How could God command Genocide in the Old Testament?

Justin Taylor @ http://www.newattitude.org reviews the question: How could God command Genocide in the Old Testament? He notes:

1. As the maker of all things and the ruler of all people, God has absolute rights of ownership over all people and places.

2. God is not only the ultimate maker, ruler, and owner, but he is just and righteous in all that he does.

3. All of us deserve God’s justice; none of us deserve God’s mercy.

4. The Canaanites were enemies of God who deserved to be punished.

5. God’s actions were not an example of ethnic cleansing.

6. Why was it necessary to remove the Canaanites from the land?

7. The destruction of the Canaanites is a picture of the final judgment.

At the end of the day we will join Moses and the Lamb in singing this song of praise:

“Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.” (Rev. 15:3-4)