Numbers Part II: Just a Few Questions

You Must Ask Questions:

Have you an inquiring mind?

What is it that you want to know when it comes to God/the LORD and any kind of faith built upon the Bible and belief in God? Do you value the fact that you have a reasoning mind? Do you think that it is in any way appropriate to place complete faith in something without any valid answers as to the 'bigger' questions of that faith? Do you think that just because something is labeled as faith and just because it has anything to do with God/the LORD that the requirement for valid answers is somehow waived?

Sometimes it is difficult to find answers to the questions asked. This does not mean we should at any time stop searching for the answers. Sometimes we do not find the answers we are looking for, or even we may find nothing in the form of an answer at all. This does not mean we should stop asking questions. Sometimes we do not know what to ask, or perhaps we are afraid to ask or told that it is dangerous or a bad thing to do to ask questions. This does not mean that we should, with complete abandon, place stock in something called 'faith' which is becoming more and more of a cop-out answer that many people give for the answers they refuse to give or even attempt to answer in some cases.

The truth of what faith is is not synonymous with not understanding something that makes zero sense in the first place, but something you choose to believe as complete and total truth nonetheless.

Answer these questions about the books in the Old Testament. Tell me why you believe in God and why you believe in the Bible if that is in fact what you choose to believe. If you wish to make any other kind of comment, well, you can do that as well. Just click on the little comment link at the end of each posting. Please note the number of the question you are answering, and if you are using Bible verses as reference please put down the passage location so that I may look it up.

Now we continue with the remainder of the questions for the book of Numbers of the Old Testament.

1. Numbers 15:15-16
15 For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the LORD.

16 There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you.

Questions
     1) Do you think the people of Israel follow this line of thinking now and actually practice what was preached here? There are some interesting documentaries on how life is for people in that region of the globe, especially in relation to who considers what parts of Jerusalem to be holy. Watch the documentaries and the idea that these verses offer a statute forever and ever will go right out the window.


2. Numbers 15:17-18
17 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

18 Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land where I bring you,

Questions
     1) Dude, when will this LORD fellow learn to speak to whomever He needs to speak to on His own instead of constantly asking people to do the talking for Him?

     2) When I was a child I was taught that God/the LORD was always asking someone else to do the talking for Him for quite a few reasons. I would like to share them with you here.
     As I have said in previous posts I do not provide what I think may be answers to my questions since what I really want is to hear why people DO believe. I do not want my own personal ideas of the answers to mar what could very well be a MUCH better answer, even if that answer is from a Christian. 
     Generally, I try very hard to stick to this rule of mine, allowing very few exceptions. However, in this case I did come to the conclusion I should include what answers I was given in explanation of the problem at hand in these particular verses. Please take into consideration that these answers are not of my own creation. I was given these answers when I was yet still a small child; I believed these answers for many, many years.

     So...let's take a peek at the answers I was given:

     One, it would totally freak people out to hear the voice of God, and just like looking at God would do to people (except a chosen few) hearing God would also kill them.
     Two, God did not want His messages getting bungled by people who may try to change the message to fit their own needs, or by people who claimed to be speaking for God when they really were not.
     Three, people would become confused if there were all these people claiming to be talking to God. In such a situation who were people to believe? Seriously. Bob says God said to mow the lawn. Billy says God said to only rake the lawn. Bubba says God said to tear out all of the sod and put in fresh sod. Brian says God said to only water the lawn. Who are people to believe? 
     Lastly, it was the wisdom of God that assigned the ability to hear His voice to various prophets and elders and leaders instead of everyone. This way, when people needed to 'approach' the LORD with an issue, when they needed advice, when they needed to know if the inability to conceive was punishment for sin...well, all that the people of Israel had to do was go straight to Moses or Aaron or to the special priests. The priests were intermediaries, advocates of a sort to represent/stand in place of the people before God/the LORD.


3. Numbers 15:22-24
22 But when you unwittingly fail and do not observe all these commandments, which the LORD has spoken to Moses,

23 even all that the LORD has commanded you through Moses, from the day when the LORD gave commandment and onward throughout your generations,

24 then if it was done unintentionally without the knowledge of the congregation, all the congregation shall offer one bull from the herd for a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the rule, and one male goat for a sin offering

Questions
     1) Sooo...basically we are talking unintentional torts here such as negligence, correct?

     2) HOW is the live sacrifice of an animal and the burning of that sacrifice pleasing in smell to the LORD?


4. Numbers 15:32, 35-36
32 Now while the sons of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on the sabbath day.

35 Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.

36 So all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Questions
     1) Where do you begin with Bible passages that are screwy like this?

