God Behaving Badly: Is the God of the Old Testament Angry, Sexist and Racist ?

147 Pages·2011·2.59 MB·English

by  David T. Lamb

"This is a book which not only should be read by those [who are] into apologetics, but read by all
Christians in our churches. It is striking right at the heart of one of the most pressing questions being
asked today and we cannot ignore this. God Behaving Badly is an extremely helpful book in wrestling
with these very difficult questions in a winsome, biblical and readable way. If you are at all
missionally living in our culture and aware of the questions being asked and challenges to
Christianity, then you really cannot help but read this book!"
DAN KIMBALL, author of They Like Jesus but Not the Church
"Dave Lamb's book is a popular apologetic that answers the question, Is the God of the Old Testament
angry, sexist and racist?' He prefaces his answers with a solid biblical interpretation guideline. The
author emphatically states, When we approach Scripture, we must take the context seriously.' Dave
really does that! The word context appears 59 times, scattered throughout the book. Dave's solid
contextual analysis of passages-which might appear to say, Yes, Yes, Yes in answer to the question
about God's anger, his view of gender and his view of races-was a highlight for me. Dave's
unraveling of many problematic texts in terms of contextual analysis is superb. In addition, his many,
many masterful word studies shed light on his contextual analyses. Dave writes with winsome humor.
He loves the Old Testament, and you can tell that as you read the popularly written, academically
sound, easy-to-read flow of material in each chapter. After reading Dave's book, I am sure you will
appreciate that Dave views the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament as one."
BOBBY CLINTON, professor of leadership, School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological
Seminary
"It has been said that if you love something long enough it reveals itself to you-that love is a
hermeneutical key to unlocking the mysteries of life itself. This is especially true for the Bible and the
God of the Bible, for God is love and can only be truly known in love. David Lamb has loved his
way into understanding Yahweh more fully; subsequently he can lovingly help us to `see' and
experience God in new and revealing ways."
author of The Forgotten Ways
"In many of our African American churches we frequently recite the refrain `God is good all the time
and all the time God is good.' God Behaving Badly is an engaging, thoughtful, witty and helpful book
that can give all of us Christian readers a bit more confidence when reciting that refrain. David Lamb
gives sound guidance for understanding a difficult topic. Lamb offers an apologetic for not only
believing in God but also believing that God is good-even as he is portrayed in the Old Testament.
Professor Lamb's scholarship is sound, and his sense of humor had me laughing out loud. Not many
theology books can do that! I'm going to use this book in class and enthusiastically recommend it to
my congregants!"
REV. DENNIS R. EDWARDS, Ph.D., pastor, Peace Fellowship Church, Washington, D.C.
"Let's face it: God gets a lot of bad press-it can be a little embarrassing. So even the title of Dave
Lamb's book gave me hope. Dave gives honest voice and deliberate attention to some of the most
troublesome questions humans have ever asked, and brings not only answers but develops our view
of God too. The most thrilling thing about this book is that I can recommend it to both the faithful and
the skittish, to friends and students and people who think about God and aren't sure what to think."
ALISON SIEWERT, New Ministry Developer, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and editor, Worship
Team Handbook
"I will require my college students to read this book. I became sensitive to the `God questions' in the
Bible because students asked me questions that came straight from troubled hearts. This book is
written for students and speaks with wit and wisdom to the questions they have."
SCOT McKNIGHT, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, North Park University
"David Lamb faces up to all the questions that most often trouble people about the God of the Old
Testament. Written in a winsome and engaging way, this book is going to help many who wonder if the
God of the Old Testament is indeed the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
JOHN GOLDINGAY, David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological
Seminary
David T. Lamb

