OT Contradictions

Is there a contradiction between Creation Accounts in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2?

No. In one instance a summary of the creation is given again, and another one describes the creation of the earth, while the other describes the specific creation of the Garden of Eden and things in it....for Adam. Dr Kent Hovind adds:

Supposed contradiction # 1:
    a. Gen. 1:11 has the trees made on day 3 before man; Gen. 2:8 has the trees made on day 6 after man.
    b. Gen. 1:20 has birds made out of the water on day 5; Gen. 2:19 has birds made out of the ground (after man) on day 6.
    c. Gen. 1:24, 25 has the animals made on day 6 before man; Gen. 2:19 has the animals made on day 6 after man.

    Here is the solution—

    A careful reading of the two chapters will show the solution for each of the supposed contradictions.

    Explanation of supposed contradiction a:

        Chapter 1 tells the entire story in the order it happened.
        Gen. 2:4-6 gives a quick summary of the first five days of creation.
        Gen. 2:7-25 is describing only the events that took place on day 6 in the Garden of Eden.

The trees described in Genesis 2:8 are only in the Garden (the rest of the world is already full of trees from day 3). The purpose of this second creation of trees may have been to let Adam see that God did have power to create, that He was not just taking credit for the existing world. Notice that the second creation of trees was still on day 6 and was only those trees that are "pleasant to the sight and good for food."

Explanation of supposed contradiction b:

The birds created out of the ground on day 6 are only one of each "kind" so that Adam can name them and select a wife. The rest of the world is full of birds from day 5.

Explanation of supposed contradiction c:

Genesis 2:19 is describing only the animals created in the Garden, after man. The purpose of this second batch of animals being created was so that Adam could name them (Gen. 2:19) and select a wife (Gen. 2:20). Adam, not finding a suitable one (God knew he wouldn't), God made Eve (Gen. 2:21-22).

There are no contradictions between these two chapters. Chapter 2 only describes in more detail the events in the Garden of Eden on day 6. If ancient man had written the Bible (as some scoffers say), he would never have made it say that the light was made before the sun! Many ancient cultures worshiped the sun as the source of life. God is light. God made the light before He made the sun so we could see that He (not the sun) is the source of life.

Are there contradictions in the King James Bible? Many Bibles have footnotes that say there are “copyist’s errors” in the King James Bible. I disagree strongly! They need to read the verses carefully. Below are a few examples.

GE 1:3-5 On the first day, God created light, then separated light and darkness.
GE 1:14-19 The sun (which separates night and day) wasn't created until the fourth day.

Answer: So what? God is light and He will be the light of heaven long after the sun is gone (Revelation 21:23). Obviously He could have created a stream of light before He made the sun.

GE 1:11-12, 26-27 Trees were created before man was created.
GE 2:4-9 Man was created before trees were created.

Answer: Genesis 2:8-9 does not describe the creation of trees but the creation of the garden of Eden for Adam to live in. In it God planted many trees, among them the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life.

GE 1:20-21, 26-27 Birds were created before man was created.
GE 2:7, 19 Man was created before birds were created.

Answer: Genesis 2:19 does not describe the creation of birds (which came out of the seas). Rather, God made one more of each kind of creature from the ground directly before Adam, so that he could name them. It was a second creative act, this one later in the day and only in the garden, that familiarized Adam with all of the kinds of animals he was to rule over.

GE 1:24-27 Animals were created before man was created.
GE 2:7, 19 Man was created before animals were created.
Answer: Genesis 2 is describing God creating the Garden of Eden for man and all that was in it. This occurred after the creation of the earth and the events of Genesis 1:24-27.

GE 1:31 God was pleased with his creation.
GE 6:5-6 God was not pleased with his creation.
Note: That God should be displeased is inconsistent with the concept of omniscience?

Genesis 2:17 "And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch."

Since Adam and Eve were the first people on earth, and Genesis 3:20 says Eve was the mother of all living, it is clear that Cain married one of his sisters. In that day, the problem of marrying a close relative would not cause the genetic problems that we have today. This was necessary to get the human race started since Eve was the mother of all living.

GE 2:17 Adam was to die the very day that he ate the forbidden fruit.
GE 5:5 Adam lived 930 years.

Answer: There is physical death (the separation of the soul from the body) and spiritual death (the separation of the soul from God). In a physical sense, Adam BEGAN to die that day. In a spiritual sense, which God consistently uses thereafter (see Ephesians 2:1 and John 8:51) Adam died immediately; that is, his sin separated him from his Creator the instant he ate the fruit.

GE 2:15-17, 3:4-6 It is wrong to want to be able to tell good from evil.
HE 5:13-14 It is immature to be unable to tell good from evil?
Answer: Their sin was disobedience (doing evil), not wanting to know something.

GE 4:4-5 God prefers Abel's offering and has no regard for Cain's.
2CH 19:7, AC 10:34, RO 2:11 God shows no partiality. He treats all alike.

Answer: God DOES treat all alike. Those that offer improper sacrifices (like Cain) are rejected. If Abel had offered an unbloody sacrifice, he would have been rejected too.

GE 4:9 God asks Cain where his brother Able is.
PR 15:3, JE 16:17, 23:24-25, HE 4:13 God is everywhere. He sees everything. Nothing is hidden from his view.

Answer: God gave Cain a chance to come clean. I ASK my boy if he took a cookie that I watched him snitch for the same reason.

