May 1, 2008
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Big Ideas of the Old Testament by Dr. Jim Townsend
I am so thrilled to be able to share the following that I discovered. With the help of Sheila Frey from Cook Communications Ministries, I was able to obtain permission from Dr. Jim Townsend to reproduce it here and I know that you will be blessed by this. It seems like such a good reference that it is too good not to share. Have a blessed day! Heather
BIG IDEAS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
BY JIM TOWNSEND
GENESIS
God is creator (1)
God communicates with human beings (1, 2)
Sin is a present reality (3)
Sin messes up relationships (3)
God seeks out those who have sinned (3)
Start-over opportunities are available to those who’ve sinned (3)
Sin is the cause of death (3)
Sin erupts in violence (4)
Sin spirals and invades all of life (6)
God can’t let sin go on forever (6-9)
Sometimes nearly everything must be destroyed to start over
Heritage trees are important (10)
Humans challenge God’s primacy (11)
God calls people for specific purposes (12)
God wants people to respond to his words in faith (15:6)
Faith obedience is a hall mark of faith
God seeks out covenant relationships with people (9, 12, 15, 17)
God uses flawed people (25, 27)
God tests our trust (22)
God’s plans demand patience
Children often have the same flaws as their parents (20, 26)
Peacemaking is a valuable trait (26)
Taking matters into our own hands has consequences (30)
Responsible people don’t let setbacks stall them (Joseph)
Eventually responsibility and excellence are warded (Joseph)
EXODUS
Slavery is a human predicament (1-4)
God raises key people for specific needs (2-4)
God is known through his name (3)
Often people endure long hardship before God bails them out
God’s super drama is behind the scenes of life
Better get used to waiting
Things may get worse before they get better
Salvation comes through God
God is the true liberator
Commemorative celebration is an appropriate response to our deliverance (12)
Eating is a form of celebration (12)
National triumphs can be memorialized
God’s majesty breaks through at times (3, 19, 32)
Divine drama is spectacular (19)
For some issues God has an absolute agenda (20)
God’s law covers a wide range of subjects
Don’t expect deliverance to come without struggles (14, 16)
Leaders need support (17)
God has some distinct ideas about worship (25-40)
God expects to be approached in specific and solemn ways (25-40)
God develops heroes (4, 32-33)
Seeing God’s face means having a personal relationship with Him (33)
You can’t approach God in any old way
Through the sacrificial death of another we may approach God
God’s presence resides among his people (40)
LEVITICUS
How to approach God is vital (1-7)
Cleanliness can depict godliness (11-15)
Holiness is a chief concern to God
God is interested in what people eat (11)
God is concerned with all of life (11-15)
Celebrating is a wholesome experience (23)
Sin must be removed from our fellowship
NUMBERS
Get organized for maximum efficiency
Life wandering can result from sinful choices
God has to discipline his people at times
There’s a place for the gung-ho (6)
God gets sick of people complaining (11)
We must resist mob mentality (13-14)
Rebelion can be serious (16)
God provides (20-21)
Don’t make an ass of yourself (22)
Beware of prophets for profit (23-25)
All God’s people should have their share (34)
DEUTERONOMY
New adaptations have to be made for new generations (5)
Life must be governed by God’s truth
God gives guidelines for teaching children wisely (6)
Don’t have idols (9)
God has something to say on the subject of war (20)
Evading the truth has consequences (28)
JOSHUA
God’s people can conquer with courage (1)
God can do miracles (5, 10)
Don’t be deceived (9)
God is not anti-organization (12, 22)
God’s people both make strides and slip back
Failure can come from disobedience
We are called to stand upon our principles (24)
JUDGES
God develops heroes
God uses flawed people (14-16)
God’s spirit empowers people (14:6, 19; 15:14, etc)
God uses women in leadership roles (4-5)
Humans tend to repeat the same old cycles (2)
Sin has a wild side (17-21)
RUTH
Marriages can be made in heaven (2)
God can reroute tragedy
God’s long range purposes may be hidden in the short term (1, 4)
