding" of ancient man. By the New Testament these same people became "civilized" in their understanding of god because Jesus supposedly did not roll like that.
4. The story is based on some truth, but later writers, with some kind of an ax to grind spun god into the story to add justification and effect.
5. The story is hogwash
6. Silence because if believed to be literally true, it presents some rather embarrassing scenarios for literalist to explain.
RESPONSE:
The slaughter of the Midianites may or not be true historically. A number of such stories are found in Jewish folklore, involving the slaughter of rival tribes inhabiting the Holy Land.
This probably happened and is justified by the scripture writers as being at God's direction. God had nothing to do with it.
In short, its an attempt to justify a peoples' immoral conduct by claiming divine sanctions.
Last edited by Miss Blue; 12-20-2010 at 07:35 PM..
I think this is one of the reason Jesus came to earth...to clear up some of the nonsense and misconceptions of the OT.
I find it rather interesting that you, as well as many others, keep stating that the OT is full of misconceptions and nonsense...and yet ya'll still claim the book is divinely inspired...which is it???
And, if it is full of misconceptions and nonsense then why would anyone believe and take seriously any of it at all???? If the OT is not divinely inspired then neither is the NT...correct?
I am just surprised that anyone thinks the ancient Israelites acted in a way different then other ancients. Did it occur? Maybe, maybe not but the ancient world is full of these stories. Its full of child sacrifice, wars, massacres, etc etc etc....... Its full of battles and conquest of nations by other nations.
Humanity has not change a whole lot. Oh yeah as far as I know we don't carry out child sacrifices anymore..... But the other stuff still happens....
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