Some people don't understand how a good God can order the destruction of whole nations. We shall see that there appears to be what I call, the threshold of wickedness, and after people cross that point it is better that they all be wiped out.

All verse are from the New American Standard Bible and anything in [square brackets] is added by me for clarification.

God commands Israel to destroy two Amorite Kings, Og & Sihon. And Israel do this

"And we [Israel] utterly destroyed them [kingdom of Og], as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women and children of every city." Deuteronomy 3:6

"Thus we [Israel] took the land at that time from the hand of the two Kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan," Deuteronomy 3:8a

However earlier we see God says

"Then in the fourth generation they [Israel] shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete." Genesis 15:16

"Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of his thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Genesis 6:5

So the thoughts of people was evil continually, thus they had well and truly reached the threshold of wickedness.

"And the LORD said, 'I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animal to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry I made them.' But Noah found favour in the eyes of the LORD." Genesis 6:7 & 8

So God destroyed the world by a global flood because the whole earth had reached the threshold of wickedness save 8 people (Noah and family). Another incident much later can be seen

"'and God sent you [King Saul] on a way, and said, 'Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated.''" 1 Samuel 15:18

Here we see that the Amalekites are such sinners that they deserve to be utterly exterminated. Another incident before the time of Saul was

"And the LORD said, 'The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave." Genesis 18:20

So we see Sodom and Gomorrah is reported as having exceedingly great sin, have they reached the threshold of wickedness?

"And Abraham came near and said, 'Wilt Thou indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt Thou indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from Thee to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from Thee! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?' So the LORD said, 'If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.' And Abraham answered and said, 'Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes. Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, wilt Thou destroy the whole city because of five?' And He said, 'I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.' And he [Abraham] spoke to Him yet again and said, 'Suppose forty are found there?' And He said, 'I will not do it on account of forty.' Then he [Abraham] said, 'Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?' And He said, 'I will not do it if I find thirty there.' And he [Abraham] said, 'Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?' And He said, 'I will not destroy it on account of twenty.' Then he [Abraham] said, 'Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?' And He said, 'I will not destroy it on account of ten.'" Genesis 18:23-32

So God would have spared those cities if only ten righteous people were found in them, but there was not even ten, there was only 3 (Lot and his two daughters) so they had surpassed the threshold of wickedness and were destroyed.

It is interesting to note that Jesus says the same thing as Abraham as the reason why He hasn't yet returned -

"He [Jesus] presented another parable to them, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his fields. But while the men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' And the slaves said to him, 'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?' But he said, 'No; lest while you are gathering up the tares; you may root up the wheat with them. Allow both of them to grow together until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, 'First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.'" Matthew 13:24-30

"And His [Jesus's] disciples came to Him, saying, 'Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.' And He answered and said, 'The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man [Jesus], and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom [Christians]; and the tares are the sons of the evil one [non-Christians]; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are the angels. Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has an ear let him hear." Matthew 13:36b-43

So we have seen that it is because God is good that wickedness must be destroyed and God waits until there is a justifiable amount of wickedness before He acts in such a way. Also God does not wish to punish the righteous along with the wicked.

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