A podcast listener named Ian writes and asks this, Pastor John, like many Christians, as

part of Scripture, I have always struggled with the Canaanite genocide.

I feel like I understand why God commanded Israel to cleanse the land of pagan influence

to protect them from the potential idolatrys.

But my question is this, when we see ISIS and other terrorist organizations essentially

doing the same thing for what they consider to be the same reason, purging the land of

infidels by the command of God, how can Christians take the moral high ground and condemn this modern

genocide?

It's interesting, I've been thinking about that question recently thinking, I've got

to write a blog about this because it seems so not only relevant but increasingly relevant

on to the end of the age, I just think this kind of question is going to be imperative

to answer.

So I'm glad I've been pushed a little bit to think about it some more.

So first, let's clarify, there are similarities and dissimilarities between what ISIS is

doing and what Joshua, as they entered the Promised Land, did, a couple of similarities,

both killed people, even in horrible ways, men, women, and children.

There's no sense in trying to whitewash what happened there.

God told Joshua to clean house on the Canaanites.

Number two, both believed that they were killing people who ought to be killed and whom God

had commanded them to kill.

Ian said in his question that one reason God ordained this through Joshua was to protect

them from idolatry.

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