GE 4:15, DT 32:4, IS 34:8 God is a vengeful god.
EX 15:3, IS 42:13, HE 12:29 God is a warrior. God is a consuming fire.
EX 20:5, 34:14, DT 4:24, 5:9, 6:15, 29:20, 32:21 God is a jealous god.
LE 26:7-8, NU 31:17-18, DT 20:16-17, JS 10:40, JG 14:19, EZ 9:5-7 The
Spirit of God is (sometimes) murder and killing.
NU 25:3-4, DT 6:15, 9:7-8, 29:20, 32:21, PS 7:11, 78:49, JE 4:8, 17:4,
32:30-31, ZP 2:2 God is angry. His anger is sometimes fierce.
2SA 22:7-8 (KJV) "I called to the Lord; ... he heard my voice; ... The earth trembled and quaked, ... because he was angry. Smoke came from his nostrils. Consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it."
EZ 6:12, NA 1:2, 6 God is jealous and furious. He reserves wrath for, and takes revenge on, his enemies. "... who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and rocks are thrown down by him."
2CO 13:11, 14, 1JN 4:8, 16 God is love.
GA 5:22-23 The fruit of the Spirit of God is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Answer: God hates sin and evil and God loves goodness. So what is the problem? His holiness means He must execute a just penalty for sin. God's love provides a means of forgiveness in Christ for all who will avail themselves. There is no contradiction here.

GE 4:16 Cain went away (or out) from the presence of the Lord.
JE 23:23-24 A man cannot hide from God. God fills heaven and earth.

Answer: God took on a form to speak with Cain (much like Moses at the burning bush or Abraham at his tent). Cain walked away from his encounter with God.

GE 6:4 There were Nephilim (giants) before the Flood.
GE 7:21 All creatures other than Noah and his clan were annihilated by the Flood.
NU 13:33 There were Nephilim after the Flood.

Answer: Some of Adam's descendants were giants. Some of Noah's descendants were giants. Some giants have lived in recent history. So what?

GE 6:6. EX 32:14, NU 14:20, 1SA 15:35, 2SA 24:16 God does change his mind.
NU 23:19-20, IS 15:29, JA 1:17 God does not change his mind.

Answer: God never changes. His actions towards us change as WE change (much as the sun changes when I put on my shades).

Genesis 6:20 "Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive."

Notice the Bible says that animals CAME to Noah. With 120 years to prepare, the animals had plenty of time to migrate to Noah. God could and certainly did put that instinct into the animals to come to Noah. Two of each kind would fit on the ark easily, scholars tell us, with room to spare! The word 'kind' does not necessarily mean 'species'. For example, two 'dogs' could give us all the different species we now have today. Even two dinosaurs, possibly baby ones, could have been kept on the ark, as long as you had a pink one and a blue one! Most of the animals could have 'hibernated' while on the ark too. God certainly could have caused that to happen.

Genesis 6:15 "And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits."

The ark, using the standard measurement of a cubit as about 18 inches...From elbow to finger tip...was a BIG ship! (this could have been larger if people were much taller back then, and evidence hints that they were!). Even so, with an 18 inch cubit, the ark was 450 ft long, 75 ft wide, and 45 ft high with three decks. Realize the ark was the length of 1 and 1/2 football fields long! It was the largest ship ever built until 1884 AD. It had a total deck space of 97,700 sq ft (about 20 standard basketball courts!) A total animal population would not have exceeded 35,000 vertebrates and the average size would be that of a sheep, scholars tell us. A modern train of 150 box cars could have carried this. The ark had a carrying capacity of 520 box cars! Plenty of room to spare!

GE 11:7-9 God sows discord.
PR 6:16-19 God hates anyone who sows discord.

God did not sow discord (contention). He confused the languages. There are a lot of things that God does that He forbids man to do. So what? That is only reasonable.

GE 11:9 At Babel, the Lord confused the language of the whole world.
1CO 14:33 Paul says that God is not the author of confusion.

This is taken out of context. God is not the author of confusion IN THE CHURCH.

GE 11:12 Arpachshad [Arphaxad] was the father of Shelah.
LK 3:35-36 Cainan was the father of Shelah. Arpachshad was the grandfather of Shelah.

Answer: Cainan was left out of Genesis. It is also possible that it was purposefully left out of this genealogy. While this would appear unusual, there are a few kings left out in Matthew 1:8. It also appears that in the Jewish tradition, the designation "son" was somewhat flexible. There are multiple instances in the scripture where a grandson is called a son or a son in law is called a son.

GE 11:16 Terah was 70 years old when his son Abram was born.
GE 11:32 Terah was 205 years old when he died (making Abram 135 at the time).
GE 12:4, AC 7:4 Abram was 75 when he left Haran. This was after Terah died.
Thus, Terah could have been no more than 145 when he died; or Abram was only 75 years old after he had lived 135 years.

Answer: This is a decent point since it appears contradictory on the surface.
However, Terah could have STARTED bearing at age 70 (following the pattern of the genealogy in which the childless years are mentioned first) and Abram could have been born last when Terah was 130. This is not unreasonable since Abram himself bore children later than that. (Genesis 17:17 indicates he was ten years older than Sarah. Genesis 23:1 says Sarah died at 127. Genesis 25:1-2 tells us that Abraham was still bearing children with his subsequent wife several years later.) Furthermore, Abraham's brother got married, had Lot, and died ALL before Abram got married. So Abram's brother, Haran, would have been MUCH older.

GE 12:7, 17:1, 18:1, 26:2, 32:30, EX 3:16, 6:2-3, 24:9-11, 33:11, NU
12:7-8,14:14, JB 42:5, AM 7:7-8, 9:1 God is seen.
EX 33:20, JN 1:18, 1JN 4:12 God is not seen. No one can see God's face and live. No one has ever seen him.