     2) Sooo...the LORD shows no mercy to the man collecting wood on the Sabbath and orders the people to kill him, while He does absolutely nothing about Lot's daughters who for all intents and purposes got their father drunk and then raped him, TWICE? 

     3) Why does the LORD order that the congregation throw the stones intended to cause death? If God/the LORD wants the man murdered why doesn't He do it Himself instead of getting His people to play patsy?


5. Numbers 16:28-30
28 Moses said, "By this you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing.

29 If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me.

30 But if the LORD does something entirely new and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and all their belongings, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have shown contempt for the LORD.

Questions
     1) What is the problem with God being upfront with pertinent information? Why doesn't He just say guilty or not guilty in plain language free from bizarre stories and absurd challenges? Is it because the people would not understand plain language? Are the people of Israel during this time incompetent?

     2) When Moses says "something entirely new" does he really mean another novel way God has dreamed up to frighten, hurt, and kill people?


6. Numbers 16:32-33
32 And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods.

33 So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.

Questions
     1) The earth has a mouth?

     2) How were the people cast alive into Sheol? Sheol has been interpreted in many ways but what it basically is is a place where the dead gather together when they die. Some translations interpret it as hell. The problem here is the idea that a good number of living beings were cast, alive, into this hell...where they have absolutely no business being since they are all still alive. So, are these people still alive there?

     3) Okay, so basically Sheol is at least similar to hell in that it is a place people go when they die, right? Sooo...if the earth swallowed up the doomed people and they fell into this 'Sheol' place then the implication is that Sheol or the similar hell are inside of the earth, right?


7. Numbers 20:4-5
4 Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle?

5 And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.

Questions
     1) Don't the people of Israel have a good point here? When God/the LORD made all of the grand promises to the people didn't He make it sound like everything would be provided for without issue?

     2) Do you think the people of Israel would have wanted to leave Egypt if the LORD had told them they would be wandering about the desert, often worried and concerned as to where their next meal or drop of water would come from?


8. Numbers 21:5-6
5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.

6 Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

Questions
     1) Does God/the LORD have something against the truth of a matter? Didn't the people of Israel have a VERY good point?

     2) So does God send the snakes to kill people because they are pointing out the flaws in God's planning or because, even worse than bad planning God simply doesn't know what the frickety-frack He is doing and the less people know that, the better?


9. Numbers 21:34-35
34 But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.

35 So they defeated him and his sons and all his people, until he had no survivor left. And they possessed his land.

Questions
     1) These verses very clearly relate that the people of Israel completely obliterated entire peoples, correct? Do you see something wrong with this picture?

     2) Sooo...so long as the land was promised by God, and so long as God said to exterminate the people on that land you haven't done anything wrong?

   3) Genocide is okay so long as God/the LORD ordered it?


10. Numbers 22:28-29
28 Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?

29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you."

Questions
     1) So an ass riding an ass decides to unjustifiably beat the ass of the ass who then turns and asks the ass riding the ass why the ass is beating his ass?

     2) Was Balaam used to crazy shit like asses talking happening all the time? Why wasn't he surprised when the ass began to talk and tell him he was being an ass?


11. Numbers 25:4-5
4 And the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.”

5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”

Questions
     1) You know who God/the LORD reminds me of? He reminds me of those asshole husbands in the movies where once he marries the girl of his dreams he wants to control who she talks to, where she goes, what she wears, and all of that horse puckey, right?
     So much for free will and free choice. Sure, man. Go right on ahead and pick ANY of the gods you wish to worship, only keep in mind that if you do not worship the LORD and ONLY the Lord your ass is grass, and guess what? Your own people will kill you.


12. Numbers 25:7-8
7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand,

8 and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped.

Questions
     1) Doesn't this sound like the honor killings you hear about on the news from time to time?


13. Numbers 25:9
9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

Questions
     1) So, is the purpose for keeping track of how many people died in a plague supposed to be a deterrent? Are people supposed to look at that and go, "Wow!! Sakes alive! If God can kill twenty-four thousand people from plague at the drop of a hat I had best listen to Him," or something of the like?


14. Numbers 25:11-13
11 Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was. So I stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended to do in my zealous anger.

12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace,

13 and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’”

Questions
     1) Say, what do we have here but a set of verses that deluded followers around the world take to mean that they can do anything for God and never be wrong? Take a good look at these verses and really think about what they mean.

     2) Why does God/the LORD insist on labeling His tantrums as zealous/righteous/holy anger when it is clear He has zero control over His anger, zero respect for others when it comes to who is affected by His wrath, and seemingly prefers to punish EVERYONE even though the deed that pissed God off was done by a few or one person?


