The Lord of the Israelites makes it clear that war is His province (not unlike vengeance) and that when the Israelites go to war, they go to serve His purposes, not their own.

What I get from the Old Testament is this: First, that war is the way of Fallen Man. Second, that God had set aside the Israelites for a special purpose (namely, to establish the traditions and prophecies that would be climaxed and fulfilled by the sacrificial and redeeming death of His son).

Third, that His people would be subjected to war many times in their history. Not because their God is a warlike God (though clearly He is capable of waging war, and waging it perfectly), but because their neighbors and theirselves, being sinful in nature, were warlike people. Among humans, war is inevitable.

Therefore, for the preservation of His chosen people, who cannot avoid war and cannot afford to be destroyed by war, He must from time to time lead the Israelites to victory over their enemies.

But this isn't some modern, low-intensity conflict that we're talking about here. This is total war. Tribe against tribe. Everybody was part of the fighting force. Every goat and ox was a military resource. Victory for one side could only be achieved by annihilation of the other side. This is how all the other tribes waged war. If the Israelites had turned aside from total war, they would not only have left masses of undefeated enemies all around them, but they would also have gotten a reputation for weakness and half-measures. This would only encourage more war against them.

In summary, to secure for His chosen people a safe place in a warlike world, the Lord of the Israelites had to lead them in battle, not like a perfect pacifist, but like a perfect general[*].

But we have seen elsewhere in the Jewish and Christian scriptures that the Lord of the Israelites is also a perfect pacifist, a perfect healer, a perfect judge, and a perfect lover.

You may say that it's not possible for a deity to be all these things, but who are you to dictate the limits of the Creator God?

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[*] Indeed, the princple of total destruction of the enemy's fighting force is a fundamental principle of victory in warfare, one that all generals understand and strive to uphold. von Clausewitz preaches the exact same war policy as the Lord of Hosts. It's the only sensible policy, if there must be war.

Very well said stutefish.

stutefish I see that the enemies of the nation Israel in the Old Testament are a picture of not only evil towards God (idolatry etc...) but is a picture of what sin is to the believer in the New Testament. Sin attempts to draw the people of God (today) away from whole haearted commitment to Him to serve the flesh. Consider Judges 2:21-23

Thanks for the reply.

preacherman