Yet Another Genocide (well, almost)
Numbers 31:1-18 The LORD said to Moses, "Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people." So Moses said to the people, "Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites and to carry out the LORD's vengeance on them. Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel." So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.
They fought against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and killed every man. Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps. They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.
Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle.
"Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them. "They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the LORD in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the LORD's people. Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.
PERSONAL COMMENTARY
In Did God Approve of the Extermination of Humans?, Dave Miller, Ph.D., gave the following reason for these genocides: "The facts of the matter are that the Canaanites, whom God’s people were commanded to destroy, were destroyed for their own wickedness."
This view is shared by many. However, the above passage does not support this view since somehow the female virgins were not destroyed for their wickedness but were saved for the men of battle. Were the young virgin boys wicked but the girls were not?
10 comments:
Are you saying they should have saved the young virgin boys for the men of battle instead of the girls? :)
http://freethought.mbdojo.com/about_the_bible.html
The above link should provide ample evidence to anyone to despise the Bible, the so-called 'Good Book'.
This is what's so funny about the anti-Bible movement: the assumption that Christians believe God is only love. The Bible clearly states God is wrathful, etc. Just because God punishes the wicked doesn't mean this is grounds to dispute the validity of Scripture!
@ tiny tim - when you compare John 3:16 with the methods God employs to 'punish' the 'wicked', what do you glean about His character? If we are made in His image and likeness, shouldn't we use Him as a role model?
IF there is a God, it's not the Butcher of the Bible.
Use God as a role model? That's not possible. We use Christ as a role model, but not God.
John 3:16 talks about God's love for those who "believe in him" (cp with 3:18-20).
Use God as a role model? That's not possible. We use Christ as a role model, but not God.
So Christ is superior to God? Why did God make is in his own image and likeness, if not to model ourselves on him? And didn't Christ tell us to be perfect like his heavenly father?
What a bizarre situation.
Christ is not superior to God, that's why he's a role model. Christ was human and tempted in all points as we were, God cannot be tempted. Christ is man, God is spirit. Believers can attempt to follow the example of Christ, believers cannot even begin to follow the example of an all-knowing, all-power, creator of the universe.
Christ's life is far, far more relevant to us in terms of a role model then is God's eternal, perfect existence.
It's really not all that difficult to figure out if you were a little more logical and realistic about God's expectations.
@ tiny tim - you said, It's really not all that difficult to figure out if you were a little more logical and realistic about God's expectations.
I'm totally logical. The Bible says that we have to be perfect like God. You are the one denying the words of Christ at Matt. 5:48 to suit your own ends. Is it too hard for you?
The verse in Matthew 5 is a good one but the majority of translations have "But you are to be perfect..." (NKJV) as in the perfection won't be completed until a future time.
God is not our role model. His experiences are nothing we can emulate or even comprehend. There is nothing about God we can copy. Here, try this exercise: How many times did Jesus say, "Follow me" and how many times did God say the same thing?
If you read it carefully, God does not actually command that the virgin girls be kept. That was Moses call, and the desires of the Israelite men.
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