Subscribe to receive weekly emails of the Reasons for Hope blog.

* indicates required

Is the God of the Old Testament a Moral Monster? Part 3

Is God an ethnic cleanser? Can God be accused of hating certain people groups? Does God not value human life, even that of children?  If you ask Richard Dawkins, he would probably point you to his remarks in The God Delusion,
“…the ethnic cleansing begun in the time of Moses is brought to bloody fruition in the book of Joshua, a text remarkable for the blood thirsty massacres it records and the xenophobic relish with which it does so.”[1]
Quotes such as these, common on atheist websites and literature, reveal remarkable ignorance of the content of the Bible and of the general principles of hermeneutics.  These principles of interpretation are not only applicable to the Bible, but to all of literature.  If one intends to uncover the precise meaning of any ancient passage in any ancient document, it is obvious that certain rules of interpretation must be applied.  Foremost among these principles is a proper consideration of the CONTEXT.  One must resist the temptation of interpreting ancient literature as if it were written in our modern times. The conquest passages are an excellent example of the need for sound interpretation principles. These passages are more than 3,500 years old. The world in 1450BC was quite different from our world. A careful consideration of the context along with other key issues goes a long way in dissipating the criticism of contemporary atheists. A case study on the conquest of Canaan will make it abundantly clear that the God of the Old Testament cannot be accused of being a xenophobic ethnic cleanser.
Narrative Context
We begin by affirming the obvious; you can’t separate a story from its narrative context.  You cannot select a story, regardless of its content, without also accepting the explanation provided in the narrative itself.  That is unacceptable in any academic field engaged in interpretation of the narrative genre.   This consideration alone does not completely resolve the problem, but it allows the passage to be considered with a framework that facilitates understanding.  In the case of the conquest of Canaan, the narrative context provides a completely different perspective than that of Mr. Dawkins.
God’s Judgment
Dose the narrative context leave room for the notion of ethnic cleansing?  When we consider the relevant context in the book of Joshua, it becomes obvious that ethnicity was irrelevant. What we observe is quite contrary.  If we consider Joshua 5—on the eve of the conquest—we find a repudiation of the normal understanding of a tribal conflict. God goes out of His way to make it clear to the Jews that He is judging the nations and Israel is just an instrument. In an episode that is quite fascinating, Joshua encounters the Angel of the Lord,
13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” 14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” 15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. (NIV)
In other words, the Angel of the Lord is saying: “I’m in charge, and I’m not here to take sides.” Joshua needed to understand that it was God who was judging these nations. Interestingly, Israel would later find itself at the receiving end of God’s judgment.  What becomes blatantly clear is that God judged sin—wherever it was found.
This is not the only passage where such truth is made abundantly clear.  Even prior to crossing the Jordan River, Moses lays out the parameters of the conquest.  Consider Deuteronomy 9:4-6 as a framework to the conquest.  Notice the repetition,
4Do not think in your heart, after the Lord your God has cast them out before you, saying, ‘Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land’; but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out from before you. 5 It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 6 Therefore understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.” [emphasis added].
The Canaanites were judged because of their sin like the Israelites were also judged because of their sin. All you have to do is read the book of Lamentations and you will see all that the Jews went through because of their rebellion and sin against God.  This is extraordinary in an ancient context—when you read ancient literature—this is not the sort of thing you get. This is actually a critique of the notion of ethnic cleansing. It is also contrary to the notion of tribal warfare. Thus, the narrative explanation makes it clear that it has nothing to do with genocide. God is simply exercising his right to judge sin and wickedness wherever it is found. It isn’t long after the conquest that God has to judge the Jews for their sin as well.  God has no favorites.
