Introduction
- I Samuel 15:3 – Saul was told to annihilate the Amalekites.
- Genesis 7:23 – God destroys the earth in the flood.
- Marcion, 140 AD – He thought the God of the Old Testament was different from the New Testament. He edited a new Bible to remove the violence.
This is a huge source of criticism and confusion
- Deuteronomy 32:42
- Steve Wells: Drunk with Blood: God’s Killings in the Bible
God is just and will punish those who reject Him
God is compassionate and wants to bless people
- Exodus 34:6-7
- Ezekiel 33:11
- II Peter 2:5-7; 3:9 – Even in God’s fury, he provides salvation for the faithful.
- Joshua 6:21; 2:11; 6:25 – God saved Rahab because of her faith.
- Jonah 3:4, 10; 4:2, 11 – Ninevah repents and God relents, deciding not to destroy the city.
But what about the children?
- Consider the eternal perspective.
- Matthew 19:13 – Children are innocent. At death, they go to be with God.
- God is sovereign as creator.
- Job 1:21
- Romans 8:18
- As the creator, God has the right to create and destroy.
Application
- Be wary of how critics frame the issue.
- Don’t start with the bias of “modern society is right.”
- Keep the eternal perspective.