The fact that the Lord would bring such destruction upon a seemingly peaceful city has caused great outrage and concern amongst many modern-day critics of the Bible. How could God allow so many innocent men, women, and children to die? Why does God allow and command Israel to commit what appears to be nothing less than genocide? As we reflect on the destruction of Jericho and the other cities in the land of Canaan, there are some important biblical truths to remember.

Death is the punishment that sin deserves.

• Throughout the Bible we are told repeatedly that sin deserves death (Ezekiel 18:20; Romans 6:23). God had said to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden that if they rebelled against him and ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they will surely die (see Genesis 2:17). It might be a hard truth for us to believe, especially in a time where the idea of sin is mocked and considered old-fashioned, but sin committed against the majesty of the most high God must be punished with an eternal punishment.

The land of Canaan had to be cleansed as a result of the sin of the Canaanites.

• In a sense, the Promised Land was meant to be like a new Eden, or at least symbolic of the Eden that Adam and Eve enjoyed. It was to be a place of rest (Joshua 1:15; Hebrews 4:1–13). Israel comes into the land not as conquerors but as cleansers. According to Leviticus 18:24–30, the land had become unclean as a result of the sin of the Canaanites. The people of Israel were used by the Lord as an instrument of his justice to cleanse the land.

If the Canaanites lived, then the Israelites would have been tempted to idolatry.

• One of the reasons why the Canaanites must be killed is so that the Israelites will not be tempted to idolatry (Deuteronomy 20:16–18) and the other abominable practices for which the people of Canaan were known (Leviticus 18:1–30).

The destruction of Jericho came only after a long display of God’s patience.

• Back in Genesis 15:1–21, God told Abraham that he would bring his descendants into the land of Canaan only after the sin of the Amorites was complete. God was patient with the inhabitants of Canaan. They had a long time to repent of their ways. From Joshua 2:1–24 we saw that they knew God’s judgment was coming and yet most of them continued to harden their hearts in rebellion. Their destruction was not a gross injustice; it was a demonstration of the highest and most patient justice of God.

The destruction of Jericho foreshadows the great day of judgment.

• When Christ returns in glory he will come to judge all people. Many people read the Bible and for some reason think that the Lord Jesus Christ has no concern for justice or judgement. But in John’s vision, Jesus himself is presented as the Divine Warrior (see Revelation 19:11–21).

• Today, we look at the news and we see horrible stories of children being raped and murdered, money being stolen and misused, Christians and other individuals being persecuted for their beliefs, adultery and lies ruining relationships. There are numerous evils which are being done in our world. But God will have his vengeance. Christ will return to bring an end to all evil. And then his sword will fall on the rebellious nations even as the walls of Jericho fell on that day.

The stories of judgment in the Bible are certainly terrible and violent, they make us uncomfortable, but they are there to show us what sin deserves. They are a trailer, a picture of the destruction that will come on the day of the Lord. They are a testimony to the fact that the Lord is just and he will not allow sin to go unpunished (Exodus 34:7).