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. That atheists are incapable of judging spiritual matters leads some Christians to wonder why we even need to answer them at all, especially if they lack any objective, moral, or epistemological foundation for their claims. 18:28). 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. He is also a God who takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. According to the Bible, the Canaanites were so vile that the very land spued them out (Lev. . He holds a B.A. Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?27 Ultimately the Lord then agrees to spare both cities if only ten righteous people were found. 4:28 NIV). In the meantime, we are still called to do battle, but not as Israel did. He is passionate about understanding the Bible and helping others do the same. This is an online Viewpoint articlefrom theChristian Research Journal. 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. We all recognize this when we accuse some authority who presumes to take life as playing GodGod is under no obligation whatsoever to extend my life for another second. As a result, they eventually received the same judgment the Canaanites experienced ( Deut. 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. Concerning the destruction of the Canaanites, atheists especially like to exploit the Christian condemnation of genocide. The peoples of the world at His return will be doing the same things that the Canaanites were doing when God gave it to Israel (Revelation 9:20). However, what is good and right or what is bad and wrong changes with societys opinions. Since the land wasnt empty, this could only be accomplished by driving the Canaanites out. 12:4, 30, 31). 6. They were fully aware that God had chosen Israel to be a tool in His hands in bringing judgement to the nations. 2001 W. Plano Parkway, Suite 2000 This news had terrified the city of Jericho and Rahab had put her faith in God (Joshua 2:10-14). God, as judge, used Israel to carry out His judgment on these people. 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). 10 Biblical Steps Towards Restoration After Sexual Sin, Baptism Quotes: 27 Inspirational Christian Sayings, 25 Encouraging Bible Verses About Strength, Words of Encouragement: 30 Uplifting Quotes. Albrecht Goetze, ed. This article first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume 44, number 2 (2021). 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. The Israelites intermarried with them which eventually drew Gods judgment on them as well. Dan. (Judges 2:1-3; 1 Kings 11:5; 14:24; 2 Kings 16:3-4). If God didnt mean to kill everyone in nearby cities, then what distinction was being made? Real Questions. Atheists use this fact to condemn the character of God. Later when Israel disobeys God and allows the Canaanites to continue to live among them, the corruptive and seductive power of Canaanite sin results in the Canaanization of Israel. God was concerned that, if the Canaanites remained in the land, they would draw the Israelites into their evil practices. About UsContact UsPrayer RequestsPrivacy Policy, Latest AnswersBible LessonsBibleAsk LIVEOnline Bible. Robert believes that the Bible contains the truth that God wants us to base our lives upon. At first, the Israelites tried to compromise and worship God the way the Canaanites worshiped their gods. Like all Ancient Near East (ANE) pantheons, the Canaanite pantheon was incestuous. Lets first frame this question with context. They had passed the point of redeemability, and were ripe for judgment. The new atheists immaculately exemplify what the Bible has proclaimed all along: sin corrupts our authority to judge rightly; what we think is justified prosecution against God Almighty turns out to be, on further illumination, a raucous rant full of the noxious fumes of the sinful heart. (LogOut/ 44:18). 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. Tremper Longman III, The Case for Spiritual Continuity, in C. S. Cowles, Eugene H. Merrill, Daniel L. Gard, and Tremper Longman III, Show Them No Mercy: Four Views on God and Canaanite Genocide (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003), 185. He points out 2023 Probe Ministries | Designed and Managed by Adquest Creative. If God was not behind the conquest of Canaan, then the Israelites were no different than the Nazis and the Hutus. Their sacrificial laws pointed to our need for atonement. 