Another view of the Old Testament Atrocities

Lest you think I will get wrapped up in Yancey and forget to finish the post on the Old Testament atrocities, here is the other view I came across.

The other series of articles I read also made many valid points to indicate that God's words and actions reflected more of a desire for Israel's enemies to leave. Again, that it was more in the spirit of a deportation than a slaughter. The authors cite evidence that these enemy nations had ample time and warning to get the heck out for several CENTURIES..and that many of the truly innocent people had indeed fled. The "innocent" people who were left were, in most cases, far from innocent. The list of the practices these peoples participated in are amazing. Many of their religious rituals were decadent..and involved incest, homosexuality and bestiality....not to mention child sacrifice!!! Add to all the above the fact that they also were hostile, aggressive, cruel nations who had attacked the Israelites many times over and the atrocities do not seem nearly as atrocious.

The article also lists the boundaries and stipulations of battle that God set for the Israelites such as:

Unlike the early Amorites, Israel was NOT supposed to destroy the cities and buildings (Deut 6.10ff). [The main exception was Hazor--the 'nerve center' of Canaanite culture and trade--cf. Joshua 11.10

Unlike the Egyptians, they were NOT supposed to destroy the vegetation and the trees (Deut 20.19).

They were restricted from attacking Esau's land--

Deut 2.4 Give the people these orders: `You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. 5 Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. 6 You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.'" [Notice that Esau 'got' that land the same way as Israel did--by conquest (Deut 2.12, 22; Josh 24.4).]

They were restricted from attacking Moab (Lot's descendants)--

Deut 2.9: Then the LORD said to me, "Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession."

They were restricted from attacking Ammon (Lot's descendants)--

Deut 2.19:
When you come to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them to war, for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot."

They were NEVER allowed to take the cultic objects--with the precious metals and stones--

Deut 7.25f:
The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the LORD your God. 26 Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.

They were REQUIRED to offer peace to nations at a distance--

Deut 20.10-16:
10 When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. 11 If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. 12 If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city. 13 When the LORD your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. 14 As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the LORD your God gives you from your enemies. 15 This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.

1. There were restrictions on how Israelite men treated female war captives (from distant nations)--

Deut 12.10ff:
When you go to war against your enemies and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands and you take captives, 11 if you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife. 12 Bring her into your home and have her shave her head, trim her nails 13 and put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month, then you may go to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife. 14 If you are not pleased with her, let her go wherever she wishes. You must not sell ot treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her. [Scholars have noted that this was an unparalleled benevolence toward women, in warfare in that area.]

Two of the articles are very long...one is over 35 printed pages and the other is probably 26 or so pages..but for anyone who is troubled by the God of the OT, I think it would be worth at least looking over. The author uses many sources for his arguments including scripture, historical writings, meanings of the original words along with common sense and logic. The articles are too long to go into thoroughly in the scope of a single post (even though you know how long winded I can be!!!) so for a more in depth look you will have to read the articles.

How could a God of Love order the massacre/annihilation of the Canaanites?

Shouldn't the butchering of the Amalekite children be considered war crimes?

These articles are from The Christian Think Tank. There are many other articles on a wide variety of subjects on this site. They are written from a scholarly, mostly traditional point of view. Another similar site is Tektonics.