Old Testament Violence (18) - Modern Israel
The principles outlined in these posts are relevant to modern Israel. If God has brought them back to their land, he will protect them. If they had his blessing, they would not need the weapons of war. God would deliver them from their enemies.
The reality is that Israel has always had extremely militaristic governments, a big armaments industry and many nuclear weapons. This is not surprising, because most modern Israelis are secular people, who do not trust in God. Those who do believe in God also believe that Deuteronomy and Joshua provide justification for using extreme military force to defend their land.
The strange thing is that many Christians also believe that Israel should use whatever military force is necessary to defeat their enemies. They would be happy for the United States to drop nuclear weapons on Iran to protect Israel. They see a million deaths in Iraq as justified, if it removes an enemy of Israel.
Those who hold this view have forgotten that God once delivered Israel using 300 men with trumpets. The belief that the defence of Israel justifies brutal military force is based on a false understanding of the Old Testament.
This is the end of this series. The full set is here.
In a few days time, when I have caught my breath, I will give provide a few insights into the prophet Samuel that should calm any sheep that are still bleating.
2 comments:
I have read this whole series and except for a few "Outbursts" find it sadly lacking when it comes to really comprehending the Biblical examples given. If you come at these stories with a predefined point of view (all war is useless) in mind you will of course be able to parse this to fit that view.
If God places a man or woman in leadership of a country and that country is attacked by an outside force (think Georgia) what is the Godly thing for the leader to do? With missiles raining down (Iran - Israel) call a fast?
This is dangerously close to the pacifism that caused Ghandi to proclaim that the right thing for Jews to do during the Holocaust was to turn themselves in and become sacrifices rather than resist.
This is about being a part of the answer to every prayer we pray.
I know (And I suspect so do you) know many many people who in good intent stayed on their knees when getting out and looking for work to pay their bills might have produced a better outcome.
Instead they died broke and disappointed in a God who didn't let them win the Lotto.
WE ARE the hands feet and arms manifested on earth. Sometimes that arm is strong. Sometimes it must be.
Read this brothers analysis:
http://mikesnoise.typepad.com/noisepage/2005/10/ghandi_hitler_a.html
Deitrich Bonhoeffer famously wrote that if he were a bystander watching an out-of-control automobile drive toward an assembled crowd, as a Christian it was his duty to try to stop the car. Simply watching destruction happen and then consoling the grieving was, in his opinion, a wrong and immoral thing to do.
I line up with Bonhoffer.
Gene
Guilt by association is a feeble argument.
I did not mention Ghandi and would not advocate Christians following his example. He was a Hindu, so he did not understand the power of God to bring down the walls of a city, or to cause a mighty army to flee at the sound of three hundred trumpets. He did not know how to hear the voice of God as Gideon did.
Bonheoffer is not a good example either. The problem was that he made no attempt to stop the car when it was still on the assembly line. During the 1920s, when the German spirit was crushed and broken, Christian leaders like Bonheoffer were too busy arguing about trivial points of theology to call their nation back to Christ. Because there was no prophetic voice, the people started looking for a human saviour. They voted Hitler into power, because he promised to deliver them and restore the glory of Germany.
Although the German people were making the same mistake as the citizens of Shechem (Judges 9), the German clergy were cheerleaders for this German Abimelech. When Bonheoffer and his mates finally woke up, Abimelech was out of control and could not be stopped.
A prophetic voice must speak when the storm clouds are still gathering. Prophets who wake up when the storm has struck are a waste of time. Prophets who go for the gun when God has not spoken will fail.
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