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! God gives nations a chance to choose that which is right and to mend their ways but if they refuse godliness and adopt immorality, idolatry, covetousness, sexual impurity, etc., then God has no alternative but to let them reap the consequences of their own wickedness. If you think the Canaanites deserved to die because of their own wickedness, Dawkins will zealously compare you to acting like the Taliban.3 A closer look at several key facts will help explain Gods reason for the destruction of the Canaanites and reveal how our own sinfulness demonstrates our incapacity to judge rightly. This is an online articlefrom the Christian Research Journal. If they had sex with just about every living thing they could get their hands on, and they did, then all had to die. For one thing, the Canaanites worshipped other gods. Israels response to Canaanite sin is a parable of how their own sinfulness empowered them to ape the sin of the Canaanites and thereby procure Gods judgment on them. It was merciful for God to allow the Canaanites to remain in the land as long as they did. Bible scholars call thiseremwarfare. Craig writes, For example, I have no right to take an innocent life. And how are Christians supposed to apply the erem laws today? Will More People Go To Hell Than Go To Heaven? On an individual basis, when a father sinned, his son wasnt to be punished for it. God promised Canaan to Abraham and his children. What place should they have in our preaching and practice? Israel was not commanded to deal with all other nations the same way they dealt with the Canaanites. One of the problem passages she asked about is "Why does God order, I am a Christian and spend time talking with others often about God, but I have been speechless when they bring up the issue, for example, in I Samuel 15:1-3, Rick Wade served as a Probe research associate for 17 years. God Was God just in destroying the Canaanites? Glenn M. Miller, How could a God of Love order the massacre/annihilation of the Canaanites? on the web site A Christian Thinktank, This document may not be repackaged in any form for sale or resale. 23:33; Deut. Yahweh derided these handmade gods that cannot speak and must be carried because they cannot walk (Jer. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against . Bestiality. Israel had been enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. Consider one basic example of how new atheist rationalizations echo the propensities of Canaanite sin, and indeed, echo the rationalizations of the human heart. At first, the Israelites tried to compromise and worship God the way the Canaanites worshiped their gods. Their purity laws pointed to the holiness demanded by God. Hittite Laws: 199 states, If anyone has intercourse with a pig or a dog, he shall die. He is convinced that the hope of the world lies in men and women having a saving relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Here are a few factors to take into consideration: First, the sins of parents, just like their successes, have an impact on their children. 7:1-2). In the worship of their gods, the Canaanites committed other evils. What Do the Four Soils in the Parable of the Sower Represent? The phrase the Lords battles or battles of the Lord are found in 1 Sam. Canaanite tribes (especially the Hittites) greatly exceeded the boundaries that Israel was told to conquer. They are insisting that God and Christianity are in fact poisonous and must diligently be resisted and defeated. Little of the Canaanites' textual records remain, perhaps because they used papyrus instead of the more durable clay for writing. Yahweh is a God of justice as well as mercy. They could have repented of their evil, followed God, and been spared judgment. In a recent debate with William Lane Craig, Hitchens exhorted the Christians in the audience, Emancipate yourself from the idea of a celestial dictatorship and youve taken the first step toward becoming free.32, Although Dawkins nowhere endorses sex with animals, he does endorse Princeton atheist and ethicist Peter Singer as an eloquent advocate for our need to become postspeciesist.33 According to Singer, to claim that one species is better than another is to invoke grave implications because, after all, We are animals.This does not make sex across the species barrier normal, or natural, whatever those much-misused words may mean, but it does imply that it ceases to be an offence to our status and dignity as human beings.34. If you feel an answer is not 100% Bible based, then leave a comment, and we'll be sure to review it. God sought to reveal His standards of righteousness to a thoroughly corrupted humankind, and He chose Israel out of the nations to exhibit the requirements for relationship with Him (Deut. Was God just in destroying the Canaanites? To understand what God was doing in Canaan, one must see it within the larger context of redemptive history. In phase three, when Israel and Judah were in exile, God promised to come in the future as a warrior to rescue them from their oppressors (cf. Such a complaint usually masks an unspoken premise: God shouldnt have killed the children because that wouldnt give them the chance to reject Canaanite sin. The situation with Canaan was different. Wouldnt even infants, as they grew, begin to ask, What practices did my parents do which resulted in your killing them? As sad as this is, it also points to the horror of sin. God spoke these words to the Israelites as they were encamped on the plains of Moab and about to cross the Jordan River into Canaan. 