Old Testament Contradictions – Part 2

How many talents of Gold were brought back?

 
1KI 9:28 420 talents of gold were brought back from Ophir.
2CH 8:18 450 talents of gold were brought back from Ophir.
 
Answer: There were MANY trips to Ophir to get gold.  I Chronicles 29:4 indicates that 3,000 talents of gold from Ophir were stored up just to prepare for the temple construction! Read carefully that one trip was made with Solomon’s ships, while the other was made with Huram’s ships.
 
1KI 15:14 Asa did not remove the high places.
2CH 14:2-3 He did remove them.
 
Answer: The Chronicles passage describes his cleansing of the cities in Judah (see vs 5).  In chapter 15 he proceeds to cleanse Benjamin and portions of Ephraim of its idolatrous high places as well (15:8).  However, the chapter ends like the passage in I Kings.  Verse 17 indicates that he did not cleanse the remainder of the land.  Perhaps he even permitted some to reappear in Judah by the end of his reign.  (They went up and down quite regularly in those days.)
 
1KI 16:6-8 Baasha died in the 26th year of King Asa's reign.
2CH 16:1 Baasha built a city in the 36th year of King Asa's reign.
 
Answer: In Jewish tradition there was no provision for a queen.  Here, the queen-mother, Maachah, takes on an important role when her son Abijam dies after reigning only 3 years.  She adopts one of his sons Asa (I Kings 15:10) apparently as a figure-head and actually reigns herself for the first 10 years (see II Chronicles 14:2).  After this period, Asa wins a great battle, is encouraged by the prophet in chapter 15, and takes over.  He cleans the idols out of Judah AND Benjamin (as noted above) and removes the idolatrous Maachah as queen (I Kings 15:13 and II Chronicles 15:16).  Likely this ten-year reign of the Queen mother alongside Asa is the reason for the ten-year discrepancy in dating the Baasha event by how long Asa had ruled.
 
1KI 16:23 Omri became king in the thirty-first year of Asa's reign and he reigned for a total of twelve years.
1KI 16:28-29 Omri died, and his son Ahab became king in the thirty- eighth year of Asa's reign. (Note: Thirty-one through thirty-eight equals a reign of seven or eight years.)
 
Answer: Here we have a complex plot.  Elah had become the rightful king.  But one of his generals, Zimri, conspired and killed him.  Zimri, the traitor, begins to reign in the twenty-seventh year of Asa.  He rules for only seven days (I Kings 16:15) before being overthrown by Omri, the other general.  Omri immediately begins to reign but faces a rival king, Tibni (vs 21), who is supported by fully half of the population of Israel.  Over the years, Omri prevails.  When his rival dies, he becomes undisputed king over all Israel in vs 23.  However, his total reign was from Asa's twenty-seventh year to Asa's thirty-eighth year, or roughly twelve years.
 
1KI 22:23, 2CH 18:22, 2TH 2:11 God himself causes a lying spirit.
PR 12:22 God abhors lying lips and delights in honesty.
 
Answer: This identical objection has already been answered above.  When we have already hardened our heart and chosen our course, God will sometimes let us ‘make our bed and sleep in it’ with all the consequences.
 
>1KI 22:42-43 Jehoshaphat did not remove the high places.
>2CH 17:5-6 He did remove them.
 
Answer: The Chronicles passage states that he took them out of JUDAH.  No doubt he cleaned out the region around the capitol.  II Chronicles 20:33 confirms the Kings passage that he never swept the whole land clean.  Perhaps he also permitted some to crop back up by the end of his reign.  (They appear to come and go a lot during this time.)
 
>2KI 2:11 Elijah went up to heaven.
>JN 3:13 Only the Son of Man (Jesus) has ever ascended to heaven.
>2CO 12:2-4 An unnamed man, known to Paul, went up to heaven and came back.
>HE 11:5 Enoch was translated to heaven.

Answer: Your problem is with this interpretation of John.  Christ is not saying that nobody had died and gone to heaven.  That would be preposterous.  Look at the context (vs. 11).  Christ is chiding Nicodemus for doubting.  If he did not believe Christ on earthly matters, which could be seen and verified; how then could he believe heavenly things where no man is able to go up and verify?  Those that have seen heaven in the Scriptures have seen a vision (or have been brought there in spirit alone).  They did not decide to up and see God.  No man in the flesh can see God and live (I John 4:12), while obviously plenty have died and seen God.  Incidentally, the event in II Corinthians had not yet transpired when John was written.
 
