Peter,

I’ve read through the Old Testament a few times but I don’t recall the scriptures which refer to selling ones children into slavery or slaying recalcitrant children at the city gates.  I know there are scriptures which refer to the buying of slaves from the foreigners living amongst the Israelites.  I think many of those verses had to do with fair treatment of slaves…acknowledging that they were a part of society.  In many of the Pagan societies at that time, sacrificing children was very common but the laws written by Moses strictly forbid any human sacrifice.

While I do believe the Old Testament was divinely inspired, I take comfort in knowing that Christ came not to abolish the old law but to fulfill the law.  I too struggle with much of what Moses wrote in the first 5 books of the Old Testament.  I’ve often come across scripture from the Old Testament and say, ‘huh?’  I don’t always understand what the purpose was/is and it’s at that time where I have to realize that I have to yield to my limited ability as a human to fully understand God’s ways.  At some point you have to accept that your ability to understand and comprehend God’s law will leave some questions unanswered to your liking.  This is where faith comes in and is a necessary component to your walk.

The Gay issue is one of those areas where I have a lot of difficulty understanding what God wants.  He’s clear in the Old Testament that homosexuality was forbidden as well as unfaithfulness and a whole list of other sexual sins.  In the New Testament, Christ never addresses the issue although Paul speaks against it in Romans.   Christ never spoke about many specific issues/laws from the Old Testament but I’m not sure that gives us the green light to minimize their importance.  I’m not one to get involved in someone’s personal business (unless harm is coming to another) as I feel that is between them and God.  Our pastor is swimming against the tide of popular belief these days in that he won’t allow persons actively involved in a homosexual lifestyle to serve in a staff capacity.  He’s taken a lot of grief from many in the congregation for this position.

I don’t have a good answer for you, Peter, with respect to the lack of emphasis/consistency put on some scripture over others.  I’m still searching for the answer.

Here’s a song from a favorite band of mine…Third Day.  It’s quite nice.

Click here

Give

You said all that follow You may find
Comfort and pain, blessings in hard times
Were I to leave, where else would I go?
The words of life and of truth You hold

All I want is love
I confess to this
I will take it, Lord
All You have to give

How great the love lavished on us all
That we can be the children of God