Answer: The amazing thing is that these verses resolve your confusion themselves!
No one has seen God in all his glory. In Exodus, God hid Moses from seeing his face. Isaiah, John, and others saw a vision of God. God takes on a form (like a burning bush to Moses or a whirlwind to Job) before conversing with man.

GE 10:5, 20, 31 There were many languages before the Tower of Babel.
GE 11:1 There was only one language before the Tower of Babel.

Answer: Genesis 10 is a genealogy that covers centuries. It includes the period before Babel when there was one language (described in chapter 11) and continues well after Babel detailing the divisions of languages that resulted from Babel.

GE 16:15, 21:1-3, GA 4:22 Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac.
HE 11:17 Abraham had only one son.

Answer: The passage in Hebrews is being chopped off in midthought to create a contradiction. “He that received the promise offered up his only begotten son of whom it was said…” God had promised Isaac. Abraham got Ishmael outside of God’s will.

GE 17:8 God promises Abraham the land of Canaan as an "everlasting possession." GE 25:8, AC 7:2-5, HE 11:13 Abraham died with the promise unfulfilled.

Answer: Abraham was in possession of plenty of Canaan when he died. But you miss the point of the verse. The promised was to be fulfilled in Abraham AND his seed. One of the most amazingly fulfilled prophecies is the rebirth of the nation of Israel in their ancestral homeland.

GE 17:15-16, 20:11-12, 22:17 Abraham and his half sister, Sarai, are married and receive God's blessings.
LE 20:17, DT 27:20-23 Incest is wrong.

Answer: So what? Good people can do wrong things. Besides, the laws you cite were not given till long after Abraham had died. Ex post facto laws.

GE 18:20-21 God decides to "go down" to see what is going on.
PR 15:3, JE 16:17, 23:24-25, HE 4:13 God is everywhere. He sees everything. Nothing is hidden from his view.

Answer: God went down to check out Sodom to give Abraham a chance to intercede for it, and to demonstrate the wickedness of the Sodomites; not because he was unable to check it out from heaven.

GE 19:30-38 While he is drunk, Lot's two daughters "lie with him," become pregnant, and give birth to his offspring.
2PE 2:7 Lot was "just" and "righteous."

Answer: Remember whenever "righteous" is used of man, it is comparative. Good people are not always perfect. If your ONLY flaw was getting drunk for a couple of nights, I would say that you were pretty righteous too.

GE 22:1-12, DT 8:2 God tempts (tests) Abraham and Moses.
JG 2:22 God himself says that he does test (tempt).
1CO 10:13 Paul says that God controls the extent of our temptations.
JA 1:13 God tests (tempts) no one.

Answer: Note Hebrews 11:17 - God examines us much like a master teacher...to demonstrate our faith (or lack thereof) and to mature us. James uses it in this sense earlier in the chapter (James 1:2-3). There is a very different Greek used in verse 13. “Peirasmos” means "a solicitation to do evil." It is based on our lusts or on Satanic seductions.

GE 27:28 "May God give you ... an abundance of grain and new wine."
DT 7:13 If they follow his commandments, God will bless the fruit of their wine.
PS 104:5 God gives us wine to gladden the heart.
JE 13:12 "... every bottle shall be filled with wine."
JN 2:1-11 According to the author of John, Jesus' first miracle was turning water to wine.
RO 14:21 It is good to refrain from drinking wine.

Answer: The word ‘wine’ in the Bible can mean ‘fermented’ or ‘unfermented’. Fermented wine is the bad kind and unfermented wine (grape juice) is the good kind.

GE 35:10 God says Jacob is to be called Jacob no longer; henceforth his name is Israel.
GE 46:2 At a later time, God himself uses the name Jacob.

Answer: The Oriental tradition of changing names was to signify a watershed in someone's life. It was an official change. The point is NOT that God forbids everybody from calling him Jacob (in fact he is called Jacob just 4 verses later); rather the idea is that he would no longer be KNOWN as "deceiver" (Jacob) but as "God's fighter" (Israel).

GE 36:11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.
GE 36:15-16 Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz.
1CH 1:35-36 Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna, and Amalek.

Answer: Take the time to read the passage carefully and you might just answer your own question. Genesis 36:12 adds Amalek (born by a concubine) to the list started in verse 11. You just plain miss Gatam and Amalek in Genesis 36:16.
Later in the passage (perhaps adopted as a son) Timnah is added as a duke (Genesis 36:40). Therefore Genesis 36 matches Chronicles perfectly

GE 49:2-28 The fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel are: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin.
RE 7:4-8 (Leaves out the tribe of Dan, but adds Manasseh.)

Answer: This is not a contradiction. It is a change. Some have postulated this change was because of the idolatry that was started in Dan, which eventually caused Israel to be judged and to go into bondage.

GE 50:13 Jacob was buried in a cave at Machpelah bought from Ephron the Hittite.
AC 7:15-16 He was buried in the sepulchre at Shechem, bought from the sons of Hamor.

Answer: The sepulchre was a cave. (Note Genesis 23:6-9 where the original story is told.) Machpelah is the region that became Shechem. Again from the original story, we see that Abraham bought it from the sons of Hamor, specifically from Ephron who lived among them and had the field with the sepulchre. When Jacob returned to his ancestral homeland (Genesis33:17-19) he found that children of Hamor had conquered and inhabited the region. He repurchased the field from Shechem's dad, Hamor.

EX 3:1 Jethro was the father-in-law of Moses.
NU 10:29, JG 4:11 (KJV) Hobab was the father-in-law of Moses.

