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

The Wars of Ancient Israel

Jehovah God decreed that Israel should make war to rid the Promised Land of the depraved Canaanites.  (Leviticus 18:1, 24-28; Deuteronomy 20:16-18) Just as God had punished evildoers by means of a deluge in Noah's day and fire in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, so he wielded the nation of Israel as his sword of execution. -Genesis 6:12, 17; 19:13, 24, 25. 

According to the Bible, Israel fought other battles under God's direction, usually to repel unprovoked enemy threats.  When the nation obeyed Jehovah, the wars it fought ended favorably.  (Exodus 34:24; 2 Samuel 5:17-25) But disaster finally resulted when Israel dared to do battle  contrary to divine counsel. Consider the case of King Jeroboam.  Ignoring a direct prophetic warning , he dispatched his huge arm in civil war against Judah.  when the mayhem finally ended, 500,000 of Jeroboam's soldiers were dead. (2 Chronicles 13:12-18)  Even faithful King Josiah once picked a battle that was not his.  The rash decision cost him his life. -2 Chronicles 35:20-24. 

What do these events show?  That in ancient Israel, the decision to make war rested with God.  (Deuteronomy 32:35,  43) He had his people fight for specific purposes. However, these purposes  were long ago accomplished. Furthermore, Jehovah foretold that those who serve him "in the final part of the days" would "beat their swords into plowshares" and not "learn war anymore."  (Isaiah 2:2-4)  Clearly, Biblical wars do not justify modern-day conflicts, none of which are fought under God's direction or at his command. 

Next time: THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT-DOES GOD APPROVE OF WARFARE?/The Effect of Christ's Teaching

From the Awake! magazine