Death by Divine Edict
In the towns of the latter peoples, however, which the LORD your God is giving you as a heritage, you shall not let a soul remain alive. Deuteronomy 20:16 JPS
Remain – “Kill them all. Every man, woman and child. Even the animals.” Does that sound like a compassionate God to you? Commands like this one cause authors like Bruce Thornton to say that this “matter of fact attitude toward total war” was common among the ancient Near Eastern empires, including Israel. Thornton claims that the Greeks were to first to humanize the enemy and recognize the terrible price of violence. “[The Greek] insight into the horrible complexities of war and the price it exacts in human suffering is found nowhere else in the ancient world.”[1]
Most Westerners accept Thornton’s claim as true. Arguments like his lead to the conclusion that the God of ancient Israel was a tyrant, vindictive and full of rage toward all who opposed Him, just like Ra or Marduk or Ba’al. Even Christians stumble over God’s commands to Israel to exterminate the residents of Canaan. With their Greek orientation, they find themselves embarrassed by a God who would demand the slaughter of all His enemies including the “innocent” women and children. Verses like this one in Deuteronomy or the violent poetry of Psalm 137, “How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones against the rock,” send believers to the theological therapists. Where is the God of compassion and forgiveness? How can we serve a God who would endorse, even command, such insensitive disregard for human life?
This problem is not God’s. It is ours. Frankly, Thornton and others have lifted God’s commands out of the context of ancient Israel. They have equated Israel’s action with all other ancient Near Eastern tyrants. Thornton is not correct when he asserts that the Greek were the first to humanize the enemy and question mass destruction. But to see why Thornton is wrong, we must first understand why God does instruct Israel to exterminate these people. The Pharaohs, Nebuchadnezzar, Tiglath-Pileser and many other ancient rulers were vicious, ruthless and barbarous. But they acted in order to gain or keep power. Israel’s God had no need to achieve power. YHWH has entirely different motives for His wars.
“The aim of this harsh policy is to prevent Israel from being influenced by the Canaanites to adopt their abhorrent practices. The Torah regards preventing such influence as a matter of life and death since it teaches that Israel’s security depends on the exclusive loyalty to the Lord and eschewing Canaanite abominations. It views Israel as a small, impressionable nation living in a pagan world, with a record of susceptibility to the lure of paganism that made stringent precautions necessary. To Deuteronomy, the Canaanites’ guilt in practicing child sacrifice – that is, ritual murder – underscored the necessity of forestalling their influence and eliminated any doubt that they deserved annihilation.”[2]
By overlooking the moral grounds for God’s action, Thornton lumps Israel into the category of all other brutal ancient cultures. He never mentions the ritual murder of the Canaanites. He never considers the need to excise the cancer of Canaan paganism. He ignores the fundamental requirement for holiness and the absolute sovereignty of God. But we shouldn’t expect him to account for any of these factors. He has already adopted the Greek idea that Man determines what is good and what is evil. Therefore, the slaughter of “innocent” people is always wrong, especially if commanded by a god.
It is impossible to deny that God demanded the extermination of these pagan cultures. But is it just as absurd to demand that our assessment of God’s commandments is the only ethical standard. Once again we are confronted with the moral issue of life. Who will determine what is good and what is evil? God determined that the Canaanites deserved extermination. When we suggest that His actions were immoral, who becomes the judge and jury?
Topical Index: remain, extermination, war, ethics, Deuteronomy 20:16, Psalm 137:9
“The aim of this harsh policy is to prevent Israel from being influenced by the Canaanites to adopt their abhorrent practices…
It makes me think of Phinehas taking up his obligation towards the Tabernacle in Numbers 25 by slaying Zimri and Cozbi. Just now the whole of Israel has received an obligation to the land and to be a nation of priests on the land promised to them and their forefathers and therefore all the evil must be removed.
I am also reminded that when the death sentence is prescribed in Torah it is explained as nescessary in the manner of “this evil must be purged from among you”.
I know a lawyer that often says ” Soft hands makes for smelly wounds”.
And I wonder if it is not my Greek understanding of “grace and mercy” that lets me want to show grace and mercy towards evil and not allow HaShem’s protection for my family to come in place by “purging these evils from among us”. I will easily pray for HaShem’s protection, but if His protection means wiping out people, I become weary. Indeed, to whom am I loyal to?
