This week we will be reading troubling passages of the Old Testament that cause us to struggle, particularly as we compare them to the teachings of Jesus. For me, this is a most troubling passage. The Israelites were about to cross over into their Promised Land, a land already settled with indigenous people. In most places, these resident people are to be spared if they desire peace and agree to serve the Israelites, but in the cities of the places given to the Israelites, they are to utterly destroy all the people. The reason is that, if the Israelites attempt to settle in with these persons, they will teach the Israelites to follow their pagan gods and lead them away from God.
The Israelites were actually more civil than this as they moved in and did not always follow these instructions. Sometimes they indeed were led astray by their foreign neighbors. The worst result of these brutal instructions is that these instructions have been used many times throughout history to sanction “holy wars.” Even today in Israel, Zionists sometimes use these verses to defend their brutality against the Palestinians. God is love, as Jesus taught us, and these brutal instructions were meant only for a limited time and a unique situation in Israel’s history. We dare not lift this passage out of context and apply it more generally.
Personal Worship Option:
John Wesley taught that “Scripture teaches Scripture,” meaning that we are to interpret the Bible with the whole in mind. If Jesus taught something that conflicted with an Old Testament practice, we must take note. Pray for guidance in working through these troubling passages.
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