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. 2:11). C.F. 18:28; Deut 4:2329, 8:1920). But what about Deuteronomy 24:16 which says that children shall not be put to death because of their fathers sins? 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. And if all children are saved, then a Canaanite child would benefit by being alive in a better place. Because of that advance warning, it is possible that some people abandoned their cities. Read them in the archive below. 2. 7.1-2; 20.16-18). One of the problem passages she asked about is "Why does God order, I am a Christian and spend time talking with others often about God, but I have been speechless when they bring up the issue, for example, in I Samuel 15:1-3, Rick Wade served as a Probe research associate for 17 years. Some Christians have responded by driving a wedge between the Old Testament and the New, claiming that Jesuss ethics improved upon the brutal practices of ancient Israel. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. (LogOut/ Leviticus 27:29 says very plainly that every person devoted to destruction was to be killed. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it (Jeremiah 18:7-10 ESV). The Amorites' sin had not escaped God's notice. Would 45 be ok? Abraham continues to bargain down to 10 righteous people. Third, if one holds that there is an age of accountability for children, and that those younger than that are received into heaven with God at their death, although the means of death were frightful and harsh, the Canaanite childrens experience after death would be better than if theyd continued to live among such a sinful people. Canaanite religion, like that of all of the ANE, was a fertility religion that involved temple sex. Bible Verses, Quotes, Christian Answers, Songs and More. Robert is happily married and lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Canaanites are identified in Genesis as descendants of Ham, son of Noah. The Canaanites: Genocide Or Judgment? | Bible.org This clearly shows Gods mercy on sinners, and that He gives them a time of probation that they may repent. Kyle Dillon (MDiv, Covenant Theological Seminary) serves as an assistant pastor at Riveroaks Reformed Presbyterian Church in Germantown, Tennessee. God loves each of us as if there were only one of us"- Augustine. God and the Canaanities | Bible.org Because of this, I think the term should be avoided. 12. Instead, the Israelites worshiped the Canaanites gods and did evil (Judg. IGRG: Did God Give The Canaanites a Chance? - lofteideas God sent Jonah to Nineveh, and spared the nation because of their repentance towards God. God has delivered Israel and set them apart as His people. This was Gods judgment carried out on the people of Canaan using the chosen people of Israel. 22 Christian Quotes and Sayings About God. For further information Este artculo es una exclusiva en lnea de Christian Research Journal. Furthermore, justice must respond to the moral failure of sin. It may not be altered or edited in any way. God waited to redeem humankind until they had the chance to be, as 2 Live Crew once put it, as nasty as they wanna be.. Driving them out wasnt simply a way of making room for Israel. In the meantime, we are still called to do battle, but not as Israel did. God is a God of . A God of love and justice, they say, could never command genocide, and therefore he must not exist. 11. Are We Held Accountable for the Sins of Our Forefathers? Here are a few factors to take into consideration: First, the sins of parents, just like their successes, have an impact on their children. 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. This is an online articlefrom the Christian Research Journal. If we see humans as being basically good or innocent, then of course we will react with indignation to the Bibleseremlaws. Just as God had demonstrated his knowledge of who would repent in the Canaanite cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, before he destroyed Jerusalem He told Jeremiah that if He could find even one righteous person He would spare the entire city (Jer. Dr. Michael Gleghorn draws on a work by Dr. Gail R. O'Day, "Jesus as Friend in the Gospel of John," to explore the perspective of Jesus Christ as a Friend. 8. The Spirit of God comes on Jephthah, but the military leader's efforts still end in tragedy. God would hardly have chosen a Baal-worshipper to be a type, prophetically previewing his Son (Hebrews 7:3). He is passionate about understanding the Bible and helping others do the same. According to the Bible, the Canaanites were so vile that the very land spued them out (Lev. Christ and the Conflagration of Canaan - The Gospel Coalition A common attack today on Christianity has to do with the character of the God of the Old Testament{1}. 4. The evidence says no. It was merciful for God to bring an end to the. In Deuteronomy 20:18, God gave Israel an explicit reason why it was necessary to wipe out the Canaanites: that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you sin against the LORD your God., It was merciful for God to limit the scope of the. 33:11). . The people of the land had heard about all that had happened with the Israelites from the time they escaped Egypt. 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. Sue Bohlin processes how she is handling the crisis of tongue cancer by trusting Gods goodness. 