Bible Question:

Why did God command the Israelites to destroy entire people groups—genocide—in the Old Testament? Surely, whatever nation that would do this today in the name of God would not be seen as doing a moral matter. How does Old Testament morality fit with New Testament morality? Are they the same?

Bible Reply:

A ship without a rudder drifts in the open up sea without direction. If a makeshift rudder is fastened later, the ship can be directed, but non equally well equally with the original rudder. God'southward moral standard is the original rudder, and today the world is using a makeshift rudder—its own moral standard. The globe'southward moral standard is a faulty moral standard. The globe's morality is not God's moral standard, and the earth is increasingly becoming more evil. The world's morality is faulty. Its standard of determining correct and wrong is faulty because its moral rudder is evil and corrupt. Therefore, its standard of morality is evil and corrupt. This leads us to our question which is, "Why did God command the Israelites to destroy entire people groups?" What follows is a biblical answer to this question.

Our Sin Distorted View of Ourselves

When nosotros come to the Bible, information technology is important to call back that God's moral standard is significantly superior to our faulty and distorted concept of morality. Sadly, our globe'southward moral standard is self-centered rather than beingness God-centered. The world's concept of morality changes with public opinion which drifts similar the body of water currents.

As a result, murder of another human being – abortion – is considered to be okay. It is defended equally a moral right. The world approves of lying as long as no one is hurt. This is the same rationale given for homosexuality, lesbianism, sex with animals or bestiality, and other sexual sins because these acts are considered acts of love. Increasingly, pedophilia is another "love act" that is increasingly be accepted. Often the criminal has more rights than their victim. Capital punishment is considered evil, since people find it offensive to kill murderers. Oppression of Christians and churches is adequate, if yous do non like them. In summary, the world'southward moral standard is self-centered, with few exceptions.

Our Sin Distorted View of God

The Bible teaches that God is holy. Isaiah half dozen:3 repeats the word holy three times. It is a reminder for us that God is holy.

And i called out to another and said,
"Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts,
The whole earth is full of His glory." Isaiah 6:three (NASB)

ane Peter 1:14-16 also reminds us that we are evil, but God is holy.

Every bit obedient children, practice not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but similar the Holy Ane who called you, be holy yourselves too in all your behavior; because information technology is written, "Yous SHALL Exist HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." 1 Peter 1:14-xvi (NASB)

Jesus said in Luke 18:19 that only God is good. That is a serious statement that reveals we are not good people. Nosotros just think nosotros are good.

Further, Romans 3:23 says that every human being has sinned.

THERE IS NONE WHO DOES Proficient,
In that location IS Non Fifty-fifty 1. Romans 3:12 (NASB)

Our sin distorts our view of what is holy. It distorts our view of God. Sin is the contrary of holiness and cares just near itself. Similar a tree that depends upon its roots for nourishment, pride is the root cause of sin. Our pride fuels our every sin.

Consequently, God hates man'due south sin. He hates ballgame, lying, sexual perversion, injustice, oppression of His followers and all self-centerdness. Holiness is the original moral rudder that God gave to us, but men and women take replaced it with a makeshift rudder of their own pick.

It is of import to empathize that sin is like a disease. Merely it is a disease that is present at birth and information technology continues to corrupt. We deceive ourselves. We justify ourselves. Hither is God's view of us.

The center is more deceitful than all else
And is desperately sick;
Who can understand it?
I, the LORD, search the heart,
I examination the mind,
Even to give to each human being according to his ways,
Co-ordinate to the results of his deeds. Jeremiah 17:ix-10 (NASB)

Psalm l:21 surprises us when it reminds us that we call back God is like ourselves!

These things yous have washed and I kept silence;
Y'all thought that I was just like you;
I volition reprove you and state the case in club before your eyes.
Psalm 50:21 (NASB)

But God's moral standard is non adamant past one's civilisation. It is a moral absolute! God's moral standard can be summed upwardly in one word – holiness. Holiness is an absolute standard. God is holy and we are not. Our sin colors our view of what is holy and of what is sin. People frequently telephone call what is sin good and what is skillful sin!

Why DiD God Commanded Israel To Kill Nations?

Why Does God Punish and Impale the Wicked?

Before answering the question, "Why did God control the Israelites to destroy entire people groups?" we must answer the question, "Why does God punish and kill the wicked?" Does God enjoy killing people?  The answer is no!

God Does Not Accept Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked

We must recollect that God does not accept pleasance in the expiry of the wicked. Discover the message of Ezekiel 33:11.

"Say to them, 'Every bit I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasance in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Plow back, plough back from your evil means!'" Ezekiel 33:eleven (NASB)

Lamentations 3:33 echoes this same truth. God does not enjoy punishing or killing the wicked because He knows that they volition go to hell for eternity.

For He does non afflict willingly
Or grieve the sons of men.
Lamentations 3:33 (NASB)

God Punishes Considering People Are Wicked

Our God does not punish the wicked willingly. Genesis half-dozen:5-7, 11-12 reminds us that God destroyed the entire world because information technology was incredibly evil.

 And then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was not bad on the globe, and that every intent of the thoughts of his eye was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The LORD said, "I will absorb out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them."

. . . .