Answer: Many OT figures had two names. This was particularly common in the ancient traditions when one was leaving one clan to join another nation (Joseph in Egypt, Daniel in Babylon, etc.). Jethro was a Midianite. Likely he was given a Hebrew name when he joined the Israelites

EX 3:20-22, DT 20:13-17 God instructs the Israelites to despoil the Egyptians, to plunder their enemies.
EX 20:15, 17, LE 19:13 God prohibits stealing, defrauding, or robbing a neighbor.

Answer: First, the rules of warfare are, and have always been distinct from the rules in society (shooting down an enemy plane is morally different from shooting my wife amidst an argument). Secondly, God made these laws for man, not for himself. He can take (or command to be taken) whatever He wants, anytime He wants. He is God. [since this same objection is repeated below ad nauseum, I will only say "dittos" from now on]

EX 4:11 God decides who will be dumb, deaf, blind, etc.
2CO 13:11, 14, 1JN 4:8, 16 God is a god of love.

Answer: Sickness, disease, suffering, and death are a result of sin and man's rebellion against God. God in justice judged the world. God in love provides a means of salvation so that we can live in bliss with Him. Perhaps YOU do not think that this is "loving" enough for you. But you are not a HOLY God who has been offended by sin.

EX 9:3-6 God destroys all the cattle (including horses) belonging to the Egyptians.
EX 9:9-11 The people and the cattle are afflicted with boils.
EX 12:12, 29 All the first-born of the cattle of the Egyptians are destroyed.
EX 14:9 After having all their cattle destroyed, then afflicted with boils, and then their first-born cattle destroyed, the Egyptians pursue Moses on horseback.

Answer: Your first premise is wrong. The murrain was on the cattle and the horses (Exodus 9:3). No doubt many of them died. However, verse six states that all the cattle died. It does not include the horses, asses, camels etc.

EX 12:13 The Israelites have to mark their houses with blood in order for God to see which houses they occupy and "pass over" them.
PR 15:3, JE 16:17, 23:24-25, HE 4:13 God is everywhere. He sees everything. Nothing is hidden from God.

Answer: God does not say He needed the blood to SEE WHICH house was occupied by Israelites. He promised that WHEN He saw the blood, he would pass by that house (including, no doubt, some believing Egyptians).

EX 12:37, NU 1:45-46 The number of men of military age who take part in the Exodus is given as more than 600,000. Allowing for women, children, and older men would probably mean that a total of about 2,000,000 Israelites left Egypt.
1KI 20:15 All the Israelites, including children, number only 7000 at a later time.

Answer: First of all, the nation of Israel was split into two kingdoms at the time of I Kings 20. Secondly, the context is that king Ahab was besieged in Samaria (capital of the northern kingdom), and therefore could only count everybody in the city. Thirdly, he was counting ALL the children of Israel available for battle (verse 14).

EX 15:3, 17:16, NU 25:4, 32:14, IS 42:13 God is a man of war--he is fierce and angry.
RO 15:33, 2CO 13:11, 14, 1JN 4:8, 16 God is a god of love and peace.

Answer: God is characterized by both. So was Ronald Reagan. So what?

EX 20:1-17 God gave the law directly to Moses (without using an intermediary).
GA 3:19 The law was ordained through angels by a mediator (an intermediary).

Answer: Just because Exodus 20 does not mention angels does not mean they played no role. Nowhere does it say he did not use an intermediary. (Note that the ten commandments in stone were said to be literally etched by God’s finger.)

EX 20:4 God prohibits the making of any graven images whatsoever.
EX 25:18 God enjoins the making of two graven images.

Answer: Read before and after in Exodus 20. God was not forbidding someone from whittling or doing sculpture work! He is talking about making up a god, then engraving it, and then worshipping it.

EX 20:5, 34:7, NU 14:18, DT 5:9, IS 14:21-22 Children are to suffer for their parent's sins.
DT 24:16, EZ 18:19-20 Children are not to suffer for their parent's sins.

Answer: You are confusing at least three different concepts. When a NATION had become so corrupt that God was going to completely wipe it out (Isaiah 14) obviously all, young and old, would suffer this judgment. Under the law of Moses, God (not society) would punish a HOUSEHOLD to the third and fourth generation for the parent's sins. Perhaps this was a result of the way households were structured and the collective way decisions were carried out. Ezekiel 18:1-3 indicates that the SOCIETAL RULE was to be changed so that children would not die for the parent's sin. This is not a contradiction. It is an attempt to change something that should not have been going on in Israeli society (Deuteronomy 24:16).

EX 20:8-11, 31:15-17, 35:1-3 No work is to be done on the Sabbath, not even lighting a fire. The commandment is permanent, and death is required for infractions.
MK 2:27-28 Jesus says that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (after his disciples were criticized for breaking the Sabbath).
RO 14:5, CN 2:14-16 Paul says the Sabbath commandment was temporary, and to decide for yourself regarding its observance.

Answer: The disciples did not do work. They violated the Pharisees guidelines. Christ fulfilled the law, and the ceremonial portions stopped being in effect at his death. This is the change Paul references in Galatians 3:24-25. It is not a contradiction.

EX 20:12, DT 5:16, MT 15:4, 19:19, MK 7:10, 10:19, LK 18:20 Honor your father and your mother is one of the ten commandments. It is reinforced by Jesus.
MT 10:35-37, LK 12:51-53, 14:26 Jesus says that he has come to divide families; that a man's foes will be those of his own household; that you must hate your father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and even your own life to be a disciple.
MT 23:9 Jesus says to call no man on earth your father.

