Job 37:5 (NASB)
"God thunders with His voice wondrously, Doing great things which we cannot comprehend."
It is popular these days for atheists to dismiss God because he's "an evil proponent of genocide." It's true, there are times in the Old Testament when the Lord took the lives of human beings and to the typical person of the world, who knows that killing is wrong, they have a hard time understanding why anyone would love a God who would kill. In short, they do not understand God. They think God has sinned and because the bible claims that God cannot sin they see a contradiction and because they see a contradiction they look at the bible as a house of cards that slowly crumbles to the ground. But Gods ways are not man's ways. This is something the atheist does not consider.
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NASB)
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts."
God has many times commanded the death of people, but we must not forget that this is the result of judgment. The Lord has every right, being the creator, to destroy what He has created.
Isaiah 45:9 (NASB)
"Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker-- An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands'?"
It's hard not to quote a billion bible verses for this topic. There's a tremendous amount of input in the scripture to relate to us how man and God are not on the same level. The fact that Isaiah 55:8-9 sees God explaining the difference between His ways and our ways surely shows us that God knew we'd need this understanding. We cannot fully relate to an infinite being that knows no sin or death. We live with sin and death every day of our lives. But let us not be so arrogant to assume that God is to be held accountable for the same things we are. We must always remember that God has certain rights to his creation that we do not to other men. Furthermore, we must always remember that the Lord's ways are just and therefore, even when we do not understand His actions, we know that the fault is ours and not His.
The ancient Hebrews were a warring nation that God sent out to slay His enemies. This is where thoughts of genocide arise. But there's also the flood of Noah. The flood killed every living thing save for Noah, his family, and the animals that were on the ark. As the atheist cries out that the Lord has killed babies and is therefore evil, they ignore the fact that God being just and merciful, would no doubt have taken care of those young innocent children.
When you are a Christian and you realize that life on this earth is temporary, that it is only a precursor to an afterlife in Heaven, then you really don't care so much how short your life is here. Sure, we all want long lives, it's hard not to want more of what you are familiar with, but what shame is there in a short life when it brings you to Heaven? And for all those who were adults in the flood, who were caught up in it and destroyed. They were at an age of reason and they chose their ways. And the Lord has a right to judge his creation.
For anyone struggling with how they perceive the Lord's actions, I highly recommend a reading of Job.
Job 1:21-22 (NASB)
He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD."
Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.
