For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.It always bugs me when I come across a passage where God says He has caused someone to seek their own destruction. For some reason, my reaction always bothers me, though. Today, in my opinion, most Christians tend to get overly hung up on God being focused on love. I've always been one who isn't bothered by the fact that God does not save everyone, or that He knows who will live. In the Old Testament times, this is even more true, but the Jews were His chosen people, and the rest were essentially stuck.
But it still bothers me when the text describes God as forcing someone to do something against their own best interests, like when Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go, or here where the kings would not consider peace. I guess I just don't like the idea of God choosing someone's path for them, apparently removing their free will. While I accept that not everyone will be saved, I still believe that everyone should have that choice, conscious or otherwise. The idea that God does not give that choice to some is disturbing. I realize that this is Old Testament times, as I said above, and these people are essentially doomed already, but that doesn't mean I like dwelling upon the results.
No comments:
Post a Comment