Subject: Why is killing enimies in the OT okay? |
Bible Note: And Greetings, Steve: You ask: What was my "favorite" story, the name of the "leader"? In Judges 11: 30 through 39 "Meanwhile Jephthah had vowed to the Lord that if God would help Israel conquer the Ammonites, then when he returned home in peace, the first person coming out of his house to meet him would be sacrificed as a burnt offering to the Lord! So Jephthah led his army against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave him the victory. He destroyed the Ammonites with a terrible slaughter all the way from Aroer to Minnith, including twenty cities, and as far away as Vineyard Meadow. ....when Jephthah returned home, his daughter--his only child--ran out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy. When he saw her he tore his clothes in anguish. Long story short, she was given a couple of months reprieve to play with her friend in the surrounding hills, but when she returned, Jephthah sacrificed her as a "burnt offering" to God, just as he had vowed to do. ------------------------------- Then you ask: who defines "wanton"? "You?" Well, that was an adjective that came to mind. "Heinous" might be another. Consider this episode (one of a multitude): Numbers 31: verses 14 through 41 Paraphrasing--Moses greets his returning army officers and battalion leaders, and is very angry with them. They had let "all" the women live. Moses instructs the officers to kill all the boys and the women who have had sexual intercourse, but save the "little girls" and keep them for "themselves". To me, that's fairly "wanton" and yes, "heinous", also. In many of the Books and verses that I listed, is the same sort of admoniton or direction/order by God, to "slaughter" "completely" all inhabitants of a city or country, including the babies. Over and over and over. --------------------------------- As for "borderline insanity", maybe it's not even border line? Especially if one tries to justify this kind of carnage, he has "jumped" over the line.... Mandy |