God Behaving Badly: Is the God of the Old Testament Angry, Sexist and Racist? by David Lamb

Author:David Lamb [Lamb, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780830838264
Google: g0IzmwEACAAJ
Amazon: 0830838260
Barnesnoble: 0830838260
Goodreads: 10321654
Publisher: IVP Books
Published: 2011-04-27T22:00:00+00:00

Just as Jesus’ commands from the Sermon on the Mount were progressive for first-century Israel, the lex talionis principle was progressive for ancient Israel. Old Testament scholar David Baker describes the societal benefits of lex talionis: “It limits vengeance and rules out punishment disproportionate to the offense.”’ As anyone with sons knows, the pattern that usually follows violence is not equivalent retaliation but escalation. You pinch me, I hit your arm. You hit my arm, I punch your face. On a national scale the escalation principle, if left unchecked, eventually results in war. An eye for an eye, therefore, limits the violence, resulting in simple, swift and straightforward justice in a world without an overly complicated legal system.

While Yahweh’s legal punishments seem violent, they were actually effective means of reducing violent crime and promoting peace among his people. Personally, I’m glad that the God of the Old Testament took extreme measures to care for the poor and the powerless and to prevent bloodshed and war.

Elisha, the Kings and the Horses

Elisha, the kings and the horses. Unlike the story we looked at in the beginning of the chapter, this one can be told to young children. In that story, Yahweh acted violently to protect Elisha from harm. In this story, Yahweh and Elisha promote peace between Israel and Syria, two nations that had been at war for literally hundreds of years. Elisha (also called “the man of God” here) kept warning the king of Israel about the Syrian king’s troop movements, so the Syrian king decided to capture Elisha inside his own city.

So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “0 LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria. As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “0 LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the LORD opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

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