tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613185.post115103778462973517..comments2023-10-26T05:12:19.629-07:00Comments on PonderIt: Agag, Saul, and the Church in PoliticsBradley Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030210881782328907noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613185.post-41141512962834026972007-08-12T22:46:00.000-07:002007-08-12T22:46:00.000-07:00Still regardless it is the life of one race for an...Still regardless it is the life of one race for another based on their use of human sacrifice. It is also clear that the tribe of Agag has a tendency for temper and anger, but then still do the Jews, I am one and I can say that. As an Arab Jew the story of the first genocide is troublesome. <BR/> There are some Buddhists who fear the earlier God was actually a jealous god, or Mara owner of heaven and Earth for his preference for blood and sacrifice, which caused negative Karma to build for his people, causing them to remain trapped in Samsara. A very interesting idea, and that a benevolent deity conquered him later, perhaps the son, and began preaching peace, Jesus. Interesting thoughts. <BR/> But there is a story of Buddha also killing a single man who might have killed many others in an earlier incarnation out of compassion for the victims, and the man who would have made negative karma for himself. <BR/> Regardless, killing a race is wrong. To generalize about an entire tribe or race of people, and kill them for a believed tendency, well today for instance, people have many choices outside of custom. <BR/> The first Agag or King of the Amalekites attacks the Jews during Exodus (Baalam) through the desert for walking through their lands as many tribes would do. The military killed all but one prince which causes them to be exiled (the Jewish military) to the area of Medina.<BR/> This prince no doubt developed hatred of the Jews from the genocide of his people. Then Saul spares a son in another genocide years later after the race regained itself. 500 years later this child's descendents of course hate the Jews from this genocide. Yet a Amalekite oversees Saul's suicide and relates it to David, saying he killed Saul. David then kills him for reicide. <BR/> It is obvious that Haman was raised in to seek retribution, as his fathers before him due to the act of the Israelites. His children would have done the same, but I believe his 10 sons did the same. However with this tendency to have many sons after 500 years others were there as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613185.post-1151822326250603392006-07-01T23:38:00.000-07:002006-07-01T23:38:00.000-07:00I find myself lately 2nd-guessing what's from the ...I find myself lately 2nd-guessing what's from the Lord and what's from the person claiming to speak for Him.<BR/><BR/>Maybe Samuel had a thing for blood?<BR/><BR/>What deep dark damage and canker does it do a (wo)man's soul to run a sword through an infant, nay, another human being? How could this possibly be a good thing to do? How could it not possibly scar them spiritually?<BR/><BR/>I think there's a lot of justifying and rationalizing that goes on and is blamed on the Lord. I think Samuel and that the whole bunch of Israelites had their sick moments, Prophet notwithstanding.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613185.post-1151366385958821822006-06-26T16:59:00.000-07:002006-06-26T16:59:00.000-07:00I think you've hit a key point. We don't always u...I think you've hit a key point. We don't always understand the full purposes of the Lord's commands, and may believe we are following a higher moral road. The implications from your post are very far reaching, but I shan't identify anything specific myself. I simply must agree that we must be certain we are following God's command and no one else's, but if he commands something that we may believe to be morally wrong (Nephi killing Laban, as another example), we should still be certain to follow through. The Lord certainly has the highest ground on these matters.J2A2K (darth_ender)https://www.blogger.com/profile/05153860844659759674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613185.post-1151338643606101612006-06-26T09:17:00.000-07:002006-06-26T09:17:00.000-07:00Bradley, this story has often given me pause. I h...Bradley, this story has often given me pause. I had never made that Agag-Haman link. Thank you for pointing it out.<BR/><BR/>My family loves the Veggie Tales version of Esther, but my wife *really* likes the <A HREF="http://www.likenthescriptures.com/" REL="nofollow">Liken the Scriptures</A> version. Jeff Stevens is a talented performer that does an excellent job of making Haman look like a self-absorbed, but charming creep.Scott Hinrichshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11831447472339880148noreply@blogger.com