If I'm not mistaken, doesn't God use death to teach lessons in the Old Testament? One question I have regarding that, how can He give mankind the gift of free will, then punish them for their choices with death. Doesn't make sense.
Good question, though I don't know if this is for me. I was more arguing the existence of suffering, not Old Testament acts of God.
I don't know of any passage that has God personally coming down and killing someone in the Old Testement (I could be worng). Plagues can been viewed away as acts of nature; again like in a court of law I would have to see some evidence that God physically came down and killed someone. The one example I can think of Sodom and Ghomorra, I think the prophet actually went to look for any innocent people and couldn't find one. So I guess he "judged them". Good question but I think this question should get its on thread.