It is hard to envision a loving God asking the Israelites to wipe out groups of people, including women and children?  This can be confusing as well the difference between the God in the Old Testament and the God in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, He destroys, seems angry, and punishes and hardens hearts. In the New Testament, He is loving, kind, and forgiving. How do we reconcile these two portrayals of God?