Refuting the Blasphemies of Jonathan Blake, an Archbishop so called. Part II

Some wolves teach from pulpits, others use Tiktok.

God is Violent and Unrighteous

Previously, we discussed the falsehoods spread by Archbishop Jonathan Blake and his nonexistent ability in Hebrew and Greek as well as general understanding of the Bible. In this article we will discuss the claim he makes that God is violent and unrighteous. Such blasphemy must not, nay, cannot remain unchallenged, lest the inexperienced be led astray by the folly he espouses. Far from being a deity who delights in violence or barbarism, Jehovah God as presented in the Hebrew Scriptures acts with a deliberation that prioritizes mercy, repentance, and restoration, much like a protective parent who, while compassionate and loving, is compelled to take decisive action to safeguard their children from harm.

Divine Justice as a Path to Repentance

Throughout the Old Testament, God's application of justice is consistently aimed at correcting wayward behavior and leading people back to a path of righteousness. This approach underscores a preference for repentance over punishment.

Opportunities for Repentance: Time and again, God sends prophets to warn nations and individuals of impending doom, urging them to repent and turn back to Him. This pattern is evident in the narratives surrounding Noah, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, the people of Nineveh, and even the Israelites themselves. These warnings are acts of mercy, designed to avert destruction through repentance.

Mercy and Patience: Hallmarks of Divine Character

The character of God, as revealed in these interactions, is one of patience and mercy. Far from being rigid, God demonstrates flexibility and a willingness to relent from announced judgments when people show genuine repentance.

Relenting from Judgment: The story of Nineveh is a prime example where God, seeing the repentance of the city at Jonah's preaching, relents from the disaster He had planned to bring upon them (Jonah 3:10). This act highlights God's desire for repentance and restoration over destruction.

Covenantal Faithfulness: God's dealings with the Israelites, characterized by repeated cycles of apostasy, punishment, repentance, and restoration, further illustrate His merciful nature. Despite their frequent failures, God remains committed to His covenant, always leaving a path open for return and renewal.

Justice as Protective Action

The decision to remove wickedness, such as the command to deal with the Canaanites, is portrayed in the Old Testament not as an act of capricious violence but as protective action—akin to a parent removing a threat to their children. The Canaanite cultures, with their practices of child sacrifice and ritual prostitution, represented not just a moral but a spiritual threat to the Israelites, akin to a rabid dog that might attack and harm a child.

Protective Measures: Just as a parent's primary duty is the safety and well-being of their children, even to the extent of destroying a rabid dog to prevent it from causing harm, God's commands to remove certain nations are framed within the context of protecting the spiritual heritage and future of the Israelite people.

Divine Reluctance: This protective action is taken reluctantly, after other measures have been exhausted. The narrative of the Canaanite extermination, for example, comes after centuries of patience and warnings, indicating that destruction is indeed a last resort.

Misconceptions and Reinterpretations

Classifying the God of the Old Testament as merely violent or barbaric oversimplifies and misrepresents the complex nature of divine justice and mercy as depicted in the scriptures. Such a characterization fails to account for the depth of God's patience, the breadth of His mercy, and the ultimate aim of His actions: the restoration of a right relationship between Himself and humanity, and the protection of moral and spiritual integrity.

God as a Protective Parent: A more accurate analogy is to see God as a protective parent whose actions, even when severe, are motivated by love and concern for His children's well-being. This perspective helps reconcile the seemingly harsh aspects of divine justice with the overarching biblical themes of love, mercy, and redemption.

 In the following articles we will consider just how God always shows mercy where possible depending on the repentance of people.

The Curse of Canaan- Mercy for the Meek

The Canaanites were inhabitants of the land that the Israelites, following their exodus from Egypt, were commanded by God to occupy. The biblical narrative, particularly in the books of Deuteronomy and Joshua, details the practices of the Canaanite peoples, which included idolatry, ritual prostitution, and human sacrifices, especially of infants, to deities such as Molech and Baal. These practices were vehemently opposed by the Israelite ethical and religious worldview, which emphasized monotheism, the sanctity of life, and a moral code of conduct that starkly contrasted with Canaanite rituals.