When we consider the nature of God’s judgment within the biblical context, the questionable content begins to dissipate. We begin to see that God is not capricious or vindictive, but rather a just and loving God. This turns out to be consistent throughout the Old Testament.  God continually expresses His desire to forgive and restore, rather than judge and destroy. Take for example Ezekiel 33:11,
“Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’”
God had been extremely patient with the Canaanites.  He waited over 400 years for them to repent and avoid judgment, but they did not. God reveals to Abraham that the conquest would be the direct result of unrepentant sin. Consider Genesis 15:16,   “But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”  In other words, God waited patiently for them to repent and proceeded to judge the nations when it was obvious they would never do so.  As William Lane Craig points out,
By the time of their destruction, Canaanite culture was, in fact, debauched and cruel, embracing such practices as ritual prostitution and even child sacrifice.  The Canaanites are to be destroyed “that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you sin against the Lord your God” (Deut. 20.18).  God had morally sufficient reasons for His judgment upon Canaan, and Israel was merely the instrument of His justice, just as centuries later God would use the pagan nations of Assyria and Babylon to judge Israel.[2]
Particularity of the Conquest
Another fact established by a careful consideration of the narrative context is the particularity of the conquest of Canaan.  This is a particular moment in history. It is a particular action in a particular time, for a particular situation—it is not repeated.  Unlike Israel’s neighbors, there is no evidence (internal or external) that Israel ever tried to extend its borders from beyond the promised land.  The Jews were not a conquesting people.  They understood themselves to be a divine instrument of exacting judgment on a people that were profoundly wicked. The Canaanites were a people who engaged regularly in child sacrifice among other horrific practices. God’s intervention should be seen as nothing except justice dispensed by He who has the responsibility and the role of Judge over His creation.
God’s Law vs. Near Eastern Culture
Israelite Laws about warfare, social ethics and punishments are infinitely more just and compassionate than those of their near eastern neighbors. As Paul Copan explains,
For certain crimes, Hammurabi mandated that tongue, breast, hand, or ear be cut off (192, 194, 195, 205).  One punishment involved the accused’s being dragged around a field by cattle.[3]
There was a sharp contrast between these Near Eastern laws and the Law that God passed down to the Jews.  While similarities are abundant in those areas where moral absolutes stand out, the differences are notable with regards to the compassion and mercy of God that comes through in the latter.
Commenting on the brutal and harsh Code of Hammurabi, historian Paul Johnson observes: “These dreadful laws are notable for the ferocity of their physical punishments, in contrast to the restraint of the Mosaic Code and the enactments of Deuteronomy and Leviticus.”[4]
Regarding the warfare, it is also notable that it would never have been justified for the Jews to attack any of the inhabitants of the Promised Land without the direct command of God to do so.  Furthermore, God was more concerned with wiping out the religion of the Canaanites than the people themselves. When we read the narrative context we find obvious references to the Canaanites surviving the conquest. For example in Deuteronomy 7:2-5 we read,
2 and when the Lord your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. 3 Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. 4 For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the Lord will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly. 5 But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire.
The clear emphasis is on the annihilation of the religion as opposed to the people group. This passage is of utmost hermeneutical importance, for it provides an expanded explanation in verse 5 of what God meant in verse 2 when he instructs them to “conquer them and utterly destroy them.”
Conclusion
When one considers fundamental hermeneutical principles that apply to these Old Testament passages such as narrative context, the nature of God’s judgment, the particularity of the conquest and the contrast between the laws of Near Eastern cultures of the time and the law of the Jewish people, the attacks on God’s character turn out to be unfounded. Furthermore, the attacks demonstrate widespread ignorance of the Old Testament.  Next week we will engage in a case study of the Amalekites and the charge of infanticide.
Footnotes
[1] Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2006), 248.
[2] William Lane Craig. The Slaughter of the Canaanites, Q&A. http://www.reasonablefaith.org/slaughter-of-the-canaanites#ixzz2MrSxwQbk Accessed 3/1/13.
[3] Paul Copan. “Is Yahweh a Moral Monster?”  Philosophia Christi, Vol. 10, No.1 2008.
