In any case, whether this sort of attempt at synthesis is acceptable or not, it is important to remember that there is more to the God of the Old Testament than mere sovereignty, however grand the contemplation of his sovereignty may be. Moreover, when the Old Testament writers say that God does something, they do not necessarily mean that the human beings involved are merely acted upon like lifeless tools. God gives children; but couples copulate. Yahweh clears the land of the Canaanites (Deut.