1. Read "War in Deuteronomy". Is the commandment to exterminate the Canaanites to be taken literally or is to be seen as rhetorical? State reasons for your position.
2. Read "Deuteronomy's Humanitarianism" . How does Deuteronomy's view on humanitarianism affect your personal stance on the destitute of modern society? There are many references on the google which is very helpful for you guys to do it. This assignment does not need to be long. One page for two questions is good enough in MLA format.
this is an example for you guys know how actually to do it:
1. Read "War in Deuteronomy" . Is the commandment to exterminate the Canaanites to be taken literally or is to be seen as rhetorical? State reasons for your position.
When God commanded the Israelite's to exterminate the Canaanites it was meant to be literal. It's important that we recognize that (1) God is sovereign, infinite, and eternal. (2) He is everything the Bible proclaims Him to be (3) and because we know God is just, righteous, holy, loving, and merciful, He cannot be unfair or cruel. The Canaanites was not living the way God intended. They were violent people who promoted idolatry, gang rape, bestiality, and child sacrifices. They continued to sin and rebel against God in every way and refused God's will and His purpose. Because of what we know about God and His plan to save us and reunite us back to Him, if God allowed the Israelite's to co-habit the land with the Canaanites, their disobedience and sinful ways would corrupt the nation Israel thus corrupting the purified nation through whom he could bring the Messiah of all mankind. God's ultimate salvation plan was not Him being cruel against the sinful Canaanites, It was Him preparing the way for His Son our Savior.
2. Read "Deuteronomy's Humanitarianism" . How does Deuteronomy's view on humanitarianism affect your personal stance on the destitute of modern society?
The idea behind the humanitarian laws of Deuteronomy I believe included a community obedient to God, one united by faith, and if all was followed, there would not be poverty. Everyone would share in the abundance of the land, all debts would be forgiven, God would receive all the glory, and poverty would be a thing of the past. We know that did not happen because if it had, the events that followed, would not have taken place. The humanitarian laws of Deuteronomy proved that Israel still had poverty, that the community was not united in faith, that a value of human life and human dignity, and the humane treatment of animals still had to be written in order to make the situation less oppressive. Even though the book of Deuteronomy (at the time) was originally written for the people of Israel as a reminder (1) of what they themselves have gone through, and (2) what God has done for them. And even though modern society is no longer under the Old Testament law, we are still responsible to offer help to the poor, orphans, widows, strangers, and animals. We are required to submit our lives to the will of God because anything other than obedience has its own consequences.