Why Did God do That?

One of the great challenges many people have in understanding the Bible is understanding why God at times commanded that peoples or cities be destroyed. How, people ask, could God order the destruction of the defenseless, the very young, and the elderly? It is really not such a mystery.

In this instance, God was dealing with prodigiously wicked people. In His wisdom, He knew the Amalekites had resisted His grace and were fully given over to Satan. He knew they would never repent and had only lives of sin and rebellion to look forward to. The world would be better off without the Amalekites, and they would no longer be a threat to God’s people. The Bible assures us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

Even the destruction of the wicked and rebellious is an expression of His love. God knows what we don’t know and sees what we cannot see.

God knew Amalekite children would have grown up to be at least as wicked as their parents. In mercy, He brought their existence to an end.

There is no question that God’s handling of the Amalekites was severe. But sin is severe. A depraved life is severe. Living apart from God not only brings eternal death but also causes the virus of sin to proliferate.

The Amalekites were thoroughly corrupt.

The constant threat they presented to the viability of Israel jeopardized the coming of the Messiah. God acted to protect His people and to contain the threat that evil posed to His people and the world. God need not be charged with injustice. It is Satan who spreads misery and death. One of his greatest deceptions is to accuse God of causing the damage for which sin is responsible. As difficult as it may sometimes be to understand, the tough decisions made by God are always the right decisions.