Why does God command genocide in the Old Testament but preach love and mercy in the New Testament?

Why Does God Command Genocide in the Old Testament but Preach Love and Mercy in the New Testament?

1. Clarifying the Term “Genocide”

The word “genocide” is a modern legal term describing the deliberate annihilation of a particular ethnic or national group. When applied to the ancient Near East, it can be anachronistic or misleading. In Scripture, the instructions sometimes translated as total destruction use a Hebrew term often rendered as “devoted to destruction” (ḥērem). It connotes a divine judgment placed upon a people whose extreme wickedness precipitated a unique historical command.

2. The Canaanite Backdrop

In the Old Testament, passages such as Deuteronomy 20:16–17 outline instructions to dispossess and destroy the Canaanite nations:

“However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes. For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you.”

Archaeological evidence and ancient Near Eastern records point to practices among these people groups that included violent cultic rituals and child sacrifice. Excavations at certain Canaanite sites, along with references in texts such as Leviticus 18:21 and 20:2–5, underscore the moral depravity that accompanied their idolatry. These practices continued over extended periods, despite many warnings and opportunities to turn from evil.

3. Divine Holiness and Moral Accountability

Scripture often portrays God’s commands for judgment in the Old Testament as deliberate and measured, always tied to His moral perfection. Since He is the Author of life, He has the supreme right to judge sin.

• The Gradual Judgment: Genesis 15:16 notes that God waited “for the iniquity of the Amorites” to be complete before allowing Israel to displace them. This implies that God waited centuries, giving people opportunity to repent.

• Human Agency Within God’s Plan: The Old Testament depicts Israel as the instrument of divine judgment, uniquely mandated in specific instances. Yet, Israel itself was judged for its own wickedness (e.g., Assyrian and Babylonian exiles) when it followed similar idolatry and injustice.

4. The Purpose of Such Commands

• Removing Cancerous Idolatry: The idolatry and moral corruption of certain nations were so severe that allowing them to persist unchecked threatened the spiritual survival of Israel and other nations.

• Establishing a Holy People for Redemption’s Sake: Out of Israel’s lineage would come the Messiah (Genesis 12:3). Boundaries and purity had to be maintained to bring forth the fulfillment of God’s plan of blessing for all nations.

• Specific, Not Generalized, Judgment: God’s commands to destroy certain peoples were historically and theologically specific. The Old Testament is not a universal endorsement of violence but an instance of God’s justice amid extreme human evil.

5. God’s Love and Mercy in the Old Testament

Although such passages can appear harsh, there are also numerous examples of God’s mercy in the very same Hebrew Scriptures:

• Mercy Shown to Nineveh: When the notoriously brutal Assyrians repented, God spared them (Jonah 3:10). This demonstrates that whenever repentance was genuine, God relented.

• Redemption in Rahab’s Story: The Canaanite woman Rahab (Joshua 2) was spared when she feared the God of Israel and acted by faith (Hebrews 11:31).

• Witness to Other Nations: Israel was intended to be a “light to the nations” (Isaiah 42:6), reflecting God’s justice but also His compassion.

God’s willingness to extend mercy is woven throughout the entire Old Testament, showing that His judgments are part of a greater redemptive narrative.

6. Transitioning to the New Testament

• Fulfillment of the Law and Prophets: Jesus confirms in Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” This suggests continuity rather than conflict. The standards of holiness remain; Christ provides atonement.

• Revelation of Christ’s Atonement and Compassion: The New Testament proclaims that Christ’s sacrifice fulfills divine justice (Romans 3:25–26). Whereas Old Testament sacrificial systems point forward symbolically, Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice brings final atonement and the invitation to worldwide reconciliation.

• From National Protection to Global Mercy: With the coming of Christ, the focus shifts from maintaining a distinct geographic nation to proclaiming the message of salvation to every tribe and tongue (Matthew 28:19).

7. Consistency in Justice and Love

• God’s Character Remains Unchanged: In both Testaments, God is portrayed as simultaneously just and merciful. The Old Testament’s judgments underscore His moral authority over nations. The New Testament extends that same authority—though now forgiveness is offered through Christ’s work on the cross to all who repent.

• Judgment Foretold in the New Testament: Passages like Revelation 19 depict a future judgment against evil exceeding the scope of any past event. This confirms that God’s holiness and justice are not set aside but fully consummated in the eschaton.

8. Moral and Philosophical Implications

• Objective Morality Rooted in God: The Old Testament narratives highlight the seriousness of evil and the sobering reality of a holy God who enforces perfect justice.

• Divine Patience and Warning: The biblical record shows repeated warnings and calls to repentance, emphasizing that judgment is neither rash nor arbitrary.

• Christ as the Ultimate Expression of Mercy: While the Old Covenant’s legal framework emphasized separation from wicked practices, the New Covenant invites repentance from every nation. In 2 Peter 3:9 we read: “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.”

9. Modern Reflections and Applications

• Historical Cases of War and Judgment: Ancient warfare was brutal. The Old Testament instructions regarding destruction must be assessed within that cultural context, while recognizing that Scripture asserts God’s transcendent moral purposes.

• A Call to Repentance: Even as harsh judgments fell on idol-worshipping nations, there were always paths to mercy for individuals who turned to God (e.g., Rahab, the Gibeonites in Joshua 9).

• Consistent Scriptural Narrative: From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture presents a holy God and calls believers to wrestle with the tension between divine justice against evil and divine love offered to the repentant.

10. Conclusion

When God commands the destruction of entire nations in the Old Testament, it is within the backdrop of centuries of rampant evil, persistent idolatry, and continual rejection of divine warning. These events highlight God’s holiness, His right to judge, and His protection of the redemptive line leading to Christ.

In the New Testament, God’s policy of mercy is not a new invention but the culmination of a plan hinted at from the start. In Christ, the fullness of love and grace is made manifest, extending salvation to all who turn from sin. Yet even in the New Testament, God’s holiness and moral standards remain, demonstrated by the promise of ultimate judgment for those who refuse redemption.

Taken together, both Testaments reveal one God, unchanging in His righteousness and compassion, who works across history to bring about a final, perfect reconciliation. Through biblical accounts, theological reflection, and the alignment of archaeological and manuscript evidence, the narrative stands as a unified portrayal of divine judgment, love, and mercy—calling people of every generation to reflect on God’s holiness and respond to His gracious invitation.