Alot of people are saying God is cruel for killing the firstborns and animals and people in the ten plagues. But didn't God achieve his goal of making nations and people be in fear of him?
About the ten plagues in Egypt
by runForever 45 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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OneEyedJoe
He achieved his goal (presuming any of the story is true) but was his goal worthy of someone claiming to be the embodiment of love?
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OnTheWayOut
If that was what was to be achieved. I think the flood or the Tower of Babel would have been enough. Just in case, later was Sodom and Gommorah.
But I am not afraid to say He's a real S.O.B.!
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HowTheBibleWasCreated
The firstborn plague is explained in the same chapter Ex12 where Yahweh wanted people to offer their firstborn son... yes it says that...
Therefore the story of the firstborn of Eygpt is just following suit... Micah 6 is famlier to witnesses... every knows verse 8... does anyone read the preceeding verses? Micha offers to offer his forborn son in the verses to Yahweh.
Judges 11 of course states an example of this
The point is although later Jewish editors obscered child sacrifice we know from archeology and the bible (in almost hidden paseges) this happened (Don't get me started on Abraham and Isaac)
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prologos
These stories will only scare people that know about them, believe them. so
is this why bibles were read and copied, printed on movable type presses?, wt preaching scaring them of the latter day Moses, The GB?
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Black Sheep
Exodus 9:5. How could he kill the first born animals when he had already killed them?
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prologos
Black Sheep : good one. overkill, the second death.
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Cold Steel
But didn't God achieve his goal of making nations and people be in fear of him?
In the scriptures, “fear” means more “respect” than terror. The Israelites were like children, always pushing the boundaries of what they could get away with. Pharaoh, on the other hand, had the free agency and the obligation to free the Israelites in conjunction with God’s will. God could have forced him to, but He didn’t. And if Pharaoh and his court refused to release the Israelites from their forced labor, then the Lord chose to inform him of the consequences. As the representative of the people, he most likely was under tremendous pressure from his constituents to keep the Israelites as forced labor. But he had seen what the Lord could do, and he knew that the Lord could deliver. The question most likely in his mind was whether his own gods were somehow testing him and his resolve. At any moment they might move against the god of these slaves and put Him in His rightful position.
When people and animals die, they simply move on to a different location. It’s only the grief of loss for those who remain behind that makes it so unbearable. And the Egyptians had it coming. The Lord warned them and forewarned them. It was only when they saw the southernmost part of the Israelites’ anatomies did they have second thoughts about freeing them.
If God exists, then we must accept the words of the prophets that He is merciful, kind, just, all knowing, all powerful and benevolent. It is God who sets the boundaries of what is good and what is evil; and we’re indeed fortunate that God is good and that the Universe follows suite. In the beginning, men needed discipline in regards to the Sabbath and other various aspects of their religion. In the days of Jesus, when men had gone too far in the other direction. Then Jesus had to remind them that the Sabbath was made for man and not the other way around. In both cases, it was the fear of God that kept the people in line. But the push was ultimately always towards the center. God wanted the people to regard Him as a loving parent, or even a friend. But first He had to win their respect. Admiration, love and faith would follow.
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Doug Mason
Moses is a myth. He never existed. The exodus from Egypt never happened.
Doug
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Cold Steel
And how do you know that Moses was a myth and never existed? I doubt you've ever even made it a course of study. I also question your credentials. If you're an atheist (as I assume you are), I find it highly ironic that you criticize Jews and Christians for believing in God without adequate evidence, yet you throw out the story of Moses without any evidence whatsoever. Are you a historian, archeologist, anthropologist? Wouldn't it be more accurate to say, "I believe that Moses is a myth and that he never existed. I also believe the exodus from Egypt never happened." Saying as you did that it didn't happen and that Moses never existed is a blanket statement of belief and faith on your part. I don't think you've even looked at the issue from the other side. See also this historical narrative .