Denver Seminary

THE BIBLE IS A BIG BOOK THAT SPANS MANY CENTURIES AND CULTURES. GIVEN ITS SIZE, SCOPE, AND DETAIL, WE SHOULD EXPECT TO ENCOUNTER SOME ELEMENTS OF THE BIBLE THAT PEOPLE LIKE US, FROM A DIFFERENT TIME AND CULTURE, MIGHT FIND TROUBLESOME. The gospel message of the Bible is easy enough to understand. However, the more details we study, the more questions emerge. The means to address these questions often lie in a careful reading of the biblical text with sensitivity to the language, culture, and literary context in which it was written. In this short article, we cannot look at every charge that has been leveled against the Bible. Instead we will focus on one criticism that has achieved a distinct level of prominence in our day: The God of the Bible is cruel and unworthy of devotion or worship by anyone. Most often people support this accusation by referencing God's extermination of whole peoples in the Old Testament, whether the generation of Noah before the flood or the destruction of the Canaanites under the leadership of Joshua. GOD'S LOVE AND HOLINESS How might we address these accusations against God? Let's start by looking at some aspects of His nature. He is both loving (Deut. 7:9; Ps. 36:7; 1 John 4:16) and holy (Lev. 19:44; 1 Sam. 2:2; Rev. 4:8). Anyone who worships God is called to recognize and to imitate His essential characteristics. In our age, we readily identify with God's love. But His holiness is not so popular. It places irksome demands upon us and requires that we label some activities as sin, opposed to the will of God. Yet the Bible claims this is a true revelation of who God is. We come to know God better when we recognize His love and holiness in unison. In our age, we readily identify with God's love. But His holiness is not so popular. Out of His love and greatness, God created humanity in His image (Gen. 1:26–28; Ps. 8). Soon after this creation, humankind sinned (Gen. 3–4) and tarnished that image. As the population grew, so did sin, and soon violence spread across the face of the earth. As we discover in Genesis 6:5–12, every thought of the human heart consisted of violence. In opposition to God's original command of fruitfulness, humanity became defined by murder and the destruction of other humans. Humanity was consuming itself. The only possible outcome was the ultimate destruction of the human race. No one would remain—certainly not the unique, righteous figure of Noah (6:9). Inevitably, his family would be murdered in this orgy of uncontrolled violence. In opposition to God's original command of fruitfulness, humanity became defined by murder and the destruction of other humans. Humanity was consuming itself. THE PROMISE OF A COVENANT RELATIONSHIP God decided to end the ubiquitous violence and preserve humanity in the only way possible. His holiness could not tolerate the life-destroying sin and violence in which the pre-flood generation submerged the earth. With the flood, God promised a covenant relationship by which He would continue human life through Noah's line and animal life through the preservation of species on the ark. Yet even at this point, God demonstrated His great forbearance. A hundred years passed while Noah prepared the ark (Gen. 5:32; 7:6). During this time, mercy could have been extended if humanity had repented (as it was when the Ninevites' repentance stopped the promised destruction of their city in Jon. 3–4). We have no record that they changed their ways. After the flood, Noah worshipped God, and God promised never again to destroy humanity in this way (Gen. 9:8–19). In His covenant relationship with Noah and all his descendants (including you, me, and all people on earth up to the present), God made one stipulation about how people should treat one another. He commanded that no one 8 FALL 2014 MAKES YOU THINK Nastco/iStock

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