God is a God of . 12:4, 30, 31). Although these laws express Gods judgment, they also show us Gods mercy in several important ways: Now that Christ has come, the way in which we understand and apply theeremlaws has radically transformed. When angels arrive, however, the men of the city try to rape them and not only does Lot not find anyone who will repent, Lot himself tarries so long that the angels take Lot and his family by the arms and all but drag them out of the city. One should note that Joshuas commands in Deuteronomy 23 are given before the Israelites have completed their sweep through the land, so of course there are Canaanites there to marry. He points out how Yahweh Wars, i.e. 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. The fertility of the land was believed to be directly connected to the sexual relations of the gods and goddesses. I want to look at some Biblical stories about God destroying nations. God, as judge, used Israel to carry out His judgment on these people. 5:1). And they even sent their own children into the fires of the god Molech as living sacrifices. In phase one, God fought the flesh-and-blood enemies of Israel. 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). Further, he said that Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35). This article first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume 44, number 2 (2021). Thus, Longman says, The war against the Canaanites was simply an earlier phase of the battle that comes to its climax on the cross and its completion at the final judgment.{5}. Tagged as: God knew it would take the destruction of the nations. When a nation starts burning children as a gift to the gods (Leviticus 18:21) and practices sodomy, bestiality and all sorts of loathsome vices (Leviticus 18:25, 27-30), they, are storing up wrath for [themselves] on the day of wrath when Gods righteous judgment will be revealed (Romans 2:5 ESV). 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 worship of their gods, the Canaanites committed other evils. This is one of the most morally troubling passages in all of Scripture. Now after all of this God gives marching orders. The "new atheists" call God's commands to kill the Canaanites "genocide," but a closer look at the horror of the Canaanites' sinfulness, exhibited in rampant idolatry, incest, adultery, child sacrifice, homosexuality, and bestiality, reveals that God's reason for commanding their death was not genocide but capital punishment. If He does not receive a proper response, He promises great tribulation and martyrdomnot necessarily as punishment, but as an inducement to repent. 22 Christian Quotes and Sayings About God. Israel was warned not to let the Canaanites live in their land, but to completely destroy them (Exod. 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). . The law given in Deuteronomy provided regulations for the people of Israel. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. (Deut. They were corrupt and depraved to the core. God was patient. Convention on the Punishment and Prevention of the Crime of Genocide, Article II, University of the West of England, at: www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/. We're not around right now. I have two questions: 1. Could there have been any righteous Canaanites, especially in view of the pervasive, seductive, and corrosive nature of Canaanite sin? Bernhard Anderson, Understanding the Old Testament (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1957), 93-94; 96-103. 14. Of course not. 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. Moreover, given the evidence of Canaanite sin, it is no stretch to realize that even many young children would have already learned Canaanite ways. Non-Christians often point to the Old Testaments erem laws to reject Christianity altogether. First, the Lord's command to enact erem was preceded by a long period of divine patience and longsuffering in the face of Canaanite wickedness (gross forms of idolatry, immorality, and injustice, including the sacrifice of children). Idolatry. But He said to Abraham that the promise would take a long time to be fulfilled for the iniquity of the Amorites, or the people of Canaan, is not yet full (v. 16). James B. Pritchard, Harry A. Hoffner, Jr., Incest, Sodomy and Bestiality in the Ancient Near East, in. Speaking with Abraham, God predicted that the Canaanites would eventually become so evil that He God was patient with the Canaanites Their sacrificial laws pointed to our need for atonement. Abraham decides to bargain again okay, okay but what about if Im 5 people short? In Leviticus 18 God then warns Israel that if they commit similar sins that the land would similarly vomit them out. The Amorites had a chance to repent and be saved, just as the Assyrians in Nineveh did during in the time of Jonah. The judgment that they foreshadowed was demonstrated decisively on the cross of Christ, who received the full measure of Gods wrath for the sins of his people. Israel had a unique calling as Gods chosen covenant people. In both Testaments we see that God hates sin and will punish it. And He said to Abraham, you and your children to the fourth generation must be patient too. In all of these respects, Israels laws were signposts to the spiritual realities behind Christs redemptive work for us. Under the sanctuary in the ancient city of Gezer, urns containing the burnt bones of children have been found. Probe VP Steve Cable examines some of the findings of the Probe Survey 2020: The Changing Face of Christianity in America. Going by this definition alone, the destruction of the Canaanites would seem to have been genocide. This is why it is so important for us to get our doctrine of humanity right. Glenn M. Miller, How could a God of Love order the massacre/annihilation of the Canaanites? on the web site A Christian Thinktank, . Yahweh is a God of justice as well as mercy. 