Bible Question: If the Bible tells us that killing is wrong, why do we see God helping Isreal to kill their enimies all through the OT? |
Bible Answer: Hello jmartin First, let me say that God never calls killing wrong. God condemns murder and death from negligence or carelessness (Gen 9:6; Exod 20:13). Second, you make an unwarranted assumption that Israel was the aggressor throughout the OT. If you read the accounts, Israel was merely defending itself. God is justified in helping. When this question is asked people are usually thinking of the conquest of Canaan in the book of Joshua and assuming the rest of the OT is identical. The people of Canaan were wicked and idolatrous. God needed to judge them and did so by the hand of Israel. Steve |