HOW COULD A GOD OF LOVE DESTROY ANY HUMANS?

HOW COULD A GOD OF LOVE DESTROY ANY HUMANS?

That question is understandable, for the destruction of human life is not pleasant to contemplate. Really, though, it was God's love that impelled him to take such drastic measures against the wicked. To illustrate: When a patient develops gangrene, doctors often have little choice but to amputate the infected limb. Few would enjoy performing such a procedure, but a good doctor knows that the alternative - the spread of infection - is worse. Because he cares, he carries out this unpleasant task for the good of his patient.

Similarly, Jehovah did not enjoy destroying the Canaanites. He himself says: "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked". (Ezekiel 33:11, Darby) At the same time, he purposed for the nation of Israel to produce the Messiah, the one who would open the way for salvation for all those exercising faith. (John 3:16) Thus, God simply could not allow Israel to become infected by the disgusting practices of the Canaanites, He therefore ordered the Canaanites to be cut off, or evicted, from the land. In so doing, God demonstrated outstanding love - love that moved him to perform an unpleasant task for the benefit of his faithful worshippers.

DID NOT THE CANAANITES' DESTRUCTION CONFLICT WITH GOD'S LOVE?

On the surface, God's exterminating the Canaanites might seem inconsistent with his love. (1 John 4:8) However, that love becomes quite apparent when we take a closer look.

God knew long beforehand that Canaan's inhabitants were headed in the wrong direction. Yet, instead of immediately wiping them out, he patiently allowed 400 years to pass until their error had "come to completion". - Genesis 15:16.

When the sin of the Canaanites reached the point where all hope of improvement was gone, Jehovah brought their end. Even so, he did not blindly execute all Canaanites. Why? Because not all were beyond reform. Those willing to change, such as Rahab and the Gibeonites, were shown mercy. - Joshua 9:3-11,16-27; Hebrews 11:31.