I. CHARACTER OF JEHOVAH.
The Old Testament is principally a history of the Jews and their God
Jehovah,--a narrative of their trials, troubles, treachery, quarrels,
and faithless dealings toward each other. No other God ever had so
much trouble with his people; and no other nation ever showed so little
respect for their God, or so little disposition to obey him, or live up
to his commands. There appears to have been almost a natural antipathy
between them; so that they were constantly repelling each other. The
relationship appears to have been a forced one, possessing but few of
the adhesive ties of friendship.
Both parties were apparently happier when separated, as they were
several times,--on one occasion for a long period (Lam. v. 20). And yet,
according to the biblical history of the case, they got along as well,
were as moral and as happy, as when their God was with them. Hence it is
evident, if he had never returned, they would have sustained no serious
loss or disadvantage in any way. The case furnishes an argument in favor
of that class of people who are frequently denounced by the priesthood
for "living without God in the world." If "God's own people" could get
along without him, why can not men and women of this intelligent age?
And the reason he assigns for remaining with them as much as he did
shows it was not from natural affinity or affection for them, but
because he had "promised" to do so. Did he not know that "a bad promise
is better broken than kept?" Another circumstance which implies that
Jehovah cherished but little respect for his people, and cared but
little about them, is that, from his neglect (as it seems most natural
to attribute it to this cause), they were literally broken up while he
was apparently with them. One portion of them fell into the hands of
Shalmaneser, King of Assyria, and the other portion into the hands of
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon; and they were never able to regain
their political power as a nation afterwards. And, to cap the climax,
ten out of the twelve tribes were lost entirely, thus leaving Jehovah
almost childless, and destitute of worshipers. And a search for them
for several thousand years has failed to bring them to light. This
circumstance is entirely irreconcilable with the idea that the Jews
were the special favorites of God. Indeed, it prostrates the assumption
entirely beyond defense. It proves, also, that Jehovah's promise never
to leave or forsake them was not adhered to. (See 1 Sam. xii. 22.)
And the language and conduct of the God of the Jews on several occasions
imply that, if he ever did make choice of them as his pets, he was
disappointed in them, and repented of the act. When he exclaimed, "I
have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against
me" (Isa. i. 2), he virtually confesses he had been short-sighted,
or that he had erred in judgment in selecting the Jews as special
favorites.
Certainly this is the language of vexation and disappointment, and want
of judgment or foresight.
2. We are told "he hated his own heritage" (Jer. xii. 8). Here is
evinced again a feeling of hatred, vexation, and disappointment, that no
sensible being should manifest, much less a God.
3. "He gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and
smote Israel" (Judg. iii. 13). This was a traitorous act, calculated to
discredit any being. Hence it could not have been the act of an all-wise
and benevolent God. Think of such a being getting into a squabble with
his own children, and having to invoke the aid of heathen tribes to
subdue them, and get him out of the difficulty! One day he heads an army
composed of his "peculiar people" to fight the heathen, with the
avowed determination to exterminate them, and "leave nothing alive that
breathes," The next day he gets out of patience with their stubbornness
and iniquity; his fury gets up to fever heat; and he traitorously
abandons them, and joins those same enemies to fight them, and reduce
them to slavery. It is scarcely necessary to say we do not believe such
a God ever existed, excepting in the imagination of ignorant people.
4. Again: Jehovah is represented as selling his people several times to
the neighboring heathen tribes, which again leads to the conclusion that
he was disappointed in them, tired of them, and wished to get rid of
them. He sold them once to Jaban, King of Canan (Judg. iv. 2), and twice
to the Philistines. Wonder what he got, and what he did with the money!
The first time he sold them to the Philistines, he told them he never
would deliver them again: but he seems either to have forgotten his
promise, or forgot there is a moral obligation to stick to the truth;
for he delivered them several times after that, if his own biographer
and inspired writer tells the truth. Here is more evidence that he
is fickle-minded and unreliable, or that the Bible writers have
misrepresented his character.
5. If we could assume there is any truth in the Bible history of
Jehovah, we should not wonder that the Jews preferred worshiping a
golden calf to paying their devotions to such a God, and, on the other
hand, it is not surprising that he should manifest his displeasure
toward them, and frequently steal away from them, and often confess
grief, vexation, and regret for having made choice of such an ignorant,
rebellious set of rambling nomads, who subsisted by war and plunder.
6. Jehovah's jealousy of other Gods which he so frequently manifested
and so often confessed, and which is one of the most objectionable
traits of his character, must be attributed to his own moral defects;
for he acted in such a manner as to cause his own people to prefer other
Gods to him. He frequently scolded and punished them for worshiping
other Gods,--a circumstance which furnishes evidence that other Gods
were better, and therefore more worthy of being worshiped. What else
could have caused them to prefer other other Gods. He should have acted
in such a loving and fatherly manner that other Gods could not have been
more venerated and sought after. Then he would not have been so often
vexed, harassed, and perplexed at the idolatrous proclivities of his
worshipers, and so often resorted to retaliation by forsaking them,
selling them, enslaving them, or delivering them into the hands of the
spoiler! In Judges ii. 14, it is declared, "The Lord delivered them
into the hands of the spoiler;" and, in Judges vi. 1, we are told he
delivered them into the hands of Midian for seven years. This looks like
an attempt to spoil his own plans, and to falsify his own promises to be
with them, and protect them at all times.
7. Much of Jehovah's dealings with his people seemed to be by way of
experiment, as in the case of trying Abraham's faith by requiring him
to offer up his son. What an idea for an allwise and omnipotent God, or
whom it is said, "Known unto him are all his works"!
8. But many circumstances prove that Jehovah was not the God of the
universe, but only a family or national God. 1. His acknowledgment of
the existence of other Gods (Deut. vi. 14). 2. His jealousy of other
Gods (Exod. xxxiv. 14). 3. His traveling on foot, lodging in tents,
having his feet washed, eating veal and cakes (Gen. xviii.), &c., all
tend to prove this.
4. And the fact that he could not know what was going on in other
nations, and not even his own until he visited the spot in person (as
in the case of the Tower of Babel), is proof he was not the God of the
universe.
9. We can not concede that the "Creator of unnumbered worlds" is (like
Jehovah) an angry, malevolent being, addicted to feelings of revenge
and retaliation, which seemed to banish the feeling of love and goodness
entirely from his mind, and who is represented as being frequently
thwarted in his designs and purposes by the caprices of his weak and
ignorant children, who, so far from answering his expectations of being
the best, turned out to be the worst, of his human heritage. Such ideas
would be derogatory to Deity.
And this is the God the "American Christian Alliance" are trying to
obtain a recognition of in the Constitution of the United States. What a
moral calamity such a step would be!