Problem: Exodus 24:9–11 records that Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel ascended the mountain of God and “saw the God of Israel.” However, Exodus 19:12–13 says that the people could not even touch the base of the mountain without being put to death. And in Exodus 33:20 God says that no one can see Him and live. How could these people go up the mountain and see God and yet live?
Problem: Modern critical scholars following Julius Wellhausen (19th century) claim that the first five books of the OT were written by various persons known as J (Jehovist), E (Elohimist), P (priestly), and D (deuteronomist), depending on which sections reflect the literary characteristics of these supposed authors. However, this verse declares that “Moses wrote all the words of the Lord.” Indeed, many other verses in the Bible attribute this book to Moses (see points 6–9 below).
Problem: This verse commands: “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.” What does this mean and why were the Israelites commanded not to do this?
Problem: Numbers 35:31 commands that “you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.” However, Exodus 21 says if the guilty one has “imposed on him a sum of money, then he shall pay to redeem his life, whatever is imposed on him” (v. 30). But these are contrary instructions about punishing murderers.
Problem: According to some translations of the Bible, this text teaches that when fighting men cause a woman to have a “miscarriage” they “shall be fined” (v. 22, rsv). But, if the fighting men caused the death of the woman, the penalty was capital punishment (v. 23). Doesn’t this prove that the unborn was not considered a human being, as the mother was?