God is in control despite our desperation
1 SAMUEL
God wants people of character to serve Him
God reveals Himself to the spiritually sensitive (3)
Watch out for the ways of the world (8)
Beware of copying the world (8)
God raises up people for government duties (10, 16)
God champions those who trust him despite overwhelming odds (17)
God is concerned about national leadership (10, 16)
Disobedience spells demotion (13, 15, 28)
Expect to fight battles
Jealousy is a relationship quencher
In-depth friendship is rare (20)
Be bighearted (26)
Beware of dabbling in the occult (28)
Sometimes death seems better than pain
2 SAMUEL
Cherish people from the past (1)
Get past grievances with difficult people (1)
God eventually rewards faithfulness (5)
Worshipful exuberance can take strange forms (6:14)
God makes agreements with people (7)
Sinful sex messes up lives long term (11)
There is a time for confrontation (12)
Parent-child relationships can be heartbreaking (13-19)
Finishing with the Lord is worth celebrating (22)
1 KINGS
God gives wisdom to those who ask for it (3, 10:1-9)
Organizational wisdom is required to run a nation (4)
Worship takes thoughtful preparation (5-8)
Uncontrolled sex can ruin an outstanding life (11:1-13)
Cruelty to others will inevitably cause a backlash (12)
Integrity begins at home (12)
What heads of state do has international consequences (12-14)
You may be hot stuff in the world’s eyes but not with God (16:21-28)
God can provide for our special needs (17)
Boldness may prompt a showdown (18)
Even great people have setbacks (19)
2 KINGS
God does miracles through people of faith (2, 4, 5)
God is keeping track of records for good or bad (10:24-36, etc)
Those how disregard God can expect serious consequences (10)
God honors those who honor him (12, 18-20, 22-23)
God won’t put up with evil forever (17, 24-25)
Sin ultimately brings havoc (17:21-41)
Even godly people have children who go off the deep end (21)
1 CHRONICLES
God is interested in individuals and their backgrounds (1-9)
History is crucial to God’s people (1-9)
God is impressed with those who step out from the crowd (4:9-10)
The Bible honors heroes of the faith (11:10-47)
People of daring attract followers (12)
Proper worship is important (14-16)
God honors those who want an in-depth relationship with him (17)
Life is full of battles (18-20)
Foolish personal choices can have disastrous results (21)
Worship demands organization (22-26, 28-29)
2 CHRONICLES
God supplies wisdom to those who want it (1)
God values worship (3-5)
God hears sincere prayers (6-7)
God honors those who stand for what is right (14-17)
God has his confronters (18)
Some lives are a patchwork of obedience and disobedience (24)
God is honored when leaders seek purification and reform (29-31, 34-35)
Otherwise godly people can end life in less than godly manner (32:24-33)
Ungodly leaders wreck havoc on a nation (33)
EZRA
God moves through international events (1)
Renewal practices may be necessary (3)
When you get serious about God, expect opposition (4)
When you start a project for God, work till it’s done (6:13-18)
Prayers for confession of sin are healthy (9-10)
God has serious standards for marriage (9-10)
NEHEMIAH
Prayer burdens often trigger action (1)
Building anything valuable requires cooperation (3)
Expect opposition when doing God’s work (4, 6)
God’s Word prompts repentance and praise (8)
Confession of sin is appropriate (9)
Repentance and reform are required if sin has set in (12)
ESTHER
God is working behind the scenes of human activity
Risk is a component of faith (4:12-17)
God puts people in specific situations for a special cause
Personalized guidance is a form of mentoring (4)
Sometimes diabolical plots boomerang (3-7)
Celebration accompanies God’s deliverance (9)
JOB
Satan seeks to bring God’s people down (1-2)
God’s people can expect to experience serous testing (1)
God’s ways often don’t seem fair
Sometimes we’re made to feel like failures
Some attempts to comfort only prove uncomfortable (3)
Suffering is not necessary due to sin (13:19, 23; 23:6-7; 27:5-6)
God reveals himself in unexpected ways (33:12-19)
Gleams of truth can anchor the sufferer (19:25-26)
God’s creation provides staggering insights (38-41)
God eventually comes through for his approved people (42)
PSALMS
