Witnessing to an atheist friend
I have an atheist friend who asserts that the Bible cannot be the perfect and unerring Word of God, and who, to demonstrate this, cites Deuteronomy 17 (verses 2-5) which commands that the wicked who worship false gods must be stoned to death. She also cites Hosea 13:16 and Hosea 9:14. I think, by taking the Hosea verses out of their context, she is not understanding the nature of that story and what it is illustrating, but I don't know what to say to her about the Deuteronomy reference. She thinks the Hosea verses are contrary to our pro-life stance. How should I explain this to her?
When it comes to the disastrous conditions of Hosea 9 and 16, the people of Israel were reaping the fruits of their idolatrous ways of life. God had promised temporal blessings if the people followed his commands (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). Additionally, God had threatened to make the people’s lives miserable if they did not follow his commands (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). By deserting the Lord and chasing after false gods, the people were suffering self-inflicted disasters. To me, this is evidence that God’s word is “perfect and unerring.” There were no surprises in what was happening in the lives of the people of Israel described in Hosea. God laid out an offer of life and death (Deuteronomy 30:11-20), and the people chose death.
The command in Deuteronomy 17 to execute idolaters ties in with the previous information. If problems were going to result from idolatry, then idolatry needed to be checked. That truth is even more apparent when we consider that the greatest problem people could have experienced was eternal death, eternal separation from God in hell.
If there are objections to the provision of stoning idolaters in Old Testament Israel to death, people need to keep in mind what God says, “See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life” (Deuteronomy 32:39). As the giver of life, God is the one who has the right to end life. He still authorizes governments today to act in his behalf when it comes to punishing criminals (cf. Romans 13)
God bless your witnessing efforts to your friend. Keeping directing her to God’s law which points out sin and the need for a Savior from sin (Romans 3:20). Keep pointing her to God’s gospel which speaks of God’s forgiving love in Christ (John 3:16).