I came across a Facebook post by a Muslim trying to condemn the Bible for the killing of children and say the Quran is more noble book because it condemns the killing of children and essentially condemning the Bible for child killing. Well, let's see what the Bible says.
Revelation 2:23 was quoted but let us see what the context is:
"18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’
26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’[b]—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Whether this is a person called Jezebel or someone who carries the character of Jezebel is debatable. Regardless, the punishment is perfectly just here. What better way to punish a wicked woman than robbing her of her children? Especially when the deceiving of the church and bringing them into sexual immorality is something that Jesus finds this detestable.
"31 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”
"3 So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord’s vengeance on them. 4 Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” 5 So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. 6 Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.
7 They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man. 8 Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. 9 The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. 10 They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps. 11 They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, 12 and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.
13 Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. 14 Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle.
15 “Have you allowed all the women to live?” he asked them. 16 “They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the Lord’s people. 17 Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, 18 but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man."
The Midianite women thanks to Balaam had enticed the Israelites into sin and wickedness but not all women were involved in the sexual enticement. As a result, when the Israelites attacked the Midianites, YHWH dispensed his grace to the Midianite women who did not entice the Israelites by sparing their lives.
"15 Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. 2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy[a] all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”"
This is just venegance on the Amalekites for their ruthless attack on the Israelites. A fair and just punishment on a wicked nation, deserved and right. Where's the problem?
"Ezekiel 9:5 As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. 6 Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple."
Reading the entire context and even going back to chapter 8, what you have are IDOLATERS who are rightly being slain, including children who won't have the incentive to repent of their sins because they will grow up learning the wickedness of their parents. God doesn't show an unrepentant sinner mercy and that would not exclude children who are unrepentant themselves.
"Genesis 19:24-25
New International Version
Then
the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah--from the
LORD out of the heavens.; Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire
plain, destroying all those living in the cities--and also the
vegetation in the land.""
The same applies here to Sodom and Gomorrah, the people of those towns had no intention of repenting and the children, like in Exekiel 9, would have continued in the wickedness of their parents.
"Lamentations 2:21
“Young and old lie together
in the dust of the streets;
my young men and young women
have fallen by the sword.
You have slain them in the day of your anger;
you have slaughtered them without pity."
Once again a passage of judgement. It is describing what God has done to Israel in light of the fact that the people have not repented and returned to him. It's a horrific sight but God has done to the people exaclty what they deserve. Again, Where is the problem with God bringing his wrath upon them here? The children are suffering and dying because of the idolatry and immorality of Israel. Doesn't God have the right to bring judgement upong those who deserve it?
The same applies to the passages below, Hosea speaks about the Northern Kingdom of Israel, also known as Ephraim, specifically mentioning Samaria while Nahum is referring to the Assyrians.
"Hosea 13:16
King James Bible
Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.
Nahum 3:5, 3:10
New International Version
5 "I am against you," declares the LORD Almighty. "I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame.
10 Yet she was taken captive and went into exile. Her infants were dashed to pieces at every street corner. Lots were cast for her nobles, and all her great men were put in chains."
Again I ask, Doesn't God have the right to bring judgement upon those who deserve it?
"Ezekiel 5:9-10
New International Version
Because of all your detestable idols, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again. Therefore in your midst parents will eat their children, and children will eat their parents. I will inflict punishment on you and will scatter all your survivors to the winds."
An example in the Bible of God handing over individuals to wickedness and evil because of their unrepenant hearts. Cannabalism is one of the evils commited by individuals that have been given over to a reprobate mind. It is also desperation as the people are low on food and about to starve but rather than seek God and repent, they eat their children to survive. Horrid yes, but this is what happened.
"Genesis 19:24-25
New International Version
Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah--from the LORD out of the heavens.; Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities--and also the vegetation in the land."
A just act, the people were evil and immoral as explained before. God knew these people would repent so he destroyed them.
"Deuteronomy 32:25
New International Version
In the street the
sword will make them childless; in their homes terror will reign. The
young men and young women will perish, the infants and those with gray
hair."
This is part of the song of Moses. Can you explain one explain what the problem is with the passage here? I am not seeing anything that is close to God murdering children (even though God has the right to take the life of the creation he has made.) Let's take a look back in the previous chapter to see why this song, including verse 25 is present:
"Deuteronomy 31:15 Then the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of
cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent. 16 And the
Lord said to Moses: “You are going to rest with your ancestors, and
these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the
land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I
made with them. 17 And in that day I will become angry with them and
forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed.
Many disasters and calamities will come on them, and in that day they
will ask, ‘Have not these disasters come on us because our God is not
with us?’ 18 And I will certainly hide my face in that day because of
all their wickedness in turning to other gods.
19 “Now write down
this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that
it may be a witness for me against them. 20 When I have brought them
into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath
to their ancestors, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will
turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my
covenant. 21 And when many disasters and calamities come on them, this
song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by
their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do, even before I
bring them into the land I promised them on oath.” 22 So Moses wrote
down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites."
In Chapter 31 of Deuteronomy, Moses is commanded to write the song as a witness against Israel, because God knows that when Israel settle in the land and get comfortable, they shall rebel, thus bringing disaster upon themselves. The Israelites will have no excuse in their rebellion.
"Joshua 10:32-35
New International Version
The LORD gave Lachish into Israel's hands, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah. 35 They captured it that same day and put it to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it, just as they had done to Lachish."
Putting aside the debate as to whether or not they are civilian towns or military strongholds, the judgement on children and their parents are perfectly justified, in light of what I had mentioned previously about Sodom and Gomorrah.
If they were military strongholds, any point of the Israelites killing all, young and old, women and children are merely points denoting a decisive war victory. It was common rhetoric used by Israel and pagans alike. The exact words may not be here the principle applies if these were military strongholds.
If however they were regular villages, it still doesn't condemn God for wiping out the children.
Joshua by God's mighty hand was eliminating five towns in particular and their kings. Just judgement being brought upon a wicked and rebellious people. Individuals namely who had forfeited their right to live the land.
"Deuteronomy 13:13-19
Kill the entire town (including women, infants and children) if one person worships another god"
The destruction of that town is perfectly justified, especially if the town allows the wickedness to flourish and the Israelites do nothing about it. If any person, including a relative leads people astray, the town is to be destroyed as the town itself has been corrupted by Israelites that have turned away from YHWH, telling people to follow the false gods of that nations.
Hope this article has been a help to you.
Answering Judaism.
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