8. No worldly government can exist unless it uses every necessary means to punish law breaking. It doesnt stop there. . This article is a slightly adapted version of the program that aired on the Probe radio program. Conclusion: What does this tell us about God? The atheism of today wasnt an option. Bereishit 19:4:. In Genesis 15:16 the LORD made reference to the Canaanites when he said, "the sin of the Amorites (Canaanites) has not yet reached its full measure." God was waiting to fulfill his justice against this people. It was merciful for God to allow the Canaanites to remain in the land as long as they did. Only when one views life through the lens of the Bible can one arrive at a worldview based on truth. However recently an atheist friend told me God was cruel and unloving and used examples from the old testament to prove it. God mercifully provides time and opportunity for repentance from idolatry and spiritual fornication with this world ( II Peter 3:9 ). Additionally, some ANE manuscripts talk about party-boys and festival people who changed their masculinity into femininity to make the people of Ishtar revere her.17. He gets no pleasure in the death of anyone. Maybe this was just an example of Ancient Near Eastern military language.{11}. 4. Here we encounter the issue of authority. wars instituted by and fought with the, My eldest daughter and I have been discussing portions of the Bible with which she is struggling. That we commit similar sins today renders us incapable of appropriate moral outrage against these sins and thus we accuse God of genocide to justify our own sinfulness. We must keep in mind, also, that Israel did not decide to exterminate the Canaanites, God did. Probably the ultimate sexual depravity is intercourse with animals. 4:26; 7:4). The question has been raised whether God really intended the Israelites to kill all the people. However, according to Kline, sometimes we get snapshots of Gods final judgment intruding into the flow of history, foreshadowing the reality to come. The Canaanites were grossly sinful people who were given plenty of time by God to change their ways. This is an online articlefrom theChristian Research Journal. Paul Copan, How Could a Loving God Command Genocide, in Thats Just Your Interpretation (Grand Rapid: Baker, 2001), 165. {13} How persuasive this thought is will depend on how seriously we take biblical teaching about our future after the grave. 20:16-17). Baal has sex with his mother Asherah,6 his sister Anat, and his daughter Pidray,7 and none of this is presented pejoratively. Revelation 2:21-23. 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. In short, Israel was Canaanized. Then He says something very Interesting your descendants will come back in the fourth generation, because the sins of the Amorites hasnt been fulfilled. The Amorites in this case are the Canaanites. Because of this, I think the term should be avoided. Are We Held Accountable for the Sins of Our Forefathers? Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (around 2100 BC) came 600 years before Israel destroyed the Canaanite nation. 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. The problem with new atheist divine genocide claims is rather simple: God hates sin, but the new atheists do not.35 Consequently, they complain of divine genocide in the face of Canaanite sin! Isnt there an inconsistency here? Keil and F. Delitzsch, trans., James Martin, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. God had warned them against that ( Deut. Although no Scripture is definitive that all children will be saved, many Christians point out that it is possible (based on verses like Matthew 19:14). God sent Jonah to Nineveh, and spared the nation because of their repentance towards God. Nevertheless, those that choose to reject Gods love will be lost (2 Peter 3:7). God had warned them against that (Deut. Though rebellion must be put down and rebels must be punished for the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), God displays mercy for He is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He blogs at, How J. K. Rowling Played, then Lost, the Polarization Game, GAFCON IV: Lessons from a Communion in Birth Pains, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Christian Nationalism, What to Do When Your Child Is Addicted to Video Games, Radical Christian Gentleness in an Era of Addictive Outrage, The FAQs: Anglican Group Calls on Church of Englands Leader to Repent, Whats the Earliest Evidence for Christianity? Kyle, Canaan, in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, James Orr, ed. Rick's interests focus on apologetics, Christianity and culture, and the changing currents in Western thought. And its not simply forced eviction we are talking about here; its the slaughter of entire nations, down to the last man, woman, and child. Speaking with Abraham, God predicted that the Canaanites would eventually become so evil that He For me to do so would be murder. After all, the Old Testament unequivocally commands that those who do any one of these things deserves to die. The first fact And He will ultimately save righteous and also punish the unrighteous He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).
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