GOD THE HYPOCRITE?
In this section we look at the destruction of whole city groups in the Old Testament and the command from God in the new to love our enemies. How do the two line up in our thinking?
Please bear in mind, as we go through this section, that we are not trying to make God more palatable, or seek to skirt issues. We need to get as clear a picture as possible so as to see what is really going on.
Before commencing this section please pause and consider the following questions:
1. Is God a hypocrite since He tells us to love our enemies, whilst being the one who commanded the destruction of whole cities in O.T. times?
2. Did the people in the cities God destroyed have any opportunity to repent?
3. Are these people all eternally lost?
Let's begin ....
As already mentioned, the following scriptures seem to illustrate a stark contrast in God's dealings with man...
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When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations - the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you - and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Deut7:1-3
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:43-45.
In Deuteronomy the word 'destroy' translates the Hebrew word 'charam,' which means, "to exclude specifically" (by a ban), 'to devote to religious use' (especially destruction). 'Charam' usually speaks of the compulsory dedication of something which impedes or resists God's work and which is considered accursed before God.
God had promised to give the land of Canaan to the nation of Israel (Gen 12:1,7), and in coming against these cities God was using Israel as his means of judgment (as opposed to a fire, flood, angel of death, etc). However, this does not mean that God was simply playing favourites, or that these people never had a chance to repent. But how do we know this?
The primary reason for the 'ban' was to execute God's judgment on the Canaanites (hence: devote to religious uses). The issue was always between the Canaanites and God - not Israel. Now note the following verse from Genesis:
In the fourth generation your descendants will ome back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure. Gen 15:16
This verse reveals that God would delay giving the land of Canaan to Israel for 400 years. Only when the Canaanites reached a point of utter depravity would He remove them from the land.
Genesis 15:16 shows us that God would delay giving the land of Canaan to Israel for 400 years. Only when the Canaanites reached a point of utter depravity would He remove them from the land. Think of the way in which a young adult may receive warning after warning in school, concerning his or her behaviour, before being expelled. We would give them every opportunity to change. Is this not the case with the Canaanites. Note again, that the Canaanites were being driven out because of their wickedness, and not because of any righteousness in Israel
After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, "The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness." No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you.
It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people." Deut 9:4-6.
Remember:
The 'ban' speaks of being given across to God. Since, on this occasion, the Canaanite culture was being 'handed over to God's destruction (judgment), the Israelites were not allowed to take any of the possessions of the Canaanites, as if they would need these to strengthen their position. For example, note the following.
The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.
But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them.
Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury." Joshua 6:17-19.
The 'ban' could also be applied to Israel in her dealings with the Canaanite peoples. Israel came under the 'ban' if they refused to carry out God's instructions or committed the same sins as those under the 'ban.' Note, for example: Achan (Josh 6:18; 7:1,11-26) and the following words of warning
Everyone who does any of these detestable things - such persons must be cut off from their people. Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the LORD your God. Lev 18:29
The 'ban' applied only to the seven Canaanite groups. The other nations occupying the land were offered terms of surrender if they did not resist conquest (Deut 20:10-18). The other nations' iniquity had not yet become 'full' and so they were not under God's judgment in the same way. God always seeks to give man the opportunity to repent, because judgement will finally fall on all who do not do so. God is in the business of reconciliation.
In Deut 21 we see that God speaks against the mistreatment of surrendered peoples, and in subsequent wars, God empowered Israel only to repel attacks on their land. They were not permitted to expand their territory, only to defend it. God's prophets often spoke out against war for expansion or exploitation (Isa 10:12-19; Amos 1:11,13).
How are we doing so far? Let's put the pieces together
Remember that God waited for the sin of the Amorites (which included such things as incest, bestiality and child sacrifice) to reach fullness (Gen 15:16). Why would God do this, when He could have destroyed them in an instant? God waited because God was giving the Canaanites every chance to repent, despite being aware of the overall outcome. God has the right to judge at any time, yet God is 'slow to anger' (Ex 34:6-7; Ps 103:8).
On a previous occasion God waited for all of humanity to reach a point of total depravity (apart from Noah and family) before exercising a 'ban' on all apart from Noah and his family. Note that God allowed man 120 years (Gen 6:3). Note also the words of 1 Peter 3:20 (God waited patiently) In this verse the word patiently (makrothumia) speaks of the quality of a person who is able to avenge himself but refrains from doing so.
