Sunday Sermonette: Jehovah the psychopath

The character of God in the Old Testament is the most morally repugnant being imaginable. This seems inexplicably untroubling to the faithful -- the rabbis and theologians don ' t seem to worry about it much. But I have certainly noticed it. Let ' s pay attention to what ' s going on here, in Exodus 7, as the story finally picks up some speed.Then theLord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country.3 But I will harden Pharaoh ’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt,4 he will not listen to you. So it seems Pharaoh, if left to his own devices, might be perfectly willing to let the Hebrews go, but God will " harden his heart " to make sure he doesn ' t, in order for God to have the opportunity to punish the Egyptian people, for no apparent reason.Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites.5 And the Egyptians will know that I am theLord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it. ”6 Moses and Aaron did just as theLord commanded them.7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.At least these ages aren ' t biologically impossible, but it was extremely unusual for people to live that long in t...
Source: Stayin' Alive - Category: American Health Source Type: blogs