7). Their purity laws pointed to the holiness demanded by God. No matter what explanation of the death of children is given, no one except the most cold hearted will find joy in it. In our pluralistic age, its easy to forget what an offense that is to the true God. The most disturbing part of the conquest of Canaan for most people is the killing of children. Israel was not commanded to deal with all other nations the same way they dealt with the Canaanites. 44:18). Every forecast of prophecy of doom came with an implied unless attached to it: If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. Further, in Deuteronomy 20, Moses said they were only to kill the adult males in far away cities (vv. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Then theres Sodom, God tells Abraham that because of the wickedness of Sodom He will destroy it. He points out 2023 Probe Ministries | Designed and Managed by Adquest Creative. After the defeats of both Heshbon and Bashan, Moses noted that they had devoted to destruction every city, men, women, and children (Deut. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. 7:22). In Deuteronomy 20:16, Moses said the Israelites were to save alive nothing that breathes in the cities in their new land. Not even 10 righteous people could be found. Kerby Anderson provides an overview of some ancient Christian heresies that are still being embraced today: legalism, gnosticism, mysticism, and marcionism. These ideas may provide little consolation. 4:26; 7:4). God Was God just in destroying the Canaanites? God knows what is best for humankind, but He allowed free creatures to rebel and find out on their own that He is right. Thanks for stopping by! www.probe.org. The victims were not only infants; children as old as four were sacrificed.15 Kleitarchos reported that as the flame burning the child surrounded the body, the limbs would shrivel up and the mouth would appear to grin as if laughing, until it was shrunk enough to slip into the cauldron.16, Homosexuality. What about these people prompted such a harsh judgment? Eternal Insecurity Once I Was Saved, But Now Am Lost? Spoiler alert: God did give Canaan a chance to repent. Are We Held Accountable for the Sins of Our Forefathers? Baal has sex with his mother Asherah,6 his sister Anat, and his daughter Pidray,7 and none of this is presented pejoratively. OT scholar Tremper Longman summarizes this point well: We must point out that the Bible does not understand the destruction of the men, women, and children of these cities as a slaughter of innocents. In Deuteronomy 20:18, God gave Israel an explicit reason why it was necessary to wipe out the Canaanites: that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you sin against the LORD your God., It was merciful for God to limit the scope of the. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10). Skeptics say if God is a God of love why did He bring destruction on certain nations of the world? When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you the LORD your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, in his " ", posits that one of the reasons that Sodom was not given the chance to repent was that even their children were wicked. 12:4, 30, 31). Stanley Gundry (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003), 173-74. Before joining Probe Ministries, Rick worked in the ship repair industry in Norfolk, VA. God's patience on the Canaanites The skeptics illogical arguments Skeptics have claimed that God was unjust when He ordained Israel to destroy the Canaanites. When God told Abraham He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham pleaded for them, and God agreed in his mercy that if but only ten righteous people were found, He wouldnt do it. The people believed that re-enacting these unions themselves played a part in the fertility of the land.{9}. Why did God judge the Canaanites as wicked despite never appearing to them or giving them law? God has done everything in His power to save the sinner through the plan of redemption (John 3:16). A special thanks to Joseph Gorra for his many helpful suggestions and to my wife, Jean E. Jones, for her extensive reading of ANE primary and secondary sources and for years ago explaining to me much of the Old Testament. Of course not. 5. It has been suggested that such obliteration language was hyperbolic.{10} Commands to destroy everyone are sometimes followed by commands not to intermarry, such as in Deut. 2). They reason something along these lines: (1) Christians condemn genocide. But we must keep in mind that God is not subject to our contemporary sensibilities. Israel had a unique calling as Gods chosen covenant people. Their sacrificial laws pointed to our need for atonement. [a] capriciously malevolent bully.{2}. Sue Bohlin reflects on how God has led her to trust Him through the trial of tongue cancer surgery. At first, the Israelites tried to compromise and worship God the way the Canaanites worshiped their gods. The non-believer has no objective authority. Lev. 18:28). Idolatry perverts our ability to love what Yahweh loves. The story of Canaanite incest, adultery, child sacrifice, homosexuality, and bestiality flow out of the plot line of idolatry. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. (Deut. