Realizing Grace in Unusual Texts

I was watching a show from the History Channel a friend had TIVO'ed for me. This program discussed "Battles in the Bible" and gave some interesting description of ancient warfare. Unfortunately, the theology it presented left alot to be desired. In fact, one of the archaeologists being interviewed described God in the kind of blasphemous way only an atheist could attempt.

The question, phrased more politely, is how could a good God command the Israelites to exterminate the Caananites in the ban. How is it right for God to insist on such a genocide that even kills women, children, and animals? The "expert," however, was ignoring a great deal of the Biblical evidence in order to make his rude statements against God.

First, God's primary desire was for the Israelites to "drive out" the Caananites. A merciless attack on a series of cities would convince others of the need to move to a different area. God did want to reward his people with the land, and these kinds of land displacements were common in the Ancient Near East.

Second, and more importantly, the Caananites were under the judgment of God. Their noxious religious behavior (including ritual prostitution and child sacrifice) cried out to the Creator for judgment. God waited 400 years to give them adequate time to realize their error and repent. Finally, when God had rescued his people, the Israelites, he used them to enact the judgment, much as he could have used a tornado or a ball of fire from heaven. There are situations that cultures become so repugnant in their morality that the only just thing for them to face is destruction. Clearly, the Nazi party needed to be destroyed for their behavior, not just reformed.

The amazing thing to me is that God, in waiting 400 years to judge the Caananites, kept his own people in slavery for 400 years. That means, at great personal expense, he gave grace to the Caananites in ample opportunity to repent. How often doesn't God extend that kind of grace to us in our lives?