Guest Hualapai Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 I have stumbled upon some troubling scripture in which God commands his people to kill women and babies in the book of 1 Samuel 15:3. How can this be? Could anyone explain this to me? And how seriously should we take the Old Testament if we are followers of Christ? Peace and blessings, Hualapai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayin jade Posted January 27, 2006 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 44 Topic Count: 6,178 Topics Per Day: 0.87 Content Count: 43,800 Content Per Day: 6.17 Reputation: 11,247 Days Won: 58 Joined: 01/03/2005 Status: Online Share Posted January 27, 2006 Are you a follower of Jesus? To understand verse 3, you should read verse 2. 1Sa 15:2 So says Jehovah of Hosts, I will visit Amalek with what he did to Israel, how he set against him in the way when he came up from Egypt. The Lord said for this one instance, to repay someone who attacked Israel, in the same manner as Amalek attacked, so should Israel attack Amalek. He does not say to always do this with unbelievers. And we should take the OT seriously, and seek to understand it. From Matthew Henry Commentary: God had an ancient quarrel with the Amalekites, for the injuries they did to his people Israel when he brought them out of Egypt. We have the story, Exodus 17:8, etc., and the crime is aggravated, Deuteronomy 25:18. He basely smote the hindmost of them, and feared not God. God then swore that he would have war with Amalek from generation to generation, and that in process of time he would utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek; this is the work that Saul is now appointed to do (1Samuel 15:3): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovedya Posted January 27, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 375 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 11,400 Content Per Day: 1.43 Reputation: 125 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/30/2002 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/14/1971 Share Posted January 27, 2006 Are you a follower of Jesus? To understand verse 3, you should read verse 2. 1Sa 15:2 So says Jehovah of Hosts, I will visit Amalek with what he did to Israel, how he set against him in the way when he came up from Egypt. The Lord said for this one instance, to repay someone who attacked Israel, in the same manner as Amalek attacked, so should Israel attack Amalek. He does not say to always do this with unbelievers. And we should take the OT seriously, and seek to understand it. From Matthew Henry Commentary: God had an ancient quarrel with the Amalekites, for the injuries they did to his people Israel when he brought them out of Egypt. We have the story, Exodus 17:8, etc., and the crime is aggravated, Deuteronomy 25:18. He basely smote the hindmost of them, and feared not God. God then swore that he would have war with Amalek from generation to generation, and that in process of time he would utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek; this is the work that Saul is now appointed to do (1Samuel 15:3): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricH Posted January 27, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 366 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,933 Content Per Day: 1.56 Reputation: 212 Days Won: 1 Joined: 04/21/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted January 27, 2006 The various commands in the Old Testament to kill women, children, animals, and not take spoils should be understood in light of God's holiness. When God gave Israel the land, it was with the understanding that the purpose for HIm giving it to them is so that they could worship him there. They were to be God's distinct people and He was to be their only God. Israel was told that when they conquered the land they were not to leave any remnant of the worship of false God's behing (including people). That is because God knew that if people were left behind, their beliefs and practices would eventually find their way back into Israel's life. As a matter of fact, that is exactly what happened. Israel disobeyed God on several instances and let people survive. They even inter-married with them. Pagan ritual found its way back into Israel's life, and eventually let to them being dispersed from the land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atupak21 Posted January 27, 2006 Group: Nonbeliever Followers: 0 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 26 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/23/2006 Status: Offline Share Posted January 27, 2006 This is the type of passage that makes me doubt the truth of the Bible. I believe in God, but I would never follow a deity who would order something as unarguably evil as this. It disgusts me that people actually try to justify this action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atupak21 Posted January 28, 2006 Group: Nonbeliever Followers: 0 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 26 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/23/2006 Status: Offline Share Posted January 28, 2006 That would be like a rapist who blames God for allowing his victim to draw a Lady Smith revolver and shoot him. Not true. Your situation is involving an actual criminal suffereing for his crime. This Biblical text is an entire race being exterminated for the crimes of their ancestors. Like if white people were suddenly exterminated because of our ancestor's crimes against black people and indians, etc..... That's exactly what I was going to say. The babies were not the ones guilty of these crimes, yet God still demanded their deaths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayin jade Posted January 28, 2006 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 44 Topic Count: 6,178 Topics Per Day: 0.87 Content Count: 43,800 Content Per Day: 6.17 Reputation: 11,247 Days Won: 58 Joined: 01/03/2005 Status: Online Share Posted January 28, 2006 God obviously didn't understand the impressionable age. You arent understanding God. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayin jade Posted January 28, 2006 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 44 Topic Count: 6,178 Topics Per Day: 0.87 Content Count: 43,800 Content Per Day: 6.17 Reputation: 11,247 Days Won: 58 Joined: 01/03/2005 Status: Online Share Posted January 28, 2006 That's exactly what I was going to say. The babies were not the ones guilty of these crimes, yet God still demanded their deaths. No one is without sin. Sin condemns us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayin jade Posted January 28, 2006 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 44 Topic Count: 6,178 Topics Per Day: 0.87 Content Count: 43,800 Content Per Day: 6.17 Reputation: 11,247 Days Won: 58 Joined: 01/03/2005 Status: Online Share Posted January 28, 2006 That's exactly what I was going to say. The babies were not the ones guilty of these crimes, yet God still demanded their deaths. No one is without sin. Sin condemns us. I'm an atheist Ayin. I don't "believe in SIN." so I don't believe in the comdemnation.... matt Well to be honest, I dont believe in your response above either, that they were innocent and God is "guilty". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayin jade Posted January 28, 2006 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 44 Topic Count: 6,178 Topics Per Day: 0.87 Content Count: 43,800 Content Per Day: 6.17 Reputation: 11,247 Days Won: 58 Joined: 01/03/2005 Status: Online Share Posted January 28, 2006 Ok then, why do I get a chance to live and repent, while those babies were murdered, in some cases before they spoke thier first words? In fact, I was apparantly born with Spinal Menengitus, or shortly thereafter contracted it, yet here I am 25 years later. Not only was I not killed for the crimes of my ancestors, at least as bad as the Amalikites, not only was I not killed for sins I hadn't yet committed, but further, I was miraculously healed of the disease I did have. Why? I dont know. Why does anything bad happen? Gods ways are best, even if we dont understand His thinking. Sin is in the world, and things just havent been the same since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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