The Bible, a timeless and foundational text, has sparked diverse interpretations, resulting in different perspectives on God’s nature. This article delves into the challenging matter of divine violence in the Old Testament. Some scholars, following Marcion, essentially reject what they consider a brutal and vengeful picture of God. Modern critics, such as Dawkins, consider God in the Old Testament to be an unpleasant character; he goes as far as accusing God of “crimes against humanity.”
This article delves into the challenging matter of divine violence in the Old Testament.
These critical perspectives point to a problem, a question: what is the purpose for God’s perceived acts of violence? Put another way, what place do such acts find in God’s promise to establish a kingdom of enduring peace? Below is the beginning of an answer. We’re going to consider two passages from 2 Kings that contribute to the Bible’s complex portrayal of God. By the end I hope to have convinced you that God doesn’t execute arbitrary violence. Rather, his fearsome wrath is always an expression of his great love, fulfilling his perfect purposes.
Jehu’s Rampage (2 Kings 9-10)
2 Kings 9-10 narrates Jehu’s coup against the house of Ahab. It is, by all accounts, one of the Old Testament’s most violent episodes. Despite its brutality, however, Jehu is portrayed positively. This is incredibly rare when it comes to kings of the north. As the story unfolds, there’s no shortage of gripping action. There’s the demise of King Joram, not to mention Ahaziah’s tragic end. This calamity continues with the horrible end of Jezebel, who’s eaten by dogs in the street (2 Kings 9:10, 33).
What place do such violent acts find in God’s promise to establish a kingdom of enduring peace?
The violence escalates in chapter 10. Jehu has 70 princes executed (2 Kings 10:6-8). Later, while journeying to Samaria, he executes a further 42 relatives of Ahaziah (2 Kings 10:12-14). Reaching Samaria Jehu then eliminates every person loyal to Ahab. He also kills all Baal worshipers. The author of 2 Kings gives Jehu’s actions divine sanction. Yet questions undoubtedly arise concerning his seemingly violent excesses.
Crucially, we must locate these events within the bigger story of 2 Kings. For earlier in the book we learn that Elijah commissions Jehu, amid various confrontations with Ahab. Thus Ahab’s violent end is a response to his sins (gross injustice) and alignment with Baal worship (idolatry). The massacre in Jezreel aims to displace his Baal-worshipping dynasty with one devoted to God. In this way it parallels Elijah’s earlier confrontation with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18).
Ahab’s violent end is a response to his gross injustice and idolatry.
Therefore, this account is no divine caprice. The narrative actually suggests that divine love encompasses divine wrath. The violence is an administration of divine justice; it serves to reestablish divine order and proper worship in Israel. We shouldn’t isolate God’s judgment from salvation. At the same time, we must be very careful not to read this theological explanation as condoning any and all retributive or utilitarian actions, whether in history or the present. That being said, they do make sense of the narrative: there is retribution for Ahab’s acts; and Jehu’s commission was a utilitarian approach to re-establishing appropriate worship and justice.
Assyria’s Destruction (2 Kings 19)
The narrative in 2 Kings 19 delves into the intense conflict between the Assyrian army, led by Sennacherib, and Jerusalem, during Hezekiah’s rule. In response to the Assyrian king’s threats and blasphemies, a divine intervention unfolds. This results in the destruction of the Assyrian forces. The author of 2 Kings identifies this destruction as God’s direct response to Sennacherib’s arrogance and disrespect towards him (2 Kings 19:28).
God’s judgment of Assyria addresses doubt and scepticism about his own faithfulness.
Yet readers still grapple with reconciling the idea of a loving and just God with his destruction of the Assyrian army. Again, concluding that God is nothing other than a capricious and violent deity oversimplifies the text. It also ignores the both the literary and historical context. The Assyrians face judgment because of their king’s blasphemy against God and simultaneous assertion of Assyrian strength. Thus their demise is orchestrated by God. We see this in both the prophet Isaiah and also 2 Kings 18:25. God raised Assyria up as instruments of his justice. But they overstepped, in following Sennacherib.
God’s judgment of Assyria addresses doubt and scepticism about his own faithfulness. More than this, it serves as a beacon of hope, encouraging readers to trust in his covenant promises. The larger story being told through the pages of the Bible is one of God’s redemption and creation’s restoration. But God’s faithfulness can’t come apart from him being just and faithful. God confronts evil through righteous judgment. Occasionally, violence is necessary. Only, divine violence is always a response to human sin, idolatry, and evil. Thus, even here we learn of God’s goodness and compassion. He loves his creation too much to permit it to run from him.
At the Cross: (Wrath,) Love and Mercy Meet
Now, let’s bring all of the above together. Both narratives above reveal that divine wrath is an expression of God’s love. This adds complexity to our understanding of his character. However, it also prevents us from isolating God’s actions as arbitrary or mere violence. Originating from his love, God’s wrath aims to counteract evil and fulfil his promises. In other words, much of the violence in the Old Testament results from God’s goodness and purposes.
Make no mistake, God will judge disobedience and idolatry.
This complex view of God’s attributes, where divine violence coexists with divine love, stresses a deeper understanding of responding to evil in our world. That being said, these theological insights shouldn’t be used as a pretext for violent means in contemporary society. Interpreting these texts today demands careful consideration of their original context and the coming of Christ.
Christians take reassurance today from God’s promise to mete out eternal judgment. This will happen on what’s called the ‘day of the Lord.’ On that day, many will suffer a similar fate to Ahab and Sennacherib. For those who reject God in this life will suffer an eternity without him (Matthew 13:49-50). They have no place in the kingdom God is building. Then we’ll see God’s uncompromising love and justice at work. Make no mistake, God will judge disobedience and idolatry. His wrath is inevitable, but it needn’t be the last word. So look to his love, turn to him in repentance and faith. Rest in his gracious pardon. His glorious love.
