God told the Israelites to wipe them out completely, leaving no one alive; not man, woman, child, or baby. God had judged the Canaanites and was using His people to carry out judgment. We may feel that that is too harsh, but God is not asking for our approval or judgment, only obedience. It was not, however, out of sympathy that the Israelites spared some of the Canaanites, but out of greed and sex. And God told them if they do not wipe them out completely that they would eventually trouble them greatly. Have you noticed the trouble Israel has today with her neighbors? God knows the truth and man does not know.
