Devoted to Destruction
Without a doubt, the issue that causes the most
consternation among Christians and non-Christians alike is the genocide ordered
by the God of Israel on the Canaanites. This issue finds its locus in Joshua as
the Israelites carry out this command with some (though not complete)
efficiency. The statement I most often hear is, “It just doesn’t seem
consistent with Jesus.” I hope to address this concern in a preliminary fashion
here. Below, I will introduce you to the Hebrew word, herem (“devoted to destruction”) and its meanings in Torah. Then, I
will address the basic concern of the Jesus/God of Israel divide. Keep in mind
that while this post will not—and cannot—address this issue in full, it will
attempt to add some data to the equation that will help us consider what it
meant to “devote” something or someone “to destruction” and its consistency
with the character of God.
The Hebrew word we are dealing with here is herem (the first letter is a guttural,
so have some fun while pronouncing it). What is not commonly known about this
word is, depending on the context, it is either “devoted” (see Numbers 18:14)
or “devoted to destruction” (see Deuteronomy 7:2). However, it has the more
general connotation of “prohibit from common use, forbid, or pronounce sacred.”[1]
In Numbers 18, the word is used of things that are given to the Levites for use,
clearly conveying that it is not an entirely negative term. Yet, we cannot
ignore that it is most commonly used to convey something that is to be utterly
destroyed a la Deuteronomy and Joshua.
Leviticus 27 uses the term 6 times in its description of redemption.
Of particular importance is 27:28-29, “But no devoted thing that a man devotes
to the LORD, of anything that he has,
whether man or beast, or of his inherited field, shall be sold or redeemed;
every devoted thing is most holy to the LORD.
No one devoted, who is to be devoted for destruction from mankind, shall be
ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.” The phrase that is most peculiar is
“every devoted things is most holy to the LORD.”
So, perhaps something being herem is
not quite as negative as we might initially think.
Consider Rahab. In the city of Jericho, which was devoted to
destruction, Rahab is given reprieve because of her action and confession of
the power of the God of Israel. What I want to suggest is that, she remained herem, a person most holy to the Lord
while her “co-Jerichoians” were also herem—devoted
to destruction.
So, with all of this in tow, it is good get a wider context
for this genocidal command and how it fits into the biblical narrative from a
theological perspective. We would be hard pressed to consider this command to
be inconsistent with the behavior of the God of Israel—unless we are ready to
reject the flood narrative. God decided to eradicate all of humanity save one
family (Genesis 6-9), a story that I have rarely heard much consternation about
among Christians. Here in Joshua, we see God acting in a very similar way. God
has chosen, set apart, and sanctified Israel, like Noah, to flourish. Just as
the eradication of humanity in the flood was a result of judgment, likewise,
the eradication of the Canaanites was a result of judgment. And, just as God
saved Noah’s family, God also saved Rahab’s family.
We must realize how problematic it becomes to disassociate
this action of God from Jesus. The reason is fairly simple: it destroys the
Trinitarian confession. The God of Israel in the book of Joshua is consistent
with Jesus because Jesus IS the God of Israel. Thus, this is
less an issue of consistency and more an issue of refusal to take the God of
Israel as a package that includes both the book of Joshua and the Gospels. Let
me put it this way: If you are
uncomfortable with the God of Israel, you are uncomfortable with Jesus.
IF YOU DO NOT READ
ANYTHING ELSE, READ THIS: Herem
is a harsh, yet ambiguous, concept that can imply both a blessing and a curse.
This is seen in the flood narrative where everything is destroyed, save Noah’s
family. Likewise it is seen in the Jericho story, where everything is herem-ed, but in two different ways:
Rahab’s family to life and the rest of Jericho to destruction. We must take a
look at the larger picture to see the consistency of the testimony and behavior
of the God of Israel and Jesus, who is the God of Israel in the flesh. Let us not be quick to dismiss this faithful
testimony found in Joshua due to rash dismissal and a poor understanding of herem.
Also, without further ado, here is the Judges Worksheet.
Happy Reading!
[1]
Brown, F., Driver, S. R., & Briggs, C. A. (2000). Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Oak
Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems.
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