For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Fernando Perez
I am a true believer, I believe in GOD and I believe in JESUS CHRIST's resurrection, but with all respect, I do not think GOD wanted the people of Canaan to be killed.
Why do I think so? Because GOD gave us the freedom to choose, those who chose not to follow the GOD's teachings will be judged as the Book of Revelations says. I believe that the killing of the Canaanites equals the killing of Christians that ISIS is doing.(if you do not believe in our GOD we kill you). JESUS CHRIST didn't teach us that.
Danny Hickman
It isn't said anywhere in scripture that the people of God (Israel) protested the way I claim I would have done. Why was it so easy for them to obey God and kill those people?
(That's the unwritten part of the story that has to be considered. I truly hope that what I'm writing here is getting through to somebody).
Let's do a comparison: It seems that when they're told to do something evil the people found it easy to obey. But when told to do good they didn't readily comply. What it shows is what was in their hearts!
So let's do a comparison: Moses went up on the mountain to consult with God; while he was gone the people got Aaron to fashion for them a golden calf to worship. Of course it angered God. God said this to Moses: "Your people (don't miss that "your" part), whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves." He goes on to tell Moses he's going to destroy them and "make of you (Moses) a great nation."
Moses turned the offer down! Moses straightened the story out! He said "LORD these are Your people, You brought them out of Egypt with great power." Moses asked God to "turn from Your anger and relent from doing harm to Your people " (Exodus 32).
See the difference? God made Moses an attractive offer in the mind of a self-serving person. Moses didn't have that proud spirit and God knew it.
Abraham disagreed with God destroying Sodom. (Gen 13).
Why didn't somebody say "LORD I can't kill those babies?" I hope I would have! Do you not?
Justin Hale
Fernando, perhaps you would consider one other angle of thought on this subject.
Jesus did predict a giant 'sword' would arrive in the world, (Matthew 10:34), based on His universal declaration of authority, (Matthew 28:18), as His new kind of 'peace' that would be ushered in afterwards, (John 14:27).
This is actually the divine enforcement of a new global legal system called the 'law of liberty,' (James 1:25, 2:12), which guarantees ALL men, (both good and evil), the freedom to choose either GOD's path or the path of evil.
Unlike ISIS or other groups that use violence to rob people of their choice, Christian violence is only used to universally enforce this choice so that even if a single soul living under Muslim oppression genuinely wants to be free and follow Jesus instead of Mohammed, we will move heaven and earth to make it happen under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
This same principle of law stands for ALL tribes and cultures. That even includes wiping out entire tribes who use their best knowledge and skills to resist the new global law and keep their spiritual slaves oppressed. You should notice that after these cultures relent of their opposition, (presuming that there are survivors), GOD honors their choice and helps them rebuild their culture, (usually with the help of Christian resources and wisdom).
So even in the Old Testament, Yahweh was presciently looking ahead at the 'law of liberty' and addressing evil similarly in 'seed' form.
Danny Hickman
If you study the scriptures to get an understanding, you will see the difference in certain people from the average person.
Moses was very different from the others, including his brother Aaron. Joshua was different; Caleb was different; Daniel and the other three Hebrew boys are shown in scripture as being very different from all the others.
Rahab was different; Ruth was different.
I could go on and on. All of the prophets are shown as being very different from the average person; Elijah was nothing like anyone else! John the Baptist was 'Elijah Part ll.'
Jesus had 12 handpicked close disciples. Three of them seem closer than the other 9. One, Peter, is in a class all by himself!
There's no one in scripture quite like Paul. His resume is one that makes us scratch our heads; first he persecuted the church; then he built a ministry that's still serving the Lord!
Those people who willingly went into Caanan and killed men women and children, can't blame their cold hearts on God. The Bible is revealing what was in THEIR HEARTS, not God's. (You can teach seminary and not get that if you don't get help from the Holy Spirit).
Jesus came to us and showed us God's heart; it still doesn't quite register to many of us. He seems different from God the Father to many of us. I think it's because some of us don't understand the context of the scriptures. The whole story of Jesus' life is designed to clear up the confusion. Here it is: God is love; he loves us! FULL STOP!!