To Shannon,
my partner, my friend,
my soul mate.
1. A Bad Reputation / 9
2. Angry or Loving? / 25
3. Sexist or Affirming? / 47
4. Racist or Hospitable? / 71
5. Violent or Peaceful? / 93
6. Legalistic or Gracious? / 114
7. Rigid or Flexible? / 135
8. Distant or Near? / 153
Epilogue: Is the Answer Really "Yes, Yes and Yes"? / 176
Discussion Questions / 182
Notes / 188
Acknowledgments / 197
Bibliography / 199
Scripture Index / 201
How does one reconcile the loving God of the Old Testament with the harsh God of the New
Testament?
When I ask this question of students, at first they are shocked, and then most assume that I have
simply misspoken, as I am prone to do. They typically have heard the question inverted, along these
lines: "How did the mean Old Testament God morph into a nice guy like Jesus?" I assure them that
this time, at least, I have not accidentally inverted my words. I then observe that God in the Old
Testament is consistently described as slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love,' but Jesus
speaks about hell more than anyone else in Scripture.' The word hell doesn't even show up in English
translations of the Old Testament.
My question usually provokes a lively discussion. Eventually I assure the class that I believe that
the God of both the Old and the New Testaments can be characterized by love. This book is my
attempt to reconcile the supposedly contradictory portrayals of God in the two testaments, but first let
me explain how I ended up teaching about the loving God of the Old Testament.
More than ten years ago, I had to decide whether to focus on the Old Testament or the New
Testament for study and teaching. It was one of the most important decisions of my life. I love the
whole Bible, and it was painful to think about just focusing on one section of it. I thought perhaps I
should select the New Testament, because my favorite book was Mark's Gospel, and I had spent more
time teaching it than any other section of Scripture. But then I hesitated because the world of New
Testament studies seemed crowded. Finding an available New Testament research topic felt like
looking for a parking space in the Target lot on Christmas Eve (not that I would have any personal
experience of that). It would have been difficult for me to come up with fresh ideas that weren't
heretical.
So I considered the Old Testament. If I focused on the Old Testament, I wouldn't have to worry
about bumping into someone else working on the same obscure half-verse. I also didn't need to be
quite so paranoid about heresy, because we expect to find weird stuff in the Old Testament.
But the most compelling factor drawing me toward studying the Old Testament was God himself.
The God of the Old Testament was fascinating to me. He became really angry, but was also
extraordinarily patient. He seemed to view women and wives as property, but he also selected
women as spiritual and political leaders over the nation of Israel. He commanded Israel to vanquish
the Canaanites, but also to care for the poor, the widows, the orphans and the foreigners. God in the
Old Testament was complex. There was so much about God in the Old Testament that I didn't
understand. I thought I could study the Old Testament for the rest of my life and never feel bored.
I chose the Old Testament.
A decade later I still can't imagine getting tired of studying the Old Testament. Nothing gives me
more joy than teaching it. (Well, almost nothing.) I love the Old Testament, and in par ticular
examining the God who is revealed there.
Over the years, though, I have noticed that atheists, agnostics and even Christians perceive the God
of the Old Testament negatively. They read the same passages I have just mentioned and instead of
seeing a complex portrayal of God that requires more study, they focus on the problematic aspects. As
a result, they often ask about reconciling the harsh God of the Old Testament with the loving God of
the New Testament. To them he seems angry, sexist and racist.
The God of the Old Testament has a bad reputation.
Is the God of the Old Testament Really Angry, Sexist and Racist?
If you have spent time reading the Old Testament, you probably know what I'm talking about. While
reading about the ark of the covenant's procession to Jerusalem, how many of us have wondered what
Uzzah did that was so bad? Did God really have to instantly smite him for simply preventing the ark
from tipping over (2 Sam 6:7)? Shouldn't Uzzah have been rewarded? Why was God so mad at him?
Is the God of the Old Testament always angry?
After Lot has convinced the two angelic strangers not to spend the night in the Sodom town square,
a violent mob surrounds his house (Gen 19:2-8). In an attempt to appease the crowd, Lot comes up
with a brilliant idea: "Here, take my two virgin daughters instead." Isn't Lot supposed to be the only
righteous guy in Sodom? How does his righteousness fit with his willingness to have his daughters
raped?3 The text never condemns Lot for his brutal proposal, so it makes not only Lot but also his
God seem misogynistic. Is the God of the Old Testament sexist?
As Israel was moving into the Promised Land, God com manded them to utterly wipe out the
people of that land, the Canaanites (Josh 10:40). While the Canaanites were the bad guys (Dent 9:5),
it still sounds like genocide. What kind of God would command such a slaughter? God seemed to
value the Israelites more than the Canaanites. Is the God of the Old Testament racist?
Problematic texts such as these have contributed to a negative perception of God that is also found
in popular culture.4
God the Cosmic Causer of Catastrophes
One of Gary Larson's most famous The Far Side cartoons depicts God sitting at his computer, which
is displaying an image of an innocent-looking guy strolling along a sidewalk (with the standard
Larsonian buckteeth).' A grand piano hangs precariously, just inches over the guy's head, supported
only by a few thin ropes. God watches with his hand hovering over the keyboard, his index finger
about to strike the "SMITE" key.
Larson's portrayal of God is funny, but also tragic. Tragic because it strikes a little too close to
home for readers of the Old Testament as we encounter texts that describe how God smites, strikes,
slays and even slaughters.
We don't need to look far to find other examples of negative portrayals of God in popular culture.
In Bruce Almighty, Bruce (Jim Carrey), in a fit of suicidal depression because he lost the anchor job
to Evan Baxter (Steve Carell), screams to God, "Smite me, 0 mighty smiter!" Interestingly, the prophet
Elijah made a similar request to God ("It is enough; now, 0 LORD, take away my life"; 1 Kings
19:4).6 Apparently, both Bruce and Elijah seemed to think that smiting is part of God's job
description. While we could argue that Bruce didn't really know God very well, we can't apply that
logic to Elijah. After all, God liked him (Elijah, not Bruce) enough to swoop him up directly into
heaven (2 Kings 2:11). So, is smiting really part of God's nature?
In an episode from the first season of The Simpsons, Bart's Sunday school teacher concludes the
lesson with "and that's why God causes train While viewers aren't provided with the actual reasons,