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." Bible Based.We believe in solo-scriptura. Why did God judge the Canaanites as wicked despite never appearing to 7:1-2). Old Testament scholar Tremper Longman sees five phases of Yahweh war in the Bible. He gets no pleasure in the death of anyone. Spoiler alert: God did give Canaan a chance to repent. Then theres Sodom, God tells Abraham that because of the wickedness of Sodom He will destroy it. Keil and F. Delitzsch, trans., James Martin, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. Although prophets warned the northern kingdom (usually referred to as Israel or Samaria) of impending doom, they didnt repent, and in 722 BC the king of Assyria killed or deported most of them, and filled the land with conquered peoples from other nations. This was especially true of the Canaanite societies steeped in abominable practices like child sacrifice and cult prostitution. Christians believe that all authority belongs to God (Matthew 28:18, Romans 13:1, Colossians 2:10). (Deut. Concerning the destruction of the Canaanites, atheists especially like to exploit the Christian condemnation of genocide. In Deuteronomy 20:16, Moses said the Israelites were to save alive nothing that breathes in the cities in their new land. Yahweh wars are battles recorded in Scripture that are prompted by God for His purposes and won by His power.{4}. . Then they would simply abandon worship of the true God. Judges: a cycle of sin and deliverance - OverviewBible / He lies with her seventy times seven / Mounts eighty times eight / [She conceiv]es and bears a boy.20. 18 records briefly the moral degradation of the Canaanites. See the Papyrus Chester Beatty III recto (BM10683) from about 1175 BC as referenced in Lise Manniche, For an example of how embarrassing and dangerous this could be, see Robert M. Yerkes, The Mind of the Gorilla: Part III. Second, if the Canaanite children were allowed to live and remain in the land, they could very well act to avenge their parents when they grew up, or at least to pick up again the practices of their parents. In our pluralistic age, its easy to forget what an offense that is to the true God. When Joshua led the people across the Jordan River into Canaan, he was fulfilling this promise. 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). But instead of repenting when things went badly, they concluded that their misfortune was because they stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven, Inanna/Ishtar (Jer. Israel had a unique calling as Gods chosen covenant people. The Canaanites worshiped other gods, which the Old Testament frequently denounced as no more than sticks or pottery made by human hands that could not see or hear or eat or smell (Deut. Stanley Gundry (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003), 173-74. 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. God says its going to be a while before you all enter the promised land, because the Canaanites arent beyond saving.. Why didnt God just tell Israel; move in, settle down and coexist? What Does It Mean for the Saints to Judge Angels? Subsequently, God sent prophets to warn Israel of their coming destruction, but they didnt repent and God said that they became like Sodom to me and He visited destruction on Israel for committing the same sins. Why did some rules from the Old Testament cease to exist? They were fully aware that God had chosen Israel to be a tool in His hands in bringing judgement to the nations. At first, the Israelites tried to compromise and worship God the way the Canaanites worshiped their gods. Rick Wade provides an expanded discussion of the issues around the Israelites battles against the Canaanites. However, it is crucial to note that in the same passage, God declares the Israelites no less wicked than the Canaanites, deserving the same fate: Tagged as: The atheism of today wasnt an option. 1:16; 8:25). Robert has written 111 articles on What Christians Want To Know! Inanna/Ishtar, also known as the Queen of Heaven, became the woman among the gods, patron of eroticism and sensuality, of conjugal love as well as adultery, of brides and prostitutes, transvestites and pederasts.10 As University of Helsinki professor Martti Nissinen writes, Sexual contact with a person whose whole life was devoted to the goddess was tantamount to union with the goddess herself.11, The Canaanites even remake the God of the Bible, El, after their own image and portray Him ceremonially as having sex with two women (or goddesses). Maybe this was just an example of Ancient Near Eastern military language.{11}. OT scholar Tremper Longman summarizes this point well: We must point out that the Bible does not understand the destruction of the men, women, and children of these cities as a slaughter of innocents. Similarly, the southern tribes (usually referred to as Judah) were deported when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem beginning in 586 BC. Another biblical story that is similar to the story of Ananias and Sapphira is the story of Elisha's servant, Gehazi greedily wanting money for Naaman's healing . To understand what God was doing in Canaan, one must see it within the larger context of redemptive history. Then He says something very Interesting your descendants will come back in the fourth generation, because the sins of the Amorites hasnt been fulfilled. The Amorites in this case are the Canaanites. The Canaanites: How Could a Just God Command His People to Destroy an {14} The only test we can put to God is consistency with His own nature and word. