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). Isnt there an inconsistency here? Because of that advance warning, it is possible that some people abandoned their cities. There were absolutely no prohibitions against bestiality in the rest of the ANE.21 In fact, in an Egyptian dream book it was a bad omen for a woman to dream about embracing her husband, but good things would happen if she dreamed of intercourse with a baboon, wolf, or he-goat.22 In short, their sexual fantasies involved everything that breathes. The Extermination of the Canaanites - Knowing the Bible Seems a bit harsh right? Killing of the Canaanites, Robert Driskell received a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Pastoral Ministries and Biblical Studies from Mid-America Christian University in 1995. Bible Verses, Quotes, Christian Answers, Songs and More. 7:1-2). Third, God gave the Canaanites ample time to repent. We must keep in mind, also, that Israel did not decide to exterminate the Canaanites, God did. Rick Wade provides a biblically informed perspective of these Old Testament events, looking back at them with a Christian view of history and its significance. He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Then, in AD 70, forty years after Jesus was crucified, the Roman emperor Titus destroyed Jerusalem. He blogs at Allkirk Network. Real Questions. In Deuteronomy 20:16, Moses said the Israelites were to save alive nothing that breathes in the cities in their new land. 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. 4. 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. This article first appeared in the CHRISTIAN RESEARCH JOURNAL, volume 33, number 04 (2010). But this is precisely the thing that the unbeliever loses in denying the existence of God. If He wanted to strike me dead right now, thats His prerogative (Reasonable Faith . It was merciful for God to allow the Canaanites to remain in the land as long as they did. {13} How persuasive this thought is will depend on how seriously we take biblical teaching about our future after the grave. The apostle Paul described this spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6:12: Forwe do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but againstthe rulers, against the authorities, againstthe cosmic powers overthis present darkness, againstthe spiritual forces of evilin the heavenly places. The battle may be fierce, but we remain confident that Gods justice will ultimately prevail. Who is more qualified than the Creator to decide how long one lives? Then theres Sodom, God tells Abraham that because of the wickedness of Sodom He will destroy it. Israel was warned not to let the Canaanites live in their land, but to completely destroy them (Exod. 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. 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). God didnt. For God does not show favoritism.