reply to post by WarminIndy
Thanks for the reply - and I enjoyed your post - though I disagree.
I agree wholeheartedly that "we are going to have to accept that there are things about God that are very hard to take". That's absolutely true.
God commanded, for example, the obliteration of entire tribes and races during the Hebrew conquest of Caanan. That's a difficult thing to accept,
for many.
HOWEVER...
I believe that this, and other instances like it, are all events that have logical, purposeful,
good explanations. In the instance of Caanan,
for example, the Genesis 6:4 event explains a great deal. God called for the destruction of the inhabitants of Caanan because they were interbreeding
with fallen angels, and so on (not to mention the fact that he gave them 400 years to repent).
My point, then, is this.
I am in no way suggesting that God doesn't judge. The Bible says "our God is a consuming fire", and for good reason. But what I am suggesting is
that God is a RIGHTEOUS judge, and is therefore good. Likewise, God, in numerous occasions in Scripture, gets angry. But God's anger is not like
our own anger. Scripture says "in your anger, do not sin". This is odd, isn't it. Many people think anger IS sin - but it isn't. It certainly
leads that way for each of us though, doesn't it! So there again, God may be angry, but He is righteous in doing so, and therefore good.
Now, with that said, there are some things that the Bible just doesn't tell us. It doesn't elaborate much on why God sent an evil spirit to Saul,
for example, or on why Ananias and Sapphira deserved instant death for lying, when the rest of us aren't held accountable in that same way. What the
BIble does say, though, is that God is righteous, just, consistent, and GOOD. ...so whatever His ways, whatever His purposes, they're good.
Don't make the mistake of assuming that because God judges (e.g. with an earthquake against Israel, or by sending snakes among the camp, as you
quote) that He is therefore not good. In each of those instances, using your examples, God did these things in judgement, because Israel had sinned;
not against each other, but against HIM.