D
danswab
Guest
I was hoping someone could help me with a struggle I have been having with God's Word. Perhaps you have read or written a book or article that addresses my problem.
Always, when I re-read the Old Testament, I find myself questioning my faith. There are times when I read through Deuteronomy, for instance, when I find myself asking God why it is that I seem to have more mercy and a greater sense of "fairness" than He does. I've always believed the scriptures are the inspired word of God and that the law was no less a part of the inspired word. In fact, throughout Deuteronomy it clearly claims GOD is the author of the rules detailed there.
For years I've swallowed my feelings about difficult Old Testament passages and just accepted that I mustn't fully understand some of the difficult things that I am reading but I just can't seem to ignore them anymore. My concerns with what I read in the Old Testament are as follows:
Mercy: I have always struggled over the mandate (Deuteronomy 20) from God to utterly destroy the enemy (including children) in the lands that the Israelites took over and the forcing of tribute from other nations at the threat of violence. I have further choked down instructions on dealing with slaves (rather than prohibiting slavery). Deuteronomy 21 calls for the stoning of a drunken, rebellious son which seems extreme and not particularly helpful to his conversion. Note that the laws are clearly quoted as being from GOD not MOSES. They are cleary represented as part of the will of God. Yet they seem very foreign to me from what I know of God.
Sexism: Deuteronomy 21 has standards for dealing with inheritance when a man has multiple wives (rather than forbidding polygamy). Frankly, it seems the prohibition against adultery only applies when the MAN has been disadvantaged - he can have multiple wives but his wife cannot sleep with another man. This seems sexist. Further, Deuteronomy 21 seems to allow a warrior to take a virgin captive to be his bride (seems wrong in itself) and then send her on her way if he is not happy with her after he sleeps with her. Deuteronomy 22 mandates that a woman who is accused by her groom of not being a virgin must be stoned to death, but if the man is lying about this capital crime (which could have gotten her killed), he is merely forced to stay married to her rather than being stoned for attempted murder (he might WANT to die after returning home with her after that, but that seems like a light sentence).
Silly: Did God REALLY write the laws in Deuteronomy 22 and 23 mandating parapets around your rooves, prohibiting plowing with an ox and donkey at the same time, and demanding that warriors relieve themselves OUTSIDE of the campgrounds because God walks the camp at night? Wouldn't a better use of God's energy have been to carve into the stone tablets a prohibition against slavery, polygamy, cruelty, and sexism?
These rules seem one-sided, sexist, unbalanced, cruel and very human in origin. Though I want to believe that the law and scriptures come from God, I see more sexist, sinful human influence in these provisions than Godly influence. For some reason, though I have swallowed these feelings in the past, I am really struggling with them on this trip through the Old Testament. It is affecting my attitude and my prayer life.
There may be some way to feel better about these types of concerns if the Israelites were truly good people, chosen because of their great faith and moral strength in the face of evil, threatening neighbors. But it is obvious that they were not a particularly good or moral or faithful people (Deuteronomy 9:6). To encourage a stiffnecked nation to kill, steal from, or enslave a sinful nation to glorify God seems wrong by TODAY's evil standards, let alone what you would think GOD would mandate. Even if God's law was improving on existing conditions, why wouldn't he go all the way with the improvement and demand fairness, freedom, monogamy, mercy, etc.? It's not as if the rest of the law is EASY so why does God stop short of demanding what is right in these areas?
I've told myself that I must be misunderstanding SOMETHING. Perhaps the Bible isn't REALLY the Word of God (but then, what is my faith founded on - a lie?). Perhaps I have improperly made God into an image of what I want him to be when He is actually must less merciful (but then, do I want to worship THAT kind of God?). Perhaps God is not perfect and is learning from His mistakes and becoming more merciful - after all, Moses talked Him out of taking action several times and Christ's experience would give God first hand experience in being human (but doesn't scripture teach Him to be ALL Wise and ALL knowing, etc).
Frankly, in light of the recent terrorist activity, doesn't the Deutoronomy view of God more closely match the terrorist characterization of a vindictive God who would reward those who kill infidels than it would the merciful God who died on the cross for them?
This struggle is not about why is there so much suffering in the world. I think I understand the answers to that. This is about why GOD would make, as a part of his law and word, a set of rules that foster suffering. Why does God's word appear to ADD to the injustice of the world. Why does God's Word seem to be from a human, sexist, origin rather than from the finger of God as it REPRESENTS itself as being.
I've prayed for guidance and patience. I'm sure that EVERYONE struggles with these issues at times. There must be a good resource to turn to. If you know of any, please point me in the right direction. Not one Bible commentary adequately addresses the issue. The Christian bookstores don't seem to have any material on it. The library is useless.