[4] Ibid.
Posted in
Posted in

Recent

Archive

 2024

Categories

Tags

1 Chronicles 16:8-12 1 Chronicles 22:14 1 Chronicles 29:11 1 Corinthians 10:31 1 Corinthians 13 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 1 Corinthians 15:21 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 1 Corinthians 15:33 1 Corinthians 15:45 1 Corinthians 15:57 1 Corinthians 15:58 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 1 Corinthians 6:20 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 1 John 2:15-17 1 John 2:15 1 John 2:2 1 John 4:10 1 John 4:19 1 John 4:7-8 1 Peter 1:23 1 Peter 2:24 1 Peter 3:15 1 Peter 3:18 1 Peter 4:12-13 1 Peter 4:12-19 1 Peter 5:10 1 Samuel 8:4-5 1 Samuel 8:7-9 1 Thessalonians 5:11 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 1 Thessalonians 5:17 1 Timothy 4:8 1 Timothy 6:10 1 Timothy 6:3-10 1 corinthians 10:13 1 thessalonians 5:18 100 miles 100% human 1Peter 1:17-21 2 Chronicles 9:13-29 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 2 Corinthians 12:9-11 2 Corinthians 12:9 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 2 Corinthians 1:3-6 2 Corinthians 1:3 2 Corinthians 3:17 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 2 Corinthians 4:17 2 Corinthians 5:21 2 Corinthians 6:18 2 Peter 3:9 2 Samuel 23:8-12 2 Samuel 6:17 2 Thessalonians 3:3 2 Timothy 1:7 2 Timothy 2:15 2 Timothy 2:25 2 Timothy 2:7 2 Timothy 3:12 2 Timothy 3:16-17 2 Timothy 4:11 2 Timothy 4:2 25% are staying 50k 55-mile race AI Abraham sacrificing Isaac Abraham was very rich. Abuja Acts 10:3-4 Acts 11 Acts 13 and 15 Acts 17:11 Acts 17:22-34 Acts 17 Acts 1:8 Acts 27:35 Acts 2:42 Acts 3:1 Acts 5:38-39 Acts 9 Albert Einstein All great men were born in February. Alyssa Glander America waited too long. Apalachee High School Apostle Peter Asbury Barabbas Barna poll Barnabas Baruch Bulla Be a Berean Be bold! Be bold Be happy! Be part of the process. Be still and know that I am God Be the hands and feet of Jesus. Best Evidence God Created Bethlehem Bible reading Bible Biblical archaeology Bob Gillespie Brian Miller C.S. Lewis CRT Camp Sigel Candace Nordine Carl Kerby Jr. Carl Kerby Cell phones Choosing for Two Christ in me Christ opened my eyes. Christian Camps Christian witness Christian worldview Chruch Circadian rhythm Colossians 1:27 Colossians 2:14 Colossians 2:8 Colossians 3:16 Colossians 3:17 and 23-24 Colossians 3:17-23 Colossians 3:17 Colossians 3:1 Colossians 4:5-6 Columbo Tactic Creation Creator God D. Mark Jacobs Jr. Dan Lietha Daniel 1-6 Daniel 12:4 Daniel 2:21 Dave Glander David Tautofi DeBunked 15 DeBunked TV DeBunked Deuteronomy 11:13 Deuteronomy 32:35 Deuteronomy 6:4-6 Deuteronomy 6:6-7 Deuteronomy 6:6-9 Deuteronomy 6:7 Did Jesus Commit Suicide? Dr. Andrew Fabich Dr. Francis Schaeffer Dr. Jason Lisle Dr. Juan Valdes Dr. William Beal Draa Mackey EQUIP+ EQUIP Easter Ecclesiastes 12:13 Ecclesiastes 12:14 Ecclesiastes 3:11 Ecclesiastes 4:10 Eleazar Elohim Ephesians 1-3 Ephesians 1:13-14 Ephesians 2:10 Ephesians 2:8-9 Ephesians 3:12 Ephesians 3:17-18 Ephesians 3:19-21 Ephesians 3:20-21 Ephesians 4:29 Ephesians 5:15-16 Ephesians 5:15-17 Ephesians 5:19 Ephesians 5:20 Ephesians 6:10-18 Ephesians 6:12 Ephesians 6:4 Equip Retreat Exodus 13:17-18 Exodus 17:11 Exodus 17:12 