WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT WAR?-VOLUME 3

The following is a guest editorial on the subject of God and War.  This is the third  blog ("Where to Next" was the first, then "What Does God Say About-War-2)  in regards to this subject.  We currently have invitations extended to a number of other experts on the subject.  The opinions shared are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of "My Father's Voice".


You will hear of Wars and rumors of Wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.  Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom.  There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  --Matthew 24:6-7

In case you haven't noticed, in addition to the unrest in Libya and Yemen, we now have Syria kicking up its heels.  Twelve people were killed and over 200 injured in fighting that broke out against the government in the seaside city of Latakia. 

As anti-government unrest continues to ripple across the Middle East, many in Israel are worried that changes in the Arab world could lead to renewed hostilities against them.   But analysts say it remains to be seen whether the upheaval will threaten Israel and its pillars of security, including peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan.  "My sense is people in Israel are quite concerned, unsure that it's a good thing", said Robert Schadler, a senior fellow in public diplomacy at the American Foreign Policy Council and former State Department official in the Reagan administration.  "I think in the immediate future, any kind of discord and chaos is good for Israel because if your regime is about to fall, you're not about to attack Israel", he said.   If I'm Israel, I'm not sure they'd agree.  Today, Israel announced they have a new rocket system designed to go online to protect them in the event of a missile strike.  So why is there War?  Let's continue with some additional comments from PleaseConvinceme.com

#5
The truth is that the world is filled with sinful people, and war is simply one of many results of sin. Now many people would argue that RELIGION is the cause of war. But to say that EVERY war has been fought on theological grounds is simply untrue. Given free reign, humans will find something to fight about. It may be about religion, but if not, it will be about some other ideology or simply about greed and power. While religion may be one excuse to go to war, it is only that: one excuse. But remember that there will always be SOME excuse. So, why do we find ourselves fighting? Think about it for a minute. It comes down to our very nature as greedy, prideful, power-hungry humans. And this nature is described perfectly in the scriptures.

There Will Be Wars and Rumors of Wars....

#6
So, let’s be straight about the cause of war. As Christians we are commended NOT to murder. We are also given several exceptions and allowed to KILL. If we do this however, we had better make sure that we are RESPONDING to sin, rather than being yet another SOURCE of sin. And there are plenty of examples in the Scripture of ways in which God’s people have been commanded to respond to sin by engaging in war. The Old Testament is replete with examples of God ordering His people to go to battle with the nations around them.  And there are plenty of examples in the Scripture of ways in which God’s people have been commanded to respond to sin by engaging in war. The Old Testament is replete with examples of God ordering His people to go to battle with the nations around them.

#7
If you read Numbers 31:1-2 there is some further direction.  " The Lord spoke to Moses saying" take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites: afterward you will be gathered to your people".   Wow, that sounds pretty brutal. Why would God command all of this? Is he commanding murder? Not from His perspective. But he is commanding his people to kill. The difference is that God (being omniscient) knew these surrounding nations perfectly. He knew their hearts and he knew their future if they were allowed to exist near the nation of Israel. He knew they would seek Israel’s destruction (gee, things don’t sound like they’ve changed all that much)! God has that kind of knowledge.

God knew that the nations that surrounded Israel would eventually lead them away from God and seek the destruction of Israel as a nation:

As I mentioned earlier, this is a touch subject.  But I'd like to hear your input.  This is a forum we can learn in.  The lines are open.  God and little old me are waiting.

YGG,

John