Genesis--Why were certain things permitted

[Rachel72]

I am wondering why there are so many things that would be called sin today, so prevalent and accepted in the Biblical days.

For instance, Abimilech's two daughters had sex with him after they got him drunk, so they carry on their heritage. I think they had to run away to a cave or something of that nature. And no one was there but the three of them.

What about servants that Abraham have? And others... Were they slaves who had no choice but to be a slave, or were there servants who made this their source of income? And if they had no choice, why was this allowed? Why would Abraham, God's favored one, allow himself to have servants/slaves?

It seems that if any of these things happened today, they would clearly be called sin. Was it called sin back in their time?

[Hunterpoet]

I missed the verse where these things were not called sin.

[Trusting Jesus]

God uses us all in spite of our shortcomings. Those men and women whose lives we are told about were just sinners like us. When Abraham was called he and his family did not know the God who called him. God called him and established the covenant with him. It wasn't until many generations later when Moses received the Law from God. In that Law God set down the rules for who could marry whom and as for slavery, the laws governing the treatment of a slave were set out, too. Slavery was not like what we think of as slavery. Slaves were not to be mistreated and in many cases it was a way of paying debt. You can read in Exodus and in Deuteronomy about the rules governing slavery.

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Nathele

[MorningGlory]

I am wondering why there are so many things that would be called sin today, so prevalent and accepted in the Biblical days.

For instance, Abimilech's two daughters had sex with him after they got him drunk, so they carry on their heritage. I think they had to run away to a cave or something of that nature. And no one was there but the three of them.

What about servants that Abraham have? And others... Were they slaves who had no choice but to be a slave, or were there servants who made this their source of income? And if they had no choice, why was this allowed? Why would Abraham, God's favored one, allow himself to have servants/slaves?

It seems that if any of these things happened today, they would clearly be called sin. Was it called sin back in their time?

Wasn't that Lot's two daughters who committed the sin of incest with their father? I believe this was when the destruction of Sodom occurred.

[Rachel72]

Yes, you are right. I am sorry to confuse anyone. As I began reading again, last nite, I did notice it was Lot's two daughters that lay with him and got him drunk.

[Rachel72]

I missed the verse where these things were not called sin.

Just looking for answers, not a sarcastic remark...

[Rachel72]

God uses us all in spite of our shortcomings. Those men and women whose lives we are told about were just sinners like us. When Abraham was called he and his family did not know the God who called him. God called him and established the covenant with him. It wasn't until many generations later when Moses received the Law from God. In that Law God set down the rules for who could marry whom and as for slavery, the laws governing the treatment of a slave were set out, too. Slavery was not like what we think of as slavery. Slaves were not to be mistreated and in many cases it was a way of paying debt. You can read in Exodus and in Deuteronomy about the rules governing slavery.

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Nathele

Thank you, Nathele. So they were not enslaved for their heritage? The servants seemed to have been treated well. I am only in Genesis 23.

Someone commented on the Moabites and Ammonites. In your reply, sounds like something not good. Can you explain?

Thank you all who answered my questions with great thought. Much appreciated.

[MorningGlory]

Wasn't that Lot's two daughters who committed the sin of incest with their father? I believe this was when the destruction of Sodom occurred.

Yep, and we know what the fruit of that union brought

Moabites

Ammonites

What are those? Well, I know they have to be people but I have not heard of them.

[Trusting Jesus]

God uses us all in spite of our shortcomings. Those men and women whose lives we are told about were just sinners like us. When Abraham was called he and his family did not know the God who called him. God called him and established the covenant with him. It wasn't until many generations later when Moses received the Law from God. In that Law God set down the rules for who could marry whom and as for slavery, the laws governing the treatment of a slave were set out, too. Slavery was not like what we think of as slavery. Slaves were not to be mistreated and in many cases it was a way of paying debt. You can read in Exodus and in Deuteronomy about the rules governing slavery.

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Nathele

Thank you, Nathele. So they were not enslaved for their heritage? The servants seemed to have been treated well. I am only in Genesis 23.

Someone commented on the Moabites and Ammonites. In your reply, sounds like something not good. Can you explain?

Thank you all who answered my questions with great thought. Much appreciated.

The Moabites and the Ammonites were tribes that caused the Israelites many problems (when you get into I & II Samuel, I & II Kings, etc these names will pop up a lot). But, there were also some good that came of these. For instance Ruth was a Moabite and she was King Davids great-grandmother, and so listed in the linage of Jesus.

As you read through your Bible there will be some "dry" places such as Leviticus. But if you really pay attention as you read you can learn so much. What you are reading in Genesis - the people and the places - are mentioned later, too. So try to remember them and it really makes everything sort of come together as one story, rather than just random stories about random people and places.

Remember that God had not given His Law to the Israelites yet in Genesis. When the Israelites were in slavery in Egypt it was bad....very bad. Included in God's Law is quite a bit about how to treat slaves. Many times slavery was in payment of a debt....there were no bankruptcy courts! After the time served to pay the debt, the slave went free. But the slaves weren't to be treated bad. Also, it was in the Law where the laws pretaining to marraige were given. Abraham married his half-sister, Sarah! God blessed this union, though, because they had Isaac. And yes, the incident with Lot and his two daughters. I really don't think God smiled on this.

My Sunday school class is studying through the Old Testament and I am enjoying it. This is the first time I have slowed down to read and to check the cross-references. I also like to go onto http://www.blueletterbible.org. I read the commentaries available there as well as look up words in the concordance and also the maps they have on there are good. We have made it up to King David (tomorrow he will take the throne because last week King Saul just died). I have learned a lot from this study - things that I just hadn't taken the time to think about and study about before.

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Nathele

[Guest LadyC]

I missed the verse where these things were not called sin.

Just looking for answers, not a sarcastic remark...

i don't think it was meant as sarcastic. you referred to it as "permitted" in scripture.... implying that it was not sin back then. the fact is, it was NOT permitted, and WAS a sin. scripture is history, and describes many acts of sin. that doesn't mean God condones it.

and slavery back then was not the same as what we think of slavery today. nor was it permanent. an endentured servant (slave) was employed by a slave owner for no more than 7 years as repayment for a debt. the slave owner was under strict biblical guidelines as to how to treat their slave during those 7 years. a godly slave owner often retained his servants AFTER the 7 year period, at the choice of the servant himself, who went through a legal process to become a "bond servant" for life.