Israel

Divine Warfare: What 1 Chronicles Teaches Christians Today

/ Richard Bargas / Leave a comment

“With them by their generations according to their fathers’ households were 36,000 troops of the army for war, for they had many wives and sons. Their relatives among all the families of Issachar were mighty men of valor, recorded by genealogy, in all 87,000.” (1 Chronicles 7:4–5, LSB)

Although it’s not the most gripping read in the Bible, the opening chapters of 1 Chronicles are “…God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16, LSB), like every other passage of Scripture. I’ve tried to keep this in mind during my daily Bible reading as I move through this section of my devotional study.

This morning, what caught my eye was the repeated references to the number of men prepared for war among each of the tribes of Israel. Of course, these numbers were both dangerous and essential for the king(s) to know. They are dangerous because they could lead a ruler to rely on physical strength rather than on God, who is the One who fought for the nation. However, these numbers are also crucial for faithful preparation. As Jesus notes, “Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:31, LSB).

The Bible is filled with references to war and battle, both physical and spiritual. Some Christians struggle with the concept of warfare, viewing it as problematic for New Testament believers to engage in anything from war to self-defense. For pacifistic Christian sects, they must grapple with the warfare language used throughout the New Testament (including Jesus calling his disciples to carry swords at one point, cf. Lk 22:36-38) as well as the extensive discussions of warfare found in the Old Testament.

Although we might be able to dismiss war in the Bible as the sinful actions of warmongering rulers and sinful soldiers, we cannot ignore the reality that God Himself is identified as “Lord of Hosts” and “warrior” and that He engages in war with His enemies (Ex 14:14; 15:3; Ps 24:8; Isa 42:13; Jer 20:11; Zeph 3:17). So, if warfare is sinful, then why does the Lord Himself engage in it, and why did the Holy Spirit inspire New Testament writers to use battle imagery when speaking about the Christian life?

I don’t deny that not all wars are equal. I also don’t deny that war and violence are ugly. The fact is that we live on a fallen planet where the wicked and the righteous must coexist. The righteous are called to live at peace with others, so far as it depends on us (Rom 12:18). But what happens when the peaceful are acted upon? What happens when women, children, and the helpless are threatened, and the lives of others are put in danger? Is it not righteous to protect the lives of others? The temple had guards. Things we value have locks, including our homes.

I found an interesting quote in Peter Craigie’s book, The Problem of War in the Old Testament. Referring to a study done by Elbert W. Russell, “…the more orthodox a Christian group or individual may be, the more likely it is that his attitudes will be militaristic.”1 As I stated above, the challenge for pacifist Christians is that the Bible is filled with references to war, warfare, and even God’s direct instruction to Israel on how it should engage in battle. Craigie identifies Russell as a Quaker, and as such, he highlights the paradox of why orthodox teaching on warfare does not deny the place of peace in Christianity. I would add that peace was also the goal of the Old Testament teachings of God to His people.

Some politicians and American presidents have touted the ideal of “peace through strength.” As I read through 1 Chronicles, I can’t deny that militarism and preparation for righteous warfare are not foreign to the Bible, and neither should they be to the lives of modern Christians. One day, we will hammer swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks (Isa 2:4), but that is awaiting King Jesus, who will rule with a rod of iron and be seated on His throne. Until that day, I am thankful for the men who protect the innocent on a daily basis all around the world.

  1. Peter C. Craigie, The Problem of War in the Old Testament. (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978), 14. ↩︎

Praying For the Peace of Israel

/ Richard Bargas / Leave a comment

I remember as a child scoffing as my parents said that the swat I was about to receive on my bottom was harder for them than it was for me. “Harder for you?!” I would think. How could that be true? But as a parent about to dole out discipline to my own children years later, I understood. My discipline was not meant to bring retribution but was instead aimed at true discipline, or teaching. Of course, my children didn’t always understand this, even when I explained it to them. The sting of discipline can sometimes get in the way of the communication process.

Right now our world awakes to the daily reality of multiple wars raging all over the world. For those in the war zones, the painful reality is both shockingly real and surreal. It is easy for us in the peaceful parts of the world to make judgment calls on who is right and wrong in these upheavals, like a person sitting in their living room watching a sports match and choosing sides. But in war, is there a winner?

