THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT - DOES GOD APPROVE OF WARFARE?

How often rulers, generals, and even clergy have declared or endorsed war in the name of God!  In 1095, with the blessing of Pope Urban II, the First Crusade set out to retake the "Holy City" Jerusalem for Christendom. But before reaching their goal, one band of Crusaders was annihilated by Turks, whose zeal for Allah matched the Crusaders' faith in the Trinity. 

In August 1914, a young German wrote from his World War I encampment: "If there is  justice and divine guidance in history-and of that I am absolutely certain-then victory must be ours."  In the same month, Czar Nicholas II launched Russia's armies against Germany,  while claiming:  "I send my soul's greeting to my valiant troops and my  noble  allies.  God is with us!" 

Thus emboldened, millions of soldiers have gone to the front, fully believing that God was on their side. Many people feel that God allows such fighting as the price of freedom, and they point to the wars of the Hebrew Scriptures (commonly called the Old Testament) as support. Is their interpretation of God's Word correct? 

Next time: THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT-DOES GOD APPROVE OF WARFARE?/The Wars of Ancient Israel

From the Awake! magazine