Expert: J.M.J. West - 8/25/2008

Question
An Atheist asked me if your God Jesus is love and love us then why He command Saul to killed every one including women and infant of Amalek ?

1 Samuel Chapter 15
15:2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

15:3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.


Answer
Nick,

Thank you for your question.  This is a tough issue, and one often brought up by those who just don't understand the ways of God.  

If all there was was this one life, then death would be the absolute worst thing that could happen.  If all there was was our brief span of time, then any form of suffering or pain would be most grievous things, and certainly any "god" who commanded such things would be horrid and seemingly not worth serving.

But, this life is not all there is, and it is that self-same God who has created us with eternal spirits to know and love him, him who is Love itself.  And it is love itself which so desires all to come to the knowledge of him (1 tim 2:4), wherein truly lies our only happiness and good.  So when Love sees that some men are so bent in their hearts that they are not only rejecting him but tearing others away, it is his prerogative to put an end to it how he sees fit - after all he IS the author of life itself.

Moreover, all of this life is finite, and all of the next is infinite, and if he can give an infinite good to those who suffer a finite evil, then has he not completely outweighed the bad to the point of it being (from the viewpoint of eternity) entirely inconsiderable.

In fact, consider the case of Noah and the flood.  The world had turned it's back on God, and yet he chose to save a family through a covenant, and cleanse the earth of sin...but what happened to those who died in the flood?  "Put to death in the flesh, [Christ] was brought to life in the spirit.  In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water." (1 Peter 3:18b-20).  

Death in this life does not end all things, but only life in this world.  So too for the woman and infant above.  He can give infinite restitution in the next life, and he judges the heart.  

You might find this link helpful, it's long but very good:

http://jimmyakin.typepad.com/defensor_fidei/2006/10/doctrines_known.html

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Pax Christi,

-J.M.J. West