Depression due to grief or turmoil is normal (10, 13, 22, etc)
God’s words yields great delight (1, 19, 119)
God’s people call to him in their distress (3, 4, 5, 12, 28, 43)
Believers are like God’s sheep (23)
Sometimes believers face violence (10, 13, 41, etc)
Renewal follows confession (32, 51)
God’s majesty evokes thought and praise (8, 139)
Praise God (9, 18, 29, 33, 34, 47, 48)
God wants purity and integrity (15)
God lavishes his care upon us 23, 46)
PROVERBS
Reverence for God is the source of wisdom (1)
Foolish people despise wisdom
Laziness brings a person down
Real friends are faithful
Words carry power for good or evil
Children need to heed their parent’s wisdom
True piety breeds truest prosperity
God’s wisdom is crystallized in creation (8)
ECCLESIASTES
Life can be meaningless (1:2; 2:11; 4:7, etc)
People try life’s pleasures and other opportunities for meaning (2)
There’s a time for everything (3:1-8)
Be in awe of God and revere Him (5:1-5, 12)
Wisdom is honorable (7, 9:13-18)
SONG OF SOLOMON
A loving relationship is great
Sex is highly pleasurable
Physical attraction is part of human sexuality
Romance often involves paying compliments
ISAIAH
God expects ethical behavior from His people (1:10-31)
God is pro-peace (2)
God announces Immanuel (7, 9)
Nations who sin reap the consequences (13-24)
Placing ultimate trust in military might/force will bring disappointment (31)
God supplies comfort (40)
God is high and holy in majesty (40-45)
God’s Suffering Servant (42, 53, etc)
God summons all people to a freely offered salvation (55)
Judgment and salvation will culminate in a brand new world (65:17; 66:22)
JEREMIAH
God has pre-birth plans for his servants (1)
Trusting superstitiously in religiosity is a crutch (7)
Gods’ servants may have an axe to grind with God (20:7-12)
Judgment falls on the disobedient (25-27)
Restoration is a biblical idea (32-33)
God’s word is indestructible (36)
God registers international concerns (46-51)
Some treat faithful believers as patriotic traitors (37-38)
LAMENTATIONS
Grief is part of life
The penalty for sin is horrible (2)
Willful disobedience makes prayer ineffective (3)
Grief can be verbalized
It may be best to suffer in silence
Hope in the midst of punishment is rooted in God’s goodness
EZEKIEL
Experiencing God is breathtaking (1)
God calls people into his service (2)
God’s people use various means of communication (3-5)
God warns those entrenched in disobedience of judgment (11, 14, 20)
God withdraws from those who refuse his overtures (10)
Each person is individually responsible for personal guilt (18)
God expresses international concerns (25-32)
God’s people are their culture’s warning sentinels (33)
God can bring life out of death (37)
God thinks in terms of worship (40-48)
DANIEL
Believers interact with their culture (1)
God has the big international picture in mind (2, 7)
God gives some people visionary dreams
No nation is immune from God’s judgment (5)
Believers may undergo persecution (3)
God will protect those who won’t compromise their convictions (3 and 6)
God will wrap up history (12)
The kingdom of God will transcend godless kingdoms (2, 7)
HOSEA
God expects his people to be faithful (1)
Marriage is disrupted by infidelity
Infidelity causes massive damage (2)
God’s love is incredibly forgiving
Repentance brings restoration and blessing
JOEL
Natural catastrophes may contain divine significance (1)
Dreams can be God’s vehicles of communication (2:28-32)
God will judge the nations (3)
AMOS
God has an international agenda (1-2)
God’s people can’t keep sinning and get away with it
Materialistic complacency grieves God (5:11-17, 6:1-8)
God uses various techniques to get our attention (7-8)
OBADIAH
No nation is invincible (v. 3-4)
Enemies of God’s people will eventually be destroyed
What you sow you reap (v. 15)
JONAH
Some people run from God’s calling
Evil people aren’t beyond hope in God’s eyesSome have a prophetic role
God calls his servants to do some difficult things
God disciplines his disobedient servants (2)
God has a heart as big as the world (4)
MICAH
God’s people must take inventory (1-2)
False spiritual leaders must be reprimanded (2-3)
God is pro-peace (4)
God expects a morality of justice (6)
NAHAM
God is majestic (1)
God is pro-poetry (1-3)
War wreaks havoc (2)
HABAKKUK
God’s ways sometimes don’t seem fair (1)
