Problem: In the Ten Commandments, God prohibits killing when He says, “Thou shalt not kill” (kjv). However, in Exodus 21:12 God commands that the man who strikes another man so that he dies should be put to death. Isn’t it a contradiction for God to command that we not kill and then command that we do kill?
Problem: This commandment states that the seventh day of the week, Saturday, is the day which the Lord selected as the day of rest and worship. However, in the NT the Christian church began to worship and rest on the first day of the week, Sunday. Aren’t Christians violating the Sabbath commandment by worshiping on the first day of the week rather than the seventh day? Continue reading →
Problem: The Bible not only says here that God is a “jealous God,” but it also declares His very “name is Jealous” (Ex. 34:14). On the other hand, jealousy is a sin. But, if God is absolutely holy, then how can He be jealous?
Problem: Exodus 12:29–30 describes that terrible night when God struck in the land of Egypt, “from the first born of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock.” This miraculous judgment was brought upon Egypt because Pharaoh had refused to let Israel go. However, the people of Egypt did not have control over Pharaoh’s actions. How could an all-loving God strike the firstborn of those Egyptians who were not responsible for the decisions of Pharaoh?
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Problem: Exodus 9:6 asserts that “all the livestock of Egypt died” in the fifth plague. Yet only a few verses later it instructs them to “gather your livestock and all that you have in the field” into their houses (v. 19). But if all livestock died, then how could there be any left?
Problem: Exodus 7:20 asserts that “all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood” by Moses. But only two verses later it says the magicians of Egypt performed the same feat (v. 22), which would have been impossible if Moses had really turned all the water to blood.
Problem: Several times in the account of the plagues the Scripture states that the judgments would be upon “all the land of Egypt” (7:19; 8:16, 24; [“throughout,” 9:22]). However, other passages assert that God protected Israel from the effects of the different plagues (8:22). Isn’t it a contradiction for some passages to say that the plagues would affect all the land of Egypt while others indicate that Israel was not affected by these plagues?
Problem: Several passages in Exodus (7:11, 22; 8:7) state that the wise men, sorcerers, and magicians of Pharaoh did the same works with their enchantments which God commanded Moses and Aaron to perform. However, Moses and Aaron claimed to have been sent from the Lord God. How could these men perform the same feats of power as Moses and Aaron did by the power of God?
Problem: Exodus 6:16–20 indicates that there were only three generations between Levi, the son of Jacob, and Moses. However, Galatians 3:17 indicates that Israel was in Egypt for 430 years. How could there be only three generations between Levi, who went down into Egypt at the beginning of the 430-year period, and Moses, who delivered Israel from Egypt at the end of the 430-year period?
Problem: In Exodus 3:10, God revealed Himself to Moses and commissioned him to lead Israel out of Egypt (cf. 4:19). However, Exodus 6:10–11 declares that Moses was in the Desert of Midian when God told him to go to Pharaoh and ask for Israel’s release.
Problem: Here the text claims that “they would not heed Moses.” But earlier (in Ex. 4:31) it says “the people believed [Moses],” and even “bowed their heads and worshiped [God].”
Problem: According to this text God told Moses, “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD [Jehovah, Yahweh], I was not known to them.” However, the word “LORD” [Jehovah, Yahweh] occurs in Genesis in many places, both in combination with the term “God,” as “LORD God” (Gen. 2:4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 15, etc.) and alone as LORD (Gen. 4:1, 3, 4, 6, 9, etc.).
Problem: Exodus 4:24 states, “And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him.” The verse does not explicitly say whom the Lord met in the encampment, but the context indicates that it was Moses. If so, why did God seek to kill him, since He had called him to lead Israel out of Egypt?
Solution: First, it is clear that Moses had been selected by the Lord to be His instrument to deliver the people of Israel from Egyptian bondage and from the power of Pharaoh. But, as one of God’s covenant people, Moses was obligated to circumcise his sons on the eighth day. For one reason or another, Moses had not performed the rite of circumcision on his son as one of the covenant people of the Lord. It was not possible for the Lord to permit His chosen deliverer to represent Him to the people of Israel when he had not complied with the dictates of the covenant relationship himself. Apparently, God took this drastic measure to prompt Moses to obey Him, knowing that Moses would not willingly go against the wishes of his wife Zipporah. Zipporah performed the circumcision, perhaps because Moses was incapacitated from an affliction which the Lord had brought upon him. As soon as the circumcision was performed, the Lord ceased from seeking to kill Moses.
Second, it is obvious that the Lord could have killed Moses suddenly if that were the intent of this incident. God certainly possessed the power to do this without delay. The incident clearly indicates that God’s purpose was to cause Moses to comply with His requirements. God obviously did not want to kill Moses. What He wanted was Moses’ obedience and complete commitment to His law, if he was going to be the great lawgiver to his people.
Problem: The Bible quotes God as saying, “I will harden his [Pharaoh’s] heart, so that he will not let the people go.” But if God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, then Pharaoh cannot be held morally responsible for his actions, since he did not do it of his own free will, but out of constraint (cf. 2 Cor. 9:7; 1 Peter 5:2).