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what did god say to do to the canaanites

Why did God command the Canaanites' extermination?

In Deuteronomy seven:1-two, the Bible teaches, "When the LORD your God brings you into the state that you are inbound to take possession of it, and clears away many nations earlier you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than you, and when the LORD your God gives them over to you, and y'all defeat them, so you must devote them to complete destruction." Why did God control the complete destruction of Israel's enemies?

One of the best references for why God commanded the destruction of the nations inside the promised land is in ii Kings 17:6–20, in the explanation to Israel and Judah as to why God was allowing (or commanding) their destruction as a nation. In brusk, Israel and Judah (every bit nations) had become every bit evil every bit the nations before them. The "gods" of the Amorites, Canaanites, etc., had engaged in child sacrifice, and multiple other perversions. They served Asherah and Baal, and graven images. Romans 1 talks in generalities virtually the unrighteousness of humanity, saying that we "exchanged the truth about God for a prevarication and worshiped and served the animate being rather than the Creator" (verse 25) and that "although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or requite thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened" (verse 21). So what is the big deal? Worshiping and serving idols will never pb to life, which is found in God alone (John x:10; xiv:6). Worshiping and serving self is not conducive to loving others. Non honoring God leads only to death. God'southward desire is that nosotros seek Him in repentance and reliance upon Him, and so that we may truly alive and truly love others.

In the desert, when the Israelites left Egypt, God was preparing a people to follow Him, and to found a society based upon justice and mercy (Micah 6:eight). Only every bit God started anew with the flood and Noah's descendants, so, as well, God was "starting anew" a nation fix autonomously to worship Him. In lodge to set the nation apart, it needed to be purified and also free from ungodly influence.

With this backdrop, we can look further in Deuteronomy vii for the rationale for God's seemingly violent command: "You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn abroad your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD would be kindled against you, and he would destroy y'all quickly" (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). Iii clear reasons are offered.

Showtime, allowing Israel's enemies to remain would cause their children to finish following the Lord and serve other gods instead. The Lord commanded that the Israelites worship Him and no other (Exodus 20:3). Allowing their enemies to live would pb to intermarriage resulting in families that worshiped other gods. The Lord chose to prevent this sin by fully removing those people who served other gods in this land. Annotation, however, that this was specific to the land of Israel, non to other lands.

Second, Deuteronomy 7 teaches that if Israel's enemies survived and led them to worship other gods, the anger of the Lord "would be kindled against you lot." The Israelites had witnessed God'due south acrimony against Pharaoh in Egypt every bit well as against many of the Israelites in the desert who had rebelled against Him. The Israelites' desire was to worship the Lord and to obey Him in order to bring joy to the Lord. If they kindled His anger, He would non bless them in the country as He had promised, but would judge them.

Third, Deuteronomy 7 predicts God would destroy the Israelites if they immune their enemies to alive in the country of Israel. The Canaanites and other enemies in Israel'southward state had worshiped other gods for more than the previous four hundred years. God was using Israel every bit part of His judgment against Israel's enemies. Nevertheless, if Israel refused to obey God and remove these enemies, His judgment would come upon them every bit well.

Once more, it is important to note that this was a specific command in the context of warring nations as function of God's promise to bring Israel into its Promised Land. Though it represents a graphic devastation of many people, the alternatives were to live with people who would lead the Israelites to serve other gods and bring judgment upon them or even State of israel being defeated by these enemies, which would result in violent deaths of a similar nature among the Israelites.


Related Truth:

Is God fair?

Did God create evil?

Does God tempt us to sin? What about Abraham in Genesis chapter 22?

Why does God allow evil rulers like Hitler and Saddam to have power?

How do I get the prototype of God every bit being angry out of my mind?


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Source: https://www.compellingtruth.org/Canaanites-extermination.html

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