Jeremiah 18:9-11 "Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; 10 if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it. 11 So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds.”’
Introduction:
The last few posts have been dedicated to addressing a persistent apologetic issue that deals with skeptical attacks on the character of the God of the Old Testament and the narratives of the book of Joshua. The so-called "New Atheism" is marked as not only saying it to be irrational to believe in God, but that such belief is immoral. New Atheist authors like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins will often cite the narratives in Joshua as "proof" that Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament, was a "moral monster".
It is important at this juncture to remind readers that such apologetic considerations are pertinent to biblical interpretation. How we interpret and apply the difficult sections of Joshua that feature the commands to "wipe-out" the Canaanites is as important for the pulpit on Sunday morning as it is behind a university lectern or debate forum. Today's post will draw to a conclusion what has turned out to be a four-part treatment on this subject.
Why the Context of Joshua Must Be Considered to Demonstrate that Yahweh is not a "Moral Monster"
Authors who regularly criticize the Old Testament narratives and call God a blood-thirsty monster never mention the times God spared those who did repent. When one studies the narratives of Joshua and the wider context of the Pentateuch prefacing the conquest of Canaan, it is clear that the Canaanite culture had went beyond the point of no return and a God who had given it centuries of time to repent (compare Deuteronomy 7; 20). Justice was all that was left. However against the backdrop of judgment stood out those multiplied instances where God showed mercy to those who humbled themselves to Him.
What recent scholarship has had to say about the "holy-war" narratives in Joshua and surrounding Old Testament literature
In recent years some Bible scholars have attempted to take the wider canonical context surrounding Joshua and the ancient extra-biblical documents of the Ancient Near East (ANE) to show that the "Holy War" narratives of Joshua are written in hyperbolic language.
Matthew Flannegan points to a scholar by the name of Nicholas Wolterstorff who has advanced the thesis that phrases such as "do not leave alive anything that breathes" are hyperbolic statements that are part of the genre of "Holy War" literature.1
Admittedly, more research would need to be done in assessing the full scope of this proposal, however it seems that more is given up in trying to harmonize something that may not need to be harmonized. Granted, the tensions of the issue of Joshua and the Hebrews wiping out some of the Canaanite cities must not ever be dismissed. However, if the reader keeps in mind all that has been outlined in this post, the texts in question can be dealt with in an honest and straightforward way.
Why The New Atheists' Attempts to Show Yahweh and the Scriptures as Untrustworthy fail
As was noted at the beginning, Dr. Darrell Bock outlines the typical logical argument made by the New Atheists and Skeptics against the character of God and the Biblical text:
a. Yahweh is portrayed as a Good and Just God
b. Any form of human genocide is evil and unacceptable and morally monstrous
c. The Bible records Yahweh issuing commands to Joshua and the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites in holy war so as to take up residence in the land of Canaan
d. The Bible avows the character of Yahweh and the actions of the Israelites, and therefore the Bible and Yahweh are morally monstrous
What hinges on the plausibility of this argument is premise (b) in regards to whether or not God commanded genocide or another act altogether. In the course of this series, we have shown that the concept of holy war differs from genocide. Hence, the second premise would be disarmed, weakening the overall force of the argument used by skeptics. When the wider context surrounding Joshua (not just a few isolated statements as typically proposed by the skeptics) is considered, coupled with the even wider ANE context, the New Atheists criticisms lose traction and the character of Yahweh and His Word remains intact. By diffusing one part of the argument, the whole argument falls to the ground.
Closing thoughts:
We have spent the past few of posts wading through the thorny issue of Yahweh's commands to destroy the Canaanites. We began by considering seven introductory considerations for approach this issue. We then proceeded to regard a way of framing a discussion that can aid people in navigating through the Book of Joshua and answering critics who attempt to discount God and His word. What remains is the responsibility to explain the "Holy War" texts of Joshua and to understand their application to today's 21st century world.
When God’s justice and wrath are no longer believed, the concept of deity no longer resembles the God of the Bible and the deity that is left is a god of popular culture that is not holy, not just and impersonal. The consequences for such a denial lead to either a diminishing of sin or a denial of its reality. This two fold process renders a culture susceptible to decreased vigilance in defending the sanctity of human life and denial of absolute morality/ethics which is essential for a culture to continue enriched in the practice of freedom and equity for its citizenry. History has shown that over time, the slide towards socialism, communism, tyranny and anarchy will ensue.
