Hi Comatose.
The answer I gave... that not everything that man attributes to God is actually God... is part of my answer to your query in the OP. On top of that, man does not interpret everything as it should be interpreted, because of how it is written... because there are errors that come into play, from the scribes (those who took down the words; those who copied them, certainly those who translated from one language to another... considering also how words and phrases and customs change through time) Those errors and misunderstandings get passed on from generation to generation, distorting what was meant.
If one wants to know God, then one MUST look at His Son... who is His Image (meaning see Christ, see God) This is the only accurate way that we have of knowing God.
Thta said, and just so that no one thinks I am dodging the question... since I helped this go off topic:
1. Kills all of Egypts firstborn sons, who were innocent kids who did nothing to him or his people, who had no control over the decisions Pharoah made. How many times have you read that account or thought about it without realizing the devastating pain dealt to all those parents, and remembered those were innocent kids?
First... I'm not worried about the parents at all. IF you recall... egypt killed all the male children of Israel. Their blood cried out to God. Israel had not gone around killing any of Egypt... but Egypt enslaved them, mistreated them, caused the death of many... AND... Pharoah at one point had all the newborn males murdered. Egypt put their faith in Pharoah, and did nothing to stop his decrees. So egypt shares in that sin.
Second... firstborn son does not necessarily mean child. A husband or father or adult can be the firstborn in a house. Just for the sake of accuracy.
Third... Pharoah was considered a god to his people. Never mind all the warning that God gave to Pharoah... and the even harsher treatement of God's people that resulted. When God allowed death to enter Egypt... His people were not harmed, at least not as long as they put faith in Him, and placed the lamb's blood over the doorstop.
Those whose faith was in Pharoah... reaped the protection against death that this 'god' could give. Which was none.
This account is also a foreshadowing for us.
Death could not touch anyone in the house of those who placed the blood of the lamb on their doors. Just as death has no authority over those who have the blood of the lamb (Christ) covering them... whose blood protects them and those who are in their 'house'. (they and their house/family/children are covered; which is contrary to the wts teaching which would have a mother resurrected to paradise, but her children killed... where is the joy in that?)
If the egyptians had listened and put their faith in God, putting lambs blood on their doors... death would have passed their house by also. (some may have done this, as it is)
2. Some kids jeer at a prophet and so using Holy Spirit the prophet calls a bear to shred 42 of them. A bit extreme? The WT explanation says their parents were bad and didn't respect Jehovah or his prophet, this was a lesson for them. Again, easily overlooked is the terrible pain and anguish at the loss of a child. Why not kill the parents or smite them with a plague? Why the kids?
This did not happen. Something may have happened (coincidentally), or something mighit have happened that got exaggerated into a tale told to frighten youths into behaving and showing respect. Though even if it had happened as written... Elijah would have been the one to take issue with on this account. it might simply be a tale told to frighten youths into... but if it did, Elijah is the one you would have to take this up with.
3. David sins with Bathsheeba, god kills the baby as punishment. In fact, the bible he struck it a blow and that it suffered for a week prior to dying. WT says this was a loving thing to do since David was worthy of death, lovingly god spared him. Screw the child though.
I am going to say that i don't know what is up with this, or what might be true. I have thought that people may simply have attributed the sickness and death of this child TO God, becasue of the sin of David.
It has happened before that people attribute the death of someone to God (as in God struck the person down), when it was natural consequences of something else.
4. The flood, would have killed untold numbers of children.
The flood is another matter... as in there were other things at play in this, and that without it, worse things would happen. None of us would be here, for one thing. But i do not know all the details. I do know that there are things that man does not understand on this matter. It was not a punishment.
5. He instructed the Israelites to let your heart not show mercy and to strike even the little ones as they fought their battles. In one case they bring back young ones and some grandmothers. He then has them kill the grandmas and baby boys, but they get to keep the 32k virgin girls. Odd.
We know that God did not instruct the Israelites to do this... because it is against what Christ shows us about God.
6. Achin sins by stealing and his whole family is put to death. You think a little kid living back then in those adult and male dominated times would have been able to do anything about their dad stealing?
You have caught me unaware ; ) I don't know this account. Can you cite it?
Regardless mind you, God does not punish the child for the sins of the father... and we also know that the Israelites did do this, and thought it was just. But God corrected them... as someone highlighted at the top of page two or three of this thread.
Peace,
tammy
