Q One of the most common objections (and therefore, an obstacle for many people) leveled against the Old Testament, and against the "God of the Old Testament," is the seemingly violent posture that Yahweh and the Israelites take toward the Canaanites. Many maintain that God commands "genocide," the extinction by His own people of another people, who are in reality no more or less sinful than any other. This appears to many to be inconsistent with God as revealed in Christ, and with New Testament teaching. Read "War in Deuteronomy" on page 137 of the textbook, and research the relevant Scripture passages and some of the scholarly discussion about how we should read and understand this difficult issue in the Old Testament. For example, is the commandment to exterminate the Canaanites to be taken literally, or is it to be seen as rhetorical? Then, imagine that a friend who is a new believer brings this up as a stumbling block. Your friend knows that this is not a salvation issue, but struggles to know God as revealed in this way. How might you answer from your conclusions based on your research?