We don’t know exactly why the Lord destroyed the nations of the promised land as the Israelites entered. Apparently their extreme cruelty exhausted the Lord’s patience. Nowadays, based on a cursory reading of these narratives, many describe God as angry, judgmental, and capricious.

But what if this God in the Old Testament is the same God who wants all to come to repentance? What if God—in his love—sent prophet after prophet to win them back?

What if people wholeheartedly devoted themselves to demonic gods, even zealously offering their children as sacrifices? How would we feel if forced to watch babies slaughtered by priests, and burned alive to appease the spirits?

What if people not only scorned Jehovah, but killed his messengers and refused even a taste of water to those in thirst? How much evil would you be comfortable with before deciding to clean out the whole lot?

The Lord described these nations clearly: You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.

God can defend himself—he doesn’t need me. But I am wondering what types of abominable behavior pushes the gracious God I read about all through the scriptures to such extremes? Torturing babies screams social order beyond repair.

Which gets me thinking about societies today. How far is too far? God waits and waits and waits for folks to turn to him. However, the fate of those in the past who totally rejected the Lord and his ways reminds us that patience eventually runs dry.

Deuteronomy 12 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by AJITH S