For the theologically uninformed, particularly with many atheists who fail to understand the contexts, ancient cultures ways of communicating, and comprehensive analysis of other relevant passages, they tend to read the Bible literally or are woefully uninformed, as they make accusations about various passages merely based upon their own prejudices or agendas. Here, in this excellent video, Bible scholar Dr. Paul Copan is interviewed about his newest book, "Is God a Vindictive Bully" - which addresses several such difficult or controversial passages.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jeoRI7p8ns
(https://www.amazon.com/God-Vindictive-B ... 143&sr=1-1) - which covers many of the tough-to-understand passages in Scripture - it's very eye-opening!
Read here first:
While much of Scripture is direct and we're able to gain a good grasp on, there is also much about God and His word we do not know or understand! And we often read things that God said or His prophets or apostles were inspired to write that we question. Or we read things in Scripture we think make absolutely no sense – or that we wouldn’t have done or said anything like what the Bible has recorded about God. And that’s because WE don’t know what GOD does - which is EVERYTHING – ALL past, present and future actions, motivations, and outcomes. Our intelligence and knowledge compared to God’s are as of a worm crawling in the mud, as He is a Being who created an entire universe from absolutely NOTHING. He created every creature and being on the planet. He’s surprised by nothing and there was - and never will be - ANYTHING He hasn’t ALWAYS known!
Scripture tells us of God:
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8)
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Anyone who has seriously studied the Bible well knows that there are many mysterious passages in it – with some that are unclear, strange – or even unsettling. And when God used and inspired His prophets and apostles to write it, He didn’t take away their own human perceptions or personalities as they wrote. He didn’t remove their cultural understandings as they sought to influence the generations and cultures of their time. Some things are recorded in Scripture that even God’s own people or prophets said or did that God did NOT approve of, yet that He wanted recorded for readers of Scripture to study and learn from their mistakes. God did NOT use perfectly upright people to lead His people or to write Scripture. He used and GUIDED imperfect, failable human beings to create the Bible, EXACTLY as He controlled what was recorded, and per His eternal purposes. He was and is perfectly capable of using Believers, despite our many flaws, for His intended (and often, unknown) purposes. And that is possible because God holds ALL knowledge and power, knows ALL outcomes and consequences of actions past and present, and thus He knows what is best for those who will not reject Him, that will be with Him forever!
Now, watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jeoRI7p8ns