The Bible
Isn't the God of the Old Testament violent and cruel?
Short answer
These are difficult passages and deserve careful reading. They are rare, specific to a particular time, and often responses to extreme evil after long patience. The Old Testament overall shows a God who is "compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love," and that same character is fully revealed in Jesus.
In simple words: Some parts of the Old Testament are hard to read. But the whole Bible shows God is patient, loving, and fair, and Jesus shows us exactly what God is like.
Response
This objection deserves honesty. Passages such as the conquest of Canaan are difficult, and Christians should not pretend otherwise.
Some context helps. First, these commands were specific and limited, not general instructions for all time. They were tied to Israel's unique role in history and are never presented as a model for Christians today.
Second, they often followed long patience. God told Abraham that the sin of the Amorites had "not yet reached its full measure" and waited 400 years (Genesis 15:16). The Canaanite religions involved practices like child sacrifice (Leviticus 18:21; Deuteronomy 12:31).
Third, many scholars note that ancient war accounts used exaggerated language. Phrases like "leave nothing alive" were conventional, and the same books mention many survivors (compare Joshua 10:40 with Judges 1). God also showed mercy to Canaanites who turned to him, like Rahab.
Finally, the Old Testament repeatedly describes God as "compassionate and gracious" (Exodus 34:6). The prophets call for care of the poor, the foreigner, and the vulnerable. In Jesus we see God's character most clearly: God himself absorbing violence rather than inflicting it.
Key evidence
- Genesis 15:16 indicates centuries of divine patience before judgment.
- Ancient Near Eastern war accounts commonly used hyperbolic language.
- Old Testament law includes extensive protections for foreigners, widows, orphans, and the poor.
- Rahab, a Canaanite, is spared and becomes part of Jesus' family line (Matthew 1:5).
Bible passages
- Exodus 34:6-7 Compassionate and gracious, slow to anger.
- Genesis 15:16 Judgment delayed for 400 years.
- Ezekiel 18:23 God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
- Joshua 2; Matthew 1:5 Rahab spared and included.
- Jonah 4:11 God's concern for the people of Nineveh.
Discussion questions
- Which Old Testament passages do you find hardest to understand?
- How does Jonah show God's attitude toward Israel's enemies?
- How does Jesus help us understand God's character in the Old Testament?