We utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city. (v. 6)

When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and destroy them?” But He turned and rebuked them [and He said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they journeyed on to another village. (Luke 9:54-56)

From the history of the world, we learn that people have been killing others in the name of religion. It is still happening today. The Crusades, colonization, and enslaving people are a few of the examples that happened in the last 1000 years. The problems we have in the world are largely from the misunderstanding of the OT. The Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism dominate the Protestant churches. But they give the wrong understanding of the OT.

God does not promote killing people based on their religion. The annihilation of the idolators in the OT indicated God’s intolerance of unbelief (disobedience) that brings death. All who reject God will be rejected by Him. They will be eternally condemned. We do not know who are true Christians. If we kill anyone based on his/her religion, we make ourselves God. It is rebellion.

Killing of idolaters and their children is a shadow of what will happen when Christ comes back. There will be no death for God’s chosen people. There will be no unbelief (disobedience) that brings death in the coming world. This does not mean that we would have greater power and will to obey God perfectly in the coming world. Our life is not from perfect keeping of the law. We become the children of God and obey and love Him from our new hearts. This is the promise of the new covenant. This work has been completed by our Lord, Jesus Christ. And this good work is continued by the Holy Spirit.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)