The Hardness of their hearts?

[steve7150]

Many folks have problems reconciling how God appears in the OT against how Jesus portrays his Father in the NT. It struck me that Jesus said to the Pharisees re divorce that God allowed it because of the hardness of their hearts in the OT.

So God allowed something he hated apparently as an accomodation to the Israelites , so i'm wondering if this "accomodation" could have applied to other things , like killing the Canannites or other apparent atrocities?

[robbyyoung]

Hi steve7150,

From language found in 1 Sam 15:2-3 and Deuteronomy 2:34; 3:6; 20:16-18, Israel's heart condition was not in view, rather it was God exacting judgement on these nations on behalf of Israel.

God Bless.

[mattrose]

Hi steve7150,

From language found in 1 Sam 15:2-3 and Deuteronomy 2:34; 3:6; 20:16-18, Israel's heart condition was not in view, rather it was God exacting judgement on these nations on behalf of Israel.

God Bless.

Technically, I don't think that really answers his question since the divorce laws were said to have come from God as well. Only retro-actively do we see that hardness of heart was a factor. The question is, it seems to me, are there some things in the Old Testament that come across to us as divinely approved when, in fact, they are only demonstrations of divine accommodation?

[robbyyoung]

Hi Matt,

Okay. I thought he was looking for the like context for the killing angle.

Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Robby Young
U.S. Army Retired

[Paidion]

Many folks have problems reconciling how God appears in the OT against how Jesus portrays his Father in the NT. It struck me that Jesus said to the Pharisees re divorce that God allowed it because of the hardness of their hearts in the OT.

So God allowed something he hated apparently as an accomodation to the Israelites , so i'm wondering if this "accomodation" could have applied to other things , like killing the Canannites or other apparent atrocities?

I think you're on to something, Steve. I have often noticed how, in the OT, Yahweh made concessions to the Hebrews. For example, when they insisted on having a king like the other nations, Samuel didn't like it, but Yahweh told him to let them have a king if they wanted:

I Samuel 8
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah
5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to Yahweh.
7 And Yahweh said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.
8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you.
9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
10 So Samuel told all the words of Yahweh to the people who were asking for a king from him.
11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants.
15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.
16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.
18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but Yahweh will not answer you in that day.”
19 But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us,
20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
21 And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of Yahweh.
22 And Yahweh said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.”
So Yahweh anointed Saul to be king. But it was never his intention. This was a concession He made to the insistence of the Israelites.

The same with the sacrifices. When Yahweh brought Israel out of Egypt, He said nothing about sacrifice, but only about obedience. But again, the other nations sacrificed to their gods in order to appease them, and the Israelites wanted to do the same to appease their God. From ancient times, nations from all over the world sacrificed to their gods in order to appease them so that they wouldn't harm them. But the one True God never made such a requirement.

Ps 40:6 Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.(Psalm 40:6)

You have given me an open ear or as the KJV has it“mine ears hast thou opened”Literally, it is “you have dug ears for me”. God has cleaned out the wax from my ears, so that I can hear properly. It is not sacrifice that He wants. Rather He wants me to hear Him and to obey the words that I hear!

"For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices."But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’ (Jeremiah 7:22,23)

Again, God had never wanted sacrifices but obedience. When Saul used sacrificing to God his excuse for disobedience, Samuel said to him, “To obey is better than to sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams (given in sacrifice). (I Sam 15:22)

Hear the word of Yahweh , You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, You people of Gomorrah:"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?" Says Yahweh. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats. "When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.
Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Rebuke the oppressor. Defend the fatherless. Plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together," says Yahweh, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword"; For the mouth of Yahweh has spoken. Isaiah 1:10.

However, Steve, it does not seem that the concessions God made to Israel account for ALL the OT records of violent action which were ascribed to God.

[steve7150]

However, Steve, it does not seem that the concessions God made to Israel account for ALL the OT records of violent action which were ascribed to God.Paidion







I was trying to find any info on this thought so i came to biblehub.com and a commentary called "Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers" and he says,

"that the hardness of heart which made this concession necessary may be admitted as at least a partial explanation of whatever else in the Law of Moses strikes us as deviating from the standard of eternal righteousness embodied in the Law of Christ" e.g.the tolerance of polygamy and slavery, the severity of punishment for seeming trivial faults.

It's interesting that Jesus says that Moses allowed them this accomodation but God didn't desire this from the beginning. Almost as if it was Moses himself made this accomodation.

[Jepne]

2Samuel 21 appears to give an account of human sacrifice being sanctioned by God in order to lift a famine off the land. The account begins thus:

1 ¶ Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.”
2 So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them.

9 and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the LORD, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest.

14 And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded to the plea for the land.

This looks to me like a pagan mentality interpreting the events of the day. I just can't imagine the heavenly Father of Jesus sanctioning such a thing.