Could some explain chapter Numbers 31

[Alan McDougall]

Could some explain Numbers Chapter 31?

This Chapter makes God look more like depraved despot such as Hitler, rather than the loving Father God ha Jesus spoke about.

(Kill all the little boys and keep the virgins for yourself meaning for their pleasure)

Can any one explain it to me, it baffles my mind and challenges my faith?

Alan

 

[jeager106]

Could some explain Numbers Chapter 31?

This Chapter makes God look more like depraved despot such as Hitler, rather than the loving Father God ha Jesus spoke about.

(Kill all the little boys and keep the virgins for yourself meaning for their pleasure)

Can any one explain it to me, it baffles my mind and challenges my faith?

Alan

http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=763
This ^^^^^^^^^^ says it better than I could.

A different "god" would come in the N.T.
I suppose "god" is allowed to mellow with age.

 

[metis]

Could some explain Numbers Chapter 31?

This Chapter makes God look more like depraved despot such as Hitler, rather than the loving Father God ha Jesus spoke about.

(Kill all the little boys and keep the virgins for yourself meaning for their pleasure)

Can any one explain it to me, it baffles my mind and challenges my faith?

Alan

We need to remember that the Bible is a very human document, and the problem one runs across is if they forget that and slip into the concept of "biblical inerrancy". If something you read in the scriptures doesn't seem right, maybe it isn't right. Instead, we can use the scripture as a source of ideas, but we still have to judge whether those ideas seem compatible with compassion and justice.

 

[Ingledsva]

Could some explain Numbers Chapter 31?

This Chapter makes God look more like depraved despot such as Hitler, rather than the loving Father God ha Jesus spoke about.

(Kill all the little boys and keep the virgins for yourself meaning for their pleasure)

Can any one explain it to me, it baffles my mind and challenges my faith?

Alan

My opinion. It was written by men, - thus it has the evil things men want to do, made legal by them - for the doing.

Interestingly, according to the Mishnah (Seder Berakot) - "Terumot," - dealing with the laws regulating the heave-offerings, minors and non-Jews were excluded.

The saved virgins would have been very-very young females, and obviously not Jews.

*

 

[Ingledsva]

We need to remember that the Bible is a very human document, and the problem one runs across is if they forget that and slip into the concept of "biblical inerrancy". If something you read in the scriptures doesn't seem right, maybe it isn't right. Instead, we can use the scripture as a source of ideas, but we still have to judge whether those ideas seem compatible with compassion and justice.

This is not an in-error text. It is specific,- a war, and tells us why Moses wants the rest killed, except the virgins.

*

 

[metis]

This is not an in-error text. It is specific,- a war, and tells us why Moses wants the rest killed, except the virgins.

*

I was referring to pretty much any scriptural narrative.

 

[roger1440]

Could some explain Numbers Chapter 31?

This Chapter makes God look more like depraved despot such as Hitler, rather than the loving Father God ha Jesus spoke about.

(Kill all the little boys and keep the virgins for yourself meaning for their pleasure)

Can any one explain it to me, it baffles my mind and challenges my faith?

Alan

Little boys turn into big boys and come back with a vengeance. The same can't be said about little girls.

 

[FearGod]

Could some explain Numbers Chapter 31?

This Chapter makes God look more like depraved despot such as Hitler, rather than the loving Father God ha Jesus spoke about.

(Kill all the little boys and keep the virgins for yourself meaning for their pleasure)

Can any one explain it to me, it baffles my mind and challenges my faith?

Alan

The next verses show as if there was kind of plague spreading at that time, cleaning things that stand fire with the fire,
it means sterilization in our recent days, but the verse about the virgins for pleasure i think it was distorted, so don't take it seriously.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Could some explain Numbers Chapter 31?
This Chapter makes God look more like depraved despot such as Hitler, rather than the loving Father God ha Jesus spoke about.
(Kill all the little boys and keep the virgins for yourself meaning for their pleasure)
Can any one explain it to me, it baffles my mind and challenges my faith?
Alan

Numbers chapter 31 is about God's vengeance on Midian and instructions about the spoils of war.
Notice at Deuteronomy 20:10-12 that people were warned first.
Rahab wanted peace and she saved not only herself but her family.
The Gibeonites also wanted peace and they were spared.
Doesn't Numbers 31:18 say women and children......keep alive ?_______ - Deuteronomy 20:14
Keep alive for themselves meant salvation for them. Please notice chapters 20 and 21 of Deuteronomy . Such captives were to become their wives - Deuteronomy 21:11-13
In other words, God did Not leave them to fend for themselves but they would be provided for and have the security and honor of being a wife.