Sometimes violence seems overwhelming (1-2)
God’s people must exercise hope-filled faith (2:1-4; 3:17-19)
God’s majesty sometimes breaks through (3)
We can trust God’s justice is perfect
ZEPHANIAH
Wicked people and nations eventually get punished
Gathering with God’s people fosters encouragement (3)
God has international concerns (2)
HAGGAI
Prosperity can have its drawbacks (1-2)
God wants his people to put him first (1)
Lack of prosperity might be tied to lack of God priority (1)
ZECHARIAH
God communicates in very varied ways (1-6)
The Bible has a messianic message (9)
Someday God will personally reign over the whole earth (14:9)
MALACHI
God wants our best (1)
Giving is an index of priorities (3)
Judgment is coming (4)
Copyright 1987 Jim Townsend. Highlights of the Hebrew Bible. Used with permission. May not be further reproduced. All rights reserved.
Comments (27)
That’s a great list.
Wow! I have never seen a list like this one! This is good!
P.S. It’s amazing that we can learn so many things from the Old Testament!
This is pretty cool!! Thanks for sharing it!
Blessings to you today and hopes for getting those
year end reports done!! I remember them well!
Thank you for sharing this. I am going to copy it and keep it in my bible so I can glance at it while I am in a busy filled day and be reminded of how big our God is, it will help me to magnify the Lord and not the circumstances. Thanks again.
Have you ever thought the Bible seems somewhat beyond the scope of reality? I have grown cynical in my old age, and I am having big problems maintaining my faith, because the older I get the more the Bible moves into the Fantasy category at the local library.
@wishiwsthr -
I am so glad you came to my site. I went exploring to read what you have to share and wanted to give you a few thoughts. It is funny, but the older I get the stronger my faith is, and I was very cynical about God in my early years. As I explore the Bible, which is the Word of God, more and more, I find that it focuses reality – and some of what we think of is reality pales under the truth of the Bible.
On your blog you write, “I fail miserably at reaching a soulful connection with God. I have participated in a few Christian faiths, and have felt God’s presence when I was young; some people carry this feeling their whole lives. The feeling is real and it is what enables faith. Faith is what enables people to believe in a supreme being who fails to make any effort whatsoever to establish any observable evidence of Its existence.”
And it made me think about what faith is. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” We learn that God spoke the universe into existance, it was not felt or seen until God spoke it into existence. Faith is not about feelings – sometimes I wish it was, faith is a choice – we choose to trust God by faith. Often we do not see or feel anything when we do that – it sure goes against our logical thinking, but we choose to believe even when we don’t see it.
If your postman leaves a receipt in your mailbox, and you had ordered something from a mail order company, you believe that you have the package at the post office, even though you don’t see it. You may get excited about that package, but you haven’t touched it, you just have a piece of paper that says there is a package there. You won’t actually touch it until you go to the post office by faith and hand over that receipt to receive your package.
The Bible is like that, it shows us the promises of God. Most people think, “I’ll have faith once I see God work in my life.” But it is the opposite that is true, that we have faith, then we see God work.
I pray that God opens up your eyes to see His impact in your life. I am impressed with your description of Creation, and I know that to see that, you have to have faith there. The Bible in Romans states that we can infer the existence of the creator because of the wonders of creation. But it sure sounds like there is some hurt there, where you expected God to do something and He didn’t. So I am wondering what led to you becoming cynical? Is there any way I can pray for you? You are welcome to message me in private if you would rather.
Heather
Excellent reference to the Old Testement! But question the reference on the Song of Solomon.
Thanks Heather, wonderful blog!