>2KI 4:32-37 A dead child is raised (well before the time of Jesus).
>MT 9:18-25, JN 11:38-44 Two dead persons are raised (by Jesus himself).
>AC 26:23 Jesus was the first to rise from the dead.
 
Answer: There are plenty of others that were raised which you do not cite (including by Paul himself).  There is a fundamental difference, however.  They all died again.  Paul is talking about the resurrection to life (having a NEW body).  See I Corinthians 15:20-23.  Christ is the first with each who believe to follow.   
 
2KI 8:25-26 Ahaziah was 22 years old when he began his reign.
2CH 22:1 He was 42 when he began his reign.
 
 II Chronicles 21:20 says that Ahaziah's dad began to reign at age thirty-two.  He reigned for eight years and then died (at age forty).  Obviously his son could not have been forty-two at that time! 

Answer:  Quite simply, Ahaziah was anointed king at age 22 – he finally set on the throne of Judah 20 years later at the age of 42.  He was evidently his father’s step-son.

2KI 9:27 Jehu shot Ahaziah near Ibleam. Ahaziah fled to Meggido and died there.
2CH 22:9 Ahaziah was found hiding in Samaria, brought to Jehu, and put to death.
 
Answer: It is very possible that we are dealing with two different individuals.  In support of this, II Kings describes how Jehu, after shooting Ahaziah, goes to Samaria and kills numerous other members of the royal family (II Kings 10:12-14).  Furthermore, the Ahaziah that is killed in II Chronicles 22:9 is said to be the son of Jehosophat (rather than grandson), and in II Chronicles 21:2 we note that Jehosophat did have two sons named Azariah.    
 
2KI 16:5 The King of Syria and the son of the King of Israel did not
conquer Ahaz.
2CH 28:5-6 They did conquer Ahaz.
 
Answer: It was not a black and white victory.  The II Kings passage says that the Syrian/Israeli confederacy besieged Jerusalem (into which Ahaz had retreated) but did not overcome it.  However, they did according to vs 6 take over large portions of Judah.  The II Chronicles passage details the defeat and ransacking of the region around Jerusalem.  The end of this chapter makes it clear that they did not capture Jerusalem or kill Ahaz (since the treasures were left intact).
 
2KI 24:8 Jehoiachin (Jehoiakim) was eighteen years old when he began to reign.
2CH 36:9  He was eight.

Answer: He was 8 when his king father was deported, so he was appointed king, but did not ascend to the throne to occupy it in capacity of king until he was 18.  His Queen mother ruled for him until he was 18. 

2KI 24:8 Jehoiachin (Jehoiakim) reigned three months.
2CH 36:9 He reigned three months and ten days.
 
Answer: One is an estimate, the other is more exact.  For example, I am sure that it was not an exact ten days either.  Probably it was three months, ten days, and some number of minutes.
 
2KI 24:17 Jehoiachin (Jehoaikim) was succeeded by his uncle.
2CH 36:10 He was succeeded by his brother.

Answer: Jehoiachin was son of Jehoiakim.  Therefore he was brother to Jehoiakim and uncle to Jehoiachin.  Since the passage in II Chronicles 36:10 only briefly mentions Jehoiachin, it is easy to think that they are the same person.  Indeed, it is talking about Jehoiakim when it mentions him as brother to Zedekiah. It is completely clear in I Chronicles 3:15 and Jeremiah 37:1.
 
2CH 3:11-13 The lineage is: Joram, Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah, Azariah, Jotham.
MT 1:8-9 It is: Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, etc.

Answer: I can not find your lineage reference in II Chronicles 3:11-13.  II Chronicles does place Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah between Joram and Jotham.  It is  possible that it was purposefully left out of this genealogy.  While this would appear unusual, comparing Genesis 11:12 with Luke 3:35-36 indicates that Cainan was left out.  It also appears that in the Jewish tradition, the designation "son" was somewhat flexible.  There are multiple instances in the scripture where a grandson is called a son or a son in law is called a son.
 
 
2CH 19:7, AC 10:34, RO 2:11 There is no injustice or partiality with the Lord.
RO 9:15-18 God has mercy on (and hardens the hearts of) whom he pleases.
 
Answer:  As with Pharoah, only those who have already hardened their own heart first.
 
ER 2:3-64 (Gives the whole congregation as 42,360 while the actual sum of the numbers is about 30,000.)
 
