Chapter 16
Character of God

The behavior of God has been characterized many ways, some positive. We’ll see if these characterizations were also true.

"[God] is the Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." Deut 32:4

"Nowhere do we find God involved in capricious or arbitrary acts of judgment. His wrath is never directed against the innocent. His anger never flows without reason. It is always directed against human rebellion and sin." (Sproul, in McKinsey, 170)

On the other hand, if someone said that the Bible presented God as a disreputable fiend, wouldn’t you be horrified? How dare they present God’s word this way? Exactly. Since the Bible clearly did present God in that light, we should be horrified at the claim that the Bible was the word of God. What greater blasphemy can there be than to claim the following examples were true? Tom Paine said it very clearly,

"All our ideas of the justice and goodness of God revolt at the impious cruelty of the Bible. It is not a God, just and good, but a devil, under the name of God, that the Bible describes." (Paine, Age, xxx)

16.1 God acted like a bully with an inferiority complex. He tortured innocent people merely to display his power.

"For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth." Ex 9:14

16.2 God lied to Adam and Eve about their dying on the day they might eat from, or even touch, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. On the other hand, the serpent told them the truth.

"…for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Gen 2:17

Eve: "God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." Gen 3:3

Serpent: "You will not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Gen 3:4-5

"…Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil…" Gen 3:22

"…Adam lived 930 years…" Gen 5:5

Some claim that the curse really referred to death in general and that Adam’s sin was the origination of all death. However, God had previously created the "tree of life" which provided immortality. Of what use would immortality have been, if death had not already existed?

"…the tree of life also in the midst of the garden…" Gen 2:9

"…lest [Adam] put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:" Gen 3:22

16.3 God, himself, created evil. Therefore, what is just about damning fallible mankind to eternal punishment for falling prey to a superior God’s own creation?

"The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil." Prov 16:4

"…I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things." Isa 45:7

"…Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I frame evil against you…" Jer 18:11

"Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?" Lam 3:38

God even spoke evil.

"…the Lord hath spoken evil against thee." 2Cr 18:22

16.4 God didn’t explain to Adam & Eve the moral implications of eating from the tree. In fact, it was the serpent who explained that eating of the tree would expose them to the concept of morality. If disobedience to God, original sin, was how Adam & Eve gained moral knowledge, then morality had nothing to do with the Bible’s view of sin. Put another way, Adam & Eve can’t possibly have known that they were doing evil, therefore they cannot have committed a sin. This whole story seems blasphemous.

Serpent: "You will not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Gen 3:4-5

"Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil…" Gen 3:22

16.5 God didn’t explain to Adam & Eve that, if they ate the fruit, their descendants would be damned to eternal punishment. Therefore, God clearly meant that they would die that very day. Either that, or God hid from them the consequences of the greatest theme in Christianity-original sin and the need for redemption. How was this just?

"…for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Gen 2:17

16.6 God lied to Adam and Eve about the punishment they could expect if they ate of the tree. God told them only that they would die on that day. However, God punished Adam by making him (and all men) toil for a living. God punished Eve by increasing her (and all women’s) sorrows and making her subservient to her husband.

"…in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Gen 2:17

"…cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it…thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread…" Gen 3:17-19

"…I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children…and [thy husband] shall rule over thee." Gen 3:16

16.7 The Bible portrayed God as a common liar. He lied himself, he made others lie, and he will lie again. Therefore, we can’t trust the word of God. Let me get this straight…The Bible is the word of God, but we can’t trust God’s word, therefore the Bible may not be true. Huh?

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." Ex 20:16

"…all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Rev 21:8

God lied to Jacob.

"And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel." Gen 35:10

"And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob." Gen 46:2

God lied to David to get his support as king for the covenant that he, Yaweh, should be worshipped exclusively.

"…thy throne shall be established forever." 2Sam 7:16

"I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations." Ps 89:3-4

"If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore." Ps 132:12

God lied to Moses, since he contradicted himself in stating his reasons for establishing the sabbath day. This assumes that the commandments really came to Moses from God.

