The Book of Joshua is a book most difficult for me to read, followed on the heel by the book of Judges. Why? Because of the whole-sale slaughter the Israelites were carrying out from city to city, led by Joshua, leaving no survivors. This was not a warfare of only soldier against soldier. The Israelites, having destroyed the army of each city, were commanded to enter that city and kill every person in it. Killing was done with the sword in those days, facing the person to be killed. And they slaughtered ALL of them! Whether young or old, women and children, even sucklings and toddlers, pregnant women, youth and the very old - ALL of them, as they had been commanded not to leave any survivors! It was a blood bath from city to city! Such whole-sale slaughter of defenseless women and children, old folks, little ones, sucklings¹⁸, without a doubt brutalized the Israelites’ souls, as is borne out in the Book of Judges.

I remember the Marines returning from Vietnam, having had to fight and even kill women, children, young and old, how their souls had been brutalized, how callous they had become. The same is true for today’s Israeli soldiers who had to go from house to house in Gaza and in the refugee camps, searching out terrorists and their bomb-making sites that were hidden among the civilian population. The screaming, cursing and weeping women, the children's cries of fear, the howling and lamenting all tore into the soldiers' souls and minds. Many were so traumatized by this experience they required months of counseling, while others steadfastly refused to ever do this again, choosing rather to go to prison.

Without a doubt the Israelites had to develop some callous skin around their heart and mind to carry out such a horrid blood-bath of a whole-sale slaughter -- commanded by the Lord Himself! He told Moses to leave no survivors, and Moses passed this divine command on to Joshua, who carried it out faithfully. 

I always found it most difficult to reconcile this account with the fact that G-d IS love. 

Several days ago, as I was reading again in the Book of Joshua because the Lord said so, this account of the whole-sale slaughter upset me again, as had the reason for the defeat of Israel by the men of Ai¹⁹, and the consequent judgment on the guilty man: for not only was all of Israel made to suffer for the transgression of one man²⁰, but along with him, his entire family was stoned to death and burned as well²¹.
 

So I cried out to G-d, asking for understanding.

He took me to Genesis 15:13-16, where G-d is foretelling Abram (not yet Abraham) that it is certain, i.e. an accomplished fact, that his descendants would be strangers in a country, which would enslave and oppress them for 400 years. In turn, G-d would judge that nation for the cruel treatment and abuse of Abram's descendants and deliver them from slavery and lead them out. Nevertheless, His people had to endure four generations of cruel oppression before G-d led them out as promised, after those 400 years. Why not sooner than that?

BECAUSE -- "... the iniquity of the Amorite is NOT YET COMPLETE."

"I do not wish that any man should perish,"²² the Lord then said to me, "nor do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked. Much rather, I would have them all turn from their wickedness and their evil doings and turn to righteousness, that I may remember their evil deeds no more and only consider their righteous deeds²³. The desire of my heart is that all men should turn to my Son and be saved, but this is not going to happen, as you know yourself."

He continued: "You forget I am a most holy G-d, jealous for My holy Name, for my holiness²⁴. Remember the story of what happened to the man who tried to steady the Ark of the Covenant when the oxen stumbled and made the cart rock? My holiness broke out on him and killed him, for which my servant David became angry, considering the man's death unfair and unjust who had only tried to keep the Ark from falling²⁵. David did not understand as yet my holiness then, which will break out on anything unclean, anything not as holy as I am."²⁶

"It is not a matter of my willful and vengeful killing, as though I were vindictive and unfair. Surely you know better than that, seeing that you desire and seek to know and understand Me Who loves righteousness and justice, truth, goodness, kindness, mercy, compassion, and liberally grants grace, pardon and another chance, for my faithfulness is very great and my steadfast love endures forever for those who love me and obey my commandments."²⁷
 

"Do not forget then," He elaborated further, "that My Word repeatedly admonishes that the fear of G-d is the beginning of wisdom²⁸. You also are told that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living G-d²⁹, and that without holiness no one shall see Me³⁰. Yeshua even taught the disciples, saying 'be you holy as your father who is in heaven is holy.'³¹ Unto all who willfully, rebelliously and wickedly challenge and defy Me, who violate the laws of nature I established and the commandments applicable to all men, I am a G-d greatly to be feared. I give the nations, peoples, tribes, tongues and individuals ample time to turn from defying and challenging Me and from their wicked ways and evil deeds. I warn them again and again, sending judgments that judge their wickedness, in proportion to their particular deeds. To My people I send prophets who are faithful to My word and instructions, to warn My people who slumber and sleep. But do they all heed? Some do, but many just continue on as though I had not spoken, as though I had not warned and judged."