Verse 25
"I gave them laws that bring punishment instead of life,"
Verse 26
"and I let them offer me unacceptable sacrifices, including their first-born sons. I did this to horrify them and to let them know that I, the LORD, was punishing them."(CEV)
I want to compare verse 26 with another verse with the same topic in Jeremiah 7:31"At Topeth in Hinnon Valley you have built altars where you kill your children and burn them as sacrifice to other gods. I would never even think of telling you to do this." (CEV)
NIV says "They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire--something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind."
Acknowledging that God could have allowed child sacrifice without commanding it, the statements between these two verse seem to contradict. In Jeremiah God says that child sacrifices are abominable, that God
did not command the Israelites to do such a thing, and that the topic would not even enter His mind. And yet, in Ezekiel, God says that He allowed the Israelites to do such a thing so that they would be appalled at their own actions.
This is not the first place in the bible where inconsistencies are found, similar inconsistencies also appear in Exodus (God's command for Moses as far as what he wants him to do to the rock differs in different accounts). Also, in some accounts, the pharaoh was too stubborn to let Moses's people go, and in other accounts, "God hardened his heart in order to show-off His glory".
But the question in this verse is, would child sacrifice enter God's mind as for Him to allow the Israelites to do such a thing? (even if it is only to appall them).
As I reflect on the seeming inconsistency, I find that there is no reason to think that God's thoughts and intentions are clear to us. Simply put, we do not understand that mind of God, therefore we may not fully understand the details of what he thinks. For example, somehow, God is able to forget the sins of those forgiven and know absolutely everything about the universe at the same time. Does God know or does He not? In my conclusion, yes He knows everything, but somehow He is able to discredit and deny some details of that knowledge.
As far as the account about the stubborn pharaoh, sometime the seeming contradiction stems from a misunderstanding about how God works through nature and reality. Yes, it is true that the Pharaoh was stubborn by his own will, and yes it also true that God made him stubborn. But no, this does not have to be considered a contradiction if one manages to use their imagination to find a way to fit the two. Maybe the things that are done by free will of man are also done in God's will. So that when God compels a soul, the action is so inevitable from that person that it stems from the source of their being, and it is even engraved into their fate. In other words, God can influence influence infinitely, meaning that God can influence them so much so, that the influence becomes part of who that person always was (never needing God to influence them in the first place, in order for them to do what God influenced them to do). And how can one expect any less from an omnipotent being?
I think that the verse about child sacrifices is just another seeming contradiction that a little imagination can solve. Can God have two intentions, two opinions, and two decisions about the same topic, at the same time? If He is truly omnipotent, He would be able to do this; there is no reason for Him to not be able to do this.
There is no contradiction here, just a lack of imagination that limits our view of true omnipotence, (or maybe just a lack of understanding of psychology).
Written 9-10-13
"I gave them laws that bring punishment instead of life,"
Verse 26
"and I let them offer me unacceptable sacrifices, including their first-born sons. I did this to horrify them and to let them know that I, the LORD, was punishing them."(CEV)
I want to compare verse 26 with another verse with the same topic in Jeremiah 7:31"At Topeth in Hinnon Valley you have built altars where you kill your children and burn them as sacrifice to other gods. I would never even think of telling you to do this." (CEV)
NIV says "They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire--something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind."
Acknowledging that God could have allowed child sacrifice without commanding it, the statements between these two verse seem to contradict. In Jeremiah God says that child sacrifices are abominable, that God
did not command the Israelites to do such a thing, and that the topic would not even enter His mind. And yet, in Ezekiel, God says that He allowed the Israelites to do such a thing so that they would be appalled at their own actions.
This is not the first place in the bible where inconsistencies are found, similar inconsistencies also appear in Exodus (God's command for Moses as far as what he wants him to do to the rock differs in different accounts). Also, in some accounts, the pharaoh was too stubborn to let Moses's people go, and in other accounts, "God hardened his heart in order to show-off His glory".
But the question in this verse is, would child sacrifice enter God's mind as for Him to allow the Israelites to do such a thing? (even if it is only to appall them).
As I reflect on the seeming inconsistency, I find that there is no reason to think that God's thoughts and intentions are clear to us. Simply put, we do not understand that mind of God, therefore we may not fully understand the details of what he thinks. For example, somehow, God is able to forget the sins of those forgiven and know absolutely everything about the universe at the same time. Does God know or does He not? In my conclusion, yes He knows everything, but somehow He is able to discredit and deny some details of that knowledge.
As far as the account about the stubborn pharaoh, sometime the seeming contradiction stems from a misunderstanding about how God works through nature and reality. Yes, it is true that the Pharaoh was stubborn by his own will, and yes it also true that God made him stubborn. But no, this does not have to be considered a contradiction if one manages to use their imagination to find a way to fit the two. Maybe the things that are done by free will of man are also done in God's will. So that when God compels a soul, the action is so inevitable from that person that it stems from the source of their being, and it is even engraved into their fate. In other words, God can influence influence infinitely, meaning that God can influence them so much so, that the influence becomes part of who that person always was (never needing God to influence them in the first place, in order for them to do what God influenced them to do). And how can one expect any less from an omnipotent being?
I think that the verse about child sacrifices is just another seeming contradiction that a little imagination can solve. Can God have two intentions, two opinions, and two decisions about the same topic, at the same time? If He is truly omnipotent, He would be able to do this; there is no reason for Him to not be able to do this.
There is no contradiction here, just a lack of imagination that limits our view of true omnipotence, (or maybe just a lack of understanding of psychology).
Written 9-10-13
