Alrighty then, good as place as any to start. It would seem the majority of posts pretty much condemn God for these kinds of acts in the OT. Then there are those who just flat-out don't believe in God at all.
Hopefully the next few posts will explain how I have come to reconcile how God in the OT is the same God associated with mercy. At first glance that would seem to be a contradiction, but it takes a bit a searching His words to find some sort of explanation for some things He did that resolve those same contradictions.
God didn't just show up one day and then start to commit these acts. How much better was the world (in general) in terms of non-violence before the great flood? The answer is it wasn't any more peaceful, nor is anymore peaceful today. Can we put the same standard to ourselves that we place on God? Over 30,000 children die each and every day just from hunger, who gets the credit/blame for those deaths?
Now concerning the ones that God caused to die. True He did cut their life short, you would have to agree that any of those would now be dead anyway. The real question is are they destined to stay dead and eventually sent to the fiery lake. God can undo death as easily as we can open a unlocked door. So why would God specifically do those things in the OT? There is more than one aspect to a full answer (based on individual cases). When He destroyed some of Israel it was because of disbelief or disobedience. When it was Gentiles that died there are a few possible answers. They were on the promised land and they died because they were used as an example to His people that when God fought on your side you won the battle, plain and simple. When you read about those battles, many times those were considered to be the 'most terrible in the land' rather than some benign population that was more inclined to peace and honest trade with their 'neighbors'. Again you have to read what their final fate is going to be, for example, would all those who died in the OT because "God said it should happen" qualify as being 'beheaded for the word of God'? If so, they are covered by the words in this verse.
Re:20:4:
And I saw thrones,
and they sat upon them,
and judgment was given unto them:
and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus,
and for the word of God,
and which had not worshipped the beast,
neither his image,
neither had received his mark upon their foreheads,
or in their hands;
and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
If not in that verse then they are considered to be part of 'the rest' and they are covered by the words in Hebrews:12 and/or Isaiah:65.
They certainly weren't sent to anyplace of eternal punishment, nobody has ever been sent there....yet. This next verse explains what happens to 'all people' when they die, there is no separation of the 'good and the wicked' at the time of death, that happens at Christ's return, that is when some will spent 1,000 years in torment.
Ec:3:20:
All go unto one place;
all are of the dust,
and all turn to dust again.
Ec:12:7:
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was:
and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
I don't believe Scripture points to those who He caused to die have lost any hope of eventually being brought back to life and then being offered a drink of living water by God himself.
Re:21:3:
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying,
Behold,
the tabernacle of God is with men,
and he will dwell with them,
and they shall be his people,
and God himself shall be with them,
and be their God.
Re:21:4:
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
and there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow,
nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain:
for the former things are passed away.
Re:21:5:
And he that sat upon the throne said,
Behold,
I make all things new.
And he said unto me,
Write:
for these words are true and faithful.
Re:21:6:
And he said unto me,
It is done.
I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end.
I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Nobody seems very concerned with the number of deaths Satan has caused.
Another reason God did what He did in the OT may have another reason that is more important than the ones already given. Hopefully everybody already knows that the first day of Christ's return is called the Day of the Lord. If you aren't impressed by what God did (with Godly power) in the OT then you certainly won't be impressed by what Christ accomplishes in the first hours of His return. The way Scripture explains the relationship between God and Christ is that Christ can only do what God has shown Him.
Joh:5:19:
Then answered Jesus and said unto them,
Verily,
verily,
I say unto you,
The Son can do nothing of himself,
but what he seeth the Father do:
for what things soever he doeth,
these also doeth the Son likewise.
This would include cleansing the whole world of the 'wicked' in very quick fashion.
Zep:1:18:
Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath;
but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy:
for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
Zec:3:9:
For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua;
upon one stone shall be seven eyes:
behold,
I will engrave the graving thereof,
saith the LORD of hosts,
and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
Isa:66:16:
For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh:
and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
Am:8:3:
And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day,
saith the Lord GOD:
there shall be many dead bodies in every place;
they shall cast them forth with silence.
On that day Babylon (Satan's city) will suffer the same fate as Sodom and Gomorrah,
Ge:19:27:
And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:
Ge:19:28:
And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah,
and toward all the land of the plain,
and beheld,
and,
lo,
the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
So will I send thee upon you famine and evil hands and they shall bereave thee and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee: and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it. Ezekiel 5
This is a 'yet to be' verse, it is part of prophecy that is about Israel (the remnant that is not part of the 144,000) during Satan's 42 months before the start of the Day of the Lord. Having God have His back turned on then during this time is not going to be a good thing for them. That is why Ezekiel:37 has 12 verses that cover them being brought back to life, this is why they need to be resurrected (rather than having their lives protected. Again it is a sign to the Gentiles about God's power (what He won't do when angry and what He will do when that anger is passed).
Eze:39:21:
And I will set my glory among the heathen,
and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
Eze:39:22:
So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
Eze:39:23:
And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity:
because they trespassed against me,
therefore hid I my face from them,
and gave them into the hand of their enemies:
so fell they all by the sword.
Eze:39:24:
According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them,
and hid my face from them.
Eze:39:25:
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD;
Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob,
and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel,
and will be jealous for my holy name;
God proclaimed this would happen because 'they' were going to kill Jeremiah (about Ch:25) so it isn't based on anything that has been going on since Jesus walked the land.
And he went up from thence unto Bethel; and as he was going up by the way there came forth little children out of the city, and mock him and said to him , go forth they bald head, go forth they bald head.
And he turned back, and looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.2 Kings 2.
The children were wanting a 'bigger sign' (than healing the water he healed)that Elisha was sent from God, they wanted to see him taken away the same as his father, Elijah, was taken.
Nor is this something that will not also happen on the Day of the Lord.
Am:5:18:
Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD!
to what end is it for you?
the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
Am:5:19:
As if a man did flee from a lion,
and a bear met him;
or went into the house,
and leaned his hand on the wall,
and a serpent bit him.
At midnite the LORD smote all the first born in the land of Egypt, from the first born of the Pharoah who sits on his throne, to the first born of the captive and all the first born of the cattle. Exodus 29,30
Did you also know that God hardened Pharaoh's heart so that all those things would be accomplished? No doubt this had something to do with God also giving up His only begotten Son to death, does that cover any of God's 'sins'?