15. Numbers 30:5
5 But if her father opposes her on the day that he hears of it, no vow of hers, no pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand. And the LORD will forgive her, because her father opposed her.

Questions
     10 And this is how God/the LORD sees women...not worthy of having a word or a mind of their own?



16. Numbers 31:2-4
2 Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.

3 So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the LORD’s vengeance on Midian.

4 You shall send a thousand from each of the tribes of Israel to the war.”

Questions
     1) I know it is elsewhere in the Bible, but doesn't the LORD say at one point vengeance is His alone?

     2) If vengeance is God's alone then why is He telling the people of Israel to go and execute the vengeance? 

     3) If God wants people dead why doesn't He do it for Himself? Why get the people of Israel to do it? Does God not want to get His hands dirty? Is it because murder is a bit too sinful, even for the Mighty Almighty?



17. Numbers 31:17-18
17 Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.

18 But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him keep alive for yourselves.

Questions
     1) What is this bullshit? God says to kill everything including all of the people unless the people are female virgins?

     2) Keep the young girls for yourself? Explain this one away, please. I really want answers on this one.



18. Numbers 31:32-35
32 Now the plunder remaining of the spoil that the army took was 675,000 sheep,

33 and 72,000 cattle,

34 61,000 donkeys,

35 and of human beings, of the women who had not known man intimately, all the persons were 32,000.

Questions
     1) Plunder? Plunder? Jesus Christ, these people make it sound like they were on a treasure quest with Captain Ahab on the friggin' Jolly Roger!! They fu**ing murdered loads of people and then stole what belonged to the people they murdered and God/the LORD is not only okay with this, but TOLD them to do it?



19. Numbers 31:50-52
50 So we are presenting the items of gold we captured as an offering to the LORD from our share of the plunder--armbands, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces. This will purify our lives before the LORD and make us right with him.

51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them the gold, all crafted articles.

52 And all the gold of the contribution that they presented to the LORD, from the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, was 16,750 shekels.

Questions
     1) WHY DOES GOD NEED GOLD?

     2) Does this God and His great need for gold have anything to do with being an alien/extra-terrestrial being that needs the precious metal gold to make their machines and spaceships function?

     3) Isn't the measurement of gold here about 450 pounds, or something like that? Why does God need 450 pounds of gold?



20. Numbers 32:14-15
14 And behold, you have risen in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the LORD against Israel!

15 For if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people.”

Questions
     1) The LORD sounds like those creepy boyfriends in the movies where in the end the boyfriend kills the girl since he figures if he can't have her, no one can have her, right?

     2) Sooo...if the people of Israel want to live they absolutely MUST listen to the LORD at all costs, and if they do not they will ALL die?



21. Numbers 33:3-4
3 They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the day after the Passover, the people of Israel went out triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians,

4 while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck down among them. On their gods also the LORD executed judgments.

Questions
     1) Did you notice that God/the LORD has quite the bad habit of striking down the most helpless people? Why does He do that?

     2) If the other gods do not exist WHY did God/the LORD execute judgments on them? Wouldn't executing judgment on something that does not exist be about as pointless as you can get?



22. Numbers 36:10-12
10 Just as the LORD had commanded Moses, so the daughters of Zelophehad did:

11 for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to sons of their father’s brothers.

12 They married those from the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained with the tribe of the family of their father.

Questions
     1) Why is the LORD still encouraging this incest 'thing' He has with His people? Why? Why didn't God/the LORD make changes to the laws so that the inheritances would stay where they should instead of instructing the women to fucking marry their own kin? Doesn't anyone see this as screwy and sick?


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Just a Few Questions: Part VIII Genesis

The Things We Wish to Know:

Continuing with Questions from Genesis

Well, well...we are getting close to finishing with the questions for the book of Genesis. It IS taking a while, isn't it? That is okay. Please feel free to leave an answer to any of these questions and be sure to cite passage locations if you are using a Bible verse as a reference. It is not necessary for you to answer all of the questions, but rather just the ones you wish to answer. I am fine with that. I just want to know why you believe the Bible is the absolute final truth and literal words of God, if that is indeed what you think. These questions are all part of why I no longer believe in the Bible or God. Tell me why you believe. Give me a reason to believe.

1. Genesis 20:6

6 Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.

Questions

     1) Here, God prevents sinning for He knew such sin was not the intent, right? So, where did that line of reasoning go when God purposely hardened the heart of Pharaoh so that God could put a hurt on Egypt and everyone against the Israelites (and actually including the Israelites themselves) would be impressed with the might and anger of God?

