When some read that God commanded the Israelites to devote all the inhabitants of a city to destruction, it gives them pause. Maybe it gives you pause as well. I want to introduce the topic with you guys and read some passages in Joshua that speak of God commanding Israelites to kill lots of Canaanites. How do we square this with the story of the Bible and God wanting to bring salvation to all the nations? Many wonder how God can be loving and make such a command. Let's begin our study by thinking about these things.