What Do You Have Trouble Believing?

Huntingteckel

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Is there anything in the Bible that bothers you every time you read it? Something that makes you think that it must be an exaggerating, that can't be right, etc.

Noah gives me no trouble. Jonah and the whale give me no problems. But every single time I read the story of Samson I think, Seriously?

(Jdg 14:5 ESV) Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring.

(Jdg 14:6 ESV) Then the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

(Jdg 14:7 ESV) Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she was right in Samson's eyes.

(Jdg 14:8 ESV) After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.

(Jdg 14:9 ESV) He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion.


Really? Bees went into the lion carcass and it was filled with honey? I know this shouldn't bother me since I suppose it's possible.

(Jdg 15:3 ESV) And Samson said to them, "This time I shall be innocent in regard to the Philistines, when I do them harm."

(Jdg 15:4 ESV) So Samson went and caught 300 foxes and took torches. And he turned them tail to tail and put a torch between each pair of tails.

(Jdg 15:5 ESV) And when he had set fire to the torches, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines and set fire to the stacked grain and the standing grain, as well as the olive orchards.


How long does it take to catch 300 foxes? Where did he keep them? I don't know...


(Jdg 15:15 ESV) And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men.

(Jdg 15:16 ESV) And Samson said, "With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey have I struck down a thousand men."



A thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey...

I realize that none of this is rational, but it still bothers me every time I read it. It's like the whole story seems false to me.

Does anyone have this problem with any stories? What stories?
 
Is there anything in the Bible that bothers you every time you read it? Something that makes you think that it must be an exaggerating, that can't be right, etc.

Noah gives me no trouble. Jonah and the whale give me no problems. But every single time I read the story of Samson I think, Seriously?

(Jdg 14:5 ESV) Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring.

(Jdg 14:6 ESV) Then the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

(Jdg 14:7 ESV) Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she was right in Samson's eyes.

(Jdg 14:8 ESV) After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.

(Jdg 14:9 ESV) He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion.


Really? Bees went into the lion carcass and it was filled with honey? I know this shouldn't bother me since I suppose it's possible.

(Jdg 15:3 ESV) And Samson said to them, "This time I shall be innocent in regard to the Philistines, when I do them harm."

(Jdg 15:4 ESV) So Samson went and caught 300 foxes and took torches. And he turned them tail to tail and put a torch between each pair of tails.

(Jdg 15:5 ESV) And when he had set fire to the torches, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines and set fire to the stacked grain and the standing grain, as well as the olive orchards.


How long does it take to catch 300 foxes? Where did he keep them? I don't know...


(Jdg 15:15 ESV) And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men.

(Jdg 15:16 ESV) And Samson said, "With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey have I struck down a thousand men."



A thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey...

I realize that none of this is rational, but it still bothers me every time I read it. It's like the whole story seems false to me.

Does anyone have this problem with any stories? What stories?
Some scholars have tried to explain that there are plenty of places where the literature is extrapolative in nature. They give some fancy names for this kind of literature :)

I completely see what you are saying.. I think that is what makes it special.. Unthinkable for man is so easy for Lord.. I don't have a problem believing it and taking it literally.. Even if I am wrong, I am not losing anything. Because I am only trusting what God has shown to me in His Word..
 
When Lots daughters raped him and he didn't realize it.. That made me say "really." Not that it wasn't true but the fact he didn't know and it happened twice, and it was only wine.
 
Generally I have no problem with believing stuff in the Bible. It's just that one story that rubs me the wrong way in every verse.
 
When Lots daughters raped him and he didn't realize it.. That made me say "really." Not that it wasn't true but the fact he didn't know and it happened twice, and it was only wine.
I wondered about that as well. I guess I always figured he was so messed up on the wine that he didn't realize they were his daughters.
 
Either we believe all of the scriptures or we don't. You can't pick and choose... that's how we got 41,000 "christian" denominations! Pray about them and asked the Holy Spirit to teach you - and not man.

1 John 2:27 (KJV)
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

It took me 2 years to reconcile Acts 7:4 with Gen 11-12. The Spirit finally told me it wasn't Abraham's father, but his great- X 9 grand-father, Noah who died when Abraham left Herran and the Greek supports this.

πατήρ pater (pat-ayr') n.
1. a "father"
{literally or figuratively, near or more remote}
 
Either we believe all of the scriptures or we don't. You can't pick and choose... that's how we got 41,000 "christian" denominations! Pray about them and asked the Holy Spirit to teach you - and not man.

1 John 2:27 (KJV)
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

It took me 2 years to reconcile Acts 7:4 with Gen 11-12. The Spirit finally told me it wasn't Abraham's father, but his great- X 9 grand-father, Noah who died when Abraham left Herran and the Greek supports this.

πατήρ pater (pat-ayr') n.
1. a "father"
{literally or figuratively, near or more remote}
I don't know about that. Even if people take every single verse literally, which we shouldn't, we would still end up with different denominations. People come from different backgrounds so obviously they are going to get different things out of the same text. That's why poetry is so meaningful.
 
Well it is in the Bible, so it's pretty important. Supernatural things happen, especially to those people in the Bible. I think Samson really did catch 300 goats and scoop honey out a lion carcass. Why? It's in the Bible!

Yeah those things are out of the ordinary, but that doesn't mean they didn't happen. By the power of God they did!
 
