My question is 'The Bible claims they are the work of God - what do those who are Sola Scriptura do with that?'

If God told you personally He led the Israelites to kill men, women, and babies in Palestine; that He destroyed the world in the flood; or that He ordered a man to be stoned to death for willfully breaking the Sabbath, would you continue to worship, love and honor Him?

I would have no problem with it, either way. If He told me that the prophets of God got it wrong, and were confused, and that He never killed anyone at all, I'd be fine with it. But if He told me that the prophets got it right and that He did command Moses to kill the idolaters at Sinai, etc., I would be fine that with that as well.

God is above law. God precedes all law. The Ten Commandments were written for mankind. I don't believe that God is obligated to obey the law in the same way that we are. It's an expression of who He is, but He is much more than is contained in the words of the law.

As the God of the universe, who made life, He certainly has the right to take life when He sees fit to do so. If He decides to explain things to us, or ask us our opinion, that's wonderful and gracious of Him, but He certainly is not obligated to do it.

During the 1000 years, the Bible tells us that we will be able to see why God did what He did, and at that time we will have many of our questions answered. That shows how God loves us and wants us to worship Him freely and intelligently. But again, it is not something He must do. He would have been right if He had destroyed Adam and Eve after the Fall. He didn't need to offer Himself as the Messiah. He did it out of love and grace, not because some higher law or power or standard required Him to do it. He would have been right NOT to do it.

What do you think?

Bravus you might find this interesting what Ellen White had to say ...

John317: He would have some 'splainin' to do.

As I said above, if God is the ground of the moral code, God must exemplify the moral code. Maybe there is some higher sense in which the actions you list do that, but I would need to understand.

Sure, that's clear. And if I know Him on the basis of His special revelation, I am sure God will stoop to talk to us and help us understand.

But of course, when we consider culture, etc., it becomes obvious that He will have a lot of explaining to do to many different people, and some of those explanations may not satisfy some people if they are judging Him by human moral codes or mores. For instance, I am sure that some of the more primitive tribes will have far different kinds of questions and objections than a 16th century European. And a 21st century American or Australian is going to make objections perhaps that someone living in a different time and place won't make at all.

Whose standard is God obligated to follow? What seems wrong to you or me may seem right to people of another culture and time period. Our ideas of right and wrong are not absolute but are changeable according to our education, background, experiences, and culture, etc.

God has to make so many different kinds of people happy. I don't envy Him.

As I said, I've thought of all these issues before, and they sufficed as explanations, or at least rationalisations, for many years, but they just won't any more. I guess he'll have to damn me for it if that's his choice, but I can't see any other way to move forward as a moral person and a believer. Atheism would be so much simpler, but I'm resisting it with all my might.

I don't think God would damn you for having questions, Bravus. Every intelligent person is going to have lots of questions about God, the Bible, the universe, etc.

Look at Job. He had lots of questions he wanted to ask God, about things that didn't make sense to him.

Can you think of any satisfactory explanation God could give you for why He had the man stoned for willfully breaking the Sabbath? Or for why He destroyed the world in a flood?

Perhaps your view of God is more accurate than mine is. We won't know for sure until we get to heaven. We'll learn so much then. Don't miss it.

Think of the science questions you will learn the answers to. Maybe you will be able to watch God create the biggest star ever!

Amen! And thank you, my brother, you are always an encouraging and thoughtful presence here, and I deeply appreciate you.

Yes, that was a very thoughtful answere John!

Why not?

I believe that the Biblical authors were all very much influenced by their society, environment, culture, language, fate, circumstances, heredity, family, mental physical and emotional limitations, experience, or lack thereof, - and were very much a product of all that. We all are.

And despite all that, God still broke through to them in some way to motivate (inspire) them to include God in the picture and write it down. Some did so eloquently with great insight and wisdom(inspiration), others with great difficulty, unable to make complete sense of it, but were nonetheless used imperfectly by God (inspired) to accomplish His purposes. But they felt compelled (inspired) to seek after God and to write it down anyway and or to convey it to their own people.

And people are still today inspired by God in very similar ways, with similar results.

Tom