Divine Justice: The Rationale for Judgment

The directive to exterminate the Canaanites is one of the most challenging aspects for contemporary readers of the Bible. This command is often understood within a framework of divine justice—a punitive response to the Canaanites' moral depravity and a protective measure to prevent Israel from adopting their practices.

Deuteronomy 20:17-18 explicates this command, framing it as a necessity to avoid the snare of idolatry and to establish a society founded on different values.

Leviticus 18:24-30 further underscores the rationale, indicating that the land itself was defiled by such practices and that similar behaviors would lead to the Israelites' expulsion, mirroring the fate of the Canaanites.

This context is essential for understanding the biblical portrayal of God's justice—not as an indiscriminate or capricious act of violence but as a considered response to systemic iniquity and idolatry that threatened the nascent moral and spiritual identity of the Israelite people.

Instances of Mercy and Redemption

Within this narrative of judgment, the Bible presents stories of mercy and redemption that highlight the possibility of salvation for individuals who demonstrate faith and righteousness, transcending ethnic and national affiliations.

Rahab: A Model of Faith

Rahab's story is a pivotal example of divine mercy extended to a Canaanite. Her actions, harboring Israelite spies and professing faith in their God, mark her as a figure of faith and righteousness.

Rahab's acknowledgment of the Lord's sovereignty (Joshua 2:9-11) and her proactive steps to ensure her family's safety illustrate a profound understanding of faith's salvific power.

Her inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5) and commendation in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:31, James 2:25) underscore the biblical theme that faith is the cornerstone of righteousness and salvation, extending beyond ethnic and cultural boundaries.

The Gibeonites: Mercy Amid Deception

The story of the Gibeonites further complicates the narrative. Their deception to secure a peace treaty with Israel and their subsequent integration as servants highlight the complexity of the biblical understanding of justice and mercy.

The Israelites' decision to honor their oath to the Gibeonites, despite being obtained under false pretenses (Joshua 9), reflects a profound respect for the sanctity of agreements made before God.

This episode reveals the nuances of biblical justice—where mercy and faithfulness to one's word are upheld, even in the face of deception.

Ethical and Theological Reflections

The narratives of Rahab and the Gibeonites offer critical insights into the nature of divine justice and mercy in the biblical text. They suggest that God's judgments are not mere punitive decrees but are intertwined with opportunities for repentance and redemption.

The Role of Repentance and Faith

These stories emphasize that repentance and faith can alter the course of divine judgment. Rahab's conversion and the Gibeonites' appeal to Israel's mercy demonstrate that God's justice is not blind to change of heart and genuine faith.

Universal chance for salvation

The inclusion of non-Israelites like Rahab in the lineage of Christ and the salvation of the Gibeonites point to a universalistic dimension in God's salvific plans. These narratives foreshadow the New Testament's message of salvation available to all, regardless of ethnic or national identity, through faith in God.

Moral Agency and Divine Sovereignty

The complex interplay between divine commands and human moral agency in these narratives raises profound ethical questions. The biblical text navigates these tensions by emphasizing the role of individual choice and faith within the overarching framework of divine sovereignty and moral order.

Conclusion: Reconciling Justice and Mercy

The biblical accounts of the Canaanites, Rahab, and the Gibeonites present a multifaceted view of divine justice and mercy. They challenge readers to consider the depths of God's justice, which, while severe, is never without purpose or devoid of mercy. These narratives underscore the possibility of salvation through faith and repentance, highlighting the transformative power of divine grace that cuts across ethnic and cultural lines.

Through a careful reading of these texts, one can appreciate the nuanced portrayal of God's character—a God who is just but also profoundly merciful, offering redemption to those who turn to Him in faith. This exploration invites reflection on the enduring themes of justice, mercy, and faith, leaving a divine pattern for us to imitate today, the very opposite of everything Mr. Blake claims.