Still, the idea of having to kill someone, even in war, upsets me terribly.
May I have the guts to do what He tells me to do in the exact way He tells me to do it…
Exactly. “Who” is the question we must ask ourselves. “Who” is it doing the asking? “Whose” instructions do we obey. Remember “not my will- but Thine be done?” This is how we roll, the world does not operate according to “me.” How about that! God is big and I am small.
God is large and He is in charge. And (I know this is hard for some to believe..) He knows what He is doing, when He says “kill them all.” Exterminate the cancer, and friends, sin is a cancer.
The “C” word. I know, (up close and personal) this word. And I know (up close and personal) the word “malignant.” Combine the two together and tell your doctor (who hopefully knows what he or she is doing) to “be nice” during ontological surgery. No, when it comes to cancer- “radical surgery” is needful. Would you rather die or go through life missing an arm? A hard choice? “To obey is better than sacrifice” is what I read in my Bible. God demands (and deserves) our total obedience.
“Go and kill your only child.” How would you like to hear these instructions from your Friend? Or how about “him that loves father or mother or sister or mother more than me?” Our God is a jealous Lover, not one doubt- and we must all “love the LORD our God with 99% of all we have.” We will keep the 1% in reserve “just in case.” NO and NOT. We will love the LORD our Elohim with “ALL” our heart-soul-mind and strength. (Now brother Skip- please notice, I have “converted”- these are Hebrew dashes, not Greek commas! lol! ) All. All. All. Give unto the LORD the glory due His Name, Give unto our ADONAI our time-our talent-our treasure-and our testimony. Our teeth-our tongue-our thoughts. Bringing into captivity- every thought to the obedience of “Who?” Who gives us our daily bread? Whose blood was shed for us on Calvary’s hill? Who gives us our next heartbeat? B”H. Blessed-blessed-blessed is the Name of our LORD! Hallelujah!- What a Savior! Worthy is the LAMB.
Was obedience on the part of Abraham an “easy” thing to do? Does love require sacrifice? Is this an easy road we are travelling together? I haven’t come up with a better title for my autobiography than “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”. God and I have been through some “stuff” together. This isn’t my first rodeo either! B”H, I (too) have a history with God, and friends- this is my testimony: ~ He has delivered me..~ Jesus saves (completely). Body-soul-spirit-ALL. (Hebrew dashes!)
When the little lad gave Yeshua his lunch- did he give a “part?” or did he say “here Jesus, you may have it all!” What little he had, he gave to Him. My “testimony” in a nutshell. God only wants our all- (that’s all..)
For those of you who are married, how much of your wife’s love would you want? All of it? My, aren’t you selfish! Don’t you want to share your wife with your neighbors and friends? Or do you “demand” her love? Love is never, ever forced or it is not love. Forsaking all- she and she alone has my total devotion and affection. I love none other that her. She is my “forever” choice, and so is God. I choose Him. B”H, I willingly-totally-freely-fully choose to imitate Christ in all that I do-say-or think.
What about “Torah?” Do I keep “Torah?” My friends- “every word of G-d is pure”. A Christian goes above and beyond the ten words. Not rules- relationship. ~ I do always those things which please my Father ~ I live according to His instructions- and His instructions, His “torah teachings” are found within His Book- our bible. I walk “by faith.” B”H, I listen to Him. I “shema” my Savior.
I recognize and realize-I will be “judged” by my words. I play for an audience of ONE. “This is the day which the LORD has made- I will rejoice and be glad in it”- Why? (l love to ask why). Friends, this IS the day which the LORD has made- and He does “all things” well.
Does God love the Jew? (am I nutz?) Has God provided salvation for the Gentile? (another crazy question.) It may sound just awful, but I thought I read somewhere, “because God SO loved the world..”
Great points mentioned by all. Just yesterday some good people and I were briefly engaged in this philosophical discussion. We all encounter these dilemmas as believers and inhabitants of the planet. And it is so often easier to discuss than to put into practice.
