Food for thought.

nowuask

This was taken from the book study last week:

In ancient Israel, there were no prisons as we know them today. Were they not slaves for over 400 years? Today?s jails people are slaves.

God?s people were to wage war, not to satisfy a mere lust for power or conquest, but to act as God?s agents in "Wars of Jehovah." Then why did not Jehovah use his angles to do his wars? He had one angle kill 185,000 men in one night. What a kind God we have; he uses humans, that he loves, in war to kill each other.

A newly married man was exempt for a full year so that before embarking upon such hazardous service, he might see an heir born. In this way, the Law explained, the young husband would be able to make his new wife "rejoice." Rejoice how? Have a kid then go off to war & get killed? I really would not look forward to that.

Makes no since.

kwintestal

It makes as much sence as Gideon's 300 men defeating 135,000 invaders, yet 1,000,000 Isrealites couldn't defeat Egypt, and so ran like little wimps, traping themselves between Pharoh's army and the Red Sea, and then still not fighting them.

Gopher

In ancient Israel, there were no prisons as we know them today.

But according to the chronicles, they had "cities of refuge" where a "manslayer" could flee and, if he could outrun the "avenger of blood", stand trial and remain safe there until the death of the high priest. So ... doesn't it seem that if the family merely ACCUSED you of the death, they could exact their own vengeance? And how is it fair that the person who could run faster would have the better outcome?

God?s people were to wage war, not to satisfy a mere lust for power or conquest, but to act as God?s agents in "Wars of Jehovah."

So when the nation of Israel went to war, it was a good thing. But when the surrounding nations did, they were lusting for conquest. Yeah right. Many radical Islamic leaders claim their wars are good and those of the "free world" and modern Israel are evil. Just because a holy book says that the wars of its people are justified -- it isn't necessarily so.

Then why did not Jehovah use his angles to do his wars? He had one angle kill 185,000 men in one night.

That would be logical, if the story about 185,000 soldiers being killed overnight is true. Is there any historical verification of this event, or is it just that we must take the Bible as accurate and 100% historical?

What a kind God we have; he uses humans, that he loves, in war to kill each other.

Good question. If the Creator is as ferocious as the "Jehovah" depicted in the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures), that's a very scary thought. I'd prefer to think he's not that way at all.

Narkissos

In ancient Israel, there were no prisons

B*llsh!t... Prisons are not mentioned as such in the Torah (even though they are implied in Leviticus 24:12 and Numbers 15:34), which is a late work written under Persian rule, but in the monarchical times there were prisons.

1 Kings 22:27:

Thus says the king: Put this fellow in prison, and feed him on reduced rations of bread and water until I come in peace.

2 Chronicles 16:10:

Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the stocks, in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties on some of the people at the same time.

Cf. also Jeremiah 37.

In the Persian period imprisonment is explicitly prescribed by the empire ruler:

Ezra 7:26:

All who will not obey the law of your God and the law of the (Persian) king, let judgment be strictly executed on them, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of their goods or for imprisonment.

seven006

The entire bible was not written to make sense. It's target market is people who toss out anything that makes sense and rely on faith and emotion to buy into it's mythical stories. People who like to make sense out of things, don't believe the bible is a logical and reliable guide in their life. Life may not seem to be as warm and fussy at times without all the myths, but it is a lot more logical to make sense out of.