I wondered about that as well. I guess I always figured he was so messed up on the wine that he didn't realize they were his daughters.
Haha I don't doubt the story I just think it's crazy. If we was so drunk that he couldn't remember what he was doing, that's gotta be a pretty bad hangover. Then he does it a second time? Craziness!

Maybe he was so sad because he lost his wife, and when he got drunk his daughters looked like his wife. And when he sobered up he thought to himself was that a dream, it must of been because the daughters weren't saying anything. And he only realized the truth when their bellies started getting bigger.
 
I don't know about that. Even if people take every single verse literally, which we shouldn't, we would still end up with different denominations. People come from different backgrounds so obviously they are going to get different things out of the same text. That's why poetry is so meaningful.
41,000 to be exact...
 
We can only work with what we've been given, which is a collection of books that can be interpreted in many different ways. I don't see how that is really an issue.
Actually that's not true. I find the vast majority of Christian do not do the basics when it comes to their walk in the Lord. They don't pray. They don't praise the Lord. They don't even know what the will of God is for their lives. (I know I've been there!) Christians above the world do not know how to live in the present, always looking for the "end times" while the harvest fields go untouched. We have much more at our disposal than we use and His name is the Holy Spirit. There are so many dead preachers from ALL 41,000 denominations that keep spewing out wrong information about God and His Word to the degree that it becomes doctrine instead of the word of God, tradition instead of reality. Why do you think the world is coming to an end? The ineffectiveness of the church! We're laughed at, ridiculed, and persecuted - all fine and well in China, but I'm talking about the once great Christian nation called The United States of America. We've become white-washed tombs of entertained, constantly busy people. People don't even know how to relax and enjoy His Spirit. Proof is in the pudding and judgement must begin in the house of the Lord.
 
Actually that's not true. I find the vast majority of Christian do not do the basics when it comes to their walk in the Lord. They don't pray. They don't praise the Lord. They don't even know what the will of God is for their lives. (I know I've been there!) Christians above the world do not know how to live in the present, always looking for the "end times" while the harvest fields go untouched. We have much more at our disposal than we use and His name is the Holy Spirit. There are so many dead preachers from ALL 41,000 denominations that keep spewing out wrong information about God and His Word to the degree that it becomes doctrine instead of the word of God, tradition instead of reality. Why do you think the world is coming to an end? The ineffectiveness of the church! We're laughed at, ridiculed, and persecuted - all fine and well in China, but I'm talking about the once great Christian nation called The United States of America. We've become white-washed tombs of entertained, constantly busy people. People don't even know how to relax and enjoy His Spirit. Proof is in the pudding and judgement must begin in the house of the Lord.

What's not true? That the Bible can be interpreted different ways? Surely you don't believe that anyone that doesn't have the same view of Scripture as you is intentionally twisting it to their own needs.

I've said many times in different threads that pastors can be lying thieves same as anybody else . And I'm sure that some denominations are built on lies.

America was a disgusting nation from the beginning, same as everywhere else. It isn't a "christian nation." If it was founded and built in Christianity, which is rooted in love, we wouldn't have slaughtered the natives and enslaved blacks because white people thought they were better. This was supposed to be a nation of religious freedom but it is built on murder.

I love living in America because, for now, I can say what I want and not have to worry about being executed. I can carry my Bible in public without someone breaking my hands, and because the majority of our citizens have homes but I don't pretend that this nation is more "christian" than most places.
 
What's not true? That the Bible can be interpreted different ways? Surely you don't believe that anyone that doesn't have the same view of Scripture as you is intentionally twisting it to their own needs.

I've said many times in different threads that pastors can be lying thieves same as anybody else . And I'm sure that some denominations are built on lies.

America was a disgusting nation from the beginning, same as everywhere else. It isn't a "christian nation." If it was founded and built in Christianity, which is rooted in love, we wouldn't have slaughtered the natives and enslaved blacks because white people thought they were better. This was supposed to be a nation of religious freedom but it is built on murder.

I love living in America because, for now, I can say what I want and not have to worry about being executed. I can carry my Bible in public without someone breaking my hands, and because the majority of our citizens have homes but I don't pretend that this nation is more "christian" than most places.
Tell that to the chaplains or ANY US government employee to preach JESUS! You're so blind.
 
Generally I have no problem with believing stuff in the Bible. It's just that one story that rubs me the wrong way in every verse.

David wrote about jumping over walls and the Lord gave him (hinds) legs. David and his men would mow through thousands with just a few.

Elijah was given strength to beat a horse in a race.

Jesus and Peter walked on water.

I have heard stories that are just amazing but with God, nothing is impossible.

I just has someone tell me of their daughter who was born with a hole in her heart. The did not think she would make it and had her on life support. They stayed in the nursery the whole time with their Daughter and believing God.

Nurses came in and left, but one nurse who called herself Angel was the most help to them. Every time she picked up their daughter, her life signs improved and soon after test always showed she was getting better.

They noticed that this one nurse had something strange about her, but she kept coming in when another nurse left and held their daughter and talked to them like normal.

In just a few days, the daughter had no hole in her heart, doctrines said it was amazing and of course the nurses there were a great help.
Their daughter was discharged and they went to find Angel to thank her for all her help and they were told no angel works there or any nurse with their description of her. In fact, only about 4 nurses were assigned to the floor and the only ones that would have been allowed in there.

It soon dawned on them that thinking back that Angel was never in the room when another nurse came in.

Heb 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.


I am sure we all have spoken to one of the Lord's Angels, and more than once.

 
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