‘God loves us’ - can sound, so trite. Like some default-belief-setting. One-hand-blind to why - shouldn’t. Obedience to tradition not truth? A confession of faith... and pretend-not and the full substance of what’s purported, who/we 'should' obey? And this ‘love’ - not so ...loving through and through? At all? Because:

Here we read instructions to slaughter. Do some genocide.

Did God love those being killed?

I can’t spend these early hours trying my hand at apologetic. A bit but not the aim. (Pray is/and). Might endeavor to write on the evening watch/website some but here is about prophetics, for at least expectant, drop-in-once readers. The rest of m’motive is to-God and following this, what else we don’t see. Brief ramble into though:

God has always loved but changed his dealings with humanity as the future unfolded. God’s love is ‘compelling’. That last word, plus passions we barely could imagine. Over the days - here on PAS - I’ll try to eke out some God-sense on perceived difficulties, face-value accounts - but there’s much to find through a well selected list of internet search words. Like my reluctance to quote sources/verses, if you/we, seek you will find.

To the verse, among a collection, in this daily chronological compendium, based on two commandments:
I am God, your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
out of a life of slavery.
No other gods, only me

We read:
When word comes in from one of your cities that God, your God, is giving you to live in, reporting that evil men have gotten together with some of the citizens of the city and have broken away, saying, “Let’s go and worship other gods” (gods you know nothing about), then you must conduct a careful examination. Ask questions, investigate. If it turns out that the report is true and this abomination did in fact take place in your community, you must execute the citizens of that town. Kill them, setting that city apart for holy destruction: the city and everything in it including its animals. Gather the plunder in the middle of the town square and burn it all—town and plunder together up in smoke, a holy sacrifice to God, your God. Leave it there, ashes and ruins. Don’t build on that site again. And don’t let any of the plunder devoted to holy destruction stick to your fingers. Get rid of it so that God may turn from anger to compassion, generously making you prosper, just as he promised your ancestors.

Here’s my word/attempt/made-up thoughts/etc:
Be personally or at least paradoxically pacifist. God can respect and doesn’t necessarily oppose this principle/to the death but people have to operate on humanity, when others have conspired to worship other gods. This translates today, not necessarily in the natural and healthy wide-seeking, unseen-adventures, but the other ‘ones’ that have come to take us - in our contemporary context - back to Egypt: Manifestations of - named - Satan, who erupts in a concentrated generational uprising, one-step removed from the human-rulers, who’ll deplete numbers back to a slavery to build their ultimate masters, new-old-humanity. If allowed. By us.

Not the one set of tribes in those times/this passage - but the whole planet’s pop. A prison without any illusion and ability to physically escape.

Ones the evil men have gotten together are connected with. And more public counterpart, those directly involved in big business/politics. They must be stooped. And post-judiciary, if found guilty, imprisoned or perhaps - we’re given room to defer on this/or oppose - be killed.

God cannot allow us to self-destruct with calls otherwise. Since Christ, we-can ‘war’ in new (to the O.T.) authority and power. In prayer. If we did/do, like we could, we’d see the change we need, without all the physical consequences that’ll take place if not. But God cannot or will not, ‘make-us’ obedient, to call on him.

We’ve came out of many of our historical smaller-Egypt’s through intercession by the few, who went to God - long and hard. We’ve the same opportunity today. And God is some - mysteriously-how prays. In a triune from the Spirit, here in us; through and from the Son; and to the Father - and the realm of God therefore comes and opposer's works resisted.

There can be no compromise. Today’s Pharaohs, albeit loved by God, must be stopped. Reform through repentance can realistically end, by our own persistently moulded, choosing. Once this prospect becomes a, past-return, fulfillment; God will work to redeem, all whosoever will/as many as can, through whatever means our-freedoms allow.

Let’s leave it here this morn. Unexplained, unanswered, obvious holes. A word:
To those who read this and follow mainstreamism; conduct a careful examination. Ask questions, investigate.

To ones thinking ‘God-recorded in the O.T. is a nasty **** and you’re (i.e. me), just ain’t prepared to face the ugly music?’:

Is God more credible if, in facing the concentration and intentions of evil men (have) gotten together - awake we know who - and here, and we had an overriding call to cheek-turning: This in global, not personal circumstances, pushing all hope, post-death? Does that sound better, more lov-ing?

Did God say in the no-justice established ancient ways (post-more-enlightened, at least intellectually, periods) - “carry-on and let me watch people worship the gods for destruction and death?” No, God said find, investigate - and let’s do what we have to in what’s ‘seen’ and in demonstration to the unseen; so you can have life, love and liberty. Apprehend and live. Opportunity to meet, and make good, with God.