The answer
First:
It is inappropriate to use the term ‘innocent’ for nations where evil and wickedness had become so much entrenched and embedded that they had no readiness whatsoever to regret or repent.
Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which / am casting out before you. For the land is defiled; therefore l visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you (for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled)” (Lev 18: 24-27)
Having spread like Cancer passing from one generation to the other, it has become mandatory to amputate the whole nation, in way of passing judgment and as an end to evil and wickedness from the area. Hence using the word “innocent” is totally inappropriate even for the women and children of these nations.
The Book of Deuteronomy mentions the end of the idolatrous nations:
There shall not he found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for you." (Deut 18: 10 - 14)
Second:
God granted those nations a lot of chances to repent and return from their wicked ways, but they did not …
And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent." (Rev 2: 21)
Their chance amounted to 400 years as He had promised Abraham
But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." (Gen 15:16)
Third:
There have been many times when destruction engulfed children as well, as in the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, death of the firstborn son in Egypt and the last Judgment Day. It may be the case that God has mercy on these kids by giving them a chance to die young, rather than grow to be wicked. For if left to grow, they would surely be as their fathers and forefathers offering sacrifices to the idols that their fathers worshipped.
Fourth:
God is omnipotent and omniscient; He has the right to end the life of a person or a nation, as He wills. This does not contradict man’s free will within his natural limitations.
Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.” (Dent 32:39); “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Ro 11:33)
Fifth:
The Israelites were just an instrument in the hands of God for the judgment of those nations, just as the Babylonians and Assyrians and others were used by God to bring His judgment on the people of Israel at a different time. Just as David and his army were instruments in God’s hands to bring His judgment on the Ammonites, Moabites and others, God’s judgment has its best time and method which is in accordance to His Wisdom and Mercy.
Sixth:
The people of Jericho had to be completely destroyed to prevent their ‘disease’ from spreading to the people of God as had happened before many times, like the story of Balaam and the corruption of the Jews that happened during the last days of Moses (Numbers 22-25). Thus the total annihilation of such peoples becomes at times mandatory for their salvation and purity.
We have to remember that these nations’ behavior has become so perverse that it became totally out of the human norms and has become degraded to the level of brutal beasts, the annihilation of which is definitely not considered evil.
- But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption.” (2Pet 2:12)\
- But he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet” (2 Pet 2:16)
- But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.” (Jude 1:10)
Seven:
Likewise, but in spiritual terms, we deal with our enemies: the devils and all evils,
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ” (Eph 6:11 - 13)
Fr. Daoud Lamei