25). Help train Christians to boldly share the good news of Jesus Christ in a way that clearly communicates to this secular age. Women were no less guilty than men, and in many cases they were the principal instigators. 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. [emailprotected] The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics helps Christians show unbelievers the truth, goodness, and beauty of the gospel as the only hope that fulfills our deepest longings. 4:26; 7:4). 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? Why Your Church Needs Vacation Bible School, Gods Amazing Conversions Through Dreams and Visions Part Three, Gods Amazing Conversions Through Dreams and Visions Part Two, Ice Dragon: Legend of the Blue Daisies Movie Review, Phoenix Wilder And The Great Elephant Adventure Movie Review, The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island Movie Review. Israel was not allowed to treat other nations as they treated the Canaanite cities. M.G. He begins with the Christian worldview and Rick Wade explores the meaning of the word defense in 1 Peter 3:15, suggesting that all Christians can do Rick Wade provides an expanded discussion of the issues around the Israelites battles against the Canaanites. On an individual basis, when a father sinned, his son wasnt to be punished for it. If God is so merciful and loving, why didnt God just assimilate Israel into Canaan instead of driving them out? 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. Christ and the Conflagration of Canaan - The Gospel Coalition But this is precisely the thing that the unbeliever loses in denying the existence of God. Used by permission. What are the major signs of the last days? 20:16-17). And how else would God have said it if He did mean that? {14} The only test we can put to God is consistency with His own nature and word. Probe Ministries is a non-profit ministry whose mission is to assist the church in renewing the minds of believers with a Christian worldview and to equip the church to engage the world for Christ. And I say contemporary because children werent regarded as highly in the Ancient Near East as they are today. God Was God just in destroying the Canaanites? God gave us life, and He has the right to take it away. Yahweh derided these handmade gods that cannot speak and must be carried because they cannot walk (Jer. And their laws concerningeremwarfare pointed to Gods just judgment against sin. 7:1-2). IGRG: Did God Give The Canaanites a Chance? - lofteideas Looking a four outcomes of the resurrection, Dr. Zukeran shows us that the greatest defense of the deity of Jesus was made by Jesus Himself. God promised Canaan to Abraham and his children. According to the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament), when God called forth his people out of slavery in Egypt and back to the land of their forefathers, he directed them to kill all the Canaanite clans who were living in the land (Deut. No ANE text condemns homosexuality. In regard to the Canaanites, God commanded, "In the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. 5. Covenant Theological Seminary) serves as an assistant pastor at Riveroaks Reformed Presbyterian Church in Germantown, Tennessee. They were fully aware that God had chosen Israel to be a tool in His hands in bringing judgement to the nations. Dawkins, 338. C.F. The Canaanites were the only people God commanded the Israelites to destroy Israel was not allowed to treat other nations as they treated the Canaanite cities. As a result, they eventually received the same judgment the Canaanites experienced (Deut. Was John the Baptist the only person that understood Christs mission. 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. 1 (2009): 73-92; www.epsociety.org/library/articles.asp?pid=63. So the Lord said that Israel became like Sodom to me (Jer. An obvious objection to the idea that God was judging the Canaanites is that it would be unfair for Him to do so if they had no opportunity to repent and be saved. Before joining Probe Ministries, Rick worked in the ship repair industry in Norfolk, VA. If we see humans as being basically good or innocent, then of course we will react with indignation to the Bibleseremlaws. At first, the Israelites tried to compromise and worship God the way the Canaanites worshiped their gods. 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). Since Canaanite sin was regular and systematicthe entire adult population participated in the idolatrous systemGod judged the entire nation. God allowed Israel to become slaves in Egypt (more on this in a moment). Such arguments are clearly illogical. The new atheists call Gods commands to kill the Canaanites genocide, but a closer look at the horror of the Canaanites sinfulness, exhibited in rampant idolatry, incest, adultery, child sacrifice, homosexuality, and bestiality, reveals that Gods reason for commanding their death was not genocide but capital punishment. Israel received direct word from God that they should do this. See also Leupold (1942, 463). Further, in Deuteronomy 20, Moses said they were only to kill the adult males in far away cities (vv. 2:11). / He lies with her seventy times seven / Mounts eighty times eight / [She conceiv]es and bears a boy.20. 33:11). In short, Israel was Canaanized. The Canaanites, by contrast, were destroyed at the direction of God and primarily because of their sin. Furthermore, justice must respond to the moral failure of sin. Did the Canaanites Have a Chance? The Hebrew word means to devote something to total destruction.. He teaches theology at Westminster Academy in Memphis, Tennessee. (LogOut/ We dont live in a theocracy anymore and, as Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:45, we dont fight with the weapons of the world, but we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God (NIV). In the Hebrew Bible, the Canaanites are described as inhabitants of Canaan before the arrival of the Israelites (e.g., Genesis 15:18-21, Exodus 13:11). What about these people prompted such a harsh judgment? 