Moral dilemmas: Knowing the difference between right and wrong.
The scriptures have situations where God accomplishes His purposes despite the behaviors of His messengers or those fulfilling His will. We see Sampson; and his attraction to Philistine women which eventually degraded to being involved with Delilah; a prostitute that brought him shame and ruin ( Judges 16). God eventually used this to allow Sampson to be humbled through blindness then deliberately end his life and thus defeat more Philistines than he did all his life ( Judges 16:29).
We see Jonah and his deliberate disobedience in going to Tarshish rather than Nineveh. God somehow used his message to not only convince repentance from the top leadership to the common people in Nineveh; but also for those he was travelling with on the ship after they were forced to toss Jonah into the sea to save themselves from shipwreck.
Even the story of Esther is questionable from what some interpret happened in a Harem type situation; she also took over as wife of the king which would be considered adultery. It could still be considered as a second wife since divorce is NEVER mentioned in the Bible except Joseph's consideration of it with Mary. It was discussed as an action that could be taken in Deut. 24 but no saints of God or anyone else are mentioned even among pagans that did such a thing. Food for thought....
God would wink at certain things in the past but now of course we are at a higher standard under Christ. ( Acts 17:30). No doubt rewards were lost for those who weren't dealt with in this life if repentance didn't occur; we don't see specific chastising mentioning the particular sins of Sampson (perhaps implied in his death); and for Jonah there seems to be no indication that he ever had the love for the Ninevites at the end of the story; we only see God's rebuke for him feeling sorry for a plant instead.
In upcoming posts we will consider situations where right and wrong appear nebulous.
I would think Hagar was given from being a servant to a wife as a second wife. Philip may have been divorced it doesn't say here either. As to bondage; it depends on the meaning of the word; the original language seems to indicate that there is no longer any need to continue in the commitment of marriage duties when someone wishes to leave but the term is different than forced labor; or a marriage covenant. That's how I see it; scripture doesn't contradict. Obviously, there were rules such as Deut. 24 so it was happening although multiple marriages occurred in the O.T. with men (don't see women doing that). Apparently God recognized it to some extent or He wouldn'thave heeded Leah then Rachel having children with Jacob. There were goings on with concubines which was clearly adultery but God tolerated it in the past just as allowed for a time Deut 24 (notice the Pharisees said Moses commanded it but the real reason Jesus illustrated).
The scriptures have situations where God accomplishes His purposes despite the behaviors of His messengers or those fulfilling His will. We see Sampson; and his attraction to Philistine women which eventually degraded to being involved with Delilah; a prostitute that brought him shame and ruin ( Judges 16). God eventually used this to allow Sampson to be humbled through blindness then deliberately end his life and thus defeat more Philistines than he did all his life ( Judges 16:29).
We see Jonah and his deliberate disobedience in going to Tarshish rather than Nineveh. God somehow used his message to not only convince repentance from the top leadership to the common people in Nineveh; but also for those he was travelling with on the ship after they were forced to toss Jonah into the sea to save themselves from shipwreck.
Even the story of Esther is questionable from what some interpret happened in a Harem type situation; she also took over as wife of the king which would be considered adultery. It could still be considered as a second wife since divorce is NEVER mentioned in the Bible except Joseph's consideration of it with Mary. It was discussed as an action that could be taken in Deut. 24 but no saints of God or anyone else are mentioned even among pagans that did such a thing. Food for thought....
God would wink at certain things in the past but now of course we are at a higher standard under Christ. ( Acts 17:30). No doubt rewards were lost for those who weren't dealt with in this life if repentance didn't occur; we don't see specific chastising mentioning the particular sins of Sampson (perhaps implied in his death); and for Jonah there seems to be no indication that he ever had the love for the Ninevites at the end of the story; we only see God's rebuke for him feeling sorry for a plant instead.
In upcoming posts we will consider situations where right and wrong appear nebulous.
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