Page 23 - Advanced Apologetics and World Views Revised

Chapter 4: The Justice of God

Connect …

As you read the Old Testament, and even some stories in the New Testament, it seems like God displays
His wrath toward groups of people with cataclysmic results. God told Noah to build an ark as He was
going to destroy all mankind with a flood. Not only did God kill every person save those on the ark, but
also destroyed all air-breathing animals except those on the ark. When the Children of Israel entered
the Promised Land, they were commanded to kill every man, woman, child, and even some the animals
who dwelt there. When God punished the Amalekites at the hand of Saul, he was commanded to
destroy every person.

In reading these stories, it seems that God’s wrath is directly not only on the guilty, but on a lot of
innocent lives. The small children and babies weren’t in rebellion against God. So why did God judge
everyone?

If you attended a public university in the US, most assuredly a professor of ethics would certainly bring
up this objection against the existence of a loving God. Many Christian students find it difficult to
defend a God who kills entire nations of people. Today, we are going to discuss the justice of God. Is
th
God a God who does not even obey His own commandment to not kill (6 commandment)? Let’s find
out…

Objectives …

1. The student will be able to explain that there is a vast difference between killing with cause and
murder (killing without cause).

2. The student will be able to describe the cultures of the Canaanites and other people groups living in
the Promised Land to determine is their punishment was just.

3. The student should be able to explain that when God kills, He has a reason and purpose in doing so.
He is just in dealing with wickedness.

The Lesson …

The Justice of God…

In the Old Testament, God commanded the children of Israel to enter the Promised Land and kill all the
inhabitants of the Land, including women, children, and even animals. This does not make sense!
Doesn’t God killing people make Him a murderer?

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