In my Bible reading this morning through the Old Testament prophet of Ezekiel, I was struck by the words of the Lord through this man of God. His words were of judgment, but not toward His own people Israel. Earlier in the book, the Lord has doled out his discipline on His wayward people, and it has been harsh. The events that took place against God’s people were brutal, even barbaric. That isn’t to say that it wasn’t well deserved. God had sent wave after wave of His servants, the prophets, to bring God’s warning of impending judgment, only to be met with laughter, disgust, and further open wickedness. When the bowl of the wrath of God was full, He acted just as He had promised.

In bringing punishment to His people, the Lord used the enemies of Israel, some of whom they had treaties with, others who rejoiced in its fall and took advantage of their weakened state. Having completed the punishment against His people, the Lord turned to those who struck out against His people. Remember, God didn’t implant jealousy and hatred into the hearts of these people. They already hated Israel. He simply allowed the hatred, greed, and jealousy to have its result–the plundering of Israel.

In Ezekiel 25, the Lord turns His attention to the nations that took advantage of Israel in her weakness. Although God was angry with His people, like a father who loves His children even while he is disciplining them, so too our God loves His people Israel, even as He brings judgment on them for their open rebellion. He never forsook them, and His wrath cannot be interpreted as a separation from them as His own. In case there was any doubt about that, this chapter (and the next several) describes God’s judgment not on Israel, but upon the people that attacked God’s precious people Israel. In chapter 25, God speaks His judgment against Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia.

In God’s words of judgment to these nations, there is an important lesson to consider, especially in light of the war in Israel going on right now between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It is this: Israel may be disobedient, rebellious, and hard-hearted in its attitude toward God and righteousness, and God will punish. But He will never forsake His people. And for those that point and laugh, and say that Israel is no different than any other nation, and that her punishment is proof of God’s rejection of Israel, I say you need to read your Bible, and specifically the way God dealt with those in Ezekiel 25. 

First, look at what God says to Ammon, “And the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, set your face toward the sons of Ammon and prophesy against them and say to the sons of Ammon, ‘Hear the word of Lord Yahweh! Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into exile,” (Ezekiel 25:1–3, LSB)

God took offense against Ammon for its mockery when His holy temple was profaned. “Aha!” is an interjection, and the Lexham Analytical Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible connects this word to the Greek word euge, which means, “Good!” We can picture the rejoicing and dancing in the streets of many Muslims in the Middle East when the planes struck the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

For their hatred of God’s people, the Lord promised to give over their land to nomads and to turn their capital into a pasture for their camels. The Lord further elaborated on their joy over Israel’s demise: “‘For thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and were glad with all the scorn of your soul against the land of Israel, therefore, behold, I have stretched out My hand against you, and I will give you for plunder to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and make you perish from the lands; I will destroy you. Thus you will know that I am Yahweh.”” (Ezekiel 25:6–7, LSB)

Instead of coming to Israel’s aid, the Ammonites celebrated. Instead of mourning, they rejoiced. And for their hard hearts and wicked scorn, God would destroy them.

The next nation that the Lord addressed was the people of Moab. Both the Ammonites and the Moabites were distant relatives of the Jewish people. They traced their lineage back to Abraham’s nephew Lot, who bore children by his daughters, and these children were named Ben-Ammi and Moab (Gen 19:30-38). This means that their mockery and scorn were doubly offensive since they were distantly related. But the animosity they showed had no compassion or love mixed with it.

To the Moabites, the Lord said, “‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because Moab and Seir say, ‘Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations,’ therefore, behold, I am going to open the flank of Moab by its cities, by its cities which are on its frontiers, the glory of the land, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim, and I will give it for a possession along with the sons of Ammon to the sons of the east, so that the sons of Ammon will not be remembered among the nations.” (Ezekiel 25:8–10, LSB)

Where the Ammonites rejoiced in the defilement of the Temple in Jerusalem, the Moabites declared that the House of Judah (and this the lineage of David) where nothing special, like everyone else. I have heard some Christians denounce Israel, saying they aren’t anything special to God anymore. They say that many Jews are rebellious, and wicked, and they hate Christians. Much of this is true for many Jewish people. And it is no worse than what they were being punished for in Ezekiel’s day. And yet, God still stands by them in covenant love, even though He was unwilling to overlook their sins against Him. 

Do we really want to be on the side of these rebellious nations that sided against God’s people? Do we really want to equate Israel with all the other nations of the world as if it is not exceptional and special in God’s eyes still? I don’t need to justify or excuse Israel’s sins to stand by them as God’s people. As a matter of fact, God’s prophets spoke hard and true words to them, and so should we. We should not compromise to call the Jewish people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. But we must not follow in the footsteps of the pagan nations and point at Israel as rejected both by God and men. 

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” (Psalm 122:6, LSB)