Claims That the Old Testament Is Not Inspired
How would you respond to the claim that the Old Testament is not inspired Scripture because it includes
commands from God for the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites?
The paper must follow current Turabian guidelines and include analysis of key issues and passages
related to the topic you select for your paper. It must be well-researched and carefully argued. A minimum
of 6 scholarly sources must be used when writing this paper. Biblical evidence and explanation of key
biblical texts is essential. Avoid diatribes against those you might disagree with. Sources that are cited,
referenced, and/or quoted must be footnoted, and the paper must be the student�s original work. In light
of the length of this paper, avoid lengthy quotations and make sure that the paper stays on-topic. Use
headings to mark off the major sections of your paper. A bibliography of sources used must be included
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Introduction
In viewing the modern skepticism, it is essential to consider the fact that the accusations
labeled against the inspiration of Scriptures primarily finds root from Gods command to the
Israelites to conquer the Canaanites. In Deuteronomy 20; 16b-17, God is seen commanding the
Israelites on the following
Whenever you capture cities within the land that your God is giving you, be sure to kill
all the animals and the people. I have commanded you to wipe completely out the
Amorites, Hittites, the Perizzites, Canaanites and the Jebusites. For if you allow them to
continue living amongst you, they will persuade you into worshiping their gods, and you
will be unfaithful to your God 1 .
It is essential to note that while other groups are mentioned in that portion of scripture,
most attention is aligned towards the Canaanites, a factor that will determine the primary focus
of this paper. This paper, therefore, gives a clear rebuttal to the allegations that the Old
Testament is not inspired considering the above scripture 2 . The paper will provide a clear
argument on Gods commands for the destruction of Canaan and its people as a fit into his
attributes of justice and goodness, a factor that will render the passage inspired. In order to
thoroughly understand the Biblical context of this scripture, the paper will determine the
goodness of God and the moral accountability that He provides for His people including the
Canaanites 3 . Through this, I will, therefore, be able to investigate the justness of God in this
scenario.
- PR, Newswire. 2015. “50-Year Anniversary Celebration Continues with the NIV Bible: “Made to
Study.” PR Newswire US, April 01. Regional Business News, - Ibid. 1
- Ibid. 2
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Claims That the Old Testament Is Not Inspired
It is imperative to determine how we would respond to accusations that the Old
Testament is not inspired considering the commands and directives were given by God that
demands the destruction and the shedding of blood of groups the like of the Canaanites.
Goodness of God and His Moral Accountability;
Many critics have today denied the inspiration of the Old Testament based on Gods
command for the Canaanites destruction that tends to defy the goodness of God. Some schools of
thought hold that this command to destroy the Canaanites may add to the enigma of theodicy 4 .
This scripture has therefore posed a challenge to the modern Bible readers who struggle to
understand Gods intent in His command, a factor that would depict the evil nature of a good
God. Many struggle to find the balance especially in understanding if this is the same God who
asks of His children to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them that they may
turn out to be the children of the Father in heaven (Matthew 5:44-45, NIV). 5
To understand the context of this scripture, it is empirical to comprehend the fact that
Gods goodness holds characterized by several facets, a fact that the skeptics ignore. According to
Millard J. Erickson’s view, Gods moral purity is an element of His goodness, and this includes
other dimensions such as holiness, justice, and righteousness. Being a holy God, therefore, infers
to the fact that God can never tolerate evil or sin. 6 This can be precisely determined in Habakkuk
- Foster, Stuart J. 2010. “The Missiology of Old Testament Covenant.” International Bulletin Of
Missionary Research 34, no. 4: 205-208. - PR, Newswire. 2015. “50-Year Anniversary Celebration Continues with the NIV Bible: “Made to
Study.” PR Newswire US, April 01. Regional Business News. - Ibid. 3
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1, 13 in which the Prophet denotes that God possesses pure eyes that do not see evil and cannot
look at wrong. In the New Testament, Christ captions this by alluding to the fact that those who
have committed evil will be raised to face the wrath of judgment (John 5:29) 7 .
In the second aspect, it is crucial to determine Gods moral purity as it relates to his
righteousness. In this case, God did not defy His holiness by asking for the destruction of the
Canaanites since this people engaged in evil. This clearly typifies the act of God to what Paul
ascertain in scripture that God’s wrath will be revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness
and ungodliness of man, whom by their unrighteousness tend to subdue the truth(Romans 1:18-
19) 8 . Paul’s statement, therefore, shows that all human beings as applied in the case of the
Canaanites are held accountable to God for their evil. However, the Canaanites were given the
opportunity to change their wicked ways since God was willing to wait for about 430 years a
factor that did not materialize.
The Justice of God against the Unrighteousness of the Canaanites;
According to one critic Norman Geisler, the ruthless command to destroy life and
property of the Canaanites may not have any moral justification. Normal alleges that this action
seems contrary to Gods command not to take the life of any innocent human being. However, it
is essential to note that this accusation from this critic lacks the consideration of the attributes of
God, especially on justice 9 . It is, therefore, essential to determine the fact that God does not only
act in accordance with his law, but he administers his kingdom in conformity with it since he is
just. Justice as an element of his righteousness requires that his children adhere to these standards
- Ibid. 4
- Ibid. 5
- Endris, Vince. 2008. “Yahweh versus Baal: A Narrative-Critical Reading of the Gideon/Abimelech
Narrative.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 33, no. 2: 173-195.