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. . God promised Abraham (Genesis 15), that his seed would inherit the land of Canaan. Abraham asked the Lord this exact question in Genesis 18 regarding the coming destruction of two Canaanite citiesSodom and Gomorrah: Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? God is love (1 John 4:16) and He is also just (Psalm 25:8). This news had terrified the city of Jericho and Rahab had put her faith in God (Joshua 2:10-14). Some Christians have responded by driving a wedge between the Old Testament and the New, claiming that Jesuss ethics improved upon the brutal practices of ancient Israel. Nevertheless, those that choose to reject Gods love will be lost (2 Peter 3:7). When Joshua led the people across the Jordan River into Canaan, he was fulfilling this promise. Dan. It may not be altered or edited in any way. In his article Yahweh Wars which was written after Is Yahweh a Moral Monster?, Copan presents two scenarios, one in which everyone was put to death, and the other in which the targets were military leaders and soldiers. The ESV and NIV give a fuller understanding of the term by translating it devote to destruction (the NASB renders it set apart). Please make sure all fields are filled out. You cannot have moral laws without a moral Lawgiver. Read them in the archive below. Bring biblical wisdom to the confusing issues across the world by making a gift to our international work. It was merciful for God to allow the Canaanites to remain in the land as long as they did. Let us also remember that the problem with the Canaanite city of Sodom wasnt just sex among consenting adults: the men of Sodom, both young and old, tried to rape the visitors (Gen. 19:5). I consider Jesus the be the perfect example of how to be good, Jesus would never hurt anyone. How could the Israelites intermarry with the Canaanites if they killed them all? Used by permission. However, if we properly understand the whole picture we will be able to view Gods actions as full of mercy and fairness in His dealings with His children. 4. However, according to Kline, sometimes we get snapshots of Gods final judgment intruding into the flow of history, foreshadowing the reality to come. There is no justice in the world today, and therefore there must be a day when the wrongs of the present life are made right. God had warned them against that ( Deut. 18:28; Deut 4:2329, 8:1920). Hittite Laws: 199 states, If anyone has intercourse with a pig or a dog, he shall die. Old Testament scholars Keil and Delitsch write that there can be no doubt that the idea which lay at the foundation of the ban was that of a compulsory dedication of something which resisted or impeded sanctification; . God has delivered Israel and set them apart as His people. Generation after generation of Canaanites continued in the same evil practices. Paul Rutherford explains the lies he believed and tow which he was in bondage about pornography, until Jesus helped him achieve sexual sobriety. The Canaanites had not completely sinned away their day of grace. And He said to Abraham, you and your children to the fourth generation must be patient too. This document may not be repackaged in any form for sale or resale. When Jesus came, He shifted the battle to the spiritual realm; He fought spiritual powers and authorities. But why should we take seriously the skeptics advocacy for Canaanite children? In phase two, God fought against Israel when it broke its side of its covenant with God (cf. Bible scholars call thiseremwarfare. Was John the Baptist the only person that understood Christs mission. The answer is: absolutely not! Lets look at something God told Abraham before all this started. He holds a B.A. The Amorites' sin had not escaped God's notice. 12:4, 30, 31 ). Part of the goal of this essay is to offer evidence to show that God had good reason to command Israel to kill the Canaanites. 18:17 and 25:28. Therefore, Israels own mission foreshadowed Jesuss mission in a number of ways. Why would Jesus die for basically good folk? The fertility of the land was believed to be directly connected to the sexual relations of the gods and goddesses. Lets first frame this question with context. Abraham starts bargaining with God. God was patient. The people of the land had heard about all that had happened with the Israelites from the time they escaped Egypt. 6:23), and ultimately every unrepentant sinner will have to face Gods judgment. Gods enemies were dealt a crushing blow through Christs victory on the cross, but they will not finally be defeated until Christ returns to establish everlasting justice on earth. Predictably so, their values conflict with what God hates. I want to look at some Biblical stories about God destroying nations. The Canaanites, by contrast, were destroyed at the direction of God and primarily because of their sin. These twentieth-century examples were basically people killing people simply because they hated them and/or wanted their land. God had given the Midianites, Amalekites and other Canaanites 400 years to repent of their unbelievably evil practices (sacrificing children on red-hot idols being one of them), and they hadn't (Genesis 15:13-16). Under the sanctuary in the ancient city of Gezer, urns containing the burnt bones of children have been found. Christian Answers, Dawkins, 338. And as a consequence, God used Israel to bring judgement upon them. If God is so merciful and loving, why didnt God just assimilate Israel into Canaan instead of driving them out? it was an act of the judicial holiness of God manifesting itself in righteousness and judgment.{6}. They are all part of an inherently wicked culture that, if allowed to live, would morally and theologically pollute the people of Israel.[1]. They had passed the point of redeemability, and were ripe for judgment. Like all Ancient Near East (ANE) pantheons, the Canaanite pantheon was incestuous. 