If Jesus died to save me from eternal damnation, why was God lacking the foresight to know that he'd have to create a mortal incarnation of his being because humans were so "wicked."
Point of fact, many of us are, in fact, good people. And few of us advocated wholesale extermination or the collective punishment of the Old Testament. THus, we are better people than the God of the Old Testament.
Unless, of course, you appeal to power and say "God is God, He can do what He wants."
Well .. since you know more than GOD .. why don't you take it up with HIM.
Ultimately, your last statement is true: God is God and can do what He wants. But, with all due respect, your conclusion that God is not good or that He lacked foresight show a lack of insight on your part.
Do you know how something can appear totally slam dunk in a certain way until you hear the other side of the story? I can think of several possible reasons that God had the Israelites kill whole towns, including men, women, children, and even the animals. Just one is that there may have been an AIDS-like or Black Plague-like infestation that would ultimately doom even the Israelites. Whatever the reason, we can trust that God made the right decision.
Regarding Jesus, God knew that we were going to sin and need a savior. He planned from before the beginning of the world how to save it. That shows how much he loves us. Why does He love us? I don't know; but I'm sure glad that He does.
The Bible says that none of us are good, no not one. If you search your heart, you will realize it. Even the nicest person in the world is sometimes petty and mean. But, the good news is that Jesus' shed blood washes away the sins of anyone who turn to Him as their Savior and Lord.