"And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." Deut 5:15

"For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Ex 20:11

God was accused of lying.

"O Lord, thou hast deceived me…" Jer 20:7

Paul accused God of lying.

"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Heb 11:13

God would lie again.

"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:" 2Thes 2:11

God made others lie.

God: "…I will send thee to Jesse [to anoint him king]." Samuel: "How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me." God: "Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord." 1Sam 16:1,2

"And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet…" Ezek 14:9

"…the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets…" 2Cr 18:22

16.8 God was a modern political liberal.

"The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors." Prov 26:10

16.9 God promoted foul, disgusting, and unsanitary behavior.

"Behold, I will…spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts…" Mal 2:3

"…and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man…in their sight." Ezek 4:12

"Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts." Isa 3:17

16.10 God broke his promises. He promised Noah that he would overthrow Nineveh, then he reneged. He didn’t say, "Unless they mend their ways"; he just said overthrown. Jonah was rightly miffed.

"…there hath not failed one word of all his good promise…" 1Kgs 8:56

Jonah: [on God’s instructions] "…Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God…" Jon 3:1-5

"…God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not." Jon 3:10

"But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry." Jon 4:1

God’s assurance that his help was useful was not always true. God was okay against wimps but ineffective against armored forces.

"And the Lord was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron." Judg 1:19

God broke his promise to the Hebrews by keeping them in slavery thirty years longer than he promised. Surely some died in captivity clinging desperately to life in the hope of breathing the air of freedom. Besides, if God really loved them, he should have prevented this whole episode.

"And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs [Egypt], and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;" Gen 15:13

"Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years." Ex 12:40

16.11 God wasn’t clear about his criteria for sparing cities from destruction. Evidently wickedness counted, but a city could be pardoned if there were enough ignorance or economic clout.

"Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;" Gen 18:20

"Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire…" Gen 19:24

"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me." Jon 1:2

"And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than six score thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?" Jon 4:11

16.12 God forced David’s wives to violate the seventh commandment, adultery, in public. Remember, this was a punishment for David, not his wives.

"Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of his sun." 2Sam 12:11,12

16.13 God evidently had no problem with men marrying ex-whores, idolaters, and drunks. Not only that, but it was okay to buy a wife.

"And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms…" Hos 1:2

"…Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine. So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:" Hos 3:1,2

16.14 God was a vicious hypocrite. He said wrath was wrong.

"For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one." Job 5:2
But God ignored his own advice.

"Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them [to the king of Mesopotamia]" Judg 3:8

"…for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God…" Deut 5:9

"God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies." Nah 1:2

16.15 The Bible said God was merciful.

"…God…is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil." Joel 2:13

"…The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness…" Ex 34:6

"O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever." Ps 136:1,2

"For [God] doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men." Lam 3:33

Yet God did not always show mercy or pity.

"And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them:" Deut 7:2

"And thou shalt consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them…" Deut 7:16

"But of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:" Deut 20:16

"But the fearful, and unbelieving…shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Rev 21:8

16.16 God ignored his own advice not to take vengeance.

"Thou shalt not avenge…" Lev 19:18

"To me belongeth vengeance…" Deut 32:35

God ignored his own advice not to sow discord.

"These six things doth the Lord hate…he that soweth discord among brethren." Prov 6:16,19

"…because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth:" Gen 11:9

God ignored his own advice not to tempt.

"Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God…" Deut 6:16

"…God did tempt Abraham…" Gen 22:1

God ignored his own advice about bearing grudges.

"Thou shalt not…bear any grudge against the children of thy people…" Lev 19:18

"Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass." 1Sam 15:2,3

16.17 Again and again God ignored his own commandment which forbade killing. This list could extend for pages. Saying that these atrocities were committed in response to sinful behavior is faulty logic. The Israelites were just as bad as most other peoples, but they were routinely forgiven. Some tribes were destroyed by God merely because they stood in the way of Israelite expansionism.

"Thou shalt not kill." Ex 20:13

God killed.

"Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire…" Gen 19:24

"And [due to the flood] all flesh died that moved upon the earth…and every man." Gen 7:21

"And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him." Gen 38:7

"And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense." Num 16:35

"See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound and I heal…" Deut 32:39

"But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof." 1Sam 5:6

"[God} who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings;" Ps 135:10
God ordered others to kill.

"Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in an out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour…and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men…Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon this son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day." Ex 32:27,28

"Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord against the sun…And Moses said unto the Judge of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor." Num 25:4,5

"…Phineahas…rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly." God: "Phineahas…hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel…that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy." Num 25:7,8,11

"Vex the Midianites, and smite them:" Num 25:17

"Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle therof, with the edge of the sword." Deut 13:15

"Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women…" Ezek 9:6

16.18 God was even cruel to animals.

"Thou shalt surely smite…the cattle therof, with the edge of the sword." Deut 13:15

"And the Lord said unto Joshua…thou shalt hough [hamstring by cutting leg tendons] their horses…" Josh 11:6

"Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him: he houghed their horses…" Josh 11:9

"…and David houghed all the chariot horses…" 2Sam 8:4

"David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord." 1Kgs 15:5

16.19 God violated his own law about fornicating with virgins.

"If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die;" Deut 22:23-24

"…Mary was espoused [pledged] to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost." Mt 1:18

"To a virgin espoused to [Joseph], of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary…The Holy Ghost will come upon thee…that holy thing that which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Lk 1:27,35

16.20 God treated an innocent young woman as a vassal. Mary was told, not asked, that she would be impregnated by God. Rape? Sexual harassment? White slavery? Human ranching?

"…thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son…" Lk 1:30,31

"…The Holy Ghost will come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing that which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Lk 1:35

Mary: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." Lk 1:38

16.21 Since we don’t know where Cain’s wife came from, God may have had Cain commit incest. All females at that time must have been either his mother, his sisters, or his nieces. Incest then became immoral only at some later point in history. Situational ethics?

"And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch." Gen 4:17

16.22 The Bible, as the word of God, said that God was omnipresent (everywhere at once).

"Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord." Jer 23:24

"Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" Ps 139:7

Either God lied, or the Bible called him a liar.

"…Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden." Gen 3:8

"…and from thy [God’s] face shall I be hid;" Gen 4:14

"And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded." Gen 11:5

"And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the Lord yonder." Num 23:15

"…Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord." Job 1:12

"But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord…" Jon 1:3

16.23 God also lied about his omniscience (all-seeing, all-knowing), if the Bible was his word.

"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." Prov 15:3

"…Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men…" Acts 1:24

But the Bible also said that God did not know everything.

"And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?" Gen 3:9

"Where is Abel thy brother?" Gen 4:9

"I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know." Gen 18:21

"And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness…to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no." Deut 8:2

"…for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul." Deut 13:3

"…God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart." 2Cr 32:31

"Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye come to enquire of me?" Ezek 20:3

"The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God." Ps 14:2

If God was omniscient, how could he not have known what Adam would call the animals?

"…[God] brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof…" Gen 2:19,20

How can the Bible have claimed that God was omniscient or even consistent, if he kept repenting of his actions?

"God is not…a son of man, that he should change his mind." Num 23:19

"…the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Jas 1:17

"And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people." Ex 32:14

"…and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel." 1Sam 15:35

"…I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you." Jer 42:10

"And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth…" Gen 6:6
God needed reminding.

"And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant…" Gen 9:16

16.24 Contrary to the Bible’s claim, God cannot have been impartial, if we consider how the Jews were favored over others.

"[God is] a great God…which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:" Deut 10:17

"…there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts." 2Cr 19:7

"…the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth." Deut 7:6

"…mine elect shall inherit it…" Isa 65:9

"…the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." Rom 1:16

"As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Rom 9:13

"…Thou art my people." Isa 51:16

"…my people…" Isa 52:6

"…[God] said, Surely they are my people…" Isa 63:8

"I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Mt 15:24

16.25 Contrary to the Bible’s claim that God could not be bribed, frequent references to sacrifice clearly imply that he could.