But practice we must if we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We must decide if we are for life and if YHWH is El of elohim. We are to do what is within our power to sustain and protect life, yes! He has authority to do whatever He pleases and suits His purpose. What I have problem with is those who “heard from God” and He said to bomb the abortion clinic or shoot the abortion providers when the government of the nation legally allows it.
But…maybe He did? Hmmm…maybe they were devoted things.
” . . . he that believeth shall not make haste . . .” Isa. 28: 16
Kill the abortion doctors?
We would have missed some of God’s most remarkable stories of mercy!
Only the devil would be honored by such action and breaking of the 6th commandment.
Check into the lives of people like Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who ran the biggest abortion mill in the country, (24-7 in NYC).
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2011/February/Abortion-Doctor-Turned-Pro-Life-Activist-Dies-at-84/
See the Silent Scream that converted him. http://www.silentscream.org/ (warning: graphic website)
Check on the stories of Carol Everret and Abby Johnson,
http://www.priestsforlife.org/testimonies/1122-testimony-of-carol-everett-former-abortion-provider
http://loveundefiled.blogspot.com/2010/06/testimony-of-abby-johnson.html#!/2010/06/testimony-of-abby-johnson.html
These are just a few. Won by patience and love and prayer, God’s way, not man’s way.
Beautiful, Dorothy! I would never advocate the killing of an abortion provider. However, when the government usurps my authority as a parent and can take my child to have an abortion performed without my permission and kill my grandchild, I am angered at the mere thought! And, not to mention my daughter’s wounded soul yet to manifest, it angers me to think of how often the spiritual wickedness in hight places we blame on the devil, is simply men/women who decide what is good irregardless of what G-d has said is just.
To be sure, the grace of YHWH is a beautiful thing and the death of an unrepentant sinner is such a waste of life. Blessings to you and yours.
“Whose” instructions do we obey.
Hi Carl,
Your point above has led to some very interesting comments
God commanded us not to kill, but I think we have the right to defend ourselves at home or war
Due process is very important to the Rabbis
If God told me to kill someone, I would think I was insane 🙂
http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/1525372/jewish/The-Right-to-Kill.htm
God commanded us not to ‘murder’, which is different than commanding not to kill.
“God commanded us not to ‘murder’, which is different than commanding not to kill”
Hi Gabe,
I understand, but Jesus commanded us to love our enemies
Which is different than killing or murdering them
Yeah, it can get a bit tricky. And I’m still trying to get aligned with scripture on this.
However, if I am going to include ALL of scripture in my understanding — then I cannot jump to an automatic understanding of what Jesus meant by ‘love your enemies’.
If I am to know God, then I don’t want so many of His acts to be foreign, strange, or seem unjust to me,… e.g – Elijah and the she-bears, or Ananias and Sapphira. For anyone thinking that Jesus replaced some old system with a new system of ‘love’ — Ananias and Sapphira should serve as a reminder that ‘love’ included what was loving for the whole community. Love can include discipline, pain, wars, and even death — whereas, in our society we have somehow viewed love as incompatible with physical discomfort or harsh words. The real problem is that we have so many bad examples around us of ‘tough-love’, and a very few good examples of ‘tough-love’ – so it is hard to imagine a model of the biblical paradigm.
Michael, this is a fabulous website, abounding with some great essays and articles.
God commanded Israel to destroy them, but He also hardened there hearts so they would attack Israel. Seems like Self Defence to me……
Jos 11:19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon; they took all in battle.
Jos 11:20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that they might be utterly destroyed, that they might have no favour, but that they might be destroyed, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Skip,
Thanks for the great commentary. We are told to hate the sin but love the sinner, thereby letting everyone know that people are not responsible and accountable for their sin.
Throughout history, these themes have been played out. Either righteousness will be established in the gates, or unrighteousness. When good men and women fail to stamp our evil, it grows like a cancer and invades the whole body unless it is stopped. And like most cancers, the only cure is complete annihilation of the invading host by whatever radical means are available.
I think this goes back to a few verses: What does God require of you oh man? Has He not told you? Do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God. This verse tells us that we should respect Gods system of justice, appreciate mercy and obey God.
Yeshua never said there was no yoke, He simply said it was not burdensome. In many ways it is easier to simply obey what you are told than to try to decide what is right. Thornton’s explanation is a good example of a man trying to decide what is right instead of just doing what God said, because God said it.