This is an awesome resource and definitely a keeper! Yours is a good response above, Heather, to wishiwsthr. I know that until I personally trusted in Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and received the wisdom of the in-dwelling Holy Spirit who illuminates Scripture to us, the Bible did not make a whole lot of sense. So the first step of faith needs to be putting our faith in Jesus, who died on the cross in my place for my sins! No? God bless, ~ Pete
Thanks for your messages.
Thanks for sharing.
Happy May Day! :0)
Blesssings to you.
@Evangelist_Guy - Yep, I didn’t think much of God and Jesus until I learned about them and could put my faith in them.
Heather
@del1968 - What question about Song of Solomon? I think that there is the physical element, but there is also the spiritual component of the Bride and her Beloved.
Heather
Hi there! Looong time! This is a very very good resource! My son in law is a new Christian and I beleive this would help him tremendously! Gosh I am planning on digging around this list myself!
Thanks for sharing it and taking time to get permission to post it!
Kerri
This is great. Thanks for sharing it.
@wondering04 -Thank you for your heatfelt response. You are well versed in your religion, and obviously deeply involved. I am beginning to believe it takes a special type of personality to be that involved. I think it takes a level of concentration and indeed, obsession that I am not capable of. Many people, like yourself, are are so entrenched in their beliefs that it becomes the primary motivation of their lives. There is nothing wrong with that any more than a gold medal athlete obsessed with his/her sport of choice, but it takes a special type of personality to be that person. I literally don’t think I am capable of that level of commitment.
@wishiwsthr - Actually, she says smiling, I am not well versed in a religion, but rather in a relationship, and it did not come easily for me. I spent years saying much the same things you are saying, thinking that people checked their minds at the door when they became Christian, and believing that their beliefs were a magnificient obsession that I wanted nothing to do with. I sort of thought that I could handle things on my own, thank you very much! But the truth of the matter is that my life was a mess when I was trying to handle things on my own, and I really was more in a prison of pain and hurt by doing things “my way” as Dean Martin sings. I used to think that I was the master of my universe, and you do your thing, I do my thing and it is a beautiful thing. That seems so great until you take it to its natural conclusion – here is a silly example – Say you saved all your money to purchase a great car and you love that car, it goes 0 to 60 in a few seconds. Your thing is to own this car. I come along and decide that that may be your thing, but my thing is that I want to have that car, I deserve that car, and I need to do what feels right to me and taking your car feels right to me. So I take it. I suspect you would not say, “Oh well, she has to do her thing.” You would probably call me a car thief and call the police. Where did the concept of thief come from? Where did the idea of stealing come from? There are certain laws and principles inside of us, put there by God, to help us rule our lives so there is no anarchy. Some law and order is necessary for us to have a safe society. It is the same with God and His creation, He knows us so well for He created us, and He knows the laws (Commandments) which will help us to live the best possible lives. So often when I railed against the laws of God it was because I wanted to do something that I knew in my heart God would not like, so I used an excuse and the excuse was that it was their belief, not mine, I would do my own thing. And you are right neither you nor I are capable of the commitment to God on our own, we need God’s help. But guess what, He seeks us out, all we have to do is desire to know Him and let Him rule our lives with His perfect love, and He will. We can’t do it on our own, we mess up too much. But our loving God is there to dust us off when we fall down and help us take a few more faltering steps until we build those spiritual muscles. God really wants to have a relationship with you, and trust me, a relationship is far, far different from a religion. I am curious what type of personality you think that you have that would not let God come into your life? I suspect that you are far more capable of commitment than you think you are.
Heather
Thanks for sharing! Very wonderful! God bless!