"[God does not]…taketh reward:" Deut 10:17

"…there is no iniquity with the Lord our God…nor taking of gifts." 2Cr 19:7

"Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the first born of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep:" Ex 22:29,30

16.26 If a perfect God created Adam, then Adam must have been perfect also-he cannot have corrupted himself. Therefore, if Adam rebelled and sinned, God erred in creating, to his surprise, a faulty man. Therefore, God can’t have been perfect.

16.27 God’s commandment said we shouldn’t steal.

"Thou shalt not steal." Ex 20:15

"Neither shalt thou steal." Deut 5:19

"He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness," Mt 19:18

"Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him…" Lev 19:13

But God commanded robbery.

"But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians." Ex 3:22

16.28 God forbade graven images.

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:" Ex 20:4

Then God commanded graven images of cherubim be made and placed on the mercy seat.

"And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat." Ex 25:18

16.29 At an inn God (a nasty drunk?) tried to kill his own emissary, but he was deterred by a child’s painful, dirty mutilation.

"And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt…And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he let him go…And the Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." Ex 4:19,24-27

16.30 God showed a curious kind of mercy.

"To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:" Ps 136:10

"And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:" Ps 136:18

16.31 God was likened unto voracious beasts.

"[The Lord] was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places." Lam 3:10

"For I [God] will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him." Hos 5:14

"I [God] will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them." Hos 13:8

16.32 God sent an angel with a threat to strike a man dumb for doubting the abnormal.

"And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years…I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee…And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak…because thou believest not my words…" Lk 1:18-20

16.33 God used a subterfuge in creating the need for his intervention and revenge.

"And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children…And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said." Ex 7:3-5,13

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might show these my signs before him…But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go…But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go." Ex 10:1,20,27

"…I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen." Ex 14:17

16.34 God had a strange sense of military honor. He suckered an Egyptian column into an ambush and slaughtered them.

"And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord…And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen…And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them." Ex 14:4,18,28

16.35 God employed assassination and treachery.

"But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud…and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab…Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into [Ehud’s] belly: And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out." Judg 3:15,21,22

"And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not…Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died…So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel." Judg 4:18,21,23

"Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent…She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples…So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might." Judg 5:24,26,31

16.36 God inspired Samson to murder thirty men in order to pay a gambling debt.

"And the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle." Judg 14:19

16.37 God went along with Satan’s murderous plan just to test Job’s faith.

"[Satan said to God] But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power…So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord…the Sabeans…have slain the servants with the edge of the sword…Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking…there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead" Job 1:11,12,15,18,19

16.38 God said he would murder prophets who were deceived by God himself.

"And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him…" Ezek 14:9

16.39 God’s mercy included invasion, murder, and slaughter of innocent children.

"O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever…To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever…But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever…To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever: And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever: And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:" Ps 136:2,10,15,17-21

16.40 The Bible characterized God as a pitiless beast.

"The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; thou [God] hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, and not pitied." Lam 2:21

"[God] was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places." Lam 3:10

"[God said] He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them. Then shall ye know that I am the Lord…" Ezek 6:12,13

"Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them." Ezek 8:18

"Therefore I [God] will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them: I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them." Hos 13:7,8

"Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty…Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate…Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished…. Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children." Isa 13:6,9,16,18

"God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries…Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him." Nah 1:2,6

"I [God] will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the Lord. I will consume man and beast…" Zeph 1:2,3

16.41 God’s word included pornographic and violent stories and used unnecessarily colorful language. In order to avoid the censorship of this book, and to keep vile and disgusting literature out of the hands of the young and the easily offended, I will not repeat them. You’ll have to read the Bible, itself.

Song 1:13,16
Song 2:4-7
Song 4:5
Song 5:2-5,14,15
Song 7:1-8
Jer 3
Ezek 16
Ezek 23
Hos 1:2-8
Hos 2:1-3
Hos 4:10-14