Thank you for your assistance.
Always, when I re-read the Old Testament, I find myself questioning my faith. There are times when I read through Deuteronomy, for instance, when I find myself asking God why it is that I seem to have more mercy and a greater sense of "fairness" than He does. I've always believed the scriptures are the inspired word of God and that the law was no less a part of the inspired word. In fact, throughout Deuteronomy it clearly claims GOD is the author of the rules detailed there.
For years I've swallowed my feelings about difficult Old Testament passages and just accepted that I mustn't fully understand some of the difficult things that I am reading but I just can't seem to ignore them anymore. My concerns with what I read in the Old Testament are as follows:
Mercy: I have always struggled over the mandate (Deuteronomy 20) from God to utterly destroy the enemy (including children) in the lands that the Israelites took over and the forcing of tribute from other nations at the threat of violence. I have further choked down instructions on dealing with slaves (rather than prohibiting slavery). Deuteronomy 21 calls for the stoning of a drunken, rebellious son which seems extreme and not particularly helpful to his conversion. Note that the laws are clearly quoted as being from GOD not MOSES. They are cleary represented as part of the will of God. Yet they seem very foreign to me from what I know of God.
Sexism: Deuteronomy 21 has standards for dealing with inheritance when a man has multiple wives (rather than forbidding polygamy). Frankly, it seems the prohibition against adultery only applies when the MAN has been disadvantaged - he can have multiple wives but his wife cannot sleep with another man. This seems sexist. Further, Deuteronomy 21 seems to allow a warrior to take a virgin captive to be his bride (seems wrong in itself) and then send her on her way if he is not happy with her after he sleeps with her. Deuteronomy 22 mandates that a woman who is accused by her groom of not being a virgin must be stoned to death, but if the man is lying about this capital crime (which could have gotten her killed), he is merely forced to stay married to her rather than being stoned for attempted murder (he might WANT to die after returning home with her after that, but that seems like a light sentence).
Silly: Did God REALLY write the laws in Deuteronomy 22 and 23 mandating parapets around your rooves, prohibiting plowing with an ox and donkey at the same time, and demanding that warriors relieve themselves OUTSIDE of the campgrounds because God walks the camp at night? Wouldn't a better use of God's energy have been to carve into the stone tablets a prohibition against slavery, polygamy, cruelty, and sexism?
These rules seem one-sided, sexist, unbalanced, cruel and very human in origin. Though I want to believe that the law and scriptures come from God, I see more sexist, sinful human influence in these provisions than Godly influence. For some reason, though I have swallowed these feelings in the past, I am really struggling with them on this trip through the Old Testament. It is affecting my attitude and my prayer life.
There may be some way to feel better about these types of concerns if the Israelites were truly good people, chosen because of their great faith and moral strength in the face of evil, threatening neighbors. But it is obvious that they were not a particularly good or moral or faithful people (Deuteronomy 9:6). To encourage a stiffnecked nation to kill, steal from, or enslave a sinful nation to glorify God seems wrong by TODAY's evil standards, let alone what you would think GOD would mandate. Even if God's law was improving on existing conditions, why wouldn't he go all the way with the improvement and demand fairness, freedom, monogamy, mercy, etc.? It's not as if the rest of the law is EASY so why does God stop short of demanding what is right in these areas?
I've told myself that I must be misunderstanding SOMETHING. Perhaps the Bible isn't REALLY the Word of God (but then, what is my faith founded on - a lie?). Perhaps I have improperly made God into an image of what I want him to be when He is actually must less merciful (but then, do I want to worship THAT kind of God?). Perhaps God is not perfect and is learning from His mistakes and becoming more merciful - after all, Moses talked Him out of taking action several times and Christ's experience would give God first hand experience in being human (but doesn't scripture teach Him to be ALL Wise and ALL knowing, etc).
Frankly, in light of the recent terrorist activity, doesn't the Deutoronomy view of God more closely match the terrorist characterization of a vindictive God who would reward those who kill infidels than it would the merciful God who died on the cross for them?
This struggle is not about why is there so much suffering in the world. I think I understand the answers to that. This is about why GOD would make, as a part of his law and word, a set of rules that foster suffering. Why does God's word appear to ADD to the injustice of the world. Why does God's Word seem to be from a human, sexist, origin rather than from the finger of God as it REPRESENTS itself as being.
I've prayed for guidance and patience. I'm sure that EVERYONE struggles with these issues at times. There must be a good resource to turn to. If you know of any, please point me in the right direction. Not one Bible commentary adequately addresses the issue. The Christian bookstores don't seem to have any material on it. The library is useless.
Thank you for your assistance.