In the book of Exodus after Moses had gone up the mountain the Israelites made a golden calf. God was angered by this and decided that he would wipe the Israelites off the face of the Earth but Moses talked him out of it.
Question 1:
If God had destroyed the Israelites would that have been good?
Question 2:
Since God didn't destroy the Israelites was that good?
Question 3:
If both are good then how?
Question 4:
If only one is good then does this mean that God can make mistakes?
2007-03-30 01:41:11 · 16 answers · asked by NONAME 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Sounds to me like maybe on Judgement Day, we need to have Moses talking for us rather than Jesus. He's obviously got some influence with god.
2007-03-30 01:46:36 · answer #1 · answered by Samurai Jack 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
#1: Understand that the Israelites violated their OWN covenant with God. Imagine your girlfriend having another, would you be happy. If God had destroyed the Israelites, it would have been proper since they deserve it.
#2: Understand also that God can also forgive. If you can forgive your girlfriend betraying you (which is next to impossible these days). Even though God was angry, at least Moses made an effort to apologize to Him. He is a God of justice but He is also a God of love.
#3: You may be confused but God really loves His creation and He loves the Israelites since THEY made a PROMISE to serve Him. Like my example, imagine your girlfriend betraying you. Sure, you'll be angry but unlike most people today, God gave the Israelites the other chance. If you read that chapter in Exodus, when they heard that God was angry, they were terrified and Moses saw that. God saw that they were true in their repentance and relented their punishment. But remember that their punishment was that they are to wander the wilderness for 40 years but not total destruction. In this you can see He loves them, us. In the same way, we have been acting as unfaithful girlfriends or wives, (or followers), but God gave us another chance. It takes a lot of courage, but try to consider that.
#4: I have no answer for this since I told you my reason in #3.
2007-03-30 02:08:56 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
1. No, the nation of Israel needed to happen so that they could bless the nations by bringing forth the Messiah.
2. Yes for the same reason as above.
3. NA
4. No. God did not change His mind in the same way a parent decides not to discipline a child. God changed his behavior to remain consistent with his nature. He is both merciful and just.
When God wanted to destory Israel he was acting justly. God relented when Moses interceded to act consistently with his mercy.
But to be consistent with being just, the people were still liable for worshipping an idol, so God sent a plague upon the people, but did not totally destroy them.
2007-03-30 02:01:17 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
God punished the Israel people because they do not want to obey God He drove them away from the land of Egypt and to stay in another land and advised Moses to tell them that they will not make their own God made of Gold and this is a source of punishment done by the Israel, why do you that it is not good for God.
Do you mean to say that when you will scold and punished your child,it is not good? Is it not for his own good. In order to learn something from what he did which is wrong, he must be punished.
God is perfect and he is not bound to commit mistake and he could not tell a lie.
Read the whole bible to understand it..
jtm
2007-03-30 02:13:34 · answer #4 · answered by Jesus M 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Question 1: Well good in the sense that it is just.
Question 2: Yes that was good.
Question 3: Because God is the definition of good. He could have allowed justice to be served, which is a good thing. However, he gracefully chose to forgive them.
Modern Example: A man is charged with mutiple federal crimes. He is sentenced to 30 years in prision. This is "good" because justice is being served. However, if the President decides to pardon him, then this is also "good." Because it shows forgiveness.
2007-03-30 01:47:33 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
I believed this had two purposes and that it shows how God works for us and with us. (1) What a delight it must have been for Moses when he spoke with God about this, and God relented. What a great way to bond with an all power-full God. (I think of course that God planned it that way) (2) I t showed Moses that God meant business) I think God was thinking " look Mo, I have chosen this group of people to show the world that I AM, I AM going to bless them, protect them, be for them, educate them. I will be their protector, their supplier of every good thing, their teacher, their counselor their every thing, BUT they better straighten out, I do not want the rest of my creation to misunderstand who I am and what I am, do YOU understand that, My good friend Moses?
2007-03-30 01:56:57 · answer #6 · answered by patrick m 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I believe that God shows the value of prayer and intersession. We are not just pawns in this game. We can ask for mercy and it be given even after we deserve our punishment. I want to follow a God that will forgive my idiotic mistakes in life.
Remember that most people want solid proof to believe. God delivered them from 400 years of slavery, brought plagues on Egypt, had the passover,split the sea for their escape, feed them everyday, lead by a cloud in the sky, had Moses strike a stone for water, ( that's enough examples) but not enough proof for them that they commit ed spiritual adultery toward God. If your spouse cheats on you someday see how your anger is and then add God's provisions for these people.
2007-03-30 01:51:47 · answer #7 · answered by Dennis James 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Believers will tell you, whatever you read is all in god's perfect plan even Moses discussion with god was staged. I think the people who wrote that thought that they were god too.
Even the god believing people who responded seem to think they speak for god too. Ha ha ha.
2007-03-30 01:58:33 · answer #8 · answered by ShanShui 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Does'nt matter. God is Good=Anything God decides to do is Good. Since ONLY Goodness CAN flow from God. Man simply does not have the capacity for the kind of value judgement capability that it would take to judge ANY kind of action taken or not taken by God. Therefore, your questions make no sense.......theBerean
2007-03-30 01:52:21 · answer #9 · answered by theBerean 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
God decided to show mercy...
he does this many times in the old testament... in the story of Jonah, with moses, and he would have shown mercy in Sodom and Gamora... if there had only been ten upright people...
God has a plan, and knows what is going to happen, but we still have free will, and it was because of Moses's choice to defend his people, that God did not unleash his wrath...
as I said, this happens many many times.
2007-03-30 01:46:50 · answer #10 · answered by J-Rod on the Radio 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