Answer: You can still honor someone that you hate. So there is no contradiction even if one ignorantly believes Christ is saying we are to dislike our parents. When considered next to our love for God, our love for our parents (and even ourselves) should dim to nothing in comparison.

EX 20:13, DT 5:17, MK 10:19, LK 18:20, RO 13:9, JA 2:11 God prohibits killing.
GE 34:1-35:5 God condones trickery and killing.
EX 32:27, DT 7:2, 13:15, 20:1-18 God orders killing.
2KI 19:35 An angel of the Lord slaughters 185,000 men.

Answer: There is a difference between killing and murder. Murder of innocent people is wrong. Killing in self-defense is certainly proper. Killing in war when an aggressor nation threatens our safety and freedom is certainly justified. Killing by Capital Punishment by legal means of the Government Authorities is allowed by the Bible. God often ordered the slaughter of pagan nations in the Old Testament who sought to destroy and corrupt the Nation of Israel. These pagan nations were so depraved with sexual disease and paganism and devil worship of the occult, if they would have infiltrated the people of Israel, it would have destroyed the Israelite Nation and Jesus could not have been brought into the world to save us from our sins!

EX 20:14 God prohibits adultery.
HO 1:2 God instructs Hosea to "take a wife of harlotry."

Answer: Hosea did not commit adultery (his wife had but not him). Where is the contradiction?

God was using this as a master illustration of how the people of Israel has committed spiritual adultery against Him and yet He still loved them and sought them back!

EX 21:23-25, LE 24:20, DT 19:21 A life for a life, an eye for an eye, etc.
MT 5:38-44, LK 6:27-29 Turn the other cheek. Love your enemies.

Answer: READ the whole passage. The Old Testament law was a means of fair treatment for wrongs. In that day, if someone slighted another in anyway, his family would often hunt the person down and kill him! With this law, if he broke your arm on purpose, the most you could do is break his arm, not kill him! The passage in the New Testament listed above deals more with personal affronts due to your Christian Testimony. If someone persecutes you for your Christian stand and doing right, we are to turn the other cheek, love them, and not seek hateful revenge like the world would teach.

EX 23:7 God prohibits the killing of the innocent.
NU 31:17-18, DT 7:2, JS 6:21-27, 7:19-26, 8:22-25, 10:20, 40, 11:8-15, 20, 30-39, JG 11:30-39, 21:10-12, 1SA 15:3 God orders or approves the complete extermination of groups of people which include innocent women and/or children.
Answer: See answer for Exodus 20:13

EX 34:6, DT 7:9-10, TS 1:2 God is faithful and truthful. He does not lie.
NU 14:30 God breaks his promise.

Answer: God made a promise to bring the nation of Israel into Canaan. He took them up to the edge and (with a couple of exceptions) they rebelled and decided not to go in. Therefore God fulfilled his promise in the next generation. God never promised that EVERY individual that left Egypt would get to Canaan. Many died for various reasons in the wilderness. Even Moses did not make it in.

EX 34:6, DT 7:9-10, TS 1:2 God is faithful and truthful. He does not lie.
1KI 22:21-23 God condones a spirit of deception.

Answer: God PERMITS evil spirits and evil men to do much harm. That does not mean he is untruthful or condones their actions.

EX 34:6, DT 7:9-10, TS 1:2 God is faithful and truthful. He does not lie.
2TH 2:11-12 God deludes people, making them believe what is false, so as to be able to condemn them

Answer: God's patience is long, but it has limits. After several miracles in which Pharoah hardened his heart, God hardened Pharoah's heart so that he COULD not repent (Exodus 10:1-2). The context clearly indicates that these people had ample opportunity to repent, yet they had chosen the lie of Satan (vs 9) over the truth of God (vs 10 and vs 12). Therefore, in vs 11 God gives them over to a life of delusion. This is not God lying to them or deceiving them. It is God permanently sealing the fate that THEY decided upon.

EX 34:6-7, JS 24:19, 1CH 16:34 God is faithful, holy and good.
IS 45:6-7, LA 3:8, AM 3:6 God is responsible for evil.

Answer: There are two senses in which evil is used in the Bible. One involves a moral failure on the part of someone. The other is a misfortune that befalls someone. God causes the second to happen, but not the first. Some have argued that God did wrong to even create the potential of evil. However, it is not possible to make light shine without there being darkness. Similarly, it is not possible for God to have created "good" without the potential for "evil." To do otherwise would have been to create an amoral robotic machinery with no will.

EX 34:6-7, HE 9:27 God remembers sin, even when it has been forgiven.
JE 31:34 God does not remember sin when it has been forgiven.

Answer: You once again confuse multiple issues. God judges sin. As Exodus 34 states, the consequences do not stop just because the sin is forgiven (see also II Samuel 12:13-14). God knows everything and never forgets as way we do. Yet, once sins are forgiven, He chooses to never again bring it up to be used against the sinner.

The second issue is the difference between the way sin was treated under the law. It was never wiped out and required annual sacrifices as a memorial of this limitation. Sin was merely covered temporarily by the sacrifice of blood, awaiting the coming perfect sacrifice that would wash away all sin. Jeremiah speaks prophetically of this time. (Read the beginning of the chapter.) It was fulfilled in Christ. This difference is highlighted as Hebrews 10:3 is contrasted with Hebrews 10:17.

LE 3:17 God himself prohibits forever the eating of blood and fat.
MT 15:11, CN 2:20-22 Jesus and Paul say that such rules don't matter—they are only human injunctions.

