![\"God](\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/guilty2-300x225.png\")
I am beginning a short series of posts on how to understand the Old Testament passages where God commands Israel to slaughter people. I have an idea “in the works” for how to deal with these troubling texts.<\/p>\nI am beginning a short series of posts on how to understand the Old Testament passages where God commands Israel to slaughter people. I have an idea “in the works” for how to deal with these troubling texts.<\/p>\n
By way of full\u00a0disclosure,\u00a0I have not read this idea anywhere else, which means it is probably wrong and may get condemned by some as “heresy.”<\/p>\n
So far, the only person in the world I have talked about this with is my wife. She lovingly stayed up until almost 2 AM the other night discussing this idea with me, and in typical Wendy fashion, punched numerous holes in it. That is one of the many reasons I love her! She may not consider herself a theologian, but she has what I call “intuitive theology.” She knows the heart of God more than anyone else I know, and so while she may not know all the logical arguments or Scripture passages for various theological views, she senses rightness and wrongness in various theological positions.<\/p>\n
All this is to say that Wendy is not yet convinced of my view, but wants me to incorporate an alternative view (which I shared with her a few months ago but have not ever read anywhere else) into this new view. I told her that I am not sure it is possible to do, but I would try.<\/p>\n
That is what these posts are about. I have these two competing and alternative views on how to understand the difficult texts in the Old Testament, and both have major strengths and weaknesses (just like all theological views). The greatest weakness of both views, however, is that I know of no other theologian who holds them. So I feel like I am tilling rocky soil… it is slow going.<\/p>\n
But I always think best when I write, and I always appreciate the interaction from other thinkers and writers (that’s YOU), and so am going to write this series of posts and see where they lead. I may end up painting myself into a corner, in which case I will have to scrap the whole project. OR, maybe as a result of tilling this rocky soil, we will find fruitful ground in which to sow our theological seeds by reading the Old Testament in a whole new light.<\/p>\n
So, are you ready for the ride?<\/p>\n
Let’s begin with this:<\/p>\n
I watched a fascinating movie several years ago called “God on Trial.<\/a>” It takes place in Auschwitz when several of the Jewish prisoners there decide to put God on Trial for the crimes He has allegedly committed through the centuries. Spoiler alert:<\/strong> There is a compelling section of the movie where they ultimately decide that God is guilty.\u00a0Yes, they hand God a “Guilty” verdict.<\/p>\n I just searched online, and found the clip on YouTube:<\/p>\n