SA Huguenot
Well-Known Member
I was on leave for a few days, and will continue with the Atheist and Muslim accusations of Contradictions in the Bible. This one also comes out of Shabir Ali's 101 contradictions.
1. Who incited David to count the fighting men of Israel?
- God did (2 Samuel 24: 1) And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
- Satan did (I Chronicles 2 1:1) And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
Answer:
The Atheist and Muslim use these two verses as a demonstration to the Christian, that the God of the Bible and Satan are one and the same being. In one verse it says that “Satan” provoked David, and in the other it says the “anger of YHWH” provoked David.
There are however a few facts one should consider before making this accusation.
· The words “Anger of YHWH” and “Satan” are two different identities to YHWH Himself. If 2 Samuel 24:1 said “The Lord”, and not “the Anger of the Lord”, yes, I would agree that it would mean that YHWH and Satan are one and the same person. However, the verse makes this verbal distinction very clear and removes such an accusation.
· If God allows Satan to deceive humans, it is because God was again challenged by Satan to show that Man will forsake God once God removes his hand from him. One just needs to read Job to see how Satan challenged God to remove His protective arm from this “Loyal servant” and assuring God that if he, Satan, were to remove all Job’s possessions and health, Job would certainly curse YHWH. Well, God allowed Satan to drive Job into despair, but Job never stopped believing in the control YHWH had over his life, and God restored Job to his former glory, and more, whilst Satan lost this challenge. Satan might have made David a proud man to count Israel as a boastful king, but in the end, David realised what was going on and he begged forgiveness from God and Satan lost this challenge too.
Conclusion.
If one were to think that God is the one in charge being omnipotent, all knowing and omniscient, but we in creation go ill, suffer, die, get robbed, raped, tortured, and hurt; does this mean God is accountable for this pain? Never, we were created not to die and to live in paradise as Adam and Eve once were fitted with an immortal body of Light. It was only because we, in possession of free will, decided to listen to Satan who revealed himself as Lucifer, the angel of light, and deceived Man to sin. That was when we lost our immortality and became weak humans as we are today.
Now, can we place the blame on God for allowing Satan to deceive Man?
Or would it be wiser for God to have created Man as a mindless robot far from free will?
Therefore, the will of God to allow Satan to deceive, kill, and hurt Man, is only a small insignificant act in His grand plan of salvation where Man will survive as an immortal in the presence of God, and Satan far removed for eternity from the love of our creator. This was the reason why Jesus had to leave His Triune existence, to be born Man like us and to die like us. What an incredible challenge did Satan produce to God to allow a victory at the crucifixion, only to lose at the resurrection.
And it was all in the plan God had before He created it all!
1. Who incited David to count the fighting men of Israel?
- God did (2 Samuel 24: 1) And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
- Satan did (I Chronicles 2 1:1) And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
Answer:
The Atheist and Muslim use these two verses as a demonstration to the Christian, that the God of the Bible and Satan are one and the same being. In one verse it says that “Satan” provoked David, and in the other it says the “anger of YHWH” provoked David.
There are however a few facts one should consider before making this accusation.
· The words “Anger of YHWH” and “Satan” are two different identities to YHWH Himself. If 2 Samuel 24:1 said “The Lord”, and not “the Anger of the Lord”, yes, I would agree that it would mean that YHWH and Satan are one and the same person. However, the verse makes this verbal distinction very clear and removes such an accusation.
· If God allows Satan to deceive humans, it is because God was again challenged by Satan to show that Man will forsake God once God removes his hand from him. One just needs to read Job to see how Satan challenged God to remove His protective arm from this “Loyal servant” and assuring God that if he, Satan, were to remove all Job’s possessions and health, Job would certainly curse YHWH. Well, God allowed Satan to drive Job into despair, but Job never stopped believing in the control YHWH had over his life, and God restored Job to his former glory, and more, whilst Satan lost this challenge. Satan might have made David a proud man to count Israel as a boastful king, but in the end, David realised what was going on and he begged forgiveness from God and Satan lost this challenge too.
Conclusion.
If one were to think that God is the one in charge being omnipotent, all knowing and omniscient, but we in creation go ill, suffer, die, get robbed, raped, tortured, and hurt; does this mean God is accountable for this pain? Never, we were created not to die and to live in paradise as Adam and Eve once were fitted with an immortal body of Light. It was only because we, in possession of free will, decided to listen to Satan who revealed himself as Lucifer, the angel of light, and deceived Man to sin. That was when we lost our immortality and became weak humans as we are today.
Now, can we place the blame on God for allowing Satan to deceive Man?
Or would it be wiser for God to have created Man as a mindless robot far from free will?
Therefore, the will of God to allow Satan to deceive, kill, and hurt Man, is only a small insignificant act in His grand plan of salvation where Man will survive as an immortal in the presence of God, and Satan far removed for eternity from the love of our creator. This was the reason why Jesus had to leave His Triune existence, to be born Man like us and to die like us. What an incredible challenge did Satan produce to God to allow a victory at the crucifixion, only to lose at the resurrection.
And it was all in the plan God had before He created it all!