2. Genesis 21:1

1 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

Questions

     1) Go back a bit and you will find the verse where God tells Sarah that she will have a son, even in her old age and apparent menopause. The strange and creepy part is that the verse says the LORD is the one who visited Sarah and then Sarah conceived. Why does this verse differ so much?

     2) When Hagar gets pregnant by Abram the verse says Abram "went in unto her." When Eve conceives it says Adam "knew" his wife. Cain is mentioned as "going into his wife." Even when the Nephilim were mentioned in regards to procreating the Bible says "the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men." Noah is mentioned as having "begot" three sons. These men either "knew" their wives OR went in unto them of begot them sons and daughters.

     The question here is WHY there is this strikingly different use of words? Why does the verse say the LORD was the one who visited Hagar? Why doesn't the verse note WHO the father is? This is creepy.

3. Genesis 21:9-10

9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

Questions

     1) So, Sarah is so infantile in her reaction to a KID mocking that she wants them booted?

     2) Does she want everything for Isaac and screw Ishmael? 

     3) Has Sarah forgotten that Ishmael is also Abraham's son?

4. Genesis 21:11-13

11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.

12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

Questions

     1) Abraham is grieved because of what Sarah wants him to do to his son, Ishmael? Grieved? Shouldn't he be appalled? 

     2) Is the promise by God to also make Ishmael a great nation supposed to be some kind of bribe meant to make Abraham feel better about his shitty decision in the treatment of Hagar and Ishmael?

5. Genesis 21:17

17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

Questions
     1) So, I HAVE to ask whether or not God/the Angel of the LORD/Angel of God thinks it is funny or cute or endearing or clever to ask the god-damnedest most obvious questions? What aileth thee? Well, lemmie see, here...Hagar and Ishmael have been marooned in the freaking boondocks of the desert, are likely dying of thirst, and are suffering through this at the hand of their own people. Is that good enough for you? Do you think God or any representative of God can stop with the asking of stupid or obvious questions? 

6. Genesis 21:19

19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

Questions

     1) In verse seventeen it first says in regards to Hagar's prayers, "...and God heard." Then a few words later it says, "The angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven." So, is it God or the angel of God? Or, is it both?

7. Genesis 22:1-2

1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Questions

     1) How in the hell is it anywhere near a credible test or temptation of loyalty to instruct the person being tested to kill their own child, or to kill anyone for that matter?

     2) Why does an all-knowing God need to test a mere mortal in order to ascertain whether or not that person is loyal to God?

8. Genesis 22:7-9

7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

Questions

     1) If Abraham is so very faithful and true and loyal to God why didn't he tell his son Isaac the truth as to what Abraham was about to do, and at God's own direction at that? Why did he feel compelled to lie?

     2) Is this child abuse by Abraham, or will God let it slide?

9. Genesis 22:11-12

11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Questions

     1) So, God ran this little demented test to find out something of Abraham that He already knew?

     2) Is what happened to Isaac what Jesus meant when He said, Suffer the little children unto me?

     3) Which part of this would be appropriate in modern times?

10. Genesis 22:16-17

16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

Questions

     1) Why in the world would God swear by Himself? Would that be blasphemy against Himself?

     2) Isn't it true that scientists estimate the Milky Way has 400 billion stars?

     3) Isn't the promise by God to number Abraham's seed as the stars are numbered an empty, foolish promise God never intends to keep?

11. Genesis 24:4

4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

Questions

     1) Kindred does mean people that are of blood relation, correct? 

     2) Is this another divine trek into incest?

12. Genesis 24:67

67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

Questions

     1) Isaac takes his NEW bride to his DEAD mother's tent on the wedding consummation?   

     2) Is this some kind of strangely horrifying Oedipus thing that Isaac has going on?

13. Genesis 25:23

23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

Questions

     1) First of all, if God really did create man wouldn't he know that babies are NOT born from a woman's bowels?

     2) Why does God seemingly always go directly for an imbalance of power that will inevitably lead to war at some point or other?

14. Genesis 25:29-34

29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:

30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

Questions

     1) Why is it that so many of these stories in the Old Testament have something to do with someone getting rooked by another someone who almost always turns out to be the underdog who almost always manages to win with the manipulative, wickedly caring help of the LORD God?

15. Genesis 26:4-5

4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

Questions

     1) Isn't God really saying here that if you want ultimate success and blessings and power and affluence and possessions and riches and wealth that you MUST do everything that God asks you to do?

16. Genesis 26:7

7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.

Questions

     1) Here is ANOTHER man who lies about his wife being his sister. Why is this? Is this some kind of sicko remembrance of how the entire world was populated, destroyed, and then re-populated with people who were very closely blood related?

