Re: Please rationalise Numbers 31 in light of a loving god?
Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 2:03 pm
Sin entered the world and then death.rare96ws6 wrote:No point in continuing? Why? I asked a simple question, although from the comments it seems it is a tough one to rationalize. You are not debating an atheist here who cares nothing for the Bible and understanding it. I would never do such a thing as murder a child or anyone for that matter. You misinterpret what I wrote if you think I want to go against what God's commandments are. I simply stated that sinning once seems the lesser of two evils compared to my child ending up in Hell for eternity. Wouldn't you agree?
If a Christian did such a thing, they could repent and ask for God's forgiveness as the Bible states we should do. It seems more cruel to allow a child to grow up and then end up in hell if they did not come to God, then to murder them before they reach the age of accoutability. This is really troubling to me, not some off the wall comment to poke fun at Christains. I grew up in a Christain home and now as an adult, trying to find the truth, I have such questions.
Your argument, or question, does not deal with this issue. The fallen world in which we live is not God's fault but ours - we make it so. That is but one reason from many why premeditated murder is wrong. Now look at this bible passage...
2 Kings 23:10, "And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech." NKJV
This passage describes the ancient religious practice of offering up an infant or child in order to gain power from Baal deities. Such would burn a child alive. This practice was forbidden by God. Yet, according to you, this is a noble practice worthy to do...
The problem is with us not God. Think of God and how he freely gave us reason and intelligence - any denial of these to us would prove that God is indeed not all powerful enough to work with and even through our own decisions and choices even when these are wrong. Being able to do so indeed proves great God's great justice, omnipotence, and love true.
We likewise have to work through our own decisions and guide our children towards God leaving to them that decision for our own offspring to decide upon. This is fair. Denying that is not. Due to sin, children die. God's grace has a special place for them but he also holds one to account for denying them the ability to come into their own being. He sees what they could become; we cannot, either for bad or good.
You seem to be more concerned about rationalizing a way of escaping the judgment and justice of God by using children in your argument. If humanity would not have fallen into sin — this would not even be an issue.
God hates the killing of children because it denies them life — something even God will not do as the scriptures clearly teach. Though we all will die a mortal death and our life is like spilt water upon the ground which we cannot gather back up again. God does not take away life. He placed eternity into our hearts. He is a God of the living and not the dead. God will not deny himself.
Due to sin, it banishes us away from God, forever; yet, God provides a way (the cross) in which some of the banished ones can return to him and be restored back into fellowship with His light all through Jesus Christ. The choice is before us all — remain banished because that is what you desire above all else or return back to the Lord to be made pure again on His terms — not ours.
You think the killing of children spares them hell and thus a good thing; yet, you deny them life and that life cries against your own soul in the Day of Judgment. A person sends themselves to Hell by their own choices. The idea you entertain about justifying killing children testify against you and the evil within you as it seeks to kill, rob, and destroy in ways that slanders God in order to bring Him disrespect. I hope I misread your statements but if not — that is a vulgar idea and needs reported to the police.
Malachi 2:15, “Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.” ESV
A person sends themselves to Hell. God sends warnings and pleadings to people in various ways to return to him. For that you find fault with God? One way God pleads is found in how we raise our children so they will come to know the Lord. It is not cruel to allow a child to grow up to become their own being.
Also not allowing them life in many various ways such as neglect, abuse, crushing the spirit, etc, is just as bad as well. That is contrary to God's ways and original intent. According to what I am hearing you say is this: It would be far better for God to just wipe of humanity altogether into non-existence than have a place called hell. Is this correct?
If so, you need to wake up and realize that such claims seek to tempt God to deny himself, his word, his gifts, his callings… Tragic and as painful is the death of a little one, it is due to human sin and it effects, or even the outcome of natural disasters, or disease — despite all this, it is comforting to know where they'll be.
Question is for us who linger — will we be meeting them again in Heaven or found like a beast? The real cruelty is for human beings to justify the slaughter of our little ones which just proves the real beast of sin one has become. .
Ecclesiastes 3:18, “I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts.” ESV
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