Can you narrow down your question a bit?
Most, if not all of this issue is laid out in the "Nephilim" thread, but if you have a question, and I'm able to answer, I'd be glad to.
Can you narrow down your question a bit?
MELACH:
are you saying they were nephilim then? those in samuel?
Yes.
Here is a quote from a leading New Age Atheist.
The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion
This is what the Nephilim would also claim (if they were around).We should pray for a man who later after this book was published in 2006 claimed he was a "secular Christian".
Here is a quote from a leading New Age Atheist.
The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion
Due to confusion from other threads on this very issue. I will in detail speak on this issue.
Most Christians believe the Bible to be the Word of God. To be true. And God to have certain characteristics like all loving but also all just. This is the typical belief. And for the time being I will assume we do not need to go into Biblical evidence or on how we can know the Bible to be true. I will start with that conclusion that the Bible is 100% true.
So with this in mind it is intellectually honest for people to question scriptures that deal with the killing of woman, children, God causing miscarriages, or a raped woman is forced to marry the rapist, or even slavery is brought up by critics. Now remember we say the Bible is true and the Word of God.
I will list 1 example of each.
1 Samuel 15:2-3, 8 New International Version (NIV)
2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt.
3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”
8 He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword.
Numbers 5:21-22 New International Version (NIV)
21 here the priest is to put the woman under this curse—“may the Lord cause you to become a curse among your people when he makes your womb miscarry and your abdomen swell. 22 May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells or your womb miscarries.”
“‘Then the woman is to say, “Amen. So be it.”
Deuteronomy 22:28-29 New International Version (NIV)
28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay her father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.
Exodus 21:20-21 New International Version (NIV)
20 “Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, 21 but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.
Those verses will fill your church pews wont they?
I'll start with 1 Samuel 15.
Let us remember God is Holy. A Holy being is perfect. God cannot sin but is all good and loving. But being Holy he must be just because sin cannot dwell with God. Adam cursed all of mankind.
Romans 5:12 New International Version (NIV)
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
Was the Amalekites innocent? In God's eyes no one is innocent in less you in the OT followed the ceremonial sacrifices or in the NT put faith in Christ who became the ultimate sacrifice.
This was a point in history, a season in history, where God is the immediate king of a people, Israel, different than the way he is the king over the church, which is from all the peoples of Israel and does not have a political, ethnic dimension to it.
With Joshua there was a political, ethnic dimension, God was immediate king, and he uses this people as his instrument to accomplish his judgment in the world at that time.
The Amalekites was heavily pagan and seeping so deep in demonic evil for a very long time and God patiently waited as he does with any nations judgement in the OT. Their time had ran out and when God decides to judge a nation he is Just for doing so.
When God takes life he isn't a murderer but is well within his resume as the creator of life. Dealing with the Amalekites, Saul failed to kill all as God commanded and the Amalekites just a couple of decades later, there were enough to take David and his men’s families captive (1 Samuel 30:1-2). After David and his men attacked the Amalekites and rescued their families, 400 Amalekites escaped.
If Saul had fulfilled what God had commanded him, this never would have occurred. Several hundred years later, a descendant of Agag, Haman, tried to have the entire Jewish people exterminated (see the book of Esther).
So, Saul’s incomplete obedience almost resulted in Israel’s destruction. God knew this would occur, so He ordered the extermination of the Amalekites ahead of time.
I will add in time 3 more explanations of the next 3 scriptures critics like to pick out. I'll post this first one. Feel free to add more details for the new in faith.
So you have learned nothing from our interaction?Hi again Roughsoul
It is simple for me. Yes. Any "god" who demands murder( even of babies) and commands a rapist to marry the one he raped is a moral monster. Period.
Then you must defend why is my defensive arguments wrong? Which part do you counter? Which verse is wrong or how do you interpret the verse?Hi again Roughsoul
It is simple for me. Yes. Any "god" who demands murder( even of babies) and commands a rapist to marry the one he raped is a moral monster. Period.
hmm yea proper translation is quite important
Deu 22 28/29
28If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; 29Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.
So you have learned nothing from our interaction?
You have no basis to call anyone "moral" or "immoral" if your concept of morality isn't based on the nature of God. You only have your own opinion.
I ca
I can see your intentions but I would suppose it would help to hear your own interpretation of these verses.
Because I see no difference in understanding.
Thank goodness for your opinion? Who defines love? You? The Bible? Only the New Testament?Thank goodness for that! At least I can reason and think about these things. "Love" is a word with a meaning. "Good" is a word with a meaning. "Moral" is a word with a meaning. These words cannot be twisted to mean anything we want them to mean. Epecially if we are doing so to protect biblical inerrancy. If these words can mean anything then they mean nothing; and are useless to describe God.
Clip from the site, and of deu 22:28/29
One more detail: Unlike the previous two laws in vv. 23-29, this points out that the man and the woman were caught in the act. Whereas verses 25-27 refer to the man and the woman as separate persons, verses 28-29 refer to them as a unit. One Hebrew scholar sees this detail as another reason to believe vv. 28-29 did not describe a rape, but rather mutual consent
Then you must defend why is my defensive arguments wrong? Which part do you counter? Which verse is wrong or how do you interpret the verse?
I have so far only defended two of the scriptures.