Cool.
I agree with this as well. One thing, our generations have to face, is that the Genesis creation serves less as a literal account.
Sometimes yes, sometimes, no.
The actual first three chapters are probably not at all literal.
I mean, for the simple timing... There were nights, and there were days, but the sun and the moon weren't even created until the FOURTH day.
I have no problem believing that these were time spans of billion years that were called "days" so that we could better understand them.
Or, if they were simply 24 or so hour days... It wouldn't bother me, either way.
But the interaction between the people is the thing that needs to be focused on, in Genesis.
I definitely need to brush up more on these Bible events. The chronology would help me here, but I have a feeling you have it down well enough for both of us in this occasion. Did Abraham argue anymore after he was told to sacrifice Isaac?
Not that I'm aware of.
As far as arguing for Sodom and Gomorrah.. Abraham soon realized that God is the source of righteousness, and would not "consume the righteous with the wicked."
You know, while all of this sounds good, you are missing something rather important. And that is that in Genesis 18:17, it says, "17. And the Lord said, "Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am doing?"
From then until the end of the passage, the narrative explains why God thought that Abraham was worthy of this. But if you follow it in the text, in full context, it looks very much like God was spoiling for a test of wills. And you know, if there WOULD have been ten righteous men, I'm willing to bet that God WOULD have saved at least that one town.
But there weren't, so God "went away" after He agreed that He would save the towns if there were at least ten righteous men. But there weren't. There was Lot and his family, and even they were questionable. And the great fix was to remove Lot from Sodom.
Abraham hadn't yet realized that what God says He will do, He will do according to His perfection in judgement among other things.
I believe that if God does/says anything, it is righteous. In this case, by telling Moses what He would do, God knowingly caused Moses to intercede. I also believe that Moses' ignorance caused him to say things contrary to God. Moses spoke still learning that God is righteous in all things. Moses came closer to knowing this in the ensuing events.
See, the thing is that you are assuming causality.
You have assumed, because it is part of your belief system, that all that is divine is perfect, and cannot be questioned.
I am of the mind that all that is divine is perfect, but everything on earth can be questioned. It should be obeyed, but questioned to the fullest.
There are rules of engagement for when to accept when to "just accept it" and when to question. There are limits to how much we can say, "I don't get it," and for when we should turn to a higher authority and find out "how," "what," "how much," and, when applicable, "why." The "who," "where," and "how" are usually more straightforward, but not necessarily.
Abraham, and the other righteous men (and women) in Tanach are not passive believers. They are active in their service to God, and they question, and they discuss everything.
Yes, the end result is always that God is good, but God also understands that simply passively accepting isn't what Jews do, and to be honest, I'm not sure that is what He would want.
Genesis 32:27 It says God told him. What I meant was that instead of God doing it by other means, Moses and the sons of Levi were the instruments used for the purpose of those killings.
Well... Exodus 32:27, anyway.
Yes, Moses and the sons of Levi were the instruments used for that purpose. But I'm not convinced that it was solely Moses' decision to just do it. That type of punishment has to be from divine decree, even if it isn't explicitly stated.
Yes. I know much of it wasn't written.
Good. We agree.
What did you have in mind?
I don't know. Moses in the Pentateuch chronologically came before Gideon, in the Book of Judges. I really didn't understand your logic in changing them around.
Unless it was simply easier to finish a discussion about Gideon than it was to finish a discussion about Moses.
To be honest, I don't know. It is a common statement amongst Jewish learning. I would have to look it up to give you a more direct answer.
Have you ever wondered why you choose one thing over another? What causes that?
I imagine that there are many factors. Sometimes laziness. Sometimes industriousness. Sometimes, I recognize that God saves me from myself, when I see that I might have intended to do something that I shouldn't, and after I thought about it was glad that I didn't do what I originally intended.
My choices are my own. God sometimes directs my hand to help me make a better choice.
I, like other people, can choose to be righteous. Sometimes, God helps me stay with my intentions better than I might have imagined at the time.
Or, God forbid, one could make other choices, and God, seeing a pattern, could help one in their chosen direction away from the path.
I have free choice. I am not a programmed automaton.