Does God really condone the violence seen in the Old Testament?

Genesis 4:1-12Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!” Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. Abel also brought a gift—the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him. Afterward the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?” “I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?” But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”

The first example in the Bible of the outworking of sin is the murder of Abel by his brother Cain. In the story, God intervenes with Cain to warn him about the danger of anger and offers him an alternative to violence. When anger and jealousy provoke violence, the results simply increase evil and the influence of sin in the world.

Genesis 6:11-13Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!”

God’s disapproval of violence is seen when he sent the great Flood to judge and expunge the overwhelming violence of humanity.

Psalm 11:5The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence.

God sets himself against those who pursue and take pleasure in violence.

Exodus 21:12Anyone who assaults and kills another person must be put to death.

Violence in relationships is abuse and must be stopped immediately. Attacking someone, whether out of anger or revenge, creates fear, animosity, injury, and hatred in the victim. That is why it is so detestable to God—nothing good can come out of violence in a relationship. Those who willfully cause the death of another, in God’s view, have forfeited their right to continue living, and society is charged with enforcing this.