God's Good Judgment

The OT is known for having passages that can make us squirm. Passages filled with blood and violence, wrath and judgment. Often, these passages leave us uncomfortable with the actions of our forbearers, and, in the worst case, they leave us questioning the character of our God; a God who not only condones but also sanctions and commissions such actions. The taking of the promised land is especially difficult: God has called for the blood of all the inhabitants of the land, whether old or young, women or men. What shall we say to these things? Is God wrong to act this way? What does this tell us about God, and how should we react to these thing?