The Lord God commands us not to murder others in the Ten Commandments. However, a little while later, He commands the Israelites to massacre every Jericho resident. How is that possible?
Unlawful killing
“You shall not murder,” declares God’s law (Exodus 20:13). It differs from “you shall not kill.” The Bible does not completely prohibit murdering. The death sentence is mandated by the Old Testament for a number of crimes. Therefore, it is not illegal to kill; rather, it is illegal to murder, which is the act of killing someone. This greatly simplifies the response to our query.
God is Lord over our lives
It is not illegal nor immoral for God to kill or permit the killing of human beings. First of all, since God alone has the authority to decide who lives and who dies, this is right. There is no right to life for us. However, who are you, man, to respond to God? Will that which is formed ask its creator, “Why did you make me this way?” Is there no power for the potter over the clay? (Romans 9:20–21)
Judgment
Second, this is righteous because God frequently executes people—or gives the command to execute—as a [judgment over their transgressions]. That was the case with the people who lived in Jericho. They engaged in various occult rites and offered their children as sacrifices. “The Lord detests anyone who engages in these behaviors. And the Lord, your God, is driving them out in front of you because of these abominations (Deuteronomy 18:12).
God is righteous
Thirdly, we know that God is righteous and that he always acts righteously, thus this is rightly. The reason we don’t always understand Him is because He is infinite and we are finite. We shouldn’t be so conceited as to believe we are capable of judging God. He is a whole knowledge base. We are incredibly ignorant. Remember that God’s love is so great that He willingly sacrificed His only Son to die in order to atone for our sins if you ever feel that He is being lenient toward us. God does indeed punish sin. However, the main reason He punished His Son in our place is to save us from the punishment.
Last judgment
People are killed by God. That isn’t how most people imagine God to be. Holding onto our comforting notions of ourselves is vital, but what matters more is understanding what the Bible says about God. We can get an idea of what the final judgment will be like from God’s judgment against Jericho. Those who reject the gospel of our Lord Jesus and those who do not know God will suffer the consequences [when Jesus returns]. They will be condemned to an eternity of damnation (2 Thessalonians 1:8–9).
Severe warning
That serves as a grave warning to all of humanity, urging us to accept Jesus as our Lord and Redeemer rather than to reject Him. Should you choose to do so, you will also be covered by other verses Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica: “Because God has not appointed us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that we might live with Him whether we are awake or asleep” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10).
