What do we do with the violence in the Old Testament?
This is a question I hear often from members of our church, and for good reason. Whenever we read stories like the one in Joshua 11, it can be difficult for us to reconcile these accounts with what we understand about the person of Jesus. For this reason, for thousands of years, many people have wondered if the God of the Old Testament and the New Testament are, in fact, somehow different.
Theologian N.T. Wright warns against this disjointed approach to reading the Bible, but he also cautions against drawing neat and tidy conclusions about passages like Joshua 11. In the crucifixion, Jesus received the punishment we deserve, and this is the primary paradigm by which we understand God’s judgment; God’s final word on human depravity is not condemnation, but the possibility of redemption in Christ.
That said, what can we take from passages like this one?
While we must be cautious about applying Joshua 11 to literal battles, it certainly teaches us something about spiritual ones. In the early chapters of the book, Joshua picks up the mantle of Moses’s leadership and fights many battles. In the end, “Joshua took the entire land, in keeping with all that the LORD had told Moses. Joshua then gave it as an inheritance to Israel… After this, the land had rest from war” (Joshua 11:23). He does all of this later in life, so he has earned a reputation as an effective military leader. Even so, he understands that Israel is not his to lead. Not truly. Instead, Joshua defers entirely to the legacy of Moses and the will of God.
This example is not especially notable until we compare it with a later leader, King Saul. In 1 Samuel 15, God gives Saul nearly identical instructions: go, conquer, and destroy entirely. Saul successfully completes the mission, mostly, but he spares some of the best sheep and cattle to keep for himself. Even though he conquers the Amalekites, God is displeased and rejects Saul.
It’s important for us to understand that God is less concerned with the battle than He is with the orientation of our hearts. Joshua understands this. He realizes that, although he is the leader of Israel’s army, he is not ultimately in charge of God’s people. And he refuses to win the battle “his way” because he trusts God more than his own judgment.
For those of us facing battles of our own today, we ought to ask ourselves some searching questions. When faced with one of life’s battles, will I respond like Joshua, or take matters into my own hands? Will I choose “what works,” or what is faithful? Will I be absolutely, positively obedient to the commands and character of God, even when it does not at first make sense to me?
Both options can achieve a similar outcome. But only one is a faithful response.
I need to put my faith in the Lord to fully take over some situations in my life and it’s so gm hard to let go and let God do His work which makes no sense when we know how His outcome is way better.
@MERCY I can’t tell you how much your encouragement and exhortation means to me!! Thank you!!! I love the verses you gave me and will be adding them to my journal and daily prayer life. I want what the Lord wants no matter the cost to me!! Heart circumcision is incredibly painful and challenging and I am absolutely sure that’s what God is doing, in both my life and this elder’s life. Thankfully God has brought me to a place where I am not bitter, resentful, unforgiving or angry.. I just get sad and discouraged…Seeing these unchanged patterns and excuses of behavior in someone who is says he’s living his life for God, is hard to see, heartbreaking actually. I don’t want the enemy to keep claiming ground that should be God’s. I want to see forward motion and change. I want to see this elder’s heart get ministered to, I want him to know how much God loves, values and cherishes him. My heart is for God to be made known in all areas and aspects!!! Your example of gold and dross (impurities) rising to the surface was the PERFECT word picture!! I will continue to pray and let God work. I KNOW He will be faithful!!! Thank you so much for praying with me, it means so much!!! ❤️❤️❤️
I do have a lot of questions. If God loves us so much why slaughter women and children? Did the young children even have a chance to repent? If Jesus took the wrath of god for us so we wouldn’t have to it feels a lot like hatred to me. Reading this is shocking because in my mind I always imagined a forgiving and loving father. Not one who had to send his only son down to take the wrath for us. It seems kind of inhumane.
Thank you❤️
I too struggle with the wrath of God sometimes, wondering, were all the people (children too) wicked in their hearts in all those nations and cities that they had to be completely annihilated? But I’ve come to the same conclusion, that this side of Heaven and the throne of God, faith doesn’t mean we have to have all the answers. And I believe God is reigning on His throne and I trust Him more than anyone or anything. He is a God of grace and love, He is also One to be revered and honored. It is super hard to explain how God is still a good God though to non-believing family and friends when there’s such pain and sorrow in this earthly life.
Do I trust God more than my own judgment? Wow. How convicting!
Erb, I too had similar problems with elderly family members in the past. All buttons were pushed when living together, including being provoked, misunderstood and even accused. It was painful trial time. The Bible says, Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity (1 Timothy 5:1). God used my own mother in a difficult season to train me. I was so miserable (like you described) taking her daily criticism, blaming and negativity. I prayed for quick deliverance from this situation. But God has his timing, we don’t know how long the training might take. For me it was a few years. God can change people’s heart, but most of all, He wants to change YOUR heart. “Heart circumcision” must take place and this hurts. He wants to peel off all the self layers, unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment, the FLESH must die. He let the “temperature” go up, so all the impurities will rise to the top to be skimmed, like a furnace purifies gold if you will. My mom, who did not know the Lord then (while visiting us), she was super difficult, later received the Lord when my church asked, to my surprise, she said yes and even made a poem about Jesus and read it in front of everyone. Furthermore, she later apologized and made several amends to compensate for the hurts she caused. God did not waste our pains and tears, and He will use it for His glory. I will pray for your strength to endure, and great victory to come. Be strong and very courageous! This too shall pass Erb.
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12). “No temptation has seized you that isn’t common for people. But God is faithful. He won’t allow you to be tempted beyond your abilities. Instead, with the temptation, God will also supply a way out so that you will be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13). God loves you so much!
It still blows my mind that the wrath of God is what took all of these kings and kingdoms and armies and people down. The wrath of God did alllllll of that. And Jesus took on the full wrath of God. This passage puts me in awe again of the cross and of what Jesus went through for us. Thanks be to God.