Exodus 20:11 Exodus 33:14 Ezekiel 33:11 Facing the Giants Family dinner Fascinating Facts Fearless Faith Frank Figueroa Gabby Terry Galatians 2:20 Galatians 4:4-5 Galatians 5:1 Galatians 5:22-23 Galatians 5:22-24 Galatians 6:7 Galatians 6:9 Gary Varvel Gen Z Genesis 11:1-2 Genesis 11:6 Genesis 11:7 Genesis 13:1-2 Genesis 13:8-12 Genesis 1:14-15 Genesis 1:14 Genesis 1:27 Genesis 1:28 Genesis 1:29 Genesis 1:31 Genesis 1:3 Genesis 22 Genesis 3:10 Genesis 3:12 Genesis 3:14-15 Genesis 3:20 Genesis 3 Genesis 9:7 Genesis and the Gospel Genesis Give thanks to the Lord. Glad You Asked Christmas Edition Glad You Asked Glendive Montana Glory to God! God created you God is light. God is love. God is rich in mercy God loves us. God loves you God makes no mistakes. God won the battle God-created world God-shaped vacuum God's Word God's character God's dwelling place God's grace God's joy God's plan God's pursuit God\'s Word God\'s character God\'s joy God\'s plan God\'s pursuit God\\\'s character God\\\'s joy God\\\'s plan God\\\'s pursuit God\\\\\\\'s character God\\\\\\\'s joy God\\\\\\\'s plan God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s character God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s plan God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s character God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s plan Gods Word is truth Gods Word Gods care Gods character Gods divine plan Gods light Gods love story Gods plan of redemption Gods plan Gods wisdom Good Shepherd Gospel message Grace Mally Grace Moffitt Grammar matters Groggy Habakkuk 1:5 Hallelujah! Hawaii He is always faithful. He is risen Heaven Hebrews 10:1-18 Hebrews 10:19-22 Hebrews 10:23 Hebrews 11 Hebrews 12:1-3 Hebrews 12 Hebrews 13:14 Hebrews 13:5-6 Hebrews 13:5 Hebrews 13:8 Hebrews 4:12 Hebrews 4:16 Hebrews 7:25 Hell His glory Holly Varnum Holy Spirit How can I fight and overcome fear? How to Think Hubble Human life is sacred. Huntsman Center Hurry sickness I Peter 3:15 IMPACT Impact Curriculum In everything give thanks. Is it okay for a Christian to be rich? Is life good? Isaiah 11:1 Isaiah 26:3-4 Isaiah 26:3 Isaiah 40:28-31 Isaiah 40:29 Isaiah 40:31 Isaiah 40:8 Isaiah 41:10 Isaiah 41 Isaiah 43:1 Isaiah 43:2 Isaiah 45:9a Isaiah 53:6 Isaiah 55:11 Isaiah 55:8-9 Isaiah 55:8 Isaiah 64:8 Isaiah 7:14 Isaiah 9:6 Israel Museum It is well with my soul Jamaica James 1:12 James 1:15 James 1:17 James 1:2 James 1:8 James 2:14-17 James 2:14-26 James 4:10 James 4:14 James 4:7 James 4:8a James 4:8 January 2022 Jehovah Rapha Jeremiah 17:9 Jeremiah 29:11 Jeremiah 29:13 Jeremiah 31:3 Jeremiah 33:3 Jeremiah 36:32 Jerusalem Jesus and me Jesus chose to die. Jesus comforts the broken-hearted. Jesus saw their faith Jesus the Messiah Jesus Jewish feasts Job 1:3 Job 2:8 John 10:10 John 10:11 John 10:17-18 John 10:27 John 11:25 John 12:32 John 14:1-3 John 14:6 John 15:1-11 John 15:13 John 15:16a John 16:33 John 1:12 John 1:35-42 John 3:16-17 John 3:16 John 3:17 John 4:23-24 John 6:51 John 8:32 John 8:36 John Mark John Ray Joni Eareckson Tada Joni and Friends Joseph A. Kennedy Joseph and Mary Joseph Joshua 1:9 Joshua 22:5 Joshua 24:15 Juan Valdes Jude 1:22 Julaine Appling Justice Kaimuki Bulldogs Kaimuki High School Keeping teens faithful