Answer: Neither Jesus or Paul discuss eating fat or blood. Christ was making the point that you do not get sinful inside by eating with dirty hands. Sin starts in the mind and works out. Paul was combating legalists and Judaizers that delighted in an ascetic lifestyle, adding a lot of unnecessary man-made laws as a means of being more righteous.

LE 19:18, MT 22:39 Love your neighbor [as much as] yourself.
1CO 10:24 Put your neighbor ahead of yourself.

Answer: One is a heart attitude (love) and the other is the practical follow through of it (self-sacrifice). Both go hand-in-hand.

LE 21:10 The chief priest is not to rend his clothes.
MT 26:65, MK 14:63 He does so during the trial of Jesus.

Answer: Bad chief priest! So what? (He did far worse than that in seeking to kill Christ.)

LE 25:37, PS 15:1, 5 It is wrong to lend money at interest.
MT 25:27, LK 19:23-27 It is wrong to lend money without interest.

Answer: In the ceremonial law instituted in the economy of Israel, God made interest on loans illegal. In telling the parable of this austere lord, Christ never indicates whether charging interest is right or wrong. However, the era of the ceremonial law ended (and with it the prohibition on charging interest) after Christ.

NU 11:33 God inflicts sickness.
JB 2:7 Satan inflicts sickness.
Answer: No contradiction here. Both verses are true. In some situations, God does inflict sickness.

NU 15:24-28 Sacrifices can, in at least some case, take away sin.
HE 10:11 They never take away sin.

Answer: In the OT, forgiven sins were merely *covered* by a blood sacrifice in anticipation of being taken away when Christ died.

NU 25:9 24,000 died in the plague.
1CO 10:8 23,000 died in the plague.

Answer: Read the passages! 23,000 died in ONE DAY. 24,000 died in the entire plague. So 1,000 died later, no contradiction.

NU 30:2 God enjoins the making of vows (oaths).
MT 5:33-37 Jesus forbids doing so, saying that they arise from evil (or the Devil).

Answer: Once again, Christ fulfilled and changed the OT law. He is very clear that He is making a change. There is no contradiction.

How could a God of Love command such slaughter of women and children in the Old Testament?

There are several examples of God commanding the entire slaughter of cities and nations, even the women, children, and infants. How do reconcile this with the God of the Bible Who is supposed to be a God of Love.

Deuteronomy 2:31-35 "And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land. 32 Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz. 33 And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people. 34 And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain: 35 Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took.

1 Samuel 15:2-8 "Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

Deuteronomy 20:16-18 " But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: 17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee: 18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

Joshua 6:20-21 "So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

This perhaps one of the most common arguments against the Bible and Christianity used by Skeptics. To explain the wholesale slaughter in these verses we must understand several things. First of all, God was trying to bring a Savior into the world. He was going to use the Israelite people to bring this Savior into the world. When the Israelites encounter these enemy and pagan peoples, we must realize that these pagan nations desired to destroy the Israelite people by war themselves. It was either destroy or be destroyed. But now for an even more important point. Looking at history we see that these pagan people were so heathen and depraved, that they sacrificed their babies to their god, Baal or Molech, by burning them alive as they were placed in the arms of the brazen pagan altar of Molech, shaped like the head of a bull! They placed the fetuses of their unborn in jars and placed them in the walls of their cities. They were so riddled with sexually transmitted diseases, because of their rampant immorality, they risked infecting every human being alive, including the Israelites, and wipe humanity from the face of the earth, because their bodies were so infected. Talk about aids, gonnorhea, and syphilis today! These pagan nations were so depraved and involved with homosexuality and even bestiality, it is hard for us to even imagine today, even with our own San Francisco and politically-correct society of 'free love' we have in our society today! God even had to warn the people of Israel getting involved sexually with animals and homosexality in Leviticus as they get ready to enter these lands.

Leviticus 18:22-24 "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. 23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. 24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:"

Experts tell us today that the average homosexual has over 500 sexual partners during his/her lifetime. That is one reason AIDS is an epidemic today. Not only that, we must realize the extent that these nations were involved with, and completely sold over to, pagan worship of witchcraft, the Occult, and Satanic worship. God has to warn the Israelites in Leviticus to not get involved with this devil worship before they enter the land of these people.

Deuteronomy 18:9-12: "When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee."

To even live next to these pagan people, God knew their evil would soon permeate the Israelites in a generation or two, and Wa-lah......The Israelites would themselves be destroyed...through paganism and sexually-transmitted diseases.....and there would not be a pure race of people even to bring a Savior into the world.

One would ask, Why would God have to use such extreme annihilation, including even the women and infants? Two things should be considered in trying to rationalize what God was doing. First of all, medical authorities often treat something as serious as cancer with drastic methods. Often the cancer is completely surgically removed. This is done in order to remove the risk of the some malignancy still remaining. RADICAL action must be employed with cancer. Radical action needed to be employed here. The future of the world and a Coming Savior was at the Crossroads! We must understand the depravity of these pagan nations. To leave any of these people alive would threaten the survival of the Israelites. The women left alive would soon co-habit with the Israelite men. The infants would grow up and infect the Israelites with the Sexually-transmitted diseases already in their bodies that they inherited from the parent's immorality, such as aids is transmitted today.

Secondly, we must realize that God is actually being merciful to these infants. For them to grow up in the pagan society they were living in would have terrible consequences, not to mention the eventual destruction of the entire human race. God had to destroy the people on earth before the flood of Noah's day for the very same reasons. They were so depraved and wicked, God knew the chances of humankind surviving long enough for Jesus to be born was in doubt! God could only find 8 righteous people on the earth!

