It might help you to go back to the basics, as it were, and take a closer look at the origins of the book we know as the Bible, and more specifically the "Old Testament". An excellent introduction to this topic is Richard Friedman's Who Wrote the Bible? Consider this: Moses, according to tradition, wrote the first five books of the Bible. Yet, that would mean that Moses called himself the "meekest man", something that a meek man probably would not do. Also, there are two different occasions where Moses has to get water for the people:
"But in Numbers xx, under the marginal date 1453 B.C. (that is, 38 years later), the same or a very similar story is told again, but differently. For "then came the children of Israel into the desert of Zin [instead of Sin], in the first month," and stopped at Kadesh; and "there was no water for the congregation"; so they wailed and rioted again, because they and their cattle were like to die. This time Yahveh told Moses to take his rod and go with Aaron to a certain rock, and "speak ye to the rock" -- instead of using the rod to smite it. But Moses was annoyed this time, and he meekly yelled at the Israelites: "Hear now, ye rebels" (xx, 10), and instead of gently speaking to the rock, as Yahveh had commanded, he "lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice," and the waters gushed forth abundantly.
"But now Yahveh was angry with Moses and Aaron, and he said to them: "Because ye have not believed me, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them"; and the sacred writer informs us: "This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with Yahveh" (xx, 13). Here we have the desert of Sin and the desert of Zin, and two waters Meribah, but thirty-eight years apart, and each with entirely different circumstances; which was which let him unravel who is curious. In either event, so far as revealed, this is about all the water that the millions of Chosen and their millions of cattle had to drink in the terrible wilderness for almost forty years."
From Is It God's Word? by Joseph Wheless
Dave
What Chance Do You Think You Have?
by Legolas 15 Replies latest watchtower bible
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PrimateDave
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Legolas
The heinous crime that Moses commited was when the ppl were (moaning) for water, he banged his fist on a rock and said "ill give you water" instead of saying JEHOVAH will give you water.........................he deserved everything he got if you ask me.
LOL....I don't know but isn't that just the wt's version?
If that really is why he was punished.....I don't think ANYONE would have a chance....I mean talk about your walking on egg shells!
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Highlander
If there is a god and the watchtower has the correct version of god, then I would rather die than to serve such a god.
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moshe
Maybe, God wants us to forgive Him, when the time comes. For not stopping any disaster, plague or war from killing us. And for not answering our prayers. Perhaps of all the creation in His Universe, only Man has sought Him out.
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XU
Oh yeah Moshe, that's a sweet thought. Hey Lawrence: do you use Dr. Bronner's soap? All One! I love that soap. The god of the witnesses pretty much hates me. Likewise, if he is reality, I disapprove and don't want anything to do with him or his sick experiment. I prefer to belive we are all pieces of the source working itself out in infinite forms. Thank goodness I got to jump tracks in the middle of my life!
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Scully
The thing about "god" is that he is rumored to be this all-loving, all-forgiving, bigger-and-better-than-the-rest-of-us kind of entity. He is supposed to have created us, and therefore have a supreme understanding of our human flaws and failings. We are supposed to reflect his qualities of love, justice, and wisdom.
And yet, when we fall short or become angry with "god" for circumstances beyond our control (ie, "god" is assumed to be in control of things beyond our control), all of a sudden he can't handle us being angry with him?
That just doesn't pass the smell test for me.