I think we have to be careful of making God in our image. The old line is, "God made man in His image and mankind has been returning the favor ever since." Mankind is violent, vengeful, bloodthirsty, lustful, petty, jealous. We put these attributes on God and say that wars or genocide or "ethnic cleansing" is justified because after all, we're created in His image. He made us this way and we're only following His example of commanding destruction of people that are different from us.
When will people take responsibility for their atrocious behavior and stop blaming God? The conquest of the land of Canaan whereby the Israelites believed God told them to wipe out men, women, children and livestock cannot be justified or rationalized away by saying God commanded such violent behavior. As a record of what happened, of history, of a violent warlike culture, it's easier to understand, but no less troubling.
I would like to think that the human race has evolved ethically and morally and understands that genocide is not acceptable. Murder of other people because they don't think, dress, talk, eat, worship, believe like you do is not acceptable. It is not love for neighbors that makes people murder in the Name of God. That is taking God's Name in vain.