The Lord is a Warrior

A few downed trees, flooded basements, and power outages; other than that it seems like Irene didn’t cause much havoc in our area. Thank God. As you stay in and stay dry this Sunday, here’s a few thoughts from Exodus 17:8-16, the passage we would have looked at today for corporate worship.

The people of Israel were camped at Rephidim where God brought forth water from a rock (Ex. 17:1-7). They have faced a number of tests since their exodus from Egypt. Hunger. Thirst. And now war is upon them. We read that, “Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim (Ex. 17:8).” Other parts of the Old Testament tell us that what made this attack so reprehensible was that Amalek didn’t line up for war, but instead picked off the weaklings at the back. “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God (Deut.25:17-18).”

In response, Moses orders Joshua to choose some men to go and fight Amalek (Ex. 17:9). Moses is now an old man in his eighties. His fighting days are behind him (Ex. 2:11-22). Instead, Moses takes his place atop a hill overlooking the battlefield. In hand, He holds the staff – the symbol of God’s power and presence. An interesting thing happens. As long as Moses’ arms holding the staff are raised, Joshua and the army win. When his hands grow tired and are lowered, the Amalekites gain the upper hand (Ex. 17:11). Noticing this pattern, two of Moses’ assistants, Aaron and Hur, grab a stone for old Moses to sit on and they hold his arms up – one on each side, until sunset. With this, Joshua and his men prevail over their enemies. In response to the victory, they erect an altar of remembrance and thanksgiving to God (Ex. 17:13-16).

Holy War in the Old Testament
One of the questions that this story raises is what are we supposed to do with the military narratives of the Old Testament? This is a puzzling and troubling issue for many – and rightfully so. Just consider some of the commands of God from the first half of your Bibles.

Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. (1 Sam. 15:3)

He left none remaining, but devoted to destruction all that breathed, just as the Lord God of Israel commanded. (Josh. 10:40)

Verses like these, and there are many, are hard to reconcile with the teachings of Jesus, who taught that we should turn the other cheek, and love our enemies, and essentially that we ought to be willing to be killed rather than kill. At first glance it seems like the God of the Old Covenant is a capricious, bloodthirsty, merciless, genocidal murderer who is far removed from the loving, merciful, and gracious God of the New Covenant. What gives?

While many things can be said, let’s say three.

1. God is the author of life. Every day He gives life and takes it away. Every day tens of thousands of people are born and every day tens of thousands of people die. God is sovereign over both. Whether we live 8 days, 8 months, 8 years, or 8 decades is up to God. He is sovereign over the number of our days and He is sovereign over how those days will come to an end. Every day, God is taking life – and He does no injustice to anyone in doing so. It is His to give. It is His to take away. If you’re reading this, have you considered that your life is a gift from God? Have you wondered why some died in Hurricane Irene and you didn’t? Why did a tree fall into an apartment killing an eleven-year-old boy and not into yours? If you breathe, it’s because God allows you to. And if you don’t, it’s because God commands it so.

2.  God’s dealing with Israel was unique. If you read a law in Alaska that says, “It is unlawful to knock over, damage, or otherwise destroy your neighbor’s igloo”; you are not going to be able to bring that law over to Philly without recognizing that you’re in an entirely different context. There may be principles that carry over, but the context is so different and the specifics have to be adapted. Likewise, when we read of the ‘holy wars’ or the ‘Yahweh wars’ of the Old Covenant, we’re in a very different context. Unlike any other nation on the planet or in history, God was the immediate King of Israel. Israel was a theocracy such that never was or ever will be again. As such, God was free to use Israel as His instrument to carry out His judgments. And this is precisely what He does when He orders Joshua and His men to kill His enemies. It is not that all of Israel’s enemies are God’s enemies, but the other way around, that God’s enemies are to be Israel’s enemies. God is free to judge humanity for sin through a global flood and through Joshua’s sword. The Old Covenant is clear that God had put up with the sin of the Canaanites for generations before judging them through His people Israel.

Here’s a short video by John Piper who says all this better than I could.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taYhbRm6pnU]

3.  God’s dealing with us is different. Now there is no theocracy. The Kingdom of God is no longer an ethnic, political, national, or physical reality. It’s boundaries are not limited by land but spread globally across the hearts of men, women, and children wherever Christ is recognized as King. As such, the enemies to be fought, and the battle to be waged is no longer ethnic, political, national, or physical (Eph. 6:12). The Kingdom of God is a spiritual reality. Therefore, the battle to be fought is spiritual as well (Eph. 6:10-20). In the New Covenant, the Warrior God comes to battle against spiritual enemies, not physical ones. This is why you see Jesus rebuking demons, casting out spirits, overcoming temptation, overthrowing oppression, and defeating the devil. Yet the paradox of the New Covenant is that the greatest victory comes through the greatest defeat. For as the Warrior God is slain, as His limbs are stretched helplessly on the tree, He “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him (Col. 2:15).” Thus a new way of battle has been shown for His people. We now advance the Kingdom not by taking life, but by giving ours. We extend the borders of God’s reign by loving our enemies, praying for those who persecute us, blessing those who curse us, turning the other cheek, and being willing to die before we are willing to kill.

Some questions for reflection:

1. Do you see your life as a gift from God? Why has He kept you alive today? Pray Psalm 90:12.
2. As members of the New Covenant people of God, who are your enemies (Eph. 6:12)? What is the battle you are called to (Eph. 6:10-20)?
3. How has Jesus defeated our true enemy? How do you share in His victory? How should this impact the way you treat those who hate, oppose, curse, or persecute you?