The hope and prayer of this blogger has been that this post can aid towards shedding light on a subject that though difficult, yet is not impossible to understand. Thankfully the Holy Spirit of God ever stands to aid the Christian and the church at large in expounding and defending the scriptures and character of God in this cynical and unbelieving age.
Endnotes:
1. Paul Copan and William Lane Craig., General Editors. Come Let us Reason - New Essays on Christian Apologetics. Article by Matthew Flannegan: Did God Command the Genocide of the Canaanites? Broadman and Holman Publishers. 2012. Pages 226-249
Deuteronomy 20:16-18 "Only in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. 17 But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you, 18 so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God."
Introduction and Review:
The last two posts have aimed to offer a response to those who accuse Yahweh of being a "moral monster" for His command for the Hebrews to defeat and "wipe-out" the Canaanites. Skeptics and more particularly, the so-called "New Atheists", have attempted to use these texts and a basis for calling into question the moral integrity of the God of the Bible and the character of scripture itself. In the minds of such skeptics, the Bible endorses immoral practices such as "ethnic-cleansing". So how can we navigate the response and discussion of these issues as Christians who are concerned for the souls of those who oppose the Bible as well as demonstrating the reliability of God's character and the scriptures? The goal of today's post is to suggest a way of "framing" or navigating this "thorny" issue in light of these considerations.
Suggesting a way of framing the discussion regarding Yahweh's commands to destroy the Canaanites in the Book of Joshua
1. Extra-biblical resources that corroborate the history detailed by Joshua
To begin, one critic has tried to allege that when the Bible reports the immoral and spiritual degradation of Canaanite culture, it does so as propaganda and that there is scant to no outside evidence supporting such a notion. Is that true? When we consider the sources outside the Old Testament that refer to the Canaanite culture, it’s practices and the situation of Canaanland during the time of Joshua and the Conquest, we can look at some of the following ancient documents and/or writings:
A. The Tel El-Amarna corresponsdance between the Canaanite peoples and the Egyptians during the 13th century. In these letters (really tablets) we see the appearance of the Hebrews (called in the tablets the Hapiru).1
B. The discoveries at Ugarit in Northern Syria unearthed numerous tablets with a language akin to ancient Hebrew called the Ugaritic. Scholars have deciphered this language and have found it helpful in discerning Hebrew idioms in the Old Testament. It is here we get more information about the Canaanites and their religion, being that the peoples of Ugarit were closely related.
C. According to the Archaeological Study Bible, page 182, other Archaeological discoveries in the Phoenecian city of Carthage, Moab, Ur of the Chaldees and the like reveal a centuries old pattern of child sacrifices in the region of Canaan, confirming both the Biblical record and reasons as to why the Israelites would later practice such abominable activities in the latter parts of the Old Testament. They had picked it up from their Canaanite neighbors.2
D. The Ras-Shamra Tablets contain information relating to Canaanite worship practices and deities. Dr. Gleason Archer lists all of the deities and some of the practices described in these tablets which help reconstruct the picture of Canaanite culture that we see most fully revealed in the Book of Joshua.3
2. The Mercy and Long-suffering of God is displayed right along with God's Justice and Holiness
In noting the extra-biblical sources that corroborate the cultural context of the Book of Joshua, we can now consider the character of Yahweh Himself. The Old Testament teaching about God’s holy character, long-suffering mercy and covenant relationship with His people must be considered if correct interpretation of Joshua is to be achieved.
In reading Joshua, there are indications that the Canaanites were aware of Yahweh's deliverances of Israel from Egypt, as indicated by Rahab's testimony in the second chapter of Joshua.
3. The concept of Holy war is different from the historic practice of genocide.
Deuteronomy 20:15-18 depicts the rationale of Yahweh in his instructions to Moses for Joshua and the people. God did not want his people to be influenced by their neighbors (Deuteronomy 7:1-5). As a Holy set-apart people, they were to be Holy as He is Holy.
The moral and spiritual conditions in Canaan had deteriorated to such a level as to cross the line where God hands them over to their own base desires and to be set apart for judgment.
Whenever one reads the texts that speaks of God devoting or dedicating something to destruction, Romans 1:18-31 can be used as an interpretive lens for assessing the downward spiral of moral and spiritual degradation.
