God is Not Bipolar

Unbelievers, as well as many Christians, often have trouble with the frequent horrific death, destruction and killing going on in the Bible, even terming some of it genocide. Most of this took place in the Old Testament, though Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11) in the New Testament were also judged by God, through the Apostle Peter.

Henry Imler opens up discussion on his post, "An Evil Bipolar God" and presents 3 different options for interpreting Old Testament "genocide." An interesting bunch of comments follows.

The judgments of God for wickedness start with the Flood, which destroyed all of humankind, excepting only one family. That was the hand of God himself. Some of the time he used (uses) people and nations, as when "the iniquity of the Amorites" had reached it's full measure. He commanded Israel to go in and wipe them all out. Later, he had the Babylonians execute his righteous judgment on the Israelites, as he had used various Canaanite tribes to harass the backsliding Israelites during the time of the Judges.

Justifiable homicide by a just and righteous God. The humanists among us cringe at such an outrageous idea. And yet, those same liberal sweetcakes would scream if you denied them the "right" to murder their own babies. A case of calling white black (nothing ethnic intended) and wrong right. In all cases, however, God is the arbiter of righteousness and whatever he does, or causes to be done by his command, is right.

We cannot extrapolate and decide that it would be justifiable to go out and do likewise, taking death into our own hands, on our own initiative, even suicide. That, my friends, is called presumption and is a sin against God. On the order of Jim Jones and Hitler. And, in case some anti-war (aren't we all really?) liberal is reading, that does not include national military service.

So, God is not Bipolar. For,

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8

This life is not the end all and be all. It is only an opportunity for us to get to know our loving Creator and to be with him in the life that is eternal.

As a postscript, what I actually had in mind with the photo was a scripture I'd read in Psalms:

"Though my father and mother forsake me,
The Lord will receive me." Psalm 27:10

Remembered when considering the plight of many without parents at all, or who have worthless ones. Perhaps a single mother only, doing her best. But, in spite of the hand we're dealt, and we all have a few dud cards in our decks, God is there - wanting to hear from his children, hoping we'll turn to him for the help we need.