King David King Hezekiah King Solomon Know It! Live It! Share It! Know why you believe. LEAD Wisconsin Lacey Reitz Lamentations 3:22-23 Lamentations 3:22-24 Leviticus 12:8 Leviticus 18:24-30 Leviticus 25:23 Liberty Institute Life in layers Life is good because God is good. Life is good Listen to His voice. Listen Little boys need Mamas. Little boys need to know their Mamas like them. Loose the Lion Luke 12:12 Luke 18:1 Luke 1:32 Luke 22:32 Luke 24:38 Luke 2:1-14 Luke 2:24 Luke 2:55 Luke 2:7 Luke 5:1-11 Luke 5:37-39 MRRHWQ 15:32-38 MTD Malachi 3:3 Malachi 3:6a Malachi 3:6 Marc Glander Mark 10:45 Mark 10:8 Mark 16:15 Mark 1:16-18 Mark 1:35 Mark 2:3-5 Mark 5:19 Mark 6:31 Mark 6:46 Martin Luther Mary Master Potter Matthew 10:20 Matthew 10:32 Matthew 11:28-29 Matthew 11:28-30 Matthew 11:28 Matthew 11:29-30 Matthew 11:29 Matthew 13 Matthew 14:13-21 Matthew 14:22-33 Matthew 14:31 Matthew 15:17-19 Matthew 16:24 Matthew 19:16-24 Matthew 19:23-24 Matthew 1:22-23 Matthew 24:35 Matthew 27:15-25 Matthew 27:75 Matthew 28:18-20 Matthew 4:18-20 Matthew 5:13 Matthew 5:16 Matthew 5:18 Matthew 6:19-20 Matthew 6:19-21 Matthew 6:19 Matthew 6:1 Matthew 6:25-26 Matthew 6:27 Matthew 6:33 Matthew 7:21-23 Matthew 9:35 May 15 1987 Memory Lane Mere Christianity Messiah Mic'd Up Mic'dUP Mic\'d Up Mic\'dUP Mic\\\'d Up Mic\\\\\\\'d Up Mic\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'d Up Micah 5:2 Micah 6:8 Micd Up Michigan State University Miracles Money is their god. Moralistic Therapeutic Deism Mosaic NRB National Religious Broadcasters Never Forget. Never Again. Never thirst again. New Year's resolutions New Year\'s resolutions Nigeria Noah's ark Nobody Loves Me . . . DeBunked Nonconformity Not yet a human. Numbers 23:19 OJ Simpson Parable of the sower Pastor Baba Paul Varnum Peter Philippians 1:6 Philippians 2:13 Philippians 2:3-4 Philippians 2:6-11 Philippians 3:12-16 Philippians 3:7-8 Philippians 4:13 Philippians 4:6-7 Philippians 4:6-9 Philippians 4:8 Pilate Plan C Please say Yes! Please say "Yes!" Please say \"Yes!\" Please say \\\"Yes!\\\" Pool of Siloam Potter Pray for Rachael Neal. Pray without ceasing. Proverbs 11:10 Proverbs 12:26 Proverbs 14:12 Proverbs 14:34 Proverbs 15:4 Proverbs 16:3 Proverbs 18:12 Proverbs 18:24 Proverbs 19:21 Proverbs 1:20 Proverbs 1:8-9 Proverbs 20:12 Proverbs 22:6 Proverbs 23:19-21 Proverbs 27:17 Proverbs 3:5-6 Proverbs 3:5 Proverbs 3:9 Proverbs 3;5-6 Proverbs 6:16-19 Psalm 100:5 Psalm 100 Psalm 103:2-5 Psalm 119:105 Psalm 119:11 Psalm 119:160 Psalm 122:1 Psalm 138:1-2 Psalm 139:14 Psalm 139:17 Psalm 139:4 Psalm 139 Psalm 13:6 Psalm 145:13 Psalm 145:18 Psalm 147:4 Psalm 16:11 Psalm 18:1-2 Psalm 18:30 Psalm 19:1 Psalm 1:1 Psalm 1 Psalm 23:1 Psalm 23:2 Psalm 23:4 Psalm 23:6 Psalm 27 Psalm 29:2 Psalm 2:1-6 Psalm 31:14-15 Psalm 33:11 Psalm 34:18 Psalm 34:19 Psalm 37:3-7 Psalm 37:5-6 Psalm 37:5 Psalm 40:2 Psalm 40:8 Psalm 42 Psalm 55:17 Psalm 63:3 Psalm 68:19 Psalm 69:9a Psalm 73:16-17 Psalm 84:11 Psalm 8:3 Psalm 8:4 Psalm 92:1-4 Psalm 95:1 Pursued Put God first Rachael Neal Reasons for Hope Responds Reasons for Hope in the Mosaic of Your Life Reasons for Hope* Reasons for Hope Rebekah Haynie Respond to God's voice Respond to God\'s voice Respond to God\\\'s voice Respond to God\\\\\\\'s