2. I don't believe they had 'no Holy Spirit.' I think the way the Holy Spirit worked (and/or their awareness of the Spirit) was different in Old Testament days... but certainly the Spirit was present or could have been present if the Lord willed it (and the Lord clearly willed this annihilation). But I think your point is actually flawed. You are suggesting they had to kill the Canaanites themselves b/c God wasn't with them in a sense, but all the texts make it clear that it WAS God actually doing it, not them (they were no match).
I don't think i said God was not with them especially since God commanded them. My understanding re the Holy Spirit in the OT was that individual people could be annointed with the Spirit for a particular task and when completed the Spirit left. So the Israelites in mass or individually did not have the benefit of the Holy Spirit within each of them to spiritually fight demonically motivated foes therefore the Canaanites had to be physically killed because Satan would never stop trying.
Annihilating the Canaanites
Re: Annihilating the Canaanites
Just finished Peter Craigie's book on this subject. Definitely worth the read. I'll be adding some quotes from him to my collection.
Craigie's main point seems to be a key source for Boyd's upcoming book (if I'm guessing correctly). The idea is that we've made a mistake in applying the Yahweh wars throughout church history (ie. the crusades) and failing to recognize the fact that Israel failed in their mission and were destroyed themselves. In other words, the Yahweh wars, in retrospect, failed to accomplish the goal of establishing an eternal kingdom. God's point in commanding them was, ultimately, to show what does NOT work. He did this to set the stage for what would work, namely, a kingdom of loving sacrifice.
Craigie's main point seems to be a key source for Boyd's upcoming book (if I'm guessing correctly). The idea is that we've made a mistake in applying the Yahweh wars throughout church history (ie. the crusades) and failing to recognize the fact that Israel failed in their mission and were destroyed themselves. In other words, the Yahweh wars, in retrospect, failed to accomplish the goal of establishing an eternal kingdom. God's point in commanding them was, ultimately, to show what does NOT work. He did this to set the stage for what would work, namely, a kingdom of loving sacrifice.
Re: Annihilating the Canaanites
This is a good thread thanks for bringing this up. I have been having a difficult time understanding this issue myself and called Steve's show today to ask about his thoughts but was cut off due to technical issues.
The thing that I struggle with most isn't necessarily that God wanted them wiped out, but it is that he commanded his people to do it with their own hands. As a kid in Sunday school I had a great teacher who encouraged us to imagine we are in the stories we are reading. That habit always stuck and is usually great, but I am left now picturing being commanded by God to slaughter women and children and I have a hard time understanding how this could prepare me to draw closer to a loving God. A flood or a plague I can wrap my head around I think, but sending the very people he is trying to teach to be loving and full of grace, it seems like an odd move.
Ultimately I trust that God knows what he is doing, and that things would make a lot more sense if I was alive at the time and living in the specific circumstances. Looking back from my perspective sitting in my nice comfy living room in a quiet peaceful town is quite difficult to do though.
The thing that I struggle with most isn't necessarily that God wanted them wiped out, but it is that he commanded his people to do it with their own hands. As a kid in Sunday school I had a great teacher who encouraged us to imagine we are in the stories we are reading. That habit always stuck and is usually great, but I am left now picturing being commanded by God to slaughter women and children and I have a hard time understanding how this could prepare me to draw closer to a loving God. A flood or a plague I can wrap my head around I think, but sending the very people he is trying to teach to be loving and full of grace, it seems like an odd move.
Ultimately I trust that God knows what he is doing, and that things would make a lot more sense if I was alive at the time and living in the specific circumstances. Looking back from my perspective sitting in my nice comfy living room in a quiet peaceful town is quite difficult to do though.