Responses to the Skeptic's Annotated Bible Cruelty Short List - Genesis

Genesis:

1. Genesis 22:2 - "He (God) said, 'Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.'"

In Genesis 22:2, God commands Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. How could God be so cruel as to ask Abraham to sacrifice his own son? If you read the rest of Genesis chapter 22, the answer becomes clear. God prevented Abraham from actually sacrificing Isaac. God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac to test and strengthen Abraham's faith - and - to give us a powerful illustration of His love for us. While God does not require us to sacrifice our children to Him, God Himself later sacrificed His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to provide for the forgiveness of all of our sins. Abraham declared, "God Himself will provide the Lamb" (Genesis 22:8), and approximately 2000 years later, God did exactly that: "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). For a more detailed explanation, please read our article on Abraham and Isaac.

2. Genesis 22:10 - "Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son."

While Genesis 22:10 appears to be Abraham getting ready to commit the most cruel of deeds, killing his own son, Genesis 22:11 states that God sent an angel to stop Abraham from killing Isaac. Yes, Abraham was willing to kill Isaac. Why? Because Abraham's faith in God went beyond Abraham's ability to understand why God would command such a thing. Abraham's obedience was unquestioning. Abraham trusted that God knew what He was doing...and therefore was willing to obey. Interestingly, Hebrews 11:19 gives insight into what Abraham was thinking. Abraham knew that God could raise the dead. So, Abraham thought that even if he killed Isaac, that God would bring Isaac back to life, and would then fulfill His promises to Abraham regarding Isaac. Again, for a more detailed explanation, please read our article on Abraham and Isaac.

3. Genesis 38:7 - "But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the Lord's sight; so the Lord put him to death."

The Hebrew word translated "wicked" in Genesis 38:7 is (ra') and refers to "evil," "wretchedness," and "harmful mischief." It is commonly used throughout the Old Testament to refer to acts of evil and wickedness. Genesis 38:7 does not specifically say how Er was evil, but whatever Er did or was still doing, it was exceedingly evil - and worthy of death. This is not an instance of cruelty, but rather an instance of divine justice."

4. Genesis 38:10 - "What he did was wicked in the Lord's sight; so He put him to death also.

Why did God put Onan to death? Did God kill Onan for "spilling his seed" on the ground? To understand Genesis 38:10, it is important to understand this ancient custom. In the ancient Hebrew culture, if a man died without having children, the man's brother was to marry his brother's widow and produce a son with her. This son would be considered the son of the man who had died, and would carry on his family line. This may seem foreign and unnecessary to us, but in that culture, it was crucially important. By intentionally trying to avoid producing a son for his dead brother, Onan was indicating that he did not care about his brother, his brother's widow, or his family. Does it seem cruel for God to put Onan to death for this? Yes. However, the text does not give us a full picture of Onan. There is no reason to assume that other than this fault, Onan was a good and godly man. Onan likely was similar to his brother, Er, who was also put to death for wickedness."

Recommended Resource: When Critics Ask by Norm Geisler.

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