Old Testament Violence

For Christians who take the Old Testament seriously, violence is a serious issue. Part of the problem is that God sends to encourage the use of violent force. This contrasts with Jesus warnings against the use of violence. Most theologians resolve this dilemma by driving a wedge between Jesus and the God of the Old Testament. They are happy to do this, because they hate the law.

Psalm 119 advocates a different approach. We will only find the answers to the issue of violence by loving the law.

Oh, how I love your law!
I meditateon it all day long.
Your commands are always with me
and make me wiser than my enemies.
I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes (Ps 119:97-99).

I have deliberately chosen to love the law. This has changed my perspective.

I have written on the topic in God and Violence. I note that part of the problem is misleading translation. The translators of the English bible, do not love the law, so they translate it as harshly as possible, I presume they do this to make the Jesus and the gospel look good.

I have now realised that there is another reasons for this harsh translation of God’s commands. The translators take a justificatory approach to Israel’s behaviour. To justify the behaviour of the children of Israel, they translate God’s commands in a way that makes it appear that Israel’s behaviour is consistent with God’s command.

This approach provides justification for warmongering Christians. They like the violence in the New Testament, because it allows them to be advocate the use of massive military force, while claiming to follow Jesus.