Answering a Skeptic
Q: Isn’t God racist, violent, and a tyrant because He told the Israelites to annihilate the Canaanites?
A: Actually the biblical account of what God did to the Canaanites teaches the complete opposite.
First you have to understand God created man-kind, therefore He owns them and has the authority to do with them as He wants. If you were to paint a beautiful picture and then destroy it. Isn’t that your business? No one can accuse you of wrong doing.
Secondly, God’s patience and love is shown that while the Canaanites has sinned against God in horrific ways, child sacrifice, idolatry, sexual sins and murder He gave them centuries to repent and turn from their evil ways. But they choose to live in rebellion to God.
Lastly, it shows that God loves justice and will not allow evil to go un-punished. Remember, the Canaanites had done wicked thing like burning newborn babies to their false god Molach. God used Israel to bring justice to the land and point the remaining people to a right relationship with God that would lead to forgiveness of sin and eternal life.
So you see, the reason we think there is an injustice done here is because we know if God were to execute justice we would be destroyed just like the Canaanites. But God’s patience has allowed us to live this long waiting for you to repent and place your faith in Jesus Christ. Don’t wait.
Bibliographical note:
I am indebted to Charlie H. Campbell for much of the material in this post. I adapted the material for instructional use. – B.R.