Inquiry:
Did God sin? In Matthew 5:27-28, we find that the thought of an evil action is basically akin to committing sin itself. Exodus 32:14 says the LORD repented of an evil thought He had. Numbers 31:17-18 has Him commmitting an immoral act, killing innocent children. Is there a contradiction?
Response:
Jesus did not say lusting after a woman was the same as the physical act of adultery. He addressed the origin of the outward act – the thought of the heart. Both adultery and lust are sinful, but they are not the same sin. Lust is a sin of the eyes, adultery is a sin of the flesh (1 John 2:16).
Lust is a thought that is sinful in itself, but not all thoughts are sin. Temptation requires thoughts, but it is not sinful to be tempted. It is sin when we yield to temptation. A student might be tempted to cheat on a test, but not do it. He was tempted to sin, but did not sin.
Was it sinful for God to command Israel to go to war with Midian? A text like Numbers 31:17-18 is difficult to reconcile with moral activity. But if we look at verse 16, we see that the Midianites had caused the Israelites to sin before the Lord.
Most will justify a nation defending itself against an attacking enemy. The people of God, a spiritual nation, had been attacked by the Midianites. They had brought “a plague among the congregation of the LORD.” The young died as a result of their parents sin. (see 8.15.10)
In Exodus 32:14, it says that God “repented” (KJV) The NKJV says “relented.” He changed His mind. A change of mind does not infer that He was about to do something sinful. After Israel had turned to idol worship, the LORD was ready to destroy them. It would not have been sin for Him to do so, but He changed His mind.
There is no contradiction.
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