Quote:1. Why is God called loving or merciful when, in the Old Testament's stories of the Israelite conquest, he specifically orders his chosen people to massacre their enemies, showing no mercy to men, women, even children and animals?
The participants
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God
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Wants the world to mirror heaven. No injustice, no violence.
The People
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Sacrificed their children to fire, served harsh gods
The Israelites
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Had been taken up by God to create a nation that followed Gods ways
Gods Plan
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He is not willing that any should perish but all come to eternal salvation
Bits of stuff we need to know
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God speaks to people individualy, and personally, even at the time of death. God could eternally save any one of the people who sacrificed their children to fire. Depending apon thier choices at that stage. Putting them to death naturally was not the same as putting them to death spiritually.
What God was up to
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God was making a statment for the world to see: serve harsh Gods, that require child sacrifices and I will not tollerate it. He really had no other option. He allowed defectors. i.e. people could defect and become Israelites, such as Rahab. The bible says fear had fallen upon all the lands after they had heared of the miracles performed against egypt. The reason I say he had no choice is, if he left women and children alive they would be very ticked off at Israel and would have made a humanitarian disaster. Wiping every thing out ment the people and animals would not be a problem for them. Good could replace evil. No more child sacrifices. Because God can talk to people even as they are dying it gave each one a chance to be eternally saved. Which is the main thing for God. Because he desired that none of the people who were sacrificing their children perish eternally, he would have spoken to them shortly before or during death to ask them to forgive those who had wronged them. As the bible says forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
