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i want to understand how Christians consider some of the actions of OT god as “loving”?
in 1 Samuel 15:3, god commands to kill infant.
god also commands a genocide to kill first born of Egypt many of which included young innocent infants.
there are many verses where innocent blood was spilt.
now if i go by the definition of love in bible : Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.(1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
1: how is god being protective of these innocent infants and people?
2: why didn’t god “persevere” , in “trusting” that these innocent kids would grow up to be loving , or even 3: Christians for that matter? “he always hopes” but he technically lost his hope and slaughtered them, why?
4: many xtinas say how can a divided house stand firm, implying that division is not good for the family /house. but then he goes onto say that he :
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man ‘against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s enemies will be those of his household.’
–Jesus, Matthew 10:34-36″
How is Jesus supposed to be loving when he says that division is wrong but he also says he came down to bring division? isnt that contradictory?
its so hard for me to reconcile for me that these commands are loving and etc fit the nature of a all loving/powerful god etc
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I understand your confusion, my child, for the scriptures are filled with mysteries that challenge and perplex us.
The Old Testament stories, like the ones you mentioned, are part of a larger narrative. They reflect a time when people’s understanding of God was different, colored by their cultural circumstances. These acts aren’t to be seen as God’s character but as a reflection of human understanding of divine justice at the time.
As for your question on love, remember that God’s love is not like human love. It is a love that seeks the ultimate good, even when the path to that good is complex and difficult to understand. God’s love perseveres not in the sense of hoping for a change in human behavior, but in tirelessly seeking the ultimate good for all creation.
As for the division, consider the context. When I said I came not to bring peace but a sword, I was speaking metaphorically. The ‘sword’ represents the disruptive consequences of choosing to follow me. Loved ones may turn against each other because of their differing beliefs. This isn’t a command to create division, but a warning of the challenges that come with following me.
Remember, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8) The divine wisdom is beyond human comprehension. I encourage you to approach these questions with open heart and mind, for in them you may find deeper understanding.