2). 18 records briefly the moral degradation of the Canaanites. I consider Jesus the be the perfect example of how to be good, Jesus would never hurt anyone. Craig writes, For example, I have no right to take an innocent life. Lets look at something God told Abraham before all this started. This explains why, in certain cities, Yahweh sentenced to death everything that breathes. Had there been repentance, there would have been no need to execute wrath on evildoers. 23:12-13 where Joshua also warns the people against intermarrying. So lets not kid ourselves: at the end of the day no amount of explanation will cause todays illuminati (or brights, as some new atheists like to be called) to consider Gods commands justified.36 But our job as Christians is to proclaim unambiguously, especially to strongholds set up against knowledge of God, that humankind is sinful, that the wages of sin is death, and that by trusting Christs sacrifice we can be saved from the wrath of God and enjoy resurrection life in and with Him forever. Plano TX 75075 Nevertheless, those that choose to reject Gods love will be lost (2 Peter 3:7). Israel had been enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. He holds a B.A. Our aim is to share the Word and be true to it. Copan, Yahweh Wars and the Canaanites. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. (LogOut/ 11. Also, this wasnt the entire destruction of a race as God didnt order that every Canaanite be killed but only those who lived within specific geographical boundaries (Josh. Gods character is such that He gives nations an appropriate amount of time to repent. 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. . In phase two, God fought against Israel when it broke its side of its covenant with God (cf. Why did God judge the Canaanites as wicked despite never appearing to . Yahweh has made it clear that He is willing to relent in His judgment if a nation repents of its sins and changes its ways ( Jer. What the Israelites are told to do to the Amalekites is exactly what the Amalekites had been doing to Israel. 8. 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. God had promised this land to their ancestor Abraham around 500 years earlier (Gen. 15:18-21), but it would be their responsibility, under the leadership of Joshua, to clear out the local inhabitants and take possession of the land. If He wanted to strike me dead right now, thats His prerogative (Reasonable Faith . Why Did God Tell Joshua To Kill The Canaanites? (Judges 2:1-3; 1 Kings 11:5; 14:24; 2 Kings 16:3-4). 32:4; Colossians 3:25; etc.). Then they would simply abandon worship of the true God. Paul Copan, Is Yahweh a Moral Monster?, Philosophia Christi 10, no. At first, the Israelites tried to compromise and worship God the way the Canaanites worshiped their gods. Read them in the archive below. God did not order the extermination of these people to be cruel, but to prevent even greater evil from occurring in the . God and the Canaanites: A Biblical Perspective, www.epsociety.org/library/articles.asp?pid=45, www.epsociety.org/library/articles.asp?pid=63, Yahweh War and the Conquest of Canaan - A Biblical Worldview Perspective, "How Could a Compassionate God Order the Genocide of the Canaanites? It makes no sense to say that the erem laws are unjust unless there is an objective standard of justice to which they must conform. 23:14). And how are Christians supposed to apply the erem laws today? Consequently, we love what He hates, and we hate what He loves. He blogs at Allkirk Network. In the conquest of Canaan, three goals were being accomplished. When a community sins, there are consequences for every member of the population, even children. Later Lots own daughters get him drunk to have sex with him and so even Dawkins, in a surprising moment of moral clarity, writes, If this dysfunctional family was the best Sodom had to offer by way of morals, some might begin to feel a certain sympathy with God and his judicial brimstone.28. And then these same skeptics turn around and say if there is a God of justice, why does He permit the wicked to rule the world and bring sorrow and suffering on the innocent? God has delivered Israel and set them apart as His people. the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (6:12). What Happened to the Canaanites? - Biblical Archaeology Society Gods first inclination is to save Canaan rather than destroy it. 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). Their authority is based on the current societal perception of morality. For the Canaanites, it was time for Gods judgment. Longman writes: The war against the Canaanites was simply an earlier phase of the battle that comes to its climax on the cross and its completion at the final judgment. All reproductions of this document must contain the copyright notice (i.e., Copyright 2023 Probe Ministries) and this Copyright/Limitations notice. Thus, they were all without excuse for not worshiping God. Divine Judgment and the Canaanite Conquest: A Theological Exploration Dr. Michael Gleghorn draws on the book 'Body, Soul and Life Everlasting' to provide an overview of what the NT teaches about the body-soul connection. We must keep in mind, also, that Israel did not decide to exterminate the Canaanites, God did. . In fact, the Hebrew wars with other nations (except Canaan) were designed to be only in self-defense (Toward Old Testament Ethics, Walter Kaiser, Jr., p, 267, Zondervan, 1983). Kyle, Canaan, in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, James Orr, ed. However recently an atheist friend told me God was cruel and unloving and used examples from the old testament to prove it.
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