That is a great reference piece. I will save it out in my e-mail from the daily reports from Xanga. Thanks, Heather! – Rachel
Thanks Heather, I saved it- is that ok? I apreciate the time,effort you took to share this information. Enjoying my relationship with the ONE TRUE,loving compassionate GOd *peeked a little at your comment to wishi..**
This is great and will be a big help to us all thanks for sharing Gods words with us have a blessed weekend
sandy
@wondering04 - I know the Song of Solomon was written to show how the Shulamite (Solomon, Bride) loved the SHEPERD (JESUS, Groom) and the SHEPERD loved the Shulamite. Our relationship with GOD is spiritual and physical, it was the reference to sex that bothered me. But I remembered that it is beyond pleasure when we become one with the LORD. It is like becoming one with your marriage partner it is physical and spiritual, but much more with GOD who does not need sex to physically be one with us, but is forever one with us spiritually and physically. I understand what you are saying and the reference meant. Just got a little silly about it. GOD opened my mind to it more yesterday when I read the reference and this morning when I was reading the scriptures.
I want the LORD to take me in HIS arms and spin me around, hug me like a FATHER who wants to show HIS daughter how much HE loves her. And I know HE loves me that much and more.
I think it is an excellent reference, all of it. It made me think, pray and listen.
Love,
Della
Della the Bible is an R rated book. It has plenty of violence and it’s share of sex.
Song of Solomon is firstly about the erotic love of a man for a woman and visa versa. I think one of the big conclusions that we can make from this is that God is not embarrassed about sex. He invented it. In the proper place it is beautiful.
One thing about the original Reformed giants, Calvin and Luther for examples, that I can enthusiastically agree was their almost unanimous embracing of the joy of sex. They disagreed with Augustine (and others) that sex should only be used for procreation. I so agree. God created it. Sex was created before the fall. It was good.
Hi Heather,
Your devotion is truly impressive. You are genuinely happy, and whether your Christian God is real or not; your belief has improved your life or you would not adhere to your Christian principles. That’s all that matters.
As I said in my thesis; I do believe in a God, a creator, but I can’t get past the fantasy aspect of human created Gods.
The New Testament God is much to my liking, but The Old Testament God, purported to be the same God as in the New Testament is more evil than Satan. He had his chosen people; everybody else in the world were fodder for divine justice. God’s chosen people slaughtered many tribes down to the last woman and child, including the livestock, under God’s injunction. God himself destroyed whole cities. Most of the 10 commandments are punishable by death. Murder and destruction seemed to be an entertaining pastime for God of the Old Testament.
The God of The New Testament is a different entity. The God of “turn the other cheek” does a complete flip flop. The new God gives up on the chosen few and accepts all comers. The almighty perfect God is bipolar it seems. I’m sorry, but the God of the 1st testament is far too cruel for my taste. It makes a good story though. All those horrible people deserved to die I’m sure, or God would not have had them killed. Who can question divine judgment?
God’s behavior in the 1st Testament is that of a narcissistic, sanctimonious, sadistic, racist, homicidal maniac. Adam and Eve committed such an unpardonable sin, that all their descendents (the whole human race) are being punished for thousands of years. We’re still waiting for the final Grand punishment when we nonbelievers will be slaughtered like locusts. Of course in this fantasy, God refuses to give us nonbelievers any incontrovertible evidence of its existence.
I’m not trying to dissuade you from your beliefs. I’m only explaining the huge obstacle a pragmatic faithless person has to overcome to enjoy your level of commitment.
I have some very good friends who are devout Christians, who try to convert me on a regular basis. They are very intelligent people, smarter than me by far. Intelligence does not seem to play a role in faith. People from all walks of life engage in devout religion. There is a niche in our minds that craves religion. Religion is a part of humanity. Virtually every civilization with any written or spoken history engages in some form of religion.
I have not found my spiritual refuge yet, but I’m sure it’s out there. The biggest problem with My God Theory, is that it is too impersonal; it does no allow for a spiritual relationship with the creator. I’ll have to keep working on it.
I know that my skepticism will not distract you from your faith or I would not explain myself as I have. Devotion and love is blind, and there is little I could do to dissuade you from your principals, even if I cared to try. Faith is what you have and I don’t, and it is what enables your belief. I believe I have a physical short circuit that has disabled my faith mechanism, and I think it was caused by years of alcoholism, though that is just a guess on my part. I have been sober for many years now, and I have noticed my level of concentration has taken a severe plunge compared with my prealcoholic self. Maybe that has something to do with it, who knows. Anyway, thank you for your interest, and your time.
