Genocide and the Bible

2023-03-24

It was not easy writing this, and I feel heavy about these things now that I have.

There is a lot of talk about genocide or mass killing in the Bible. Some will discredit the entire Bible or God Himself because of certain recorded events. People will mention the world-wide flood, Sodom and the surrounding cities, the Egyptians’ firstborn, the conquest of Canaan, the Amalekites, and others. Even God’s own people, Israel and Judah, were destroyed by the Assyrians and the Chaldeans. Why? Does God have something against certain races? How do we reconcile this with the message of peace and love found in the New Testament?

When we have a discussion on this, we inevitably come to this discussion of whether God gives people unlimited chances to turn to Him. He doesn’t. There comes a time, whether it be for individuals or entire societies of people, where they have had opportunity to give God glory, but continually chose to reject God as the sovereign Creator to serve false gods or themselves. This is discussed here and here. The summary is that societies receive the common grace of God until there is no remedy; they will never ever turn to Him no matter what.

And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. (Genesis 15:13-16)

Egypt took the Lord’s people, enslaved them, and would not let them serve their God. Pharaoh and his servants saw the miracles and rejected God anyway. God destroyed them by the ten plagues and the Red Sea crossing. “And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead” (Exodus 12:30). Once the Amorites’ iniquity was filled up, God brought His people to their land and destroyed the Amorites, most of which were destroyed by His miracles. “...the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat...” (Joshua 6:20). And again, “And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword” (Joshua 10:11).

This has everything to do the sin of the people aggregated over time and their hardening themselves toward Him. This has nothing to do with there being something intrinsically wrong with race X or ethnic group Y.

Here are some thoughts about this mass destruction found in the Bible.

1. The destruction of people in the Bible are examples for all of us.

   And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly (2 Peter 2:6).

   Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Jude 1:7)

   There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (Luke 13:1-5)

2. For a society (or the world, as we see in the flood of Noah’s day) to be destroyed, there is little to no people left in the group who serve the Lord or can even respond to God’s extending of mercy due to self-hardening.

   And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake. (Genesis 18:32)

   Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8)

3. God can bring about His judgment directly, as in the flood and in Sodom and the other cities, or by use of other nations, like with the Canaanites, or a combination of both. Consider examples:

   In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. (Genesis 7:11)

   Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven (Genesis 19:24)

   And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. (Joshua 8:20)

   ...they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword (Joshua 10:11)

4. The situations of Canaan and the Amalekites are not examples of self-defense. It was God’s will to destroy these people. God commanded His people to do so; it was not their choice.

   Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it. (Deuteronomy 25:17-19)

5. I must reiterate that this is not about the race or ethnic group itself. It is about the permeation of sin and self-hardening where they have reached a point of no return. No matter of allowing more time for them to turn to the Lord is going to help.

   Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. (2 Chronicles 36:14-16)

6. We also cannot say that extrabiblical examples of genocide are because of the same reasons as the examples found in the Bible. We cannot say with definitive authority that the examples of Native Americans and Rwanda are God’s judgment on those people. Only the Lord knows the reasons for every evil and tragedy.
7. Sin is not just learned; it is ingrained in us, and we are born with a predisposition to our family tree’s sins. On the path to reprobation, there even comes a point where even the children will not grow up to be anything different from their fathers.

   Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans 5:12)

   And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. (Matthew 23:30-32)

   This should give us more earnest heed to the crying out of Christ to us to repent and believe. We are affected and infected by the family, ethic group, race, religion, and culture in which we are born. Jesus Christ died for our sin and rose again. He has given us a path out of the way of all the world. “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13).
8. God may extend grace to one generation, but He expects that future generations will learn from those mistakes. Belshazzar did not learn the lesson of his father Nebuchadnezzar: “And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this” (Daniel 5:22). He extended grace to Nineveh in the days of Jonah the prophet, but we do not see any provision in the days of Nahum the prophet to the next generation.

   And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. (Jonah 3:10)

   There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually? (Nahum 3:19)

9. These principles are even stronger since the coming of Christ.

   And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. (Acts 14:15-16)

   Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:29-31)

   We will be judged on what we know. All western society has access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ to varying degrees. Don’t dismiss it.
10. Understand that God does not want to destroy people. He extends grace again and again and again. He destroys when there is no other option. This destruction is an example and cautionary tale for us who remain.

    The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Peter 3:9-10)

    Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 33:10-11)

11. We should not forget that a worldwide level of destruction of humankind is coming. We have not evolved from barbarous ancestors to become more virtuous. The “church” or some “church” is not going to usher in some age of spiritual prosperity like amillennialists and postmillennialists suggest. Whenever any “church” wields political power, we will always get the dark ages. Instead, we see that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will physically come in a very clear and unambiguous fashion.

    Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7)

    Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11)

    And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (Revelation 19:11)

    And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)

12. The church is not a nation in the sense that it dishes out destruction. “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:7) at the direction of the Lord behind the scenes. But we extend grace and preach the Gospel, walking in the ways of Jesus. This is the hidden kingdom of the Lord in this age. “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39). I am no pristine example of this, but I know the way to go, and we must walk in it. If we are Christian, we need to stop thinking about vengeance, political, personal, or otherwise. “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
13. God is the God of both judgment and mercy. He is holy. Sin will not stand in His presence. As Creator and King over everything, everything is on God’s terms. We do not have to like it, but we must come to terms with this, because He is God, and we are not. God judges sin, and He decides what that is. We must accept that reality and make sure we are right with him. “...except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). Though we may not like it, the solution is to broadcast the Gospel of Jesus Christ far and wide. That good news is that God has reconciled us with Himself through the death of His Son, and that we can live with Him. He can deliver us from the certain coming wrath. “...it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger” (Zephaniah 2:3). We cannot help those who have already perished, but we can now heed the warning of the coming Christ, submit to Him, and tell others of His amnesty toward humankind in Christ, if there be any who will accept. God is the enemy of sinners, but He extends to us His peace in His Son.
14. “I don’t want to believe in or serve a God who is like this.” There is no choice. You cannot just pick another religion, else you blatantly choose a god that is not God. There is one Creator, and everyone must be silent before Him. You “changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man” (Romans 1:23). He exists apart from our conceptions and constructs. He is coming with vengeance. We cannot appease Him; we can only submit to His Son. Otherwise, we will be the receivers of the genocide and mass destruction of the antediluvians, the Sodomites, the Egyptians, the Canaanites, the Amalekites, and many others.