Mariners Church Weekend Message Summary

Episode: January 4 - A Loving God—yet Conquests and Genocides in the Bible?
Speaker: Senior Pastor Eric Geiger
Date: January 6, 2026
Podcast: Mariners Church Weekend Messages

Episode Overview

In this challenging and candid message, Senior Pastor Eric Geiger confronts one of Christianity’s most difficult questions: How can a loving God be reconciled with the conquests and apparent genocides described in the Old Testament? Geiger walks the congregation through history, scripture, and modern objections, aiming to equip believers—with honesty and hope—to see God’s justice, patience, and love even in the passages that raise the most doubts.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Why This Question Matters (00:25–06:40)

• Opening examples: Geiger starts with the horrors of the Rwandan genocide (00:25) and the Holocaust (02:30), highlighting global reactions of “Where was God?” and unequivocally denouncing the notion that God would condone such evil.
  • “Where was God in this? Only evil people would say God wants this, that God is actually for the genocide of innocent people.” —Eric Geiger (03:30)
• Relating to Scripture: Geiger explains that critics often point to Old Testament conquest passages—like Deuteronomy 7, 20, and Joshua 6—as evidence that the God of the Bible is violent or genocidal.
• Personal story: As a young, new Christian, he recalls being stumped by a woman asking how a loving God could order mass slaughter (09:50).

2. The Conquest in Context (06:41–18:10)

A. Military Outposts and War Rhetoric (11:10–14:40)

• Scholarly insight: The “cities” in question were primarily military outposts, not population centers. Common people lived “on the outskirts.”
• “This was a surgical attack on military personnel. It was not a complete annihilation.” —Eric Geiger (13:30)
• War rhetoric: Ancient phrases like “completely destroy” were common hyperbole, akin to “we annihilated them” in modern sports.

B. God’s Patience with Evil (14:41–17:55)

• The conquest wasn’t about ethnicity but about judging persistent, generational evil (see Genesis 15).
• God waited “400 years… significantly longer than the country we are in” before judging the Amorites (15:50).
• “God was incredibly patient with these people. 400 years. Patient.” —Eric Geiger (15:40)

C. Destroying Idols that Destroy People (17:56–24:44)

• The command was to rid the promised land of idols—beings that led to child sacrifice, sexual exploitation, and societal ruin.
• “You become like whatever it is that you worship.” —Eric Geiger, quoting Psalm 115 (19:20)
• Vivid illustration: Contrasts Mother Teresa’s “house of the dying” (peace, hope in Jesus) with a Kali temple (chaos, darkness) in Calcutta, showing idols’ effects (21:00).

D. God as Warrior for the Weak (24:45–30:49)

• Israel was not a superpower; they were outnumbered and only prevailed because God fought for them.
• Recurring biblical motif: God winning battles for the weak and powerless (Jericho, Gideon, David vs. Goliath).
• “God sides with those of us who realize we are weak before Him. If you will realize you are weak before Him, He will make you strong.” —Eric Geiger (27:00)

3. Does This Show God’s Love? (30:50–37:00)

A. A Do-Over Conversation (30:50–31:35)

• Reflects on what he’d say now to the woman who challenged him as a young Christian.
• “What I’ve learned is if there’s a passage in the Bible that I don’t understand, instead of assuming that something’s wrong with Him, I assume there’s something wrong with me.” (31:30)

B. God’s Character Revealed in the Conquest

• Pursuing Love: God went after Rahab, a marginalized prostitute, drawing her into His family and the lineage of Jesus (32:10).
• Patient Love: God gave the Amorites 400 years to change before acting (33:00).
• Jealous Love: God’s jealousy is not for Himself but for the hearts of people—protecting them from destructive idols.
  • “He’s not jealous of you… He’s jealous for you.” (34:00)
• Protective Love: God protects the weak, fulfills His promises, and ultimately sends Christ to fight humanity’s greatest enemies—sin and death.
  • “He is the warrior who fights for his people. He’s still the warrior who fights for his people.” (35:10)

C. Modern Relevance and Application

• God is still with, for, and fighting on behalf of His people today, especially as we carry old burdens into a new year.
  • “You are never alone. It’s impossible for Him to abandon you. You are His.” (36:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Scriptural Hyperbole: “We own you. We destroyed you. We annihilated you. Now, in a sense, it’s true, because the Rams won, but in another sense, it’s just rhetoric.” —Eric Geiger (15:00)
• On God’s Patience: “God was patient for 400 years. We struggle to be patient at a red light for four minutes.” (15:40)
• On Worship: “Be careful who you worship. You become like who you worship. You worship the Goddess of death. You will feel the sting of death. You worship the God of life, and He will bring you peace and life.” (23:10)
• On God’s Jealousy: “He’s not jealous of you, but He’s jealous for you.” (34:00)
• On God’s Ongoing Fight: “He fights for you. He fights for you.” (36:00)

Key Timestamps

• 00:25 — Opening illustration: Rwanda and Holocaust; “Where was God?”
• 06:40 — Reading the “genocide passages” of Deuteronomy and Joshua
• 09:50 — Encounter with skeptic as a new Christian
• 11:10–14:40 — Conquest as military engagement and common ancient hyperbole
• 15:40 — God’s patience: 400 years with the Amorites
• 17:56 — Idolatry and its consequences; analogy from India
• 24:45 — God as the Warrior for the weak
• 31:30 — What Pastor Eric would now say in response to tough questions
• 32:10 — God’s inclusive and pursuing love (Rahab)
• 34:00 — God’s jealousy and why it’s good news
• 36:00–37:00 — Encouragement: God fights for you today

Conclusion & Next Steps

Eric Geiger closes by inviting listeners into worship and prayer, offering assurance that God is with and fighting for every believer, no matter what burdens the new year brings. Challenging passages, when understood in their full context and intent, reveal not only the justice of God but also His unparalleled patience, relentless love, and faithfulness to His promises.

For those wrestling with hard questions of faith, this episode offers honest engagement, historical context, and a compassionate lens through which to see God’s heart—even in the Bible’s most complex stories.