God of wrath, God of love?

"The Old Testament God is a God of wrath. He annihilates entire cities of people. How can you believe in a God like that?"

Ever been asked that question, or asked it yourself? I'm sure we all have.

The Bible is not an easy book to grasp. In the time of history that it spans, there are many events which seem difficult or troubling to the modern mind.

Joshua 11-12 is perhaps one example. Here the Israelite army, led by Joshua, respond to an attack of several cities by completely slaughtering everyone. God hands them over to Israel (6), and everyone back home in the city is put to the sword (11).

'They totally destroyed them, not sparing anything that breathed.' (11)

The author of Joshua makes it clear that Israel acted in obedience to God's command, and God Himself 'hardened ther hearts to wage war against Israel, so that He might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.' (20)

So what are we to make of this?

1. God's mercy is always offered to those who repent... but ONLY to those who repent.
Reading the book of Jonah, we have a situation where an entire city stands under God's judgement, and will be destroyed unless they repent. The Ninevites DO repent, and the city is spared.
This is what these cities in Joshua's time should have done. They had heard about God's miraculous dealings with the people of Israel, rescuing them from Egypt, and they chose to fight against God instead of repenting and worshipping Him (like Rahab). Because of this choice, they are destroyed.

2. God has the right to judge us.
He is the Creator of the universe, the sovereign omniscient Lord of power, and He is utterly and entirely pure. All humans are accountable to Him because of these things. And we all naturally turn away from God and go our own way (Romans 3). This is enough to deserve judgement, even without all the terrible things we think, say and do.

3. The reality of hell.
These episodes of destruction in the Old Testament reflect the eternal destiny of those who reject God: hell. If it's shocking and unpleasant to read about people being killed in war, then we're meant to see how much worse hell is. These accounts are there to shake us out of spiritual apathy and show us how much we need to repent.

4. Only through God's grace can any one be saved.
As the book of Romans in the New Testament seeks to argue, no one deserves God's mercy. It is a gift of His grace. If 10 criminals are released from prison unexpectedly, the public don't say 'Why wasn't every criminal released?' Instead they say, 'Why were 10 criminals released?' It's similar to salvation. Instead of asking why God saves some and not others, we should be asking why He saves ANYONE.

5. Only through Jesus can we be saved.
To say that the Old Testament is about wrath and the New Testament about love is simplistic and naive. The New Testament contains the biggest and most terrifying act of judgement God has ever done: the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. On that cross, God's wrath was poured out on His only Son, so that sin could be decisively dealt with and repentant sinners could be saved.
'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.' 1 Tim 1:15

6. The whole Bible is linked together by God making promises and fulfilling them.
In Genesis we see God making promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the nation of Israel: to bless them, gie them land and bless all the earth through them. In one sense these promises are being fulfilled in Joshua, as the people claim the promised land. This is a positive thing because it shows the just kingdom of God rightfully replacing the unjust kingdoms of this world, who have usurped His rule over the earth (New Bible Commentary).
But in another sense, it is not until the New Testament that these promises are fully realised in Christ, as Jesus makes it possible for God's people to live under His rule and obey Him, through the forgiveness of the cross and the power of the Holy Spirit.

The lesson of Joshua 11-2 is that God's people need to trust in Him and obey His instructions. The same is true for us today.