It does seem extremely brutal but I have to constantly remind myself that I am not God and I didn't have the intel He had. Maybe God ordered the destruction of the babies because He knew that they would only grow up to be Israel's enemies. They lived in a time when grace wasn't as prevalent as today. In 2004 we would try to convert the children through the message of Jesus. In those days God's enemies were godless people. Maybe God knew they couldn't be saved. I don't know. I do know that throughout the bible God has done some really smart things to benefit His people. You and I can only assume about stories like those. I believe He did it out of love for Israel. This is the same God who became sin out of love for his people. I seem to always equate God's love to the relationship I have to my son. Here is the scenario, put yourself in my place. I created my son. I was there when he was born and have nurtured and spent time with him every day of his life without exception. I protected him when he couldn't protect himself. I will continue to raise him in this manner, teaching him, playing with him, and being his primary role model. I do this until he can take care of himself in his early 20's. Then he decides to torture and crucify me in public. He mocks me for everything i can and what I stand for. He forgets what i did for him. After he has tortured me, hung me on a cross where I am slowly dying from suffocation I mutter the words "God forgive him", thinking only about his own well being. I continue to think only of him as I die the most horrible death known to man. I go to my grave without a single negative thought towards hum. This love was demonstrated by the same God who slaughtered thousands. The bible says that in God there is no darkness, therefore there is no room for the presence of evil. If God thought that these people had to die, that is good enough for me.
