Question #2 - Physical Cruelty in Ancient Times

[Rachelle]

Michal's Window
2. Physical cruelty was practiced routinely in ancient times. To what extent did that exonerate David in his treatment of non-Israelite people groups?

[Rachelle]

The ancient world is much different than our world. For example, the Assyrians skinned their victims alive, cut off their appendages and left them in the desert to die. They also buried people alive in the sand, leaving only their head exposed for birds and insects to pick at until the victim died a slow, cruel death.

David did kill a lot of people, but he probably didn't torture them.

[Maria]

Ha, we still have torture these days, a little friendly waterboarding, anyone?

Anyway I don't think we should judge David. He was only doing what God wanted him to do. I found it strange how David would make friends with the Philistines and Ammonites and then slaughter them whenever he got the chance. My feeling is he only befriended them when it was useful to him, but turned on them when he got powerful.

[C.K.]

I think David had to do whatever it took for him to obey God's wishes. The times were very different then. We don't have to kill to obey these days, but there are plenty of times that we have to do things we may not want to.