Why so much blood?

(1:24pm) - The context and question of this post refers to all the killing recorded in the Old Testament. Why did God kill so many nations if He is a God of love and restoration.

I was asked this question in church yesterday. It's a good question. Much thinking and writing has been done regarding this question because it challenges us to the very core. It's implications are vast, thus finding good answers becomes necessary. I would like to share an insight that I believe God revealed to me. It's a simple thought and while I believe it is a good one, perhaps even profound, I don't believe for a moment that it's complete by it's self, but I do believe it is a foundational corner stone in this discussion.

When asking questions about death it's always important to remember that sin/the sin problem is the larger context. The reason we live in a death saturated world is because Adam and Eve decided to disobey God and sin. How is God dealing with the sin problem and how will He terminate it forever?

Once again keeping it simple, we know that God sent His Son to die for our sins, "because the wages of sin death" (Romans 6:23), and that one day God will destroy sin forever with fire (Revelation 20:7-10, 14; Malachi 4:1 - many more verses could be cited showing that God will one day eradicate sin from the world and the manner in which He will carry this out).

Keep these preliminary thoughts in mind while we look at Genesis 6:11-14. Why did God choose to destroy the world? Why will God choose to destroy the earth a second time? The answer is the same. This is how God wipes out sin.

The world had become so corrupt and sinful during the time of Noah that the best way for God to clean things up was total destruction (with the exception of Noah's family and the animals that God protected in the ark with Noah). The first time God destroyed the world He used water, the next time He will use fire.

In fact God made a covenant in Genesis 9 (see verses 13-15), with Noah, every living creature, and the earth that He would never again destroy the world with a flood.

The rainbow gives us assurance that between now and the end of the world (when it will be destroyed with fire), there will never again be a world-wide flood that will destroy the world by water. Does that mean between the flood and the fire God has no right to deal with wickedness and sin? If God has the right to step in and deal with sin when the world or certain nations become overly wicked how would He do this? What medium would He use? We know He can't use a world-wide flood anymore because He has made a covenant with us that He must and will keep.

I believe that the story of Jonah (see chapter 3) demonstrates one of the main ways in which God sought to deal with the sin problem in the Old Testament. Simply put God would destroy nations who were totally corrupt and a threat to surrounding nations. But as the story of Jonah notes, God would only overthrow nations (Jonah 3:4), after He did everything He could do to persuade them to turn from their wicked ways.

Had Nineveh chosen not to repent they would have been destroyed. In the Old Testament most of the blood shed by God can be attributed to God judging and sentencing a nation only after they had past a certain point (see Deuteronomy 9:4; note: God would also sentence His own people if they rebelled against Him, Deuteronomy 28:15-68; these are only two references many more could be cited). It would be non-sensical for the Bible to record every single detail of every single story in order to explain to us God's fairness and justice. We must always interpret every story in context of the entire Bible and sometimes there will be stories, events, and ideas difficult to understand, but we can be assured that God is doing everything and anything to save everyone (2 Peter 3:9). Thus, when God is responsible for the death of people or nations it is only after He has given them every chance to repent. Those who choose not to repent choose to die. I know this sounds harsh, but it's true. Sodom & Gomorah is another fitting example.

Isaiah 28:21-22 explains that whenever God rises up or stands up to judge and destroy it is a strange, unusual, and alien task. This is not normal. God's desire is to redeem humanity not destroy them (Matthew 23:37-39). The God of the New Testament is the same God of the Old Testament. When the time comes for God to destroy the world with fire there will be more blood shed and loss of life than was ever recorded in the Old Testament, but this does not make God happy. Judgement coupled with eventual and total destruction of those who refuse to let go of sin and cling to God will be a STRANGE ACT for God.

I look forward to comments, questions, and feedback. This is a starting point for my recent thoughts and I will update this post as I learn and realize more.



=D