4. Understanding the Concept of "Holy War" in the Bible and How Yahweh Could Still Show Mercy
The stark contrast between the holy and the profane is central to the Biblical concept of God’s Holiness. The Wrath of God, which is God’s Holiness in action, describes what God hates and is really His love and goodness expressed in relationship to that which is profane and contrary to His character. To love sin or to embrace injustice would make God not a good God. If God were not Holy and did not express His wrath, then He could not be good and be loving. This idea may seem repugnant to a secularized view of reality that denies the God of the Bible or any worldview that does not view God as Holy. God declared Holy War only on those nations and cities who had crossed the line on two main fronts:
a). They ignored previous warnings that came through a prophet or prior judgments God enacted on nearby cultures and
b). were engaging in practices that polluted the land spiritually and posed significant moral and spiritual contamination of other cultures.
Jeremiah 18:8 states – “if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.” Two most prominent examples are Rahab in Joshua 2 and the Ninevites in the Book of Jonah.
Whenever an individual (such as Rahab) or a city (like Ninevah) did repent and respond to God’s revelation, God would relent His anger and based upon His equally balanced characteristics of love and mercy spare that individual or city.
More next time...
Endnotes:
1. Dr. Gleason Archer. A Survey of the Old Testament Introduction. Moody Press. 1985. Pages 271-279
2. The Archaeological Study Bible. Zondervan. 2005. Page 182
3. Dr. Gleason Archer. A Survey of the Old Testament Introduction. Moody Press. 1985. Pages 271-279
4. Walt C. Kaiser Jr. Toward Old Testament Ethics. Zondervan. 1991. Page 268.
5. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., Bruce K. Waltke. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Moody Publishers. 1980. Page 741.
Joshua 11:14 "All the spoil of these cities and the cattle, the sons of Israel took as their plunder; but they struck every man with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them. They left no one who breathed."
Introduction:
In the last post we had begun considering how we may answer those who level critiques against God's character in the commands He gave to Joshua and the Hebrews to exterminate the Canaanite nations. We had noted the following:
a. Understanding Joshua and the wider context
b. Understanding the cultures and literature outside the Biblical text
c. Formulating an apologetic that defends the character of scripture and God Himself and which also disarms the New Atheist critiques.
Today's post will continue laying out further considerations.
1. Ancient Near Eastern Literature outside the Bible helps us understand why the Biblical text asserted the moral and spiritual degradation of the Canaanites.
In the last post I had inserted a map of the Ancient Near East (ANE) to show the reader what the immediate world of Joshua looked like. Readers need to know that ancient literature outside the Bible records what life was like in Canaan in and around the 15th to 14th century b.c (1399-1300 b.c). http://www.bible-history.com/geography/maps/map_ancient_near_east.html
God had given ample warning, and the Canaanites ignored the warnings of societal, moral and spiritual degradation. ANE literature records all the atrocities done by the Canaanites. God devoted the land to be destroyed. There are those occasions where human beings commit such atrocities that the area in a sense becomes unfit to ever be inhabited again.
2. Yahweh is depicted in other Biblical texts, including Joshua, of sparing people devoted to judgment who repented.
So, do we have evidence in the Bible of cultures such as the Canaanites being devoted to destruction and yet spared as a result of their repentance? Yes. The Book of Jonah records the response of the Ninevites to Jonah’s preaching. In Joshua 9-10, we see God permitting the Gibeonites to live among the Israelites due to the Israelites themselves not treating the Gibeonites rightly. If someone is going to criticize the God of the Bible, they must include the whole testimony of scripture.
3. Understanding the difference between Holy War and Genocide avoids misinterpreting the texts of Joshua and application of the text to today's world.
Whenever we consider the details of what constitutes holy war and compare it to genocide, it is comparing apples to oranges. Genocide is a merciless, random act of ethnic purging by another people group for political purposes. Holy war in the Bible was moral purging and included an extended pre-history of God giving space for the culture to turn from their extreme wicked practices. Genocide does not include possible mercy. Holy War can be reversed if the culture repents of its ways. Jeremiah 18:8 states – “if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.”
Closing thoughts for today
The above considerations from today's post and the last post were intended to give "hooks" upon which the reader could hang some thoughts when discussing God's commands in the book of Joshua. In surveying the literature and listening to scholars discuss and debate this issue, the above considerations aid greatly in any discussion we have about Yahweh's commands to "wipe-out" the Canaanites.