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. A more detailed version is also available on our Web site with the title Yahweh War and the Conquest of Canaan. Bernhard Anderson, Understanding the Old Testament (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1957), 93-94; 96-103. Will More People Go To Hell Than Go To Heaven? Then they would simply abandon worship of the true God. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (around 2100 BC) came 600 years before Israel destroyed the Canaanite nation. THE CANAANITES- God's Justness in Perspective It's clear from history, God gave them ample time to repent, but they refused (Gen. 15:16; Deut. 16:9; cf. Capital Punishment Reason 4 Thus, the Israelites could possibly have married people who werent in the cities when they were attacked. Accessed 5 November 2008. 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. 1. 5:1). all, and God plays fair with all peoples at all times, giving them equal chances for repentance and reformation. 13-14), but in nearby cities they were to save nothing alive that breathes (v. 16). The situation with Canaan was different. 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. 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. God had warned them against that (Deut. The second premise is false, however. No matter what God does, all of His actions are guided by His sovereign will and the fact that He, so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16 ESV). . 1:4). 12:4, 30, 31 ). Of course Dawkins complains that Gods monumental rage whenever his chosen people flirted with a rival god resembles nothing so much as sexual jealousy of the worst kind.5 But does anyone think that if Dawkinss wife left him for a gingerbread man of her own baking, and then she began to tell everyone that he liked to play with his excrement, that Dawkins would tolerate the characterization of his feelings as no more than sexual jealously of the worst kind? (LogOut/ genocidal . All reproductions of this document must contain the copyright notice (i.e., Copyright 2023 Probe Ministries) and this Copyright/Limitations notice. 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! In the old testament God tells Joshua to kill all the Canaanites, including women and children. Josephus records that the Jews in Jerusalem were first whipped, and then tormented with all sorts of tortures, before they died, and were then crucified before the wall of the city.So the soldiers, out of the wrath and hatred they bore the Jews, nailed those they caught, one after one way, and another after another, to the crosses, by way of jest, when their multitude was so great, that room was wanting for the crosses, and crosses wanting for the bodies.26 Titus then renamed the region Palestine and for almost 1,900 years one couldnt find Israel on the map. This article first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume 44, number 2 (2021). Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a chance to repent? Acts 5:1-11 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. All rights reserved. 6. All Rights Reserved. The quote is from Gail Patches, The Great Debate: Craig, Hitchens ask Does God Exist? Whittier Daily News, April 5, 2009, A1, A4. Their task was to prepare the way for the arrival of the Messiah. The object of warfare moves from the Canaanites, who are the object of Gods wrath for their sin, to the spiritual powers and principalities, and then finally to the utter destruction of all evil, human and spiritual.[2]. Wouldnt that be a more merciful thing to do? Shedding light on this question will actually show that God is merciful and good. This was Gods judgment carried out on the people of Canaan using the chosen people of Israel. Jesus power was shown in His healings and exorcisms and preeminently in His victory in the heavenlies by His death and resurrection (see Col. 2:13-15). Kyle, Canaan, in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, James Orr, ed. Abraham decides to bargain again okay, okay but what about if Im 5 people short? What it Means to Become a New Creation in Christ. The Canaanites were an evil, depraved people who had to be judged to fulfill the demands of justice. The answer is: absolutely not! James B. Pritchard, Harry A. Hoffner, Jr., Incest, Sodomy and Bestiality in the Ancient Near East, in. 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? Therefore, Israels own mission foreshadowed Jesuss mission in a number of ways. Para ms informacin o para http://www.equip.org/christian-research-journal/, Overcoming the Enemy of Education: A Review of Pete Hegseth with David Goodwin, Battle for the American Mind: Uprooting a Century of Miseducation., Who Was Adam? And so for 400 years more, the Amorites were allowed to live and do as they pleased. A more obvious reason for the possibility of intermarriage is the fact that the Israelites didnt fully obey Gods commands. Israel received direct word from God that they should do this. The Canaanites were descendants of Noah. 4:26; 7:4). They are insisting that God and Christianity are in fact poisonous and must diligently be resisted and defeated. [emailprotected] For one thing, the Canaanites worshipped other gods. 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/. It was merciful for God to allow individual Canaanites to repent and join the people of God. Lets look at something God told Abraham before all this started. For the Canaanites, it was time for Gods judgment. 9. God knows who will or will not repent of his or her sin and if He concludes that all the children would have been similarly corrupted, then He is perfectly right to institute capital punishment.