voice Respond to God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s voice Resurrection Revelation 19:11 Revelation 20:12 Revelation 22:18-19 Revelation 7:9-11 RforH Romans 10:14 Romans 10:15 Romans 10:9-10 Romans 10:9 Romans 11:36 Romans 12:1-2 Romans 12:2 Romans 12:9-21 Romans 15:13 Romans 1:16 Romans 1:20 Romans 3:23 Romans 5:10-11 Romans 5:12 Romans 5:17 Romans 5:2-5 Romans 5:6-10 Romans 6:23 Romans 8:14 Romans 8:18-25 Romans 8:18 Romans 8:26 Romans 8:28 Romans 8:38-39 Romans 8:38 Sanctity of Life Schaftlein Report Scriptures Seal of Baruch September 11 Shelby Pruitt Shema Spurgeon Stay bold! Stay bold Steve Herzig Supreme Court Surprised by Joy Testify Thanksgiving The Bible Project The Bible is a Jewish book. The DeBunked Files The Plumb Line The Right Ingredients The Screwtape Letters There is no truth. There is no truth There's Nothing Wrong with Abortion ... DeBunked! There\'s Nothing Wrong with Abortion ... DeBunked! There\\\'s Nothing Wrong with Abortion ... DeBunked! There\\\\\\\'s Nothing Wrong with Abortion ... DeBunked! Think before you post. Thinkful TikTok Tish Kerby Titus 2:6 Tower of Babel Trust His heart Trusting God Use God's Word correctly. Use God\'s Word correctly. WEF Wade Wacker Wash their feet. Wealthy Christians What are you thankful for? What is a Christian? What is my purpose? Who Made God? Why am I here? Why did Jesus have to die? Will Our Generation Speak? Within Our Reach Wooed Word of God Your grace still amazes me. Your vote matters. Youth outreach Yuval Noah Harari Zola Levitt a little at a time a process; not an event abortion absolute truth abundant life acacia accepting help achieving the impossible adventure anatomy and physiology angels angry another child of God struggling answering questions antidote to fear anxious apologetics artificial intelligence astronomy astrophysics atonement for sin be not afraid best of luck biblical Christianity biblical creationist biblical perspective biblical worldview biblical worship biology blindfold boldness bold boys branch brokenness bullae bulla butterfly caged called to encourage cancellation cancer journey cancer cease striving certainty challenge character check your attitude children choices clay coercion come alongside comfort zone comfortable Christian commas save lives compromised confidence confused conjunction consequences consistency consistent created in Gods image creation vs. evolution critical race theory critical thinking cross curriculum cut the head off the snake debate deception defend depressed depression design of the eye designed by God desperate passion dinosaur dig distractions don't fight alone don't stop don\'t fight alone don\'t stop don\\\'t fight alone don\\\'t stop don\\\\\\\'t stop dont stop doubt eisegeses election embryology encouragement entrusted by God to do good eternal life eternity without God eternity evangelism evidence for a creator examine the scriptures exegesis eye fair and impartial faith walk family circle family first fear not fearfully and wonderfully made fear feeling lost feeling overwhelmed fig filled with joy and worship flight cancelled football coach forest forever home former athiest free will freedom in Christ freedom of choice freedom fruit fulfilled prophecies