25). The law given in Deuteronomy provided regulations for the people of Israel. . Keil and F. Delitzsch, trans., James Martin, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. In Genesis 15:16, God told Abraham that his descendants would have to remain slaves in Egypt for 400 years before taking possession of Canaan, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. So God was patient in dealing with the Canaanite nations, waiting until they reached the point of no return. Here are a few factors to take into consideration: First, the sins of parents, just like their successes, have an impact on their children. He can give and take life as He chooses. Now after all of this God gives marching orders. (LogOut/ ", "How Can a Just God Order the Slaughter of Men, Women and Children? Dr. Michael Gleghorn draws on a work by Dr. Gail R. O'Day, "Jesus as Friend in the Gospel of John," to explore the perspective of Jesus Christ as a Friend. This is an online-exclusive Viewpoint from the Christian Research Journal. With Miller, I think they can. Many people take issue with the idea that God commanded the Jewish nation to initiate war against the Canaanites, ordering them to wipe them out and take their land for their own. If He wanted to strike me dead right now, thats His prerogative (Reasonable Faith . {13} How persuasive this thought is will depend on how seriously we take biblical teaching about our future after the grave. Jesus power was shown in His healings and exorcisms and preeminently in His victory in the heavenlies by His death and resurrection (see Col. 2:13-15). Recently I asked some of the mamas of littles in our church, What God questions are your kids asking? Dr. Michael Gleghorn provides good reasons to believe that the stories about Jesus were reliably preserved by his followers Dr. Zukeran presents five major reasons to believe Christianity is the truth. . In the conquest of Canaan, three goals were being accomplished. God promised Canaan to Abraham and his children. In all of these respects, Israels laws were signposts to the spiritual realities behind Christs redemptive work for us. The Canaanites were an evil, depraved people who had to be judged to fulfill the demands of justice. Skeptics have claimed that God was unjust when He ordained Israel to destroy the Canaanites. For the Canaanites, it was time for Gods judgment. 7 passage provides better support for his position. Can the actions of the Israelites legitimately be called genocide? For one thing, the Canaanites worshipped other gods. First, the movement of the Israelites into Canaan was the fruition of Gods promise to Abram that He would give that land to his children (Gen. 12:7). Doesnt the new atheists complaint ring hollow, since they are often at the forefront of defending a womans right to suction, dismember, or scald to death her unborn baby at any time and for any reason? 7:2-3. No matter what God does, all of His actions are guided by His sovereign will and the fact that He, so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16 ESV). Had there been repentance, there would have been no need to execute wrath on evildoers. In the worship of their gods, the Canaanites committed other evils. God didnt. They could have repented of their evil, followed God, and been spared judgment. Peter Singer Heavy Petting: Review of Midas Dekkers, Dearest Pet: On Bestiality (London, 2000), Nerve.com, 2001, http://www.nerve.com/opinions/singer/heavypetting/main.asp. They are insisting that God and Christianity are in fact poisonous and must diligently be resisted and defeated. However, it is crucial to note that in the same passage, God declares the Israelites no less wicked than the Canaanites, deserving the same fate: In Leviticus 18 and elsewhere, for example, the Bible reveals that God punished the Canaanites for specific grievous evils. 23:14). A Clear Christian Perspective, The Apologetics of Jesus: A Defense of His Deity, Bridging to Common Ground: Communicating Christ Across the Cultural Divide, How I Know Christianity Is True A Defense of the Gospel, Yahweh War and the Conquest of Canaan A Biblical Worldview Perspective, Personal Development/Relationships Emails, Trusting God on the Other Side of Bizarre, Cohfessions of a Missionary Addicted to Porn. Much of what follows is horrific, but if we refuse to look, will we really understand the reasons for Gods judgment? When a community sins, there are consequences for every member of the population, even children. What Do the Four Soils in the Parable of the Sower Represent? Herem literally means ban or banned. It means to ban from human use and to give over completely to God. In Deuteronomy 9:4-6, God Himself explains the reason for His command to slaughter the Canaanites. The Hebrew word means to devote something to total destruction.. M.G. The phrase the Lords battles or battles of the Lord are found in 1 Sam. If they did not destroy them, the land would vomit them out just as it had vomited out the Canaanites (Num. And how are Christians supposed to apply the erem laws today? 5:7; 29:23; Hos. wars instituted by and fought with the, My eldest daughter and I have been discussing portions of the Bible with which she is struggling. Thus, if God wanted to rid the world of their wickedness, then He couldnt have them grow up wanting to imitate their birth parents with whom they bonded. There had been a patient waiting from Abrahams time for the sin of the Amorites[to reach] its full measure (Toward Old Testament Ethics, Walter Kaiser, Jr., p, 267,Zondervan, 1983). Genesis 15:13-16 God tells Abraham that his descendants will be enslaved for 400 years. 11. So the Lord said that Israel became like Sodom to me (Jer. A more detailed version is also available on our Web site with the title Yahweh War and the Conquest of Canaan. Third, if one holds that there is an age of accountability for children, and that those younger than that are received into heaven with God at their death, although the means of death were frightful and harsh, the Canaanite childrens experience after death would be better than if theyd continued to live among such a sinful people. Canaanite religion, like that of all of the ANE, was a fertility religion that involved temple sex.
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