In the nineteen-sixties came the Vietnam War
Can somebody tell me what we’re fightin’ for?
So many young men died
So many mothers cried
Now I ask the question
Was God on our side?
Bob Dylan
For me, Bob Dylan’s question is the most important one when it comes to politics
The USA is clearly on Israel’s side, and we are talking about nuclear war with Iran, God forbid
It seems to me if the Messiah ben Joseph brings anything new to the theology of Israel
It is a far cry from the Messiah ben David, the warrior king
Rather, like Paul, Jesus embodies the vision of a New Man
A new man that models peace and loving your enemies
Not very practical in this world
The prince of peace
God has morally sufficient reasons for destroying nations.
The Canaanites were an extremely wicked and brutal people who engaged in bestiality, incest, and child sacrifice. Sin was so repugnant that God said, “The land vomited out its inhabitants”
(Lev. 18:25).
(btw, abortion is child sacrifice. The child is sacrificed to the idol of SELF and what self wants)
Even so, destruction was directed more at the Canaanite religion (Deut. 7:3-5, 12:2-3) than at the Canaanite people.
Individual Canaanites, like Rahab, found mercy by believing and repenting (Joshua 2).
God’s desire is always that the wicked turn from their sin. (Ez. 18:31-32, 33:11).
Besides dealing with national sins, God used the conquest of Canaan to create a religious/historical context in which He could eventually introduce the Messiah to the world. This Messiah would bring salvation not only to Israel, but also to Israel’s enemies, including Canaan (Ps. 87:4-6; Mark 7:25-30).
God gave the Canaanite people over 400 years to repent. (Gen. 15:13-16)! But they were “disobedient,” (Heb. 11:31). The Canaanites were aware of God’s power (Joshua 2:10-11, 9:9) and could have, and should have, sought repentance.
Women and children issue: Canaanite women perhaps did not fight, (they might have), but they were not innocent, as their behavior in Num. 25:1-3 shows.
Though we like to think they are, (look at those little sweet faces!) children are not really innocent. We are all born in sin (Ps. 51:5, 58:3). Children are just as condemned from sin as adults are.
God is sovereign over all of life and can take it whenever He sees fit. God, and God alone, can give life and God alone has the right to take it whenever He so chooses. Isn’t it He who eventually takes every person’s life at our deaths? It’s not wrong for God to take a life. We are obligated to God, not He to us. God doesn’t have to wake us up in the morning or give any of us another day. How and when each one of us dies is His choosing.
In heaven there will be people from every tribe, language, people, and nation. (Rev. 5: 9)
Some only get there as infants. Had the Canaanite babies lived to adults they would have most likely been just like their parents; depraved, barbarous, evil, and hellbound. I believe those who die before an age of moral accountability go to heaven.
God’s ways are not our ways (Isa. 55:8-9). God sees from eternity.
Paul tells us that God is both kind and severe (Rom.11:22).
God is gracious and merciful, and also He is also a God of holiness and wrath.
Blessed be His Name anyway.
Is ‘hate the sin, love the sinner’, biblical? I looked up the quote, and it seems most often attributed to Gandhi.
It made me wonder,… when did we start separating people from their behaviors? It’s been a useful model for me with friends and family members addicted to drugs – but perhaps it has kept us from intervening at times. In so many situations I have seen our family ‘lovingly’ and passively ease someone’s path to destruction/addiction. Since no one wanted to appear judgmental or create conflict — the issue was largely ignored until at least two of my family members self-destructed into loss of everything.
Maybe this is off-topic, but this post has reminded me that the older I get the more examples I seem to notice of how people trying to be ‘nice’/’loving’ have led to greater evils.
Is this what the Taliban believe they are doing? Getting rid of evil doers and spreading Sharia Law….
It’s hard being God. Many claim today that they cannot believe in existence of God because there is so much evil in this world. How could good and just God let holocaust happen? On the other side if he tries to prevent further spreading of evil as in the case of Caananites He is tyrant nobody can serve with love. The only answer, at least for me is to acknowledge God’s wisdom and sovereignty and trust Him until the day complete history will be revealed to all.