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as well. Simon Peter alleges in 2 Peter 3:9 that the Lord delays Christ’s return since He is patient
towards us and does not wish that anyone perishes but come to the point of repentance. As
determined in this paper, the Canaanites were given the opportunity to change and repent but
they never took advantage of this chance.
The Canaanites chose to dedicate their lives to their idolatrous practices that saw them
put their belief in Baal whom they believed was a king among the gods. With the help of the
goddess Anath, Baal is alleged to have defeated death and the chaotic sea and was also
considered the source of agricultural prosperity and human fertility 10 . This gives an illusion as to
why Baal was found appealing to the Canaanites. God was not pleased with his people trying to
challenge his royal authority, a factor that denotes his approach in commanding their complete
wipe off.
Secondly, it is essential also to note that the Canaanites were also evil in their practices.
The Canaanites deities engaged in adultery, incest homosexuality, bestiality and child sacrifice.
The deities were also involved in violent, and bloodlust acts a factor that did not please God.
Sources disclose that Anath 11 , the goddess of war and sex drunk her victims’ blood and always
was surrounded by corpses. This clearly gives an illusion of the intensity of the Canaanites
wickedness that was aimed at also influencing Gods people into these acts.
In a nutshell, it is, therefore, essential to determine that God does not permit any evil to
linger considering his attributes. This does not give an illusion that God was happy in slapping
such a command on the Canaanites face 12 . Divine commands according to sources can at times be
- Foster, Stuart J. 2010. “The Missiology of Old Testament Covenant.” International Bulletin Of
Missionary Research 34, no. 4: 205-208. - Graham, Jeannine Michele. 2014. “Systematic Theology and Spiritual Formation: Recovering Obscured
Unities.” Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care 7, no. 2: 177-190.
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issued with a heavy heart. In as much as critics may reason that such commands to thrash and
drive out an entire generation may be evil, it is essential to determine and understand the
rationale behind these commands 13 . God can never allow Himself to be good while allowing evil
to emerge without any judgment. In His good nature and justice, His act of calling warfare
against the Canaanites is justified considering the fact that God in many occasions uses nations
as a tool to deliver justice as depicted in Romans 13:4 14 . In the event that God did not act as
prescribed in the Scripture, evil would have enveloped into the surrounding society and
eventually engulf the world.
Conclusion
In as much as many critics have today denied the inspiration of the Old Testament based
on Gods command for the Canaanites destruction that tends to defy the goodness of God, the
plain truth lies in the fact that the Old Testament is inspired even in light of the scripture that
denotes God allowing and commanding for the destruction of the Canaanites. In order to justify
my position, it is imperative to clearly understand that this command fitted well within Gods
justice and goodness.
In as much as our God is good, He, on the other hand, can never allow evil to evolve
within generations. The Canaanites were seen as an evil society who practiced sexual
immorality, idolatry, and violence. This, therefore, justifies Gods actions in commanding for
their invasion. This factor, therefore, validates the inspiration of the Old Testament through an
- Williams, Stephen N. “Could God have commanded the slaughter of the Canaanites?” Tyndale Bulletin
63, no. 2
13.Wonsuk, Ma. 2008. “The Presence of Evil and Human Response In The Old Testament.” Asian Journal
of Pentecostal Studies 11, no. 1/2: 15-32 - PR, Newswire. 2015. “50-Year Anniversary Celebration Continues with the NIV Bible: “Made to
Study.” PR Newswire US, April 01.
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indication of the fact that the God of the times of the Old Testament is still the same even in this
new dispensation.
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References
Edelman, Diana. “Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan.” Biblical Interpretation 10,
no. 1 (January 2002): 79-81. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed
September 21, 2015).
Endris, Vince. 2008. “Yahweh versus Baal: A Narrative-Critical Reading of the
Gideon/Abimelech Narrative.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 33, no. 2: 173-
- Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed September 21, 2015).
Foster, Stuart J. 2010. “The Missiology of Old Testament Covenant.” International Bulletin Of
Missionary Research 34, no. 4: 205-208. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost
(accessed September 21, 2015).
Graham, Jeannine Michele. 2014. “Systematic Theology and Spiritual Formation: Recovering
Obscured Unities.” Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care 7, no. 2: 177-190.
Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed September 21, 2015).
Williams, Stephen N. “Could God have commanded the slaughter of the Canaanites?” Tyndale
Bulletin 63, no. 2 (January 1, 2012): 161-178. Accessed September 21, 2015. ATLA
Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost.
Wonsuk, Ma. 2008. “The Presence of Evil and Human Response In The Old Testament.” Asian
Journal of Pentecostal Studies 11, no. 1/2: 15-32. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost
(accessed September 21, 2015).
