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sen10tious -> RE: old testament: horrible stories (6/5/2008 9:28:49 AM)
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Probably a lot of the morality you were taught as you grew up was worldly morality. I know it was in my case. I had school teachers lead group discussions that left the class believing that it is OK to tell lies sometimes if you are protecting somebody, or if such deliberate deception will prevent violence. I was taught it was always wrong to hit someone, no matter what. However, the ninth commandment says you shall not bear false witness; and there is no commandment that says 'you shall not hit.' In fact, you can find situations where the Bible says you should use a rod and hit. Apply the basic physics of leverage and a rod has more force than a bare spanking hand! Yet we have a worldly morality system entrenched in our country that encourages and protects false reporting based on mere suspicion and not only holds such liars guiltless, but commends them. Meanwhile, the book of Proverbs says 'He who tells lies will not escape, and he who tells lies will perish.'
The reason you don’t understand is because you are not using biblical standards in your reasoning. You are using worldly morality standards.
Here is another common example of twisted morality— people gossip and never think twice about making disparaging remarks which they consider as being trivial stuff. Yet scripture teaches that a man’s reputation is more valuable than rubies and jewels. Biblically, when you hurt a person's reputation, you have committed a sin that is greater than jewel theft. In the world's system and with the right audience, you are a great comedian! Riddle: When is a comic a jewel thief?
I am convinced that even born-again folk have no idea how much we are off-center in our worldly thinking and that the command to renew our minds is a lot greater a challenge than we can imagine. Probably the most common phrase on Judgment Day will be: “Oh Lord, I did not know!” God is going to get pretty violent, and that will probably tick off a lot of people. (Do they think their lies keep Him from getting angry or can calm Him down as my former teacher suggested works with people?)
For the past couple years, I have been collecting Bible incidents of times when God seems to let people "fill their cup with evil." Some of these are mind blowing. Look how God showed 'mercy' to Pharaoh by giving him TEN chances! Think of all the people who suffered under frogs and hail and fetid water because God showed Pharaoh so much 'mercy!' Or was God really just letting him have his own way so that God could 'justify' giving him a greater punishment? It is an interesting question (to me, at least) and I have an on-going project looking for other examples; and the biggest thing I have learned so far is that I want to learn more.
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