God's Promises

[Wyrd of Gawd]

Joshua 17:18 says, "though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron and though they are strong, you can drive them out."

Here god makes a promise to his people. But then we read in Judges that certain people could not be driven out because they had chariots of iron.

I won’t quote Judges 1:19 here because different versions say quite different things. King James tells us it was god who could not drive the people out because they had chariots of iron. The NIV tells us it was the Israelites who could not drive the people out because their chariots had been fitted with iron.

This is just a Snickers bar. Anyway you interpret it, it comes up peanuts for anyone who trusted in god’s promises.

Human beings break promises all the time and we forgive them. We understand the extenuating circumstances that prohibited them from doing what they had sincerely wanted to do.  But if god’s promises are no more reliable than the promises of humans, if they are subject to the same turns of events, how can we know that between now and the end time something unforeseen by god might happen to make it impossible to keep his promise of salvation?  If god could not foresee his inability to defeat people with chariots of iron, how can he be trusted to foresee things that don’t yet exist?

The biblical God was simply the series of men who ruled the dominant empire in the Middle Eastern area during ancient times.  Only crazy people think that an invisible celestial deity held long conversations with idiots during that time period.  If such a God character was flapping his jaws to your neighbor would you know about it?  No, you wouldn't.  That's why the fairy tale is BS on things like that.  

The iron chariot story does illustrate the potential power of advanced technology in war.  The side that possesses it usually wins the battle if it has enough of it to make a difference.

[The Grand Nudger]

I doubt that "King X" held long conversations with idiots either, Wyrd.  I think that it's easy to establish that the character of god was based upon men....but certainly not any specific man or succession of kings.  To give it a fair go, though...which dominant empire's king does the biblical account refer to when it mentions god?  Just one example of analog would be fine for discussion, I think.

[Wyrd of Gawd]

I doubt that "King X" held long conversations with idiots either, Wyrd.  I think that it's easy to establish that the character of god was based upon men....but certainly not any specific man or succession of kings.  To give it a fair go, though...which dominant empire's king does the biblical account refer to when it mentions god?  Just one example of analog would be fine for discussion, I think.

Remember Darius?  
Daniel 6:12 (CEV) = "They went back to the king and said, “Didn’t you make a law that forbids anyone to pray to any god or human except you for the next thirty days? And doesn’t the law say that everyone who disobeys it will be thrown into a pit of lions?” “Yes, that’s the law I made,” the king agreed. “And just like all written laws of the Medes and Persians, it cannot be changed.”"

There's also Antiochus.  https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?se...ersion=CEB  He sounds like the guy who made the threats in Zephaniah.
http://www.gotquestions.org/Antiochus-Epiphanes.html

[Minimalist]

Joshua 17:18 says, "though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron and though they are strong, you can drive them out."

No one in their right mind would make an iron chariot. 

http://www.ancient.eu/chariot/

The chariot was a light vehicle, usually on two wheels, drawn by one or more horses, often carrying two standing persons, a driver and a fighter using bow-and-arrow or javelins.

The chariot then became a moving platform from which soldiers could shoot at enemies. Arrows and javelins were the main weapons used by the fighter on board, while a second person drove the chariot. The tactic was to move constantly, in and out of the battle, shooting from a distance.

The lighter they were, the faster they were.

[Wyrd of Gawd]

Joshua 17:18 says, "though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron and though they are strong, you can drive them out."

No one in their right mind would make an iron chariot. 

http://www.ancient.eu/chariot/

The chariot was a light vehicle, usually on two wheels, drawn by one or more horses, often carrying two standing persons, a driver and a fighter using bow-and-arrow or javelins.

The chariot then became a moving platform from which soldiers could shoot at enemies. Arrows and javelins were the main weapons used by the fighter on board, while a second person drove the chariot. The tactic was to move constantly, in and out of the battle, shooting from a distance.

The lighter they were, the faster they were.

This is a depiction of a Syrian chariot.  Note the armored horses.  http://www.corbisimages.com/images/Corbi...ee561ec2b9

[robvalue]

They made them out of iron because they heard God was scared of it.

[dyresand]

They made them out of iron because they heard God was scared of it.

^we have tanks made of steel that shoot metal/steel rounds so if god is scared of steel and metal that means...
we can kill the god.

[Minimalist]

I don't know what that is but it is not a "chariot."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chariot

The horse chariot was a fast, light, open, two-wheeled conveyance drawn by two or more horses that were hitched side by side, and was little more than a floor with a waist-high guard at the front and sides.

That looks like a wagon with a guy standing in it.

[Wyrd of Gawd]

I don't know what that is but it is not a "chariot."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chariot

The horse chariot was a fast, light, open, two-wheeled conveyance drawn by two or more horses that were hitched side by side, and was little more than a floor with a waist-high guard at the front and sides.

That looks like a wagon with a guy standing in it.

Just saying...

https://libladygenblog.files.wordpress.c..._phone.jpg

https://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/600413...417441.jpg

http://blog.gofirstpriority.com/wp-conte...-phone.jpg

Aren't these telephones?  Things change over time.

[Rhondazvous]

If I keep reading the Bible, I fear I shall come to the conclusion that god does not exist.

What a bunch of…there has to be a word for it. A specific word for utter stupidity.

I’m looking at 2 Kings Chapter 3. Here we not only have a god who can’t keep his promises, but Chemosh the god of Moab kicks Yahweh’s ass. No man can see god’s face and live, but you can kick his ass any old day.


Okay first, the armies of Israel, Edom and Judah ride through the desert on their way to attack Moab. They act more like the 3 stooges than 3 kings. They run out of water after 7 days. I’m trying to fathom the idiocy of a general who doesn’t know how much water his army is going to need for one week.

Then they fetch the prophet Elisha, who prophesies that

he will also deliver Moab into your hands. 19 You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones

We should not interpret the word of the Lord literally. Hindsight allows us to apply the true spiritual meaning to Elisha’s prophecy. Despite what your natural mind might tell you, what he really said was, “Israel, Edom, Judah, you will run back home with your tails between your legs.”

And this is what happened after the king of Moab sacrificed to Chemosh.

I’d like to see how Drippy will handle this.