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Dear Friends,

All of us who read our Bibles wince and even grieve at the Old Testament bloodshed that occurs. Of course when pagans throw children to the lions (Daniel 6:24) we may not be too surprised but what about the battles that God commands and the obliteration that He authorises?

Think of Deuteronomy 7 where God says “when the Lord your God brings you into the land … make no treaty … show them no mercy”.

Or Deuteronomy 20 where God says “in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance do not leave alive anything that breathes”.

Then Deuteronomy 2 tells us that Joshua “completely destroyed [the opposition] — men, women and children. We left no survivors.”

What are we to say??

In some ways I don’t want to attempt an answer because there is no biblical passage that takes us aside to explain and provide some sort of comfort. But I can tell you four views on this from the ‘Counterpoints’ book called ‘Show Them No Mercy — Four Views on God and Canaanite Genocide’ published by Zondervan and this may help somewhat. The four views are:

1. Radical Discontinuity (C.S.Cowles)
This view is disgusted by the Old Testament and commends the New Testament. The argument is that Jesus has come and shown us the right way to go. The weakness of this (hopeless) position is that it pits Scripture against Scripture and fails to face up to the just wrath of God — in both Testaments!

2. Moderate Discontinuity (Eugene Merrill)
This helpful view explains that the takeover of Canaan was utterly unique. This is partly because:

(a) The nations in Canaan were idolatrous — rejecting God (Deuteronomy 7:4)
(b) Their level of sin was coming to its completion (Genesis 15:16)
(c) They knew they should respond to God but didn’t (Joshua 2:9ff)
(d) The land was designated for God’s people (Genesis 12:1)
(e) The ‘seven nations’ in Canaan represent complete opposition to God’s plans.

So this Canaan approach is not like any other in the OT (see the important Deuteronomy 20:10) and “Yahweh war as articulated in the Old Testament has no justification in the age of the church except in terms of spiritual conflict” (p.91).

3. Eschatological Continuity (Daniel L. Gaud)
This view argues that the Old Testament battles are a physical pointer to what God will do finally in His overthrow of opposition. This doesn’t help us much...

4. Spiritual Continuity (Tremper Longman III)
This strong view argues that far from being embarrassed by warfare, the Old Testament sees it as a holy (even spiritual) outworking of God’s character and right. There was prayer before the battle and the ark (symbol of God’s presence) was there in the centre. Afterwards there was celebration “because warfare was worship” (p.169). Again it was not general, sporadic warfare but directed to the plan of God for Canaan who had plenty of warning and centuries of lead-up to get ready. “We should not be amazed that God ordered the death of the Canaanites but rather we should stand in amazement that He lets anyone live.” (p.185 — and again “it is because of that grace that any of us breathe”.)

So Longman’s view is that there is spiritual battle in both Testaments but only physical battle at Canaan and Judgment.

Hope that is stimulating — any thoughts?

Yours in fellowship,
Simon Manchester

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