The Israelites’ total destruction of their enemies raises difficult questions about right and wrong. What reasons made Israel invade, conquer, and destroy Canaan and its people? From a human perspective, Israel's aggressive invasions to conquer Canaan seem illegal and immoral. The Bible provides some insights into this issue. While these insights do not answer all our questions, they help us understand the situation better.
First, God commanded and led the war against the Canaanites, not humans. God was uniquely present with Israel (Exodus 19:5–6; 40:34–38). After Israel crossed the Jordan River, it was obvious that God fought against the Canaanites (Joshua 6). When God did not fight, Israel lost (Joshua 7). God defines morality based on his character. For ancient Israel, this meant removing evil to keep God present (Deuteronomy 7:1–6; Deuteronomy 20:16–18; see also Numbers 25; Judges 2:1–15).
Second, the people of Canaan had turned against God and become very evil (see, for example, Genesis 34:1–2). During the time of the patriarch Abraham, God said that the Canaanites' sins did not yet justify their destruction (Genesis 15:16). Now, several hundred years later, they did.
They were committing terrible crimes against God and humans. This included idol worship, child sacrifice, adultery, incest, murder, and oppression (see Leviticus 18). These sins completely defiled the land and its people, making them spiritually unclean (Leviticus 18:24–25). The holy God was exercising his justice against extreme evil.
It is important to understand that the war God allowed Israel to fight was limited to a specific time, place, and people. Wars fought in the name of religion are not justified by this example. For instance, the Crusades (military attacks by Europeans (who called themselves Christians) against Muslims in the Middle East during the years AD 1095–1291) were wrong. The same is true for recent violent attacks by people claiming to act for Islam (called jihads by those who carry them out).
Jesus plainly said, "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9). He also said, "all who draw the sword will die by the sword" (Matthew 26:52). The Jews expected Jesus, as the Messiah (God's chosen leader), to lead Israel to military victory over the Romans. Instead, he sacrificed his life to defeat sin, death, and Satan.
God has reserved the right of judgment for himself (Romans 12:19). In the final judgment, he will express his holy anger and justice toward all the wrong and sinful actions of humanity (see Revelation 19:11–21; 20:7–10). Therefore, no one can now rightly claim that God has commanded the killing of a specific group of people. In the modern world today, it is never just to commit genocide (killing or destroying an entire group of people on purpose).
Passages for Further Study
Genesis 12:1; 13:14–17; 15:16, 18–21; Deuteronomy 1:30; Deuteronomy 7:1–6, 16–26; 20:1–4, 10–18; 32:8–9; Judges 3:27–30; 1 Samuel 7:7–11; 2 Chronicles 13:12–19; 20:20–24; Isaiah 13:1–5; Joel 3:1–16; Matthew 5:9; 26:50–54; Revelation 19:11–21; 20:7–15