 

[Alan McDougall]

Little boys turn into big boys and come back with a vengeance. The same can't be said about little girls.

Then in the meantime "lets have a little fun with the girls" kill the little boys they are no fun, however it does not say girls it says females and only those who had not been with a man. That would include older woman of 50 years of age "If the had not been with a man , the 50 year old would be a virgin?

How the heck would the establish for sure that a female had not had sex with a man , did they have genealogists back then?

 

[Alan McDougall]

http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=763
This ^^^^^^^^^^ says it better than I could.

A different "god" would come in the N.T.
I suppose "god" is allowed to mellow with age.

I do not accept the lame explanation given in that link, which I really did read.

I feel positive Almighty God had nothing to do with the appalling story of Numbers Chapter 31, if it is at all true then it was Moses not God doing an Hitler act of genocide, just like the Jews Suffered under Hitler, maybe what goes around come around and bites you?

Then in the meantime lets have a little fun with the girls, (and kill the useless little boys) however, it does not say girls it says females and only those who had not been with a man. That could include older woman of 50 years of age "If they had not been with a man , the 50 year old would be a virgin?

How the heck would they establish for sure that a female had not had sex with a man , did they have gynecologists back then?

How different from the Lord Jesus he said "Blessed are the little children and forbid them not to come unto to me, for of such is the Kingdom of God".

It makes me question whether the wrathful blood thirsty God YHWH of the Old Testament is the same Loving Father God Jesus presented to the world?

Alan

 

[roger1440]

Then in the meantime "lets have a little fun with the girls" kill the little boys they are no fun, however it does not say girls it says females and only those who had not been with a man. That would include older woman of 50 years of age "If the had not been with a man , the 50 year old would be a virgin?

How the heck would the establish for sure that a female had not had sex with a man , did they have genealogists back then?

The virgins, little girls, whatever you want to call them would not have posed a threat. The only other option the Jews would have had would be to take no prisoners at all, zilch.

 

[allright]

God had them killed because they had tried to destroy his people.

Putting to death all the males was to put an end to their race

The male children who were killed who had not reached the age to be held accountable for sin though dying in the flesh would go to Heaven

 

[Alan McDougall]

God had them killed because they had tried to destroy his people.

Putting to death all the males was to put an end to their race

The male children who were killed who had not reached the age to be held accountable for sin though dying in the flesh would go to Heaven

 

[Alan McDougall]

That is a ridiculous statement, killing all the females will also lead to the end of the race!

 

[jeager106]

That is a ridiculous statement, killing all the females will also lead to the end of the race!

Wasn't it males that were slaughtered or did I misread?
Or are you joking or did you misread?

 

[allright]

The lineage is determined by the male in the Bible.

If the woman had children by a Jewish male they would have been considered of his tribe

The people of Median were not all killed so leaving the males alive would have allow them to remain a threat to revolt as they got older

The bottom line is God said about his people "he who blesses you I will bless and he who curses you I will curse"

The God of the old Testament is the same God that is in the New Testament.

Its true Jesus showed great love and mercy but he also warned over and over of the horrible eternal fate awaiting those who

reject him

And when asked if only a few people would be saved Jesus answer was "Yes"

 

[roger1440]

The lineage is determined by the male in the Bible.

If the woman had children by a Jewish male they would have been considered of his tribe

The people of Median were not all killed so leaving the males alive would have allow them to remain a threat to revolt as they got older

Yes. That's exactly what the foot notes say in the Jewish Study Bible.

 

[Alan McDougall]

The virgins, little girls, whatever you want to call them would not have posed a threat. The only other option the Jews would have had would be to take no prisoners at all, zilch.

What a load of rubbish what about the mercy of God?

 

[roger1440]

What a load of rubbish what about the mercy of God?

When terrorists go knocking on your front door, make sure you mention that to them and let me know how it turns out for you.