You know, it's funny- I grew up in Church always thinking that Israel's wars and battles against the Canaanites were somehow willed by God- that they were cleansing the land of unrighteousness. But after reading more and more of the first violent tendencies of Jacob's sons, it is seeming more and more likely to me that Gods chosen people, the ones who were supposed to bless the whole earth, were in fact responsible for causing much of the initial suffering of other nations and populations. When Simeon and Levi took it upon themselves to utterly annihilate the Shechemites for the utter crime of wanting to intermarry with Israel's daughters, and wanting to receive some of Gods blessings, were they not starting the trend of violence that would follow their nation throughout its entire history? As Jacob said, they had made Israel a stench in the nostrils of all surrounding nations. Supposedly Jacob walked with God, and presumably his sons had the potential of communicating with God as well. Did not Jacob inquire of the Lord and did he not instruct his sons to seek the Lords will for their lives? Didnt Jacob and his sons have the ability to discern the will of God? Shouldn't Levi and Simeon have inquired of the Lord before slaughtering all the men in a city? Was Shechem so evil just for loving their sister and speaking tenderly to her, and deflowering her virginity? Apparently God did nothing to stop Levi and Simeon from killing all the men of Shechem and looting them, and taking their women and children as war booty. And yet God later kills Judah's son Onan for refusing to inseminate Tamar during sex. I guess I just dont understand Gods justice and his laws very well.
You know, it's funny- I grew up in Church always thinking that Israel's wars and battles against the Canaanites were somehow willed by God- that they were cleansing the land of unrighteousness. But after reading more and more of the first violent tendencies of Jacob's sons, it is seeming more and more likely to me that Gods chosen people, the ones who were supposed to bless the whole earth, were in fact responsible for causing much of the initial suffering of other nations and populations. When Simeon and Levi took it upon themselves to utterly annihilate the Shechemites for the utter crime of wanting to intermarry with Israel's daughters, and wanting to receive some of Gods blessings, were they not starting the trend of violence that would follow their nation throughout its entire history? As Jacob said, they had made Israel a stench in the nostrils of all surrounding nations. Supposedly Jacob walked with God, and presumably his sons had the potential of communicating with God as well. Did not Jacob inquire of the Lord and did he not instruct his sons to seek the Lords will for their lives? Didnt Jacob and his sons have the ability to discern the will of God? Shouldn't Levi and Simeon have inquired of the Lord before slaughtering all the men in a city? Was Shechem so evil just for loving their sister and speaking tenderly to her, and deflowering her virginity? Apparently God did nothing to stop Levi and Simeon from killing all the men of Shechem and looting them, and taking their women and children as war booty. And yet God later kills Judah's son Onan for refusing to inseminate Tamar during sex. I guess I just dont understand Gods justice and his laws very well.