What’s up with God being so violent in the Old Testament - Timothy Attek:
Notes:
- If the Bible were an old iPod, do you read the Bible like a playlist or an album?
- Playlist - Do you just pick out the best for yourself from the cloud?
- Album - Do you listen through everything and consider it all important to the full picture?
- Even deeper: Some songs one may like, others may not
- i.e. the violence of God in the OT
- God did command mass killings in the OT
- Deut 20:16-18
- God commands violence in the OT because people were worshipping false idols and practicing demonic rituals
- Canannites were offering children as a sacrifice
- They were worshipping a God named Moloch (a human body with the head of a bull; the stomach would be a kindled fire)
- Leviticus 18 - wrong sexual relationships
- The devil was active among the Canaan society
Good question by the preacher in this podcast episode: “What would it say about God if he didn’t do something?”
“Sometimes we don’t understand God’s actions because we don’t understand God.” (preacher in this podcast episode)
- Isaiah 6
- [1] “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.”
- Lord = in Hebrew this means Adonai; meaning Master or Sovereign One
- Ultimate authority
- Don’t question God’ plans or actions because he King of all Kings and no one is above him
- [2] “Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.”
- Even an angelic, sinless being must humble themselves before God! Now that’s true reverance
- [3] “And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.”
- Holy = for God to be distinct, unique, and set apart
- “The most difficult attribute for God to actually explain....”
- [5 - Isaiah’s response] “Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.”…”
- Isaiah, a man of amazing words, said his words and presence wasn’t worthy of being where he was. Even Isaiah’s best words fall flat on its face when measured up against the Holy, Holy, Holy God
- God has not changed. Just because the OT is old, doesn’t mean God is different from that now
- “For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6)
- “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
- “'Holy, holy, holy · is the Lord God Almighty,' · who was, and is, and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8)
- “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth.” (Romans 1:18)
“If God is still holy, then our view of God is too minimal and our view of sin is too trivial. Therefore, we are too comfortable.” (Preacher in this podcast episode)
ENDING
For the Believer:
- New office, but broken desk chair. Many would keep it in the clean, new office out of complacency and comfortability
- God made us new, but the believer becomes too comfortable with sin and brokeness and the modern life - conforming the Bible to one’s life, instead of the other way around.
- Thus, the believer must know that God died to give us a new, re-born life and lifestyle, not to just fix it all for us.
- 1 Peter 1 - Be Holy because God is; “Jesus didn’t deserve your death but he deserves your life.”
For the Unbeliever:
- Israel story and mud on people at the Dead Sea with rinsing water not working
- “The place that made those people dirty cannot also make them clean.”
- Splashing around in the sin of this world (mud; Dead Sea)
- Execution of judgement will come on this world
- A.k.a “the shower of God’s Grace [of the blood of Jesus Christ] will not always be on!”
- “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36)