Was God Cruel in the Old Testament?
A Wing So (蘇穎睿) Sermon Summary
Was God cruel and unreasonable in the Old Testament (OT)? (Joshua 8:24-26, 1Samuel 15:2-3, Deuteronomy 2:34, 2Samuel 6:6-7, and Job 2:3)
It depends on how you define right and wrong.
According to Humanism, a moral compass inside us defines right and wrong. In Confucianism, heaven places this compass (goodness) into us. This compass judges everything, including whether God is cruel. If so, this compass is above God. Note that the moral compass can differ, depending on race and historical time.
Another doctrine is that God determines right and wrong. God reveals His nature to us generally and specifically. Generally, His nature is revealed by His creation (Roman 1:20). Specifically, God reveals His nature through Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3) and the Bible.
Liberal theology accepts the parts of the Bible that can pass through their rationale. Catholics defer to their experts, with the infallible Pope at the top. As for Evangelists, what the Bible says is what God says.
Evangelism accepts there are parts in the Bible we won’t understand (I Corinthians 13:12). Evangelism also accepts many Biblical descriptions as prophecies or precursors of things to come. Many passages in the OT predict and foreshadow Christ’s redeeming sacrifice (Luke 24:44), such as Abraham sacrificing Isaac.
Another set of precursors refers to the end times, when God will establish a new heaven and earth (Eschatology). Technically speaking, such biblical events aren’t “historical” because they aren’t repeatable on earth, while historical events can happen again. Examples include God’s miracles and Christ’s resurrection. Other examples include certain catastrophic events in the OT that demonstrate God’s judgment in the end times. These parts of the Bible aren’t for teaching ethics for the current time but are about the world to come.
In conclusion, if we are the ultimate arbiters of right and wrong, then we might consider some of God’s actions in the OT as cruel. But if God is the ultimate moral authority, then we need to accept God’s total sovereignty in all things—He is the one who decides; may His name be praised whether He gives or takes away (Job 1:21).
Summary of a sermon by Wing So (蘇穎睿)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hkgdlRXJqk
It depends on how you define right and wrong.
According to Humanism, a moral compass inside us defines right and wrong. In Confucianism, heaven places this compass (goodness) into us. This compass judges everything, including whether God is cruel. If so, this compass is above God. Note that the moral compass can differ, depending on race and historical time.
Another doctrine is that God determines right and wrong. God reveals His nature to us generally and specifically. Generally, His nature is revealed by His creation (Roman 1:20). Specifically, God reveals His nature through Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3) and the Bible.
Liberal theology accepts the parts of the Bible that can pass through their rationale. Catholics defer to their experts, with the infallible Pope at the top. As for Evangelists, what the Bible says is what God says.
Evangelism accepts there are parts in the Bible we won’t understand (I Corinthians 13:12). Evangelism also accepts many Biblical descriptions as prophecies or precursors of things to come. Many passages in the OT predict and foreshadow Christ’s redeeming sacrifice (Luke 24:44), such as Abraham sacrificing Isaac.
Another set of precursors refers to the end times, when God will establish a new heaven and earth (Eschatology). Technically speaking, such biblical events aren’t “historical” because they aren’t repeatable on earth, while historical events can happen again. Examples include God’s miracles and Christ’s resurrection. Other examples include certain catastrophic events in the OT that demonstrate God’s judgment in the end times. These parts of the Bible aren’t for teaching ethics for the current time but are about the world to come.
In conclusion, if we are the ultimate arbiters of right and wrong, then we might consider some of God’s actions in the OT as cruel. But if God is the ultimate moral authority, then we need to accept God’s total sovereignty in all things—He is the one who decides; may His name be praised whether He gives or takes away (Job 1:21).
Summary of a sermon by Wing So (蘇穎睿)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hkgdlRXJqk