At present the globe was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their fashion upon the earth. Genesis 6:5-vii, xi-12 (NASB)

Why did God kill every homo, except for Noah and his family (Genesis half dozen:8)? Genesis 6:9 says that Noah was a righteous man who walked with God. He and his family were saved from the overflowing because they were righteous, seeking to delight God.

God Punishes the Wicked to Suppress Sin

Some other important passage is Habakkuk 1:two-11. In this passage the prophet complains that God is not doing anything to suppress the wickedness that is occurring in the nation of Israel (Habakkuk i:2-4). Poesy 2 helps u.s.a. empathise the prophet is calling for justice. In verse four the prophet uses the discussion justice.

How long, O LORD, will I call for help,
And You volition non hear?
I weep out to Yous, "Violence!"
Nonetheless Y'all do not save.

. . .

Therefore the law is ignored
And justice is never upheld.
For the wicked surroundings the righteous;
Therefore justice comes out perverted.
Habakkuk i:2, four (NASB)

Then God responded in Habakkuk 1:4-11 past telling the prophet that He was bringing a nation to conquer and destroy many Israelites because of their sin. God was going to punish the evil doers – the wicked – for their evil deeds. Psalm 99:8-9 reminds us that our holy God forgives! but He also punishes the evil.

O LORD our God, You answered them;
You were a forgiving God to them,
And yet an avenger of their evil deeds.
Exalt the LORD our God
And worship at His holy colina,
For holy is the LORD our God.
Psalm 99:8-nine (NASB)

God would not exist holy if He immune evil to multiple and spread, causing more than evil.

Romans 13:three-iv teaches us that God created governments to suppress evil. That is their primary reason for existing!  The message is that God hates evil. He will suppress it, but non completely. If He suppressed information technology completely, He would accept to destroy anybody because we are all evil; we are all sinners. Today, we alive with a perverted justice in our nations and cultures. The holy standard is perverted considering our makeshift rudder of holiness is defective.

God Punishes the Wicked Considering He Is Just

Ane of the attributes of God is His justice. All of His attributes are at all times in operation and perfect. While He is displaying His dear towards people, He volition be carrying out His justice. Often that means punishing those who have done evil.  Job 8:three states "Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert what is right?" Task 34:12 answers the question, "Surely, the Omnipotent will not act wickedly, and the Almighty will not debauchee justice."  Psalm 37:28, "For the Lord loves justice and does non abdicate His godly ones; They are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked will be cut off."

Why Did God Command the Israelites To Destroy?

Why did God command the Israelites to destroy entire people groups? Why did the Lord desire to destroy man?  The answer is that God is suppressing more wicked nations by using less wicked nations to conduct o His justice.

Evil Nations Will Be Punished — Adept Nations Will Be Protected

The principle is given to us in Jeremiah 18:five-xi. In this passage God gives Israel the principle that He will deal with a nation according to its evil or goodness. He volition protect it or destroy it. It depends upon a nation'due south beliefs.

At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull downwardly, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I take spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on information technology. Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or apropos a kingdom to build up or to constitute information technology;  if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think amend of the expert with which I had promised to bless information technology. Jeremiah 18:vii-10 (NASB)

In this passage God warned His own people, the nation of Israel. But they did not listen and He brought another nation in to conquistador them (Jeremiah 18:xi).

Why Did God Tell the Israelites To Kill the Canaanites?

God has practical this aforementioned principle to every nation, otherwise, He would not exist a holy God.  That is why God commanded the Israelites to kill the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites.

Merely in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you equally an inheritance, you shall non leave alive anything that breathes. But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that they may not teach you to do according to all their insufferable things which they have washed for their gods, so that you lot would sin confronting the LORD your God. Deuteronomy xx:16-eighteen (NASB)

Why did God tell the Israelites to kill the Canaanites and other nations? Because they would corrupt the nation of Israel with foreign gods and do evil. Therefore, when the nation of Israel entered the Promised Land, Joshua ordered the Israelistes to kill everyone in the occupying nation.

This principle was applied to the northern kingdom of Israel and to the southern kingdom of Judah because they were evil. God used the Assyrian Empire to defeat the northern kingdom in 722 B.C. and the Babylonian Empire to defeat the southern kingdom in 605 B.C. because they had rejected God and worshipped idols.

Conclusion:

The message is simple. God is holy and He hates sin. God volition take the life of a person who has ultimately rejected Him. He will practise the same to any persistently wicked nation. He will utilise a less wicked nation to destroy a more than wicked nation. God uses nations to suppress evil. If God did not suppress evil, He would non be a holy God. That is, why the prophet Habakkuk was complaining against God. In essence the prophet was asking, "Are Y'all holy?" Why are You not suppressing evil? Previously we referred to Habakkuk 1:2-eleven where the prophet complained well-nigh the evil in the land. At present notice in Habakkuk 1:12, the prophet asked,

Are You not from everlasting,
O LORD, my God, my Holy One?
Habakkuk 1:12 (NASB)

He knew God was holy, just he could not understand why God was not doing anything, and God replied that He was. The nation would soon be judged. Therefore, the answer to the question, "Why did God control the Israelites to destroy entire people groups?" is that God is holy! He suppresses  and judges evil.

Suggested Links:

Sin and Salvation – Discipleship Serial
Why is the God of the Old Testament and so violent?
Why Is God Then Violent?
How can God's view modify so much from the Old to the New Attestation?