galaxies gestation give a defense give thanks glory in His holy name good luck good news of Jesus Christ good news good will toward men government grace gratitude grog having conversations heavenly host hermeneutics heroes of the faith history of the universe hope human eye humble ourselves illness impact lives impact your teammates positively impulsive incomprehensible God inn investment isolation keep moving keep progressing largest church in the world layers leaf let go light year speed like Christ live in freedom loss of loved ones loss love of money love mATTHEW 26: 20-29 made for another world made in His image manger marriage memories memorization without application memorizing Scripture miraculous design missing opportunities more like Christ motivation multiple meanings mystical truth never compromised no coincidence no complaints no hope no pain no gain no place like home no quitting no room in the inn nonconformist not a fetus not ashamed oak objective right and wrong olive one foot in front of the other one race one-world government opened doors opportunity to bring hope overwhelming distance palms part of a team passionate patience patriotism paying it forward peace persecution persevere perspective physics plans pomegranate positive messages postgame prayer potsherd pottery potter power of the Word praying pregnancy pregnant preposition prioritize God pro-life progress propitiation providence quadriplegic quiet time reach the younger generation reality exists reality reassurance red cardinal redemptive work of Christ refining refocus what church looks like relationship with God relentless forward motion represent Christ resolutions rest for your soul rest revival right time right words righteousness root of all evil root sacrifice salvation see God move seed experiment seek the Lord shine a light silversmith situation slavery social media son of encouragement speak life speak your truth spiritual apathy spiritual harvest spiritual legacy spotless Lamb of God stable stagnant church stand boldly on the Word of God stand up against evil star-gazing starstruck stars step by step stranded stress statistics stress study for yourself suffering summer camp swaddling clothes sycamore symbol of God's love and reassurance symbol of God\'s love and reassurance symbol of God\\\'s love and reassurance symbol of God\\\\\\\'s love and reassurance symbol of Gods love and reassurance teaching science technology teen questions teens telescope temple of the Holy Spirit terebinth thank you thankfulness thankful the apple of his eye the finish line the human eye the lion will defend itself the long route the seeing eye the wooing of God theology think for yourself thriving in Christ traditions traffic trees trials tribulation troubles trust Jesus truth turn to God ultamarathon ultrarunner ultrmarathon unborn child uncage the Lion uncertain uncover the truth unfair universe unpredictable use your gift vine virgin birth visual reminders vote voting weathering the storm wethering the storm where two worlds collide willow windows to the soul wonder of boys work ethic worldview worship worth fighting for worth it worthy of protection young earth your circle matters youth ministry youth zeal for worship zoo guide