Lastly, let us realize God was being merciful to these infants, because every baby or small child who dies goes immediately to heaven. Small children and mentally-retarded people all go to heaven because they are covered by the Blood of Christ according to the Bible. They have not been capable of hearing and understanding the Gospel and REJECTING it. Once a child or any person becomes old enough to hear and understand the Gospel and reject it, they have reached the age of accountability and are responsible for their own sins and rejection of God. The chances of these pagan children growing up and looking forward to the Promised Savior and trusting Him for their salvation would be virtually nil.......For God to take their physical life now before they had a chance to reject Him, was actually doing them a great merciful favor.

The whole purpose of God instructions of mass slaughter in these Old Testament passages is very similar to the complete removal of malignant organs from the body. Such drastic measures are needed in such a serious condition. God needed to use drastic measures to ensure that Israel as a Nation would exist long enough so a Savior could be born and be able to save the world!

Why didn't God use pestilence or disease or disaster to kill the people...why Did He have to use the Israelites to do it?

One more thing should be considered. I would suppose this drastic commandment and its follow through would leave a tremendous impression on the all of the people of Israel! It would leave an awesome impression upon me of God's Holiness and I would certainly think twice about delving into sin, if I had just witnessed all of this as the Israelites did! By using His People to accomplish this gruesome task, was to teach them a lesson on Holiness as well, according to the following passage:

Deuteronomy 20:16-18 "But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: 17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee: 18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

Doesn't this make the Bible and Christianity not much different than the radical religion Islam and the Koran?

Now I hope one would understand how that this is a much different thing than found in the Koran, the 'Bible' of the Islam Religion. A verse in the Koran says, "Death to all Jews and all Christians"... Could this be why we see so much hatred toward Christianity and Judaism in these Middle East Countries? Recall when the 9/11 attacks occurred and the TV stations showed people from the Middle East Countries out in the street cheering......Even the children cheering because so many Americans had been killed?

The Bible and Christianity on contrast is based upon love for fellow people. We want to help other people...not kill or enslave them. The violence described in the Bible in these Old Testament passages showed that God had to take drastic measures during that period of time in order to assure that a Savior could be born into the world.

And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and the days were not expired. 27 Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.

2 Samuel 3:14 says: And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

Explanation - Was it 100 foreskins or 200? There is no real contradiction here, if we simply realize that Saul required David to bring the foreskins of 100 Philistines he had killed, and David apparently did him one better and brought 200 foreskins! When later referred back to the incident, David stated the original price that Saul had demanded in order that David could have his daughter in marriage.

700 (II Sam. 10:18) or 7,000 (I Chron 19:18)?
“And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians,” II Sam. 10:18
“But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men which fought in chariots,” I Chron. 19:18
Since they had ten men per chariot both verses are fine.

2 Samuel 24:24 "And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver."

1 Chronicles 21:22,25 "Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.
25 So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.

Two different transactions are noted here. One is for the threshingfloor and the oxen...for fifty shekels (about $35). The other is for the "place"...a larger area...that he brought later, for 600 skekels (about $6,600). This larger 'place', Mount Moriah, later became the place where the temple was built. (2 Chronicles 3:1)

NU 33:41-42 After Aaron's death, the Israelites journeyed from Mt. Hor, to Zalmonah, to Punon, etc.
DT 10:6-7 It was from Mosera, to Gudgodah, to Jotbath.

Answer: Again, Deuteronomy summarizes their movement through two regions (the latter full of rivers) while Numbers identifies specific sites they stayed at and specific rivers (like Jordan).

Is Anger a Sin?
DT 6:15, 9:7-8, 29:20, 32:21 God is sometimes angry.
MT 5:22 Anger is a sin.
Answer: This passage in Matthew clarifies to says to be angry without a cause is sin. It is not wrong to be angry about certain things that are evil and unjust, as Jesus was angry at the Pharisees at times! Notice that some of the newer versions omit that phrase “without a cause” which clearly changes the passage and makes Jesus a sinner!

DT 7:9-10 God destroys his enemies.
MT 5:39-44 Do not resist your enemies. Love them.
Answer: Talking about two different things here……When we are persecuted because of our Christianity or for doing right, we should not seek revenge….just keep doing good and leave it in the Lord’s hands to take care of the matter.

DT 18:20-22 A false prophet is one whose words do not come true. Death is required.
EZ 14:9 A prophet who is deceived, is deceived by God himself. Death is still required.

Answer: This prophet had already played his hand, much like Pharoah hardened his own heart…sometimes God will just let us play it out.

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DT 30:11-20 It is possible to keep the law.
RO 3:20-23 It is not possible to keep the law.

Deuteronomy makes the point that the law is clear and plain so that we can understand and no excuse not to keep it. It never says a man will be able to go through his whole life perfectly and never break a single commandment. Paul's point is that no man has done that. Indeed, that is why sacrifices are an integral part of the law.

JS 11:20 God shows no mercy to some.
LK 6:36, JA 5:11 God is merciful.

To the contrary, God had mercy on the Amorites for many years (Genesis 15:16) till their iniquities reached a point that God determined to wipe them out (Joshua 11).

JG 4:21 Sisera was sleeping when Jael killed him.
JG 5:25-27 Sisera was standing.

Answer: It does not say that he was standing when she killed him. It only says that after she hit him in the head (v25) he bowed, fell down, tried to rise again and fell again. Sounds like death throes to me.

JS 10:38-40 Joshua himself captured Debir.
JG 1:11-15 It was Othniel, who thereby obtained the hand of Caleb's daughter, Achsah.

