One of the great lessons I get out of the story of Noah and the Ark is actually found in the New Testament. Hebrews 11:7, "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house......."
Noah was incredibly unsuccessful in reaching anyone to join in with him. A complete failure. He spent years trying to convert people to his cause. None joined. But he was successful in the most important thing in his life...his family. His primary purpose in building the ark, was for the saving of his household.
Yeah, there's that. Still. Was the figurative mass destruction of zillions of people and animals really necessary?
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
NOW, I have struggled with Old Testament slaughter for years. I've brought up Amalek on several occasions and the subject gets ignored.
Jesus brought such an opposite message. Loving your enemy doesn't mean we kill pregnant women, the elderly, children, and the mentally ill.
You know what? Before this thread is finished, we're going to be confessing all kinds of stuff!
I don't know...when I was a 13-year-old bible quizzer doing I Samuel, trying to make it back to the national finals, I could quote the heck out of I Samuel 15 and I was seriously fast to the buzzer! I couldn't wait for the 30 point questions.
I've done the obligatory, "It's better to obey than sacrifice" sermon and made some darn good points.
But then I really read it. Wow. When it sunk in? Wow.
Should I confess to my problems with God and the devil making a deal over Job's life?
You know what? Before this thread is finished, we're going to be confessing all kinds of stuff!
I don't know...when I was a 13-year-old bible quizzer doing I Samuel, trying to make it back to the national finals, I could quote the heck out of I Samuel 15 and I was seriously fast to the buzzer! I couldn't wait for the 30 point questions.
I've done the obligatory, "It's better to obey than sacrifice" sermon and made some darn good points.
But then I really read it. Wow. When it sunk in? Wow.
Should I confess to my problems with God and the devil making a deal over Job's life?
You know what? Before this thread is finished, we're going to be confessing all kinds of stuff!
I don't know...when I was a 13-year-old bible quizzer doing I Samuel, trying to make it back to the national finals, I could quote the heck out of I Samuel 15 and I was seriously fast to the buzzer! I couldn't wait for the 30 point questions.
I've done the obligatory, "It's better to obey than sacrifice" sermon and made some darn good points.
But then I really read it. Wow. When it sunk in? Wow.
Should I confess to my problems with God and the devil making a deal over Job's life?
Are these questions any easier to answer than the questions we have in our current time? Why did the serial killer get a long, healthy life while the wonderful, good-hearted mother of three died of cancer? Why do young children get dreadfully abused? Why do atrocities occur such as sex trafficking, slavery, etc?
We still have a lot of difficult questions to face. Life's a puzzle sometimes.
Are these questions any easier to answer than the questions we have in our current time? Why did the serial killer get a long, healthy life while the wonderful, good-hearted mother of three died of cancer? Why do young children get dreadfully abused? Why do atrocities occur such as sex trafficking, slavery, etc?
We still have a lot of difficult questions to face. Life's a puzzle sometimes.
No doubt. Psalm 73 says, "When I saw the prosperity my steps were almost fallen". Asap the cymbal player wrote that.
I guess I Samuel and the account of Saul being ordered to kill everything, is just difficult to process....I mean, God ordering that? The story has great value and makes good points. But dang.....I'll admit, it can be very difficult to preach a sermon about a loving God and then mention that story.
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