Is the God of the Bible Truly Omnipotent? Judges 1:19 demonstrates otherwise.

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clwinche

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Is the God of the Bible Truly Omnipotent? Judges 1:19 demonstrates otherwise.


I recently encountered a skeptic who made the following argument to demonstrate the God of the Bible is not omnipotent. Does anyone have any suggestions how to refute it?


Where in Judges 1:19 ("And the Lord was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.") God mops up the enemy elsewhere without a problem, but cannot defeat the others in the valley “because they had chariots of iron." This was a normal practice among the Ancients. Whenever something did not go according to plan, it was the god’s will.


Any suggestions?

In gratitude,

Chris :confused:
 

FreeinChrist

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Jdg 1:19 Now the LORD was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had iron chariots.I don't think it says that GOD could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, but that the armies of Judah could not.

I'll try to research this some more. :)
 
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TSIBHOD

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From Adam Clarke's commentary on this verse:

Jdg 1:19 -
And the Lord was with Judah, and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron - Strange! were the iron chariots too strong for Omnipotence? The whole of this verse is improperly rendered. The first clause, The Lord was with Judah should terminate the 18th verse, and this gives the reason for the success of this tribe: The Lord was with Judah, and therefore he slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, etc., etc. Here then is a complete period: the remaining part of the verse either refers to a different time, or to the rebellion of Judah against the Lord, which caused him to withdraw his support. Therefore the Lord was with Judah, and these were the effects of his protection; but afterwards, when the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, etc., God was no longer with them, and their enemies were left to be pricks in their eyes, and thorns in their side, as God himself had said. This is the turn given to the verse by Jonathan ben Uzziel, the Chaldee paraphrast: “And the Word of Jehovah was in the support of the house of Judah, and they extirpated the inhabitants of the mountains; but afterwards, When They Sinned, they were not able to extirpate the inhabitants of the plain country, because they had chariots of iron.” They were now left to their own strength, and their adversaries prevailed against them. From a work called the Dhunoor Veda, it appears that the ancient Hindoos had war chariots similar to those of the Canaanites. They are described as having many wheels, and to have contained a number of rooms. - Ward’s Customs.​
 
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Jesus My Wisdom

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TSIBHOD said:
From Adam Clarke's commentary on this verse:

Jdg 1:19 -
And the Lord was with Judah, and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron - Strange! were the iron chariots too strong for Omnipotence?​

No the point is that God is not Omnipotent in the first place.
 
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RVincent

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The Concordant Literal Translation renders the verse:

(Jud 1:19) and Yahveh is with Judah, and he occupies the hill-country, but not to dispossess the inhabitants of the valley, for they have chariots of iron.​

he occupies. Obviously, it was Judah that occupied, not God, but did not drive out the inhabitants of the valley.

God will accomplish this through Deborah in chap. 4.

God never promised them a rose garden, He always expected effort.

"Omnipotence" is not equivelant to "immediate gratification of what I want when I want it".
 
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