It should be up for more discussion, because you are reading the major theme of the Old Testament wrongly.
Look at the major salvation event, the rescue from Egypt. God hears the cry of his people and acts. He does not apply any test of obedience from them other than to daub their door frames with the blood of a Lamb.
He leads them out of captivity, and only then does God give Moses the Torah in which the people are to live in God's freedom and blessing.
I can't think of any passage in the Old Testament that looks like God offering to open a contract of paying for religious obedience with blessing. .
The Jews died in Egypt. Idolatry got them the death penalty. Homosexuality got them the death penalty. Any form of disobedience resulted in a punishment of sort. This did not happen to the Chinese. This did not happen to the American Indians. This did not happen to the Canaanites. The curse of God's law was with them in the desert. The blessing was the promised land. The blessing was a long life. Not being annihilated by God. The blessing was daily mana from heaven. Shade by day.
A Christian should walk through the desert for God with no promise of a promised land. With no expectations. No desire to test and tempt God.
You have to try and grasp that Jews did not have to love God. That had to obey God. They had the fear of God driving obedience. A Christian has their love for God driving them to obedience.
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Imagine a family adopts a child. There are no conditions on the adoption, they adopt simply because they are loving and are able. The child does not have to prove anything in advance, just accept the invitation.
The Jews are never referred to as God's children or His bride. They are His people. His chosen race. We cannot think of them as an adopted child. Christians are referred to as the bride of Christ. As adopted children.
Yet, as the child settles in, we would expect the adoptive parents to invest time with the child, explaining the 'house rules', what is acceptable and not, set clear boundaries for behaviour, and help the child to acclimatise to the new surroundings. Good parents might also warn what is likely to happen if the child does not live by the house rules.
A Father would not ordain the stoning to death of their children. Or demand they 'test' Him. Your examples only work with Christians. It must also be mentioned that a child will not be booted out for breaking the house rules. Because a child is a child. A bride is a bride. A bride is not a visitor. A chosen domestic worker. These can be removed from the house.
I think that analogy fits ok with the Egypt to Promised Land story, and to the story of our salvation in Jesus
I have often wondered why God needed to choose the Jews. Why couldn't Jesus be born out of any family? Why couldn't He just be found in a river like Moses. Why did God go through all the trouble of, choosing Abram, setting them free from Egypt, giving them prophets, giving them laws, protecting them, literally speaking to them behind the veil in the temple, miracle after miracle, blessing them financially, interacting weekly and with every generation. Why?
The only logical conclusion I can come up with is 1. respect and 2. as a sign to all of God's nature.
1. Respect. God choosing a bloodline for Jesus was God's way of preparing / neatening the room He was to be born in.
2. A sign. I can't stop thinking about the population of the earth increasing significantly at this time. At the time of say Cain and Abel. God was / would visit Cain and give him an opportunity to repent. Or people could hear directly from Noah on what pleases God. But now with mass population, death of Noah and others, this would just not work. He chose Abram at a perfect time. The Jews were / are a sign to all of what pleases and displeases God. Evidenced by their blessings and curses. Blessings and curses is religiosity / Judaism 101.
Today, we are not killed if we are homosexual. No curse enforced. But, because we can read the 'signs' we can know that God utterly hates this and His wrath on those that practice this will come to pass. Now, being an OSAS believer, I would argue a child would never be able to do such. Perhaps a once off, but not ongoing mortal sin.
I don't believe a child can ever be disowned. I don't believe a child will ever bear the curse of the law. Law's are not written on tablets and manuals for brides and children. They are written on hearts.[/COLOR][/LEFT]