Answer: Joshua made a pass through the land with his whole army, wiping out all of the strongholds and destroying their cities. However, some of the cities were rebuilt by the inhabitants and needed to be reconquered. This second conquest of a weakened Debir could be performed by a small band led by Othniel. Judges starts off by saying that this event occurred AFTER Joshua died. The parallel passage is Joshua 15:16, not Joshua 10:38-40 .

1SA 8:2-22 Samuel informs God as to what he has heard from others.
PR 15:3, JE 16:17, 23:24-25, HE 4:13 God is everywhere. He sees and hears everything.

Answer: So what? God delights to hear from us just like I delight to have my little boy come running up to me, exclaiming about something that I already know.

1SA 9:15-17 The Lord tells Samuel that Saul has been chosen to lead the Israelites and will save them from the Philistines.
1SA 15:35 The Lord is sorry that he has chosen Saul.
1SA 31:4-7 Saul commits suicide and the Israelites are overrun by the Philistines.

Answer: First of all, God does not say Saul will save them from the Philistines; only that he was chosen to do the job. I Samuel 14:47-48 and subsequent chapters indicate that for a considerable time he was successful in performing this role. Ultimately, however, he fails to obey God and falls himself to the Philistines. Is this supposed to be God's fault?

1SA 15:7-8, 20 The Amalekites are utterly destroyed.
1SA 27:8-9 They are utterly destroyed (again?).
1SA 30:1, 17-18 They raid Ziklag and David smites them (again?).

Answer: Firstly, I Samuel 15:9 indicates they were selective about their destruction, in disobedience to God's command. Secondly, when a nation is "utterly destroyed" it does not mean that EVERY person of that nationality (some of whom might not have even been in the area at the time) was killed. Undoubtedly there were some few who escaped or were traveling elsewhere that over the years returned and rebuilt their tribal homeland. In the first campaign they occupy a large kingdom of many cities. In the second instance they are individual cities that are weak enough to be conquered by David's outlaw band.

1SA 16:10-11, 17:12 Jesse had seven sons plus David, or eight total.
1CH 2:13-15 He had seven total.

Answer: These were times of ongoing warfare and Jesse's sons were right in the middle of it. Is it any surprise that he lost one by the time the genealogies were recorded in Chronicles?

1SA 16:19-23 Saul knew David well before the latter's encounter with Goliath.
1SA 17:55-58 Saul did not know David at the time of his encounter with Goliath and had to ask about David's identity.

Answer: Saul saw David before the battle (I Samuel 17:38). Verses 55-58 do not say Saul did not know David. It says Saul asked WHOSE SON David was. Likely he had forgotten Jesse’s name (even though he had sent a couple of messages to Jesse in the earlier passage).

1SA 17:50 David killed Goliath with a slingshot.
1SA 17:51 David killed Goliath (again?) with a sword.

Answer: Goliath fell face down and David had to make sure he was dead by cutting off his head. It is called "finishing him off."

1SA 17:50 David killed Goliath.
2SA 21:19 Elhanan killed Goliath.

Answer: Clearly the giant of II Samuel 21:19 is a different person since the time frames are totally different and since the second is called "the Gittite." Perhaps these four were sons of Goliath (seems to be implied in vs 22) and one of them was named after his dad.

1SA 21:1-6 Ahimalech was high priest when David ate the bread.
MK 2:26 Abiathar was high priest at the time.

Answer: Abiathar was the high priest. His dad, Ahimelech, is not called the high priest in I Samuel 21. At that time, he is merely described as a priest. (He may have been the ex-high priest in an arrangement like Caiphas and Annas at the time of Christ.)

1SA 28:6 Saul inquired of the Lord, but received no answer.
1CH 10:13-14 Saul died for not inquiring of the Lord.

Answer: Saul is a perfect illustration of Proverbs 1:24-26. The I Chronicles passage says Saul died for several things, including a pattern of not inquiring of the Lord. He did not change his ways until it was too late and God's judgment was already at the door.

1SA 31:4-6 Saul killed himself by falling on his sword.
2SA 2:2-10 Saul, at his own request, was slain by an Amalekite.
2SA 21:12 Saul was killed by the Philistines on Gilboa.
1CH 10:13-14 Saul was slain by God.

Answer: God directed the death of Saul, as we detailed above. God used the Philistines to carry out his judgment. There is no contradiction to say "Saul was slain by the Philistines" since he committed suicide just as they were closing in to wipe him out. I believe you erred in one of your reference. Perhaps you meant II Samuel 1:2-10? Here the Amalekite lied through his teeth in hopes of a reward.

2SA 6:23 Michal was childless till the day of her death.
2SA 21:8 (KJV) She had five sons.

Answer: She evidently raised her sister’s boys according to other passages.

2SA 24:1 The Lord inspired David to take the census.
1CH 21:1 Satan inspired the census.

Answer: God permitted it, but Satan inspired it. Misplaced trust in the flesh is a serious matter in God’s Sight. He wants us to trust Him completely.

2SA 24:9 The census count was: Israel 800,000 and Judah 500,000.
1CH 21:5 The census count was: Israel 1,100,000 and Judah 470,000.

Answer: It could be that there were a few different numbers floating around since I Chronicles 21:6 indicates that Joab purposely did a sloppy job and miscounted whole tribes since he found the king's command abominable. But the discrepancy can be resolved if we consider what was included and excluded in each count. Note that the 800,000 of Israel probably did not include the standing army of 288,000 described in I Chronicles 27:1-15 or the 12,000 specifically attached to the capital