Old Testament Genocide?
1 Sam 15:2-3 (NKJV) - Thus says the Lord of hosts: ... "Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”
Q: How do we explain God's command to slaughter the Canaanites in the Old Testament? Many Christian are disturbed by the accounts of divinely authorized genocide recorded in the Old Testament. Such passages are among the least discussed and most disturbing in the Bible. But they can't be ignored just because we don’t like what they say. When the Israelites captured Jericho, the Bible says that "they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword" (Joshua 6:20-21). The Bible says that God once commanded such actions. How do we reconcile those passages with the New Testament message of love, compassion, and forgiveness?
Bible scholar Michael Heiser spent most of his career teaching Christians how to properly read the OT in the context of the ancient language and culture of that time. The OT genocide is one place where this kind of careful reading is essential. I found a video by a delightful young lady who excels at this kind of careful Bible interpretation. A video containing the standard interpretation, given by a famous theologian, comes first. You decide: Who has done their research more thoroughly?
A1: John Piper
John Piper is a pastor and theologian in the Southern Baptist Convention. He is famous.
A2: Brooke McIntire (Colson Center)
Brooke McIntire is a 'Content Coordinator' at the Colson Center for Christian World View. She is not famous. But she has a beautiful smile!
Summary - I wasn't looking for an answer when I started this webpage. I mainly wanted to see how different people handled this "hot" topic. IMO the big-name theologian fails and the winsome young lady wins. I wish that her video could gain wider distribution among Christians! Most of us have struggled with the standard modern interpretation.