Brad
@wishiwsthr - Actually, it is not just MY Christian God, but He is God available to anyone who wants to ask Him into their lives, and that includes you. The nature of His great love is that He will not force someone to accept Him, so you are free to choose Him or to reject Him. The problem comes in that there are consequences to rejecting Him that are far reaching into the ages of ages. It is not a decision to take lightly.
Your comments regarding God in the Old Testament mirror some that I used to think before I began to know Him. Yes, I thought He was rather cruel and exclusive, but as I learn more about Him, I realize that that is not how He is. Perhaps you need to re-read the Old Testament from start to finish to get the whole picture. But here are a few key points. Man, Adam and Eve, chose to disobey God, and their disobedience brought the evil in the world that we know. We are children of these disobedient parents, and because of that, we too mirror what our parents did. You may think that is not the case, but how many times have you seen children who have been abused turn around and abuse others, etc.
Yes, God chose one tribe – a heathen, gentile tribe to begin His work of restoration. And from that tribe – Abraham, the Israelites were born, but also we who accept Jesus are also related to God through this tribe of heathens. It was not God’s purpose or plan to be exclusive to the Israelites, He was going to use them as an example of what having God in your life can be – so that others would be enticed into the goodness of God. But the Israelites got a bit misdirected. So often in life, what is attributed to God is really human error. God gives us the free will, and sometimes those who have free will mess up, and who gets the blame? God, but it is not God, it is the humans who represent God that mess up.
These nomads who God was forming into His people were rather rough and tumble, and God had to begin to temper their violence. In their day and time they thought nothing of killing in revenge, and God toned it down to an eye for an eye, etc. Jesus went further and told people to love their enemies, bless those who cursed them. We are being refined by God over time, but even so there is still much dross in us.
You are right the ten commandments are punishable by death. And the sad news is they are still punishable by death – maybe not stoning, but if we commit sin and do not have a savior, we die a spiritual death for all eternity. Sin kills – it sometimes starts out sweet, but the end result is always pain, suffering and death.
You are right, there were tribes who were so evil that they needed to be destroyed. I am a peaceable person who loves and is gentle (people tell me that) but if someone broke in my house and was going to hurt my children, you would see me fight to the death for my children. God is a protective parent, He is also longsuffering and patient. Yes, He has called for destruction of tribes, but often after hundreds of years hoping that people will change, and when they do, He says His hand even for evil ones like the Philistines. Read the little book of Jonah and see that for yourself. If you discover a family of rats in your kitchen, you kill the mother, father and children, so that they do not continue to multiply and overrun your house and home.
God has given ample proof of His existence, and has waited long with a lot of evil going on. Look at Adam and Eve, yes their children also sinned, Cain and Abel, were not stellar. And all the other descendants committed crimes too. No one lived a pure life after Adam and Eve. We can’t in our own strength.
Brad, I did not like God for many years, went so far as to hate Him and think that He was everything you are saying He is, but now that I know Him, I realize how wrong I was about Him. I sure pray that one day your eyes are opened to see God as He is. My pastor, if you go to the link on In His Name Ministries, and go to the publications page, has a book called Not Forsaken, Healing the Father Wound which you can read for free at the following link: http://www.ihnministries.org/NotForsaken.pdf I think it may help you to see that God is not who you think He is. It helped me. The kinds of things you are saying lead me to believe that you have had a tough time with father figures in your life, as I did. And in order to really know God, that has to be cleared up. Perhaps reading this book with an open mind may help.
I know that you have a spiritual refuge for the asking – just Asking Jesus to be Lord of your life, but that is a choice you have to make. A relationship with God is a two way street, you also need to let Him into your life. You do have faith, you were given faith when you were born, but it needs to be exercised. I am glad you are sober for some time now, and I know that God will help with that. You would be surprised at how many in our church could make the same claim, sober from drugs and alcohol and other addictions. God is there for you, and I pray one day you do as I did, and give God one more chance – with an open mind.
