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NASB | 1 Samuel 15:3 'Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'" |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Samuel 15:3 'Now go and strike Amalek and completely destroy everything that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'" |
Bible Question:
I have frequently noticed that unbelievers use 1 Samuel 15:3 as an example of God's cruelty or harshness. I personally equate it differently, that is, the New Covenant versus OT one. I understand why God ordered the Amalekites to be destroyed but how do you explain this to someone who doesn't know all the details? Usually you can persuade someone to understand why God ordered His people to do something, but the killing of children and infants can be an obstacle. Does anyone have any ideas on how to deal with this issue? |
Bible Answer: I usually explain this by thinking about what other information we have about these cities they were to destroy. We have archaelogy discoveries that reveal that these people did practice everything from canabalism to beastiality. They also would dedicate a building by plastering a baby in the walls. They offered their children to idols even placing them in the arms of bronze statues made to glow red with heat. Now we can understand why they may have been beyond hope and God had, had enough, even as with Sodom and Gomorah who when angels came in their midst still refused to repent and even wanted to cast their sin on the Holy messengers. So what if the babies in these villages were infected with multiple diseases and had no chance of living, God could have been taking the babies soul away from the horror of the life their wicked parents were forcing on them. You can say God would not do that but that is because we look at things after the cross and after the world has been changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ (whether the world and political landscape knows it or not) and we cannot understand the affairs of government in those days. We do not even understand how a prophet could be holy and have multiple wives, but he could. Not now of course because things have changed in our understanding and moral constitution becuase of the cross and effect of the the church on the world. In some of these small villages there may not have been many children left due to the hineous crimes of the adults. One thing is for sure. When the wrath of God begins to be poured out on the world as spoken in Revelation, and one third of mankind is killed from just one of the plagues or judgements poured out, there will be babies involved. There must have been infants in Sodom and Gommorah (unless they had eaten them all). That an infant suffers death when the cataclysmic judgements of God fall is not so horrible as the idea that men would ignore the escape from wrath offered them at this present time. If an infant dies he or she will go to a better place, if an adult dies and has not repented and put faith in Christ he is lost forever and forever is a long time. |
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Questions and/or Subjects for 1 Sam 15:3 | Author | ||
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nimrod2 | ||
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Scribe | ||
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5pointer | ||
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Leslie2540 | ||
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cwheeland |