Bible Question:  Why did God command the Israelites to wipe out men, women, and children (males of all ages) of entire people groups (genocide) in the Old Testament on occasion? Surely, any nation that would do this today in the name of God would not be seen as doing a moral thing. How does Old Testament morality fit with New Testament morality? Are they the same?   Bible Answer:  A ship without a rudder drifts in the open sea without direction. If a makeshift rudder is attached later, the ship can be directed, but not as well as with the original rudder. God's moral standard is the original rudder, and today the world is using a makeshift rudder or its own moral standard. The world's moral standard is not the original one. It is not God's moral standard, and the world is drifting. It is in trouble. Its standard of determining right and wrong is faulty, because its moral rudder is makeshift.        Moral Standards . When we come to the Bible, it is important to remember that God's moral standard is significantly superior to our faulty standard. The world's basic moral standard is self-centered rather than being God-centered. It says that no one should harm me and no one should stop me from doing what I want to do. That is how the murder of another human being - abortion - is okay. Only on rare occasions is the life of the mother in danger. The world accepts lying so long as no one is hurt. This is the same rationale given for homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, and other sexual sins. The world's moral standard is self-centered, with a few exceptions.       But God's moral standard is not determined by one's culture. It is a moral absolute! God's moral standard can be summed up in one word - holiness. Holiness is an absolute standard. Sin is the opposite of holiness and it cares only about itself. God hates man's sin. He hates abortion, lying, sexual perversion, and all other sins. Holiness is the original moral rudder that God gave to us, but men and women have replaced it with a makeshift rudder of their own choice.       In answering your question, it is important to understand that sin is like a disease. It corrupts. Here are God's words.     Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." (NASB) 1 Corinthians 15:33   That is why God wants murderers and rapists killed. This is God's standard. On a few occasions, God ordered that some Israelites be killed in order to eliminate the spread of false religion among the Israelites.         < Back   Next >
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