Think about it! God could have provided Noah with an ark and destroyed the world in a second. Instead God waits - people were given every opportunity. Also think about the plagues that came upon Egypt. God could have pulled His people from Egypt in seconds, yet instead systematically destroys all that the Egyptians relied upon. Read the scriptures carefully and you will see that some of the Egyptians started to obey God's commands.
Coming back to the destruction of cities we note again that God waited; every opportunity was given by One who did not have to give anything. God wants people to see who He is. This is part of the reason why, on one occasion God told Israel that they would not be allowed to eliminate all other nations in one go (Deut 7:22). He wanted people to see who He was (we can relate this to the plagues in Egypt as well).
In Deut 11:25 we see that God puts the terror and fear of His people upon others in the land. Why? Is God playing 'cat and mouse?' No; again we note that God wants people to see who He is. This can be seen through the words of a woman who, in a worldly sense, seems one of the most unlikely to come to the Lord - Rahab (Note Mt 1:5). Note her words:
I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.
We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.
When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Joshua 2:9-11.
Fear and terror informed people of what was going on; they had the opportunity to do something about it.
However, before concluding this section, we need to look at something else.
If God is judging a nation because of its wickedness, then all are under judgment; but why kill children and animals?
In looking at possible answers to this question we need to remember that this life is not, in one sense the only life that is possible for us. There is an eternal destiny, either with the Lord or in a lost eternity. A baby is not morally accountable and therefore the death of a child cannot be taken to automatically mean eternal damnation. God is aware of what the that outcome of that life would have been.
Let's also note, and be very careful in doing so, that God's judgment in time does not necessarily have eternal consequences. For example, Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land because he had not trusted God enough to honour him before the Israelites on one occasion (Num 20:12). Because of this Moses died on Mt Nebo overlooking the Promised Land (Deut 34:1). His eyes were not dim, nor his strength gone (Deut 34:7). In other words it was not old age or illness that took him but the Lord. Yet in Mark 9:4 we see Moses and Elijah speaking with Jesus. A judgment in time does not necessarily have eternal consequences.
Let us also note that the thief on the cross paid the price for his transgression against humanity, but was accepted by God through the work of Christ alone (Luke 23:43). The thief's words do not look like repentance and faith to us ('remember me when you come into your kingdom'), yet God reads the heart.
We cannot assume that all who were destroyed in the land were eternally lost. God has the right to take life when and how he chooses, yet even in judgement people can come to repentance - and repentance is necessary for salvation.
So what about the killing of animals and burning of property on these occasions?
The animals were killed and property burned so that Israel could not, on this occasion, profit materially from the conquest. People needed to see that this 'ban' was all about judgment and not about favouritism.
Because Israel did not fully remove the Canaanite nations from the land (Josh 15:63; 16:10;17:12,13), they became defiled by them as they began to lose sight of who God was and what He was like. Because of this some of them had to be removed from the land (Lev 18:24-28; Deut 7:4,25; Josh 23:13). Note that the primary problem that the early church faced was that they brought their old thought patterns and cultural beliefs into the church. Hence some were saved as through fire burning (1 Cor 3).
Loving our enemies
In Matthew 5:43ff, Jesus tells us to love our enemies, and bless those who persecute us. We are not to react to our enemies in a worldly way out of sheer vindictiveness or simply because we find what they are doing offensive. As we have seen, God never acts in a worldly way.
God had every right to destroy the Canaanite nations in an instant, yet instead we see that He does everything possible to help them see, turn and repent, even in the way they reaped what they sow, as judgment is brought down upon them. The saving of Rahab shows that the road to forgiveness can be found, even amidst judgment. We are to reach out to people regardless of what we think, and in the way God desires us to. That may differ on occasion; we need to seek the Lord.
This study has demonstrated that the destruction of people groups in ancient times can be for a variety of reasons - all of which are known to God. Thus, on occasion we see God exercising a 'ban' and on other occasions seeking to protect His people from the military might of other nations, or the subtle ways in which Israel could be compromised.
In all things God is working for our benefit, and to ensure that people see who He is and have the opportunity to respond. God always acts out of a heart of love and compassion. He always gives people an opportunity to repent and receive his forgiveness.
Now review your answers to the questions at the beginning of this section and see if you can add to them in any way.