17. Genesis 27:19-22

19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

20 But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the LORD your God granted me success.”

21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come close, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not."

22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

Questions

     1) How is this deceitful behavior allowed?

     2) Is it part of God's "plan" for mankind?

     3) If it is part of the big plan for mankind does this infer that God's divine plan included lies and deceit and trickery and thievery?

18. Genesis 27:33-34

33 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.

34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.

Questions

     1) Now, if Jacob procured the birthright blessing by trickery and fraudulent means...WHY does Isaac still honor the blessing instead of revoking it?

     2) Why does God allow it when it was not by honest, true means?

     3) So, is it okay to do something by dishonest and impure means so long as in the end God is benefited in some way?

19. Genesis 27:39-40

39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;

40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

Questions

     1) How in the blue blazes is this a blessing?

     2) Not only will there be fighting and bloodshed but he will be in servitude?

20. Genesis 28:12

12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

Questions

     1) Do you believe this Bible story?

     2) If someone claimed the same thing nowadays would you believe one word of what they would have to say about anything even remotely sounding this screwy?

21. Genesis 28:17

17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

Questions

     1) Is he afraid because he really thinks this place holds the gates of heaven?

     2) Why would the house of God be considered dreadful? 

22. Genesis 29:25-26

25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?

Questions

     1) Why all the sneakiness?

     2) So, if someone gets rooked it is all fine and dandy so long as it served the purpose of God?

23. Genesis 29:31-32

31 Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

Questions

     1) Is Rachel being punished by God because Jacob loves Rachel more than he loves Leah?

     2) So, should people who are deeply loved expect a certain 'barren' nature to their lives?

24. Genesis 30:1-3

1 And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

2 Then Jacob's anger burned against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"

3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.

Questions

     1) So, do you really think Jacob is going to say 'NO' when his own wives are encouraging him to do unto the servants of his wives, even as he does unto his wives?

     

25. Genesis 30:15-16

15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.

16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

Questions

     1) So Jacob gets pimped out by one wife FOR the other wife...and all of that for mandrakes?

26. Genesis 31:53

53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.

Questions

     1) This is a very interesting verse. Read this verse a couple of times and then consider exactly what was meant when referring to God as the "Fear of his father Isaac." Why was God referred to as the Fear of his father Isaac?

     2) So, Isaac was afraid of God?

     3) Was Isaac's fear of God in the sense of awesome power, or in the sense of this mo-fo is friggin' crazy so I best run and watch my back?

27. Genesis 32:1

1 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

Questions

     1) Why is God sending angels to do His bidding when God is already supposed to be everywhere? Seriously.

28. Genesis 32:24-25

24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

25 When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

Questions

     1) So, if Jacob really was wrestling with God does the fact that God put Jacob's hip out of socket to force Jacob to let go make God a dirty fighter?

29. Genesis 32:26

26 Then he said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." But he said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

Questions

     1) Why would the breaking dawn have anything to do with anyone in this situation? Will the man Jacob wrestles melt away from the rays of the sun, like a vampire of sorts?

30. Genesis 32:29

29 Then Jacob asked him and said, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And he blessed him there.

Questions

     1) I am curious to know WHY Jacob's request for his opponent's name was ignored, especially if he was supposedly wrestling with God?

31. Genesis 34:2

2 When Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.

Questions

     1) Tell me how Shechem's taking of Dinah by force is all that different and morally reprehensible than the LORD God taking the land of the Canaanites by force and giving it to the children of Israel?

32. Genesis 34:14-15

14 They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us.

15 "Only on this condition will we consent to you: if you will become like us, in that every male of you be circumcised,

Questions

     1) So, is the guy basically saying that it would be okay to keep the woman who was raped so long as he cut a portion of his penis off?

33. Genesis 34:24-26

24 And all who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

25 On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and came against the city while it felt secure and killed all the males.

26 And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.

Questions

     1) Did all the males of the city rape Dinah? If not WHY kill them?

     2) Is the issue guilt by association whether that be by trade or by faith or by family?

34. Genesis 34:27-29

27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.

28 They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field.

29 and they captured and looted all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives, even all that was in the houses.

Questions

     1) What is wrong with this picture here? Yes, I would be totally pissed if what had happened to Dinah happened to someone I care about. However, where is the justification for killing everyone, taking the flocks, taking the possessions, even taking the wives?

     2) If this type of behavior is what God is looking for now (or HAS looked for in the past), and how does this GLORIFY God?

35. Genesis 34:31

31 And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

Questions

     1) Is this the question form of the phrase, "The ends justifies the means?"

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