More next time.....
Deuteronomy 20:16 "Only in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes."
Introduction:
Whenever one reads through the narratives of Deuteronomy, Joshua and Judges, do the Divine commands for the Hebrews to destroy the Canaanites undermine the goodness of God? The so-called "New Atheists" (typified by such authors as Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett) raise such questions in their attempt to demonstrate not only the alleged irrationality, but also the immorality of believing in the Christian God. The point of today's post and the next couple is to better grasp the Biblical texts that portray Yahweh commanding the Hebrews to exercise Holy War on the Canaanites, as well as to determine the plausibility of the New Atheists' criticisms.
How does one address the criticisms of God being a moral Monster in the Bible?
We will consider four thoughts below that will clarify what is going on in the Biblical texts of Genesis to Deuteronomy; Joshua and Judges relative to Yahweh's commands for Joshua and the Hebrew nation to attack the Canaanites. In the next post we will consider three additional considerations.
1. Diffusing the logic of the New Atheists critique of the character of the Biblical text and Yahweh.
First, we need to understand the particular problems being raised by the New Atheism against the Biblical text. In the Dallas Theological Seminary podcast, "The Table", a panel of Biblical scholars (Dr. Gordon Johnston and Dr. Robert Chisolm, with host Dr. Darrell Bock) discussed the accounts of the book of Joshua and the accounts of the Israelites holy wars with the Canaanites. In the podcast, Dr. Darrell Bock outlines the typical logical argument made by the New Atheists and Skeptics against the character of God and the Biblical text.
Per the podcast's main point: if it can be shown that Yahweh's command of holy war is different from genocide and if it can be explained why the Bible avows Yahweh's character and the Israelite's actions, then the above typical logical argument will be shown to be of no affect. The link to the podcast is here and gives a very effective presentation in disarming the New Atheists' objections: http://s3.amazonaws.com/dtsfeeds/thetable/mp3/thetable_201411_genocideinot_01.mp3.
2. Getting at the meaning of "Holy-War" in the Old Testament texts and how one's worldview understands such meaning
At issue of course is not only what was commanded, but more importantly, the meaning of what was commanded. With that said, there are differences between genocide committed by one group of human beings against another versus the concept of Holy war. Those that criticize the God of the Bible and the text of Joshua do so from a particular worldview. Whenever God is no longer regarded as Holy, and whenever the dual concept of the holy vs the profane is taken out of the picture, texts such as the Book of Joshua will not make sense.
3. The Book of Joshua and the wider Biblical context portrays God's incredible mercy and long-suffering
Thirdly, we must take into consideration the arguments raised by critics and the meaning of the Biblical narratives in such issues as "Holy War", but also how much space God gave to the Canaanites to repent and amend their ways. For example, in reading through Joshua we find at least two occasions where it was clear that the Canaanites (the people of Jericho in those instances) were aware of what God did in Egypt. There was even a wave of fear that spread through the culture. Rahab the prostitute was the only one who responded in faith to God, and she was spared. The point being that the people had at least 40 years to amend their evil practices of child sacrifice and senseless killings. To say God gave them no warning nor time to repent is simply inaccurate.
4. The Canaanites were not an innocent people but were a culture that disregarded Yahweh's repeated warnings to repent.
Fourthly and finally for today, as one continues reading the wider Biblical context, we discover in Genesis 15:16 that God told Abraham that his descendants would not return to the land of Canaan until the sins of the Amorites (another Canaanite people group) had reached the point of needing to be judged. Contrary to the "New Atheists" and other skeptics, the Canaanites were not an innocent, hapless culture of poor defenseless people. The Biblical chronology indicates God had given the immoral and violent Canaanite culture multiple centuries to amend their ways. If anything, God’s Holy justice is balanced by the enormous amount of space and mercy He gave to a culture that en toto ignored what they heard about Him through the centuries.
Closing thoughts:
Today we began understanding how to answer the criticisms often leveled against the God of the Bible and the commands given to "wipe-out" the Canaanites in the book of Joshua. We first of all suggested a three point strategy for a Christian response: understanding Joshua and the wider context; understanding the cultures and literature outside the Biblical text and then formulating an apologetic that defends the character of scripture and God Himself and which also disarms the New Atheist critiques.
