Fighting In Behalf Of His People

Does Jehovah's interest in defending his name mean that he is cold and self-centered? No, for by acting in accord with his holiness and love of justice, he protects his people. Consider Genesis chapter 1. There we read of four invading kings who kidnapped Abraham's nephew Lot, long with Lot's family. With God's help, Abraham executed a stunning defeat of vastly superior forces! The account of this victory was likely the first entry in "the book of the Wars of Jehovah," evidently a book that also documented some military encounters that are not recorded in the Bible. (Numbers 21:14) Many more victories were to follow.

Shortly before the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, Moses assured them "Jehovah your God is the one going before you. He will fight for you according to all that he did with you in Egypt." (Deuteronomy 1:30; 20:1) Starting with Moses' successor, Joshua, and continuing on through the period of the Judges and the reigns of the faithful kings of Judah, Jehovah indeed fought for his people, giving them many dramatic victories over their enemies. -Joshua 10:1-14; Judges 4:12-17; 2 Samuel 5:17-21.

Jehovah has not changed; nor has his purpose to make this planet a peaceful paradise changed. (Genesis 1:27, 28) God still hates wickedness. At the same time, he dearly loves his people and will soon act in their behalf. (Psalm 11:7) In fact, the enmity described at Genesis 3:15 is expected to reach a dramatic and violent turning point in the near future. To sanctify his name and protect his people, Jehovah will once again become "a manly person of war"! -Zechariah 14:3; Revelation 16:14, 16.

Consider an illustration: Suppose that a man's family was being attacked by a vicious animal and that the man jumped into the fray and killed the violent beast. Would you expect his wife and children to be repelled by this act? On the contrary, you would expect them to be moved by his selfless love for them. In a similar way, we should not be repelled by God's use of destructive power. His willingness to fight to protect us should increase our love for him. Our respect for his unlimited power should deepen as well. Thus, we can "render God sacred service with godly fear and awe." -Hebrews 12:28.

Next time: Draw Close To The "Manly Person Of War"

Draw Close To Jehovah, 2002