Quote:
Originally Posted by Aquila
Timmy... don't you know the Bible? This is a dumb question. You're wrongfully accusing God. I'll share my perspective...
When God led Israel out of Egypt He protected them supernaturally. When Israel entered the promised land He protected them and subdued their enemies before them supernaturally. It wasn't until after they became a nation that something changed... the people wanted a human king. God warned them through the prophet that a human king would tax them and send their sons and daughters into war. They wanted a king anyway. As soon as they got a human king we see Israel increasingly leaning on their own military might and prowess. We also see them drift from God and sink into the mire of sin and idolatry. As they departed from trusting God... God's hand began to withdraw from them. Soon... military might was all Israel was left to depend on. God promised to fight their battles and protect them... IF THEY RETURNED TO HIM AND TRUSTED HIM. But they refused. The prophets repeatedly rebuke them for this. The prophets also rebuke them for not doing what God said was necessary while trusting in their military might. It was all bad all around because Israel wanted to be a nation like every other nation... but with God's assistance. God tolerated this non-sense until He began sending foreign powers to dominate them and bring them to their knees in repentance. In the NT we see that God sent the Messiah and as a last act of defiance against God's rulership... they murdered Him upon a cross. God then swiftly judged the nation, destroying it through the Romans in AD 70.
The stories of the OT are not easily understood by people who don't understand the over all theme of the Bible. Much of the war and bloodshed seen in the Bible is the result of Israel not trusting God and rebelling against Him as their King. God tolerated their choice, tried to help them, and even gave them instructions on what to do on several occasions, each occasion proving that they were NOT in the will of God.
You're wrongfully accusing God Timmy. And why would victors write a holy book that only accentuates their spiritual failure as they grew in power through military conquest???
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Numbers 31 and many other similar stories were centuries before there was a king over Israel.
What am I accusing God of? I merely related what God is said to have done (ordered Israel to slaughter people), and wondered if there wasn't another way He could have accomplished His goals for His people.