When the Hebrews get to the promised land, God assures them he will cast out seven nations greater and mightier than they. We have the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and of course the Jebusites. The Hebrews are to smite them and show no mercy. Destroy their altars, groves, and especially their graven images (God hates those). And whatever you do, don't marry one of these horrible people who worship other gods. This will kindle the wrath of God who will destroy the both of you. But he loves you.
If the Hebrews keep up their end of the deal, then God will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. Even the cattle will be fertile - excellent.
Also, God will protect the chosen people from being sick but will afflict everyone else. Think about how cruel this is. People tend to worship the god of their parents. You're born into it, indoctrinated and that's all you know. These folks worshipping the wrong god don't have any resources to find out about the "real" god, and yet they are cursed and damned forever. It makes no sense. It's a scare tactic meant to keep people in their place. Don't even think about other gods or else.
The "mighty and terrible" God doesn't want any graven images around. The Hebrews are to burn graven images with fire, for they are cursed things. Apparently this is the most important of the Ten Commandments, since Moses keeps telling us about it over and over again. If you think the 10C are crucial for living a good and moral life, explain this one to me. I don't get it.
This journey to Canaan has taken 40 years to humble thee. God suffered thee to hunger, then fed thee manna - bread that rained down from the heavens - to prove man does not live on bread alone. No, we also need that sweet elixir that is God's word.
Outside of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, when have you ever seen it rain food from the heavens? Why hasn't this happened since biblical times? One of every seven people is undernourished, and 25,000 of them will die today.* Where is God?
* more on these numbers:
http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm
http://www.poverty.com/
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