Answer: I notice that you did not cite verse two which clearly specifies that the passage was only listing the men.  Note also 2:22-23 seems to list "men" synonymously.  No doubt the difference is because women were counted as part of the "whole congregation."  While that would mean twice as many men as women, one would expect that the act of rebuilding the homeland would attract a number of single young men.  Indeed, Ezra 9 describes a massive confrontation because the Jewish young men took themselves Gentile women of the land in violation of God's law.
 
JB 2:3-6, 21:7-13, 2TI 3:12 The godly are persecuted and chastised but the wicked grow old, wealthy, and powerful, unchastised by God.
PS 55:23, 92:12-14, PR 10:2-3, 27-31, 12:2, 21 The lives of the wicked are cut short. The righteous flourish and obtain favor from the Lord.
 
Answer: This paradox was the topic of Asaph in Psalm 73.  Finally he understands by the end of the chapter that there are two acts to the play of life.  In act one, the first statement may well be the Christian's experience.  At other times, Christians may not be persecuted, but God always chastises them if they disobey.  The ungodly may well prosper for a time.  During the second act, Christians are always triumphant.  The ungodly are always judged.  A wise man once said, "Life as it is on this earth is all the hell a believer will experience, and it is all the heaven an unbeliever will experience."
 
PS 10:1 God cannot be found in time of need. He is "far off."
PS 145:18 God is near to all who call upon him in truth.
 
Answer: The Psalmist here does not make a statement.  He cries out in a rhetorical question because God does not seem to be answering him.  It is an experience that many can relate to.  Sometimes it seems that God does not hear us.  By vs 17 he had assurance that God had heard his prayer.  Luke 18:7 says that God does hear, though at times he "tarries" to test our mettle.
 
PS 22:1-2 God sometimes forsakes his children. He does not answer.
PS 46:1 God is a refuge, a strength, a very present help.

Answer: Same as above.
 
PS 30:5, JE 3:12, MI 7:18 God's anger does not last forever.
JE 17:4, MT 25:46 It does last forever. (He has provided for eternal punishment.)
 
Answer: The difference here is not God, it is the object of His anger.  He is angry with His children when they disobey, but willing to forgive them when they repent.  He is eternally angry at those who rebel against Him and scorn His mercy.
 
PS 58:10-11 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees vengeance.
PR 24:16-18 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls or stumbles.
 
Answer: These are two different sets of circumstances.  In the first passage it is wicked people.  Christians rejoice to see a serial murderer get caught and bear his just punishment.  The second case is an adversary or competitor who falls into misfortune.  We are not to gloat.
 
 
PR 3:13, 4:7, 19:8, JA 1:5 Happy is the man who finds wisdom. Get wisdom.
LK 2:40, 52 Jesus was filled with wisdom and found favor with God.
1CO 1:19-25, 3:18-20 Wisdom is foolishness.
 
Answer: This is an Attempt to mischaracterize the passages in Corinthians.  Both are clearly speaking of the world's wisdom, as opposed to God's wisdom.  Look at I Corinthians 4:10.  Psalm 111:10 says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  How much fear of the Lord is in the wisdom of the world?
 
PR 12:2, RO 8:28 A good man obtains favor from the Lord.
TI 3:12, HE 12:6 The godly will be persecuted.
 
Answer: You are comparing the disfavor of men (persecution) with the favor of God (apples and oranges).
 
PR 14:8 The wisdom of a prudent man is to discern his way.
MT 6:25-34 Take no thought for tomorrow. God will take care of you.

Answer: It is not wrong to plan for the future, but God doesn’t want us to worry about the future.  He wants us to trust Him also.

 

PR 8:13, 16:6 It is the fear of God that keeps men from evil.
1JN 4:18 There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear.
1JN 5:2, 2JN 1:6 Those who love God keep his commandments.
 
Answer: The Christian's relationship with God is a complex one.  There is an element of godly fear (reverence, respect, and great concern about offense) along with love.  But it is not the fear that is discussed in I John 4:18 (a foreboding, tormenting fear of the future).  There is also a maturing aspect that is involved in the relationship.  As a little boy, I feared my dad's discipline if I disobeyed and played in the street.  As our relationship matures and I came to understand the reasons for my dad's rules, I kept them out of love and respect.
 
PR 26:4 Do not answer a fool. To do so makes you foolish too.
PR 26:5 Answer a fool. If you don't, he will think himself wise.
 
Answer: Don't get into a prolonged argument with a fool, lest you stoop to his level and OTHERS see you as foolish too; but don't let him off without a retort either, lest HE get conceited and think you are unable to respond.
 
This is a tough balancing act and I frequently come back to these verses for wisdom when I am engaged in a debate that fits the bill.