Have a blessed day, and thank you so much for sharing from your heart. You may want to read my testimony to see my search for God. http://www.xanga.com/item.aspx?user=wondering04&tab=weblogs&uid=362906464 You will find that I went through much of what you are going through in my search. I pray that God reaches your heart.
Please keep sharing and asking questions, I am learning so much by thinking of what you are asking.
Heather
Holy Moly Heather, How in the world did such a perfect being as the Christian God create such an imperfect race of people that it takes thousands of years to bring them around to appropriate behavior? Those heathen Jews were so awful that God couldn’t even bring them around? I am better at training my dog than God is at training people. OK, lets say that God created humans and we didn’t turn out exactly as he had intended. Let’s say that some of us went so far off the path of righteousness that they had to be exterminated to keep them from tainting the rest of the herd (kind of like Mad Cow Disease). Sounds like He should kill all humans and start from scratch.
I know there is plenty in the Bible that is inspiring, good, and righteous; you and others like you are testament to the positive aspects of the Bible. I will go to your recommended links and see if that’s any help.
Brad
@wishiwsthr - Holy Moly Brad (she says smiling) I am glad that God created man with the ability to choose – if we did not have the free will to choose, we would be like robots of Stepford type people. It is true, that many have chosen the wrong course. But it is not just Christians. Take a bit of time and research the tribes that God took exception to and you will find that they were brutish. Just like you think about what you want to believe about God, did not the Jews also have that consideration, but to their credit they held onto much of their beliefs. Hebrew is the only dead language that has been revived. God has been training us, and I have seen the effects of His loving training in my life and in the lives of others that have given their lives over to God’s guidance. But there are those who have not done so and yes, they do do evil. I know evil first hand. But if we are honest, we have all done evil, even if it is seemingly innoculous like stealing a pen from work, and many have done far worse than that. Those who do not know God, have done many more atrocities. The Mollock worshippers would burn babies in the arms of a steel idol, and beat drums to drown out the screams of the babies. Let’s face it, there are no good humans, we gave our lives over to the enemy, and the only way to redeem them is through Jesus Christ. God loved us so much that He sent His son, a perfect sacrifice, to atone for our sins. Jesus rose from the dead and gave us His Holy Spirit to guide us as we learn to walk more like Him.
The Bible is a book that can be very beneficial in learning how not to act, as much as how to act. God did not mince words. I often tell my teenagers that they would do better by learning from someone elses’ example than in the school of hard knocks. God did not shy away from showing the good, the bad and the ugly. His hope is that we can learn how not to be as much as we learn how to be. Because it is in the Bible does not mean that God condones the behavior, and if you read in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John the teachings of Jesus you will see that He holds people to a higher level of accountability than even the Jews did. For example in adultery it is not just not having an extramarital affair, but even just looking at another with lust.
God and Jesus have a simple principle, it is LOVE. And all of the law and all of the prophets can be summed up in that word LOVE. But love is not always touchy, feely kind of love. I love my kids passionately, but I also require certain standards of behavior from them, do not permit them to eat three meals of candy and snack foods a day – I insist on a healthy diet, etc. My kids do not like it when I don’t permit them certain things because I want them focused on schoolwork, but then they are happy with their grades.
And the truth of the matter is that a loving father does judge His children, and God will judge. Jesus spoke of love the most frequently, the next topic in frequency was hell. There is a hell, and there will be a judgment, a fair and loving judgment. But we have an advocate in Jesus if we accept Him. If we decide to try and face judgment by our works alone, we will fail. None of us have led perfect lives. God created us perfect, but with free will. Man used his free will to disobey God. God had to give man free will or else how could man freely choose to love God? It isn’t love if it is programmed in. Yet, God loved us so much that from the beginning of time, He already had a plan in place for our redemption, should we fail. Now that is true love.
What it boils down to is choice. To not choose is also making a choice (albeit passive choice). And as Bob Dylan sings, “You’ve got to serve someone.” I choose to serve God, not satan. And there is a wonderful difference when we choose to serve God. He will only require things that are for our own good. Satan delights in taking down those who choose to serve him, and they do not fare very well. I prefer the loving guidance of God.
Heather