Is the Christian God a Genocidal Bully? Interview with Charlie Trimm (OT Scholar)

How can God command genocide in the OT? Doesn't that make him a bully, and not worthy of worship? In this video, i interview one of the leading OT scholars about this vital question. We explore different options available to Bible-believing Christians in approaching this difficult challenge.

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[chindi]

On thing that discouraged me sometimes as a Christian is I seldom saw intellectual honesty. Seeing this from Sean McDowell has been very helpful in my faith.

[ruthhill]

Thank you Charlie for ending with that John 6 scripture, that was beautiful. Your love and respect for Jesus is tangible 😊

[Jesusandmentalhealth]

Thank you Charlie and Sean for such a great interview! Sean, you are always so gracious. Enjoying your show and the exciting info!

[Becca_Lynn]

Thanks for tackling the tough subjects. I pray God teaches us in his wisdom and truth on this.

[mathildemichaud]

As an athiest this was interesting. Option 1 was barely discussed and makes me want to come back to my philosophical course on ethics. Arguments for being a good person as an athiest is someting I would definitly like to know more about.
This video gave me more respect for option 4 even if I am not personnaly convinced. I definitly understand the « the world is too complex for me to understand it completly and I might be missing someting » part of it

[heynow]

This is frustrating. Do Christians EVER consider why such conversations are even necessary? As a non Christian I'd just offer the observation that it is very strange that an omniscient, omnipotent, all loving God could make such a bad job at transmitting his message down through the decades. Why would he even run the risk of having him being portayed as a moral monster? Basically, apologetics on this or any other of the hundreds of the problematic / immoral things in the Bible shouldn't be necessary. Isn't it more likely that the Bible was written by late bronze age people rather than a God?

[beiyongzui]

Atheist here, why do I have problem with a genocidal God? Cause I don't like genocide. As simple as that. Why do you guys BEG for an AUTHORITY to DECIDE what is right and wrong? You're not a child, you can decide.

[janwaska]

Excellent discussion on such an important topic. Thanks!

[seekingagnostic]

Wow! Very interesteing and thorough discussion!

[janwaska]

Much learning from the referenced book. Will look for it.

[rhondarockhound]

What about the idea that scripture is the record of people’s encounter with God, and that it reflects the human writer’s perception and world view. God is slowly revealing himself, inspiring the authors, giving them as much truth as they can take. Their world view affects what they hear Yahweh say. Does this view necessarily mean the scripture is not inerrant? To me the scripture perfectly points to Christ and God’s plan to redeem mankind.

[passthebaton]

Definitely a question that comes up. Thanks for the content.

[chindi]

Thank you for your intellectual honesty Sean McDowell and Charlie Trimm. I think it's important to understand how difficult some ethical and moral issues are. Especially for me that was previously an atheist and is still consider myself a Human Rights Activist though my Christian faith is first. I wrestle with those passages. But it's okay to wrestle. You can be a born again and have issues that we wrestle with.

[sandrataylor]

Thank you Dr. Trimm for sharing your research concerning questions regarding God's wrath. Also, Sean, I appreciate your insightfulness into hard questions. I had a hard time with that issue of God's seeming Bullishness as well. I think the thing that dissuaded me from thinking in terms of God Wrath as being like a Bully is when I started studying about God's holiness. I found I cannot even comprehend what HOLY is other than it is something that only God can be even though HE calls us to be Holy because HE is. The more I learn and think about God's Holiness, salvation in Christ is the only way into God's presence because, GOD will not allow sin to enter into heaven. God's wrath is righteousness in light of our sinfulness.

escape God's righteous acts.

[VickyRBenson]

This is such an interesting discussion.

I had come to the conclusion that any interpretation of warfare in the OT had to be based on (1) the character of God and (2) the truth of the Word of God. God is Love (which includes Justice, Righteousness, Redemption, and Spiritual Warfare between the arch-Enemy of God and His Redeemed people).

There is no way that fallen man (whose heart is deceitful) could possibly be MORE ethical and morally right than God Himself. It is commendable to have a high standard of morality and a sense of justice. That’s part of the knowledge of both good and evil that humans chose to partake of apart from God.

Mankind first fell by eating of the tree 🌳 of the knowledge of good and evil at the suggestion of the Deceiver, who appealed to Eve with things that seemed GOOD to her. The problem was believing Satan’s deception: his casting doubt on God’s character and his denying the truth of God’s Word. Isn’t that the same deception still going on here, based on GOOD.

Satan succeeded in drawing God’s creation into his realm of death and destruction by turning mankind away from their fellowship with and loyalty to God and His Word, a realm of life, righteousness, fruitfulness.

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. The New Testament focuses on spiritual warfare, using spiritual (not carnal) weapons, against the spiritual forces and powers (not flesh and blood). Do we allow evil to continue without fighting against it? The OT is written for our instruction and example. We see God’s long-suffering and patience, and mercies (new every morning). He actually allowed His people to be enslaved by Egypt for 400 years until the iniquity of those in the promised land was complete.

Jesus wept over Jerusalem as He entered the city for the last time, knowing that the city would be destroyed within 40 years because they did not recognize that God had visited them.

Jesus has put off His return because of His unwillingness that any should perish. When the martyrs under the altar (5th seal of Revelation) cried out wondering when they would be avenged. They are told to wait until the number of those who would be killed should be fulfilled.

When you consider the millions upon millions killed through the centuries by Satan’s minions (through greed, war, hating life and freedom) and wonder why God doesn’t do anything about it, know that in the end God will bring an end to it, after giving every opportunity to men and women to repent. We see His mercies in the OT (Rahab, the Gibeonites, Ruth).

Love defends its loved ones from evil. God will, too, but He loved the world so much, He has done everything to redeem mankind and the earth from the clutches of Satan. Jesus forgave those who crucified Him while He was being crucified. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their iniquities to them, ” and has given us this message as we plead with people, on behalf of Christ, to be reconciled to God.

Abraham knew that God, the Judge of all the world, would do what was right. In the end we can trust God to do what is right and just.

[carolinerich]

Really great conversation. I still have so many questions. This was too short. Lol. But I get the time limits.

[janwaska]

Yes the ethical problem remains even after the attempted workarounds.
That was well explained.
Looking for his book.

[NH]

Option 2 should be called "the cherrypicking option"

[paradisecityX]

"Crucifixion of the Warrior God" is another must-read on this topic

[annbrucepineda]

Just last night we read Joshua 5 in Bible study. We weren't sure but decided the "man" who said he was not on either side was actually Christ, not just an angel with a message from God.