Atheists charge God as a war criminal in Canaan. They’re angry with a God they say doesn’t exist!
In confronting the difficult subject of God’s judgment on Canaan, described in Deuteronomy 7, we must not charge God foolishly (see Job 1:22). What are some things we know for sure? First, “God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him” (Acts 10:34-35). He loves the whole world (Jn 3:16). Second, He is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). Third, “the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy,” but “He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever” (Ps 103:8-9). Finally, “he who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Prov 29:1). Those are the plain facts. So who were the Canaanites? Were they unfamiliar with the true God? No, these were the offspring of Noah’s grandson! They knew about both the mercy of God in providing the ark and His judgment in sending the flood. Canaan’s grandfather, “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Pet 2:5), warned the world for over a century! God had patiently waited more than 500 years for them to repent. They had been introduced to the true God by Melchizedek, by Abram, and the other patriarchs. God warned them through His judgment on Sodom, Egypt, and the nations east of Jordan. So eventually the judgment fell. They knew they were fighting against the true God when the sun stood still. Yet, as we read carefully through the history section of the Bible, we will regularly meet such trophies of grace as Caleb the Kenizzite, Uriah the Hittite, the Rechabites, and others. The ones who turned to Him, like Rahab and the Gibeonites, always discovered the mercy of God.