Commands to kill heathens. Human sacrifice. God-ordained wars. Plagues and curses. All of these are found in the Bible, and they leave both believers and non-believers wondering: Does the Bible really promote violence and hate?

Many people take one look at the Bible and squirm at the graphic violence that is narrated in it. Bible critics have long been attacking its credibility, relevance and authenticity because of this bloody and gore-filled side that the Word of God has.

But does the Bible really reflect a blood-thirsty religion and, moreover, a violent God? What does a true Christian have to say about all of this?

To be honest, all I see in this argument is that people would look at other historical literature and deem the violence understandable culture and then look into the Bible and call the recorded violence inhumane. Many people forget that the Bible is a historical literary piece that reflects a people that existed in a different time.

The importance of context

We have to stop reading the Bible as if it was written in the 21st century. The Bible was written for us, but not written to us. To understand the true essence of the Bible, especially the Old Testament, we must understand that it was written at a time when the norms and culture were completely different from today.

Context is key to everything -- not just reading the Bible. So why do we think it's okay to take the Bible out to context? Why did God tell the Israelites to wipe out every tribe in Canaan? Because God was speaking to a people who lived at a time when land conquest meant war.

When we read Leviticus where it says pork is prohibited, that doesn't mean God has anything against pork. It means he has all things against hypertension, especially when it occured at a time when bypass surgeries and high blood pressure medications did not exist yet.

One lesson we can learn from all the violence

If there's one lesson we can learn about all the violence recorded in the Old Testament, it is that the sin and disobedience of man is the cause of all the gore and violence. The world is a mess not because God is an irresponsible God. The world is a mess because God is a loving God who entrusted the world to irresponsible people.

The one big idea of the Old Testament shares is the idea that the world is broken, violent, crude and doomed because of the sin of man. It is because of this that we need a Saviour.

The Bible, and that includes the violence and gore, all speak of the central message of the love and grace of God that surpass the stupidity and disobedience of man -- that our loving God would send down His One and Only Son to die for us even when we only deserved death and punishment.