According to the Bible, God tells the people of Israel to utterly destroy the Canaanites. All of them: Men, women, children, infants, animals. Not only are they to be killed, they are to be shown no mercy. More than showing no mercy, they are to be cherem - set apart - for destruction. This, from the lips of a God who is “slow to anger” and “abounding in mercy.” Even giving a moment’s thought to this is enough to make one’s stomach turn. It’s genocide, there’s no getting around that, and apparently God commands his nation of priests to carry this out on the cities, towns and villages in the land they are going to take over.
Some defend this command, believing God is just so whatever God says to do, you do. No questions asked. I mean, who are we to question God? Those who think this way argue the Canaanites were the most horrible people living in the Ancient Near Eastern World. However, the Canaanites were no better or worse than anyone else living back then. The only difference between them and, say, the Assyrians is they lived in the wrong place. They lived in a land that Israel wanted and the way to get it was to wipe them out.
This story and these words echo the words of a King of Moab in the 9th Century B.C. named Mesha. In other words, this kind of violence was not original with the people of Israel. ANE tribes often praised their gods by attributing gross violence to them, and then, after the battle, gave them glory for their victory. The gods were violent warriors who looked out for their people, and were ready to destroy anyone (and in this case everyone) else. Let’s not forget Israel was immersed in this culture, and to a certain extent participated in it. So, what do we do with these stories? The simple answer is “engage them” for what they are. That being a record of people’s conversations about God, how they understand God and what we can learn from that.
December 10, 2023: And Then I See a Darkness - Hannah Thom
December 3, 2023: The Name of the Moment - Michael Hidalgo
November 19, 2023: Ravens and a Suggestion of Wild Flower - Maggie Knight
November 12, 2023: Saving, Storing and Dying - Michael Hidalgo
November 5, 2023: The Inside on the Outside - Hannah Thom
October 29, 2023: A Not So Lovely Dinner Conversation - Michael Hidalgo
October 22, 2023: Baptism - Michael Hidalgo
October 15, 2023: This is a Movement - Michael Hidalgo
October 8, 2023: Parts of a Whole - Jonathan Merritt
October 1, 2023: Hand It Over - Michael Hidalgo
September 24, 2023: Eyes Wide Open - Keri Ladoucer
September 17, 2023: The Only Sign - Michael Hidalgo
September 10, 2023: Who is the Enemy? - Michael Hidalgo
September 3, 2023: That Sounds Like a Guarantee - Michael Hidalgo
August 27, 2023: How Do We Pray? - Keri Ladoucer
August 20, 2023: Sitting Down in the Busyness - Michael Hidalgo
August 13, 2023: Guest Teacher - Jason Miller
August 6, 2023: Guest Teacher - Michelle Warren
July 30, 2023: Guest Teacher - Maggie Knight
July 23, 2023: Guest Teacher - Hannah Thom
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