Our Fall series, WHY?, is answering some of the questions people often think or ask as they consider the Bible and the Christian faith.

A question may be authentic or it may be used to avoid or attack. There is always an underlying motive behind each question. We must try to discern someone's motive and any faulty assumptions or misunderstandings on which their motive is based.

Our question today is one that generates tremendous emotional anger.
"How could a holy and loving God command and give instructions for the wholesale slaughter of an entire people, includng innocent children?"
The question is usually based upon someone's:
-limited understanding of the Old Testament
-assumption that they have a higher view of morality and ethics than the God of the Bible
-desire to find an excuse for their personal beliefs so they can justify their lifestyle

There are people who accuse God of being a "cold-hearted" murderer. They think that murder and killing are synonymous and interchangeable.
We have to look at the word meanings in the Hebrew language.
To murder implies "the premeditated, unlawful taking of a life." An example of this is found in Exodus 20:13, "You shall not murder."
In order for God to commit murder he would have to act "unlawfully." The Bible states in Deuteronomy 32:4 "God is the Rock His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He."
To kill, on the other hand, means "the taking of a life." This term would be used for death that is accidental in times of war or self-defense, and for capital punishment by those authorities who represent God's authority on earth.

So we really need to ask ourselves, has God ever killed people and/or assigned His people, Israel, to do so?
The answer is yes. The Bible records that God has ended the lives of sinful people, groups, nations, and things associated with their evil.

Noah and the flood is an example of this. Genesis 7:21-23
The question is why?
We see the reasoning for this in Genesis 6:5.

We have to remember that God has brought judgement even upon His own people, Israel, and the common cause is always the same: willful rebellion, lack of righteousness, and a failure to repent.

Today we're looking at 4 discussion points around the topic of why God brought about the end of certain people groups:

1. The Nature and Character of God.
Deuteronomy 7:7-9
Ezekiel 18:32

2. The nations destroyed were in no way innocent.
Deuteronomy 9:5
Deuteronomy 18:9-13
Romans 1:18-32

3. God's justice acted as a reminder of a final judgment.
Genesis 15:13-16
2 Peter 3:9

4. Our perspective of life grows when we remove our hand from our eyes.
Isaiah 55:6-9
Romans 11:33-34 [NLT]

These are just a few of the discussion points we need to think about as we consider the charge that God is unfair, mean, and a cosmic bully.
Paul, the great debater and apologist, didn't go around looking for fights or trying to make a point. He genuinely cared for people and wanted them to know Jesus. He wrote about this in Colossians 4:5-6.

Birthdays and Anniversaries!

Saturday, October 15th - Jacob Mater, Kyle Smith
Sunday, October 16th - Cy Stark, Sherry Snider, Sue Reid, Evelyn Nowicke, Londyn Wright
Monday, October 17th - Logan Denton, Gary & Connie Neff
Tuesday, October 18th - Tori Jones
Wednesday, October 19th - John Mater, Cynthia Coblentz, Trapper Reigler
Thursday, October 20th - Paul Adrianson