In part I of this blog, we particularly looked at the military in light of units like the Army, Navy, Air Force & Marines. From the scriptures, our main purpose was to show them as ordained of God to do good and put down evil.
At the end of part I, I made mention of other people such as policemen and policewomen. Indeed even security people who are hired can be included in this category. Surely you can see how if they do their job properly, this helps make society, businesses, and indeed life more enjoyable. The better they do their job, the more at ease people can be mentally as well. To use this in a disturbing context today, think about security people in public schools. It is certainly a shame we have come to that place, but the security is there to physically stop anything harmful from happening, but it is also hoped that parents can have a little more peace of mind in sending their children to school. It is hoped that the security people will create an atmosphere that will deter any evil plans.
We can certainly see this applying to our Coast Guard. These folks have never gotten the credit they deserve. Today, they have a very serious and difficult responsibility. From my study, it is said that the Coast Guard is the most difficult branch of service to get into.
Now I’ll really jump into the fire and talk about securing the border and those who serve in that type of security. They too put their lives on the line and particularly today in an area that seems so uncertain, at times. I believe anyone in this day and time who does not believe we should secure our country’s borders is, at best, misguided or, at the worst, a traitor to this country! I am certain that all of our country’s leaders secure their own homes and properties. Do they just let people walk into their homes off the street uninvited? I think you get the point. Their homes will be secure, let there be no doubt. America is our home, as well, yet many say just leave the door open so anyone can come in. How absurd – particularly for someone who is supposed to be leading this country.
Now I am not saying for a minute that securing all of our borders would be easy by any means, but; it should be the policy and principle that we stand on, and it ought to be broadcast worldwide. Every enemy of this country should have in his or her mind that when they cross into our land, their life is on the line. Just like it would be if they walked into your house unannounced!
I would further say this, if you are having difficulty processing all of the problems and situations that our country is going through, ask yourself this question: What would be my position if this was my home or my family? In many instances you will find that things clear up very quickly when you view things from that perspective. It is an interesting study in the Bible to see what God says about watchmen and those whose job it is to watch out for a city or a land.
It is interesting that I am writing about this subject at this time. Last week, the world’s attention was off the coast of Somalia where pirates are attacking vessels, demanding ransom payments, etc. We remember Captain Richard Phillips whose ship was attacked and he allowed himself to become a hostage so that his men could go free. Many will remember that this went on for several days with the arrival of an American Navy vessel. Navy Seals took out the pirates and freed Captain Phillips – interesting enough on the day we call Easter.
There was, and continues to be, much rejoicing over the success of this mission from our standpoint. If we would look at the other side of it for a moment, three men were taken out in a moment. It is a shame that it ended that way, but little choice was given. The pirates set this whole thing in motion and they reaped what they sowed.
A point that this incident makes is this – evil will get in your face, it will come knocking at your door. It is certainly a disturbing trend in our country. I remember when we could leave all our doors unlocked (house and car) – how about you? Do you remember those days? It used to be the bad guys were far away and your code of conduct could be, I will not bother you if you will not bother me.
Those days are long gone with evil, as I said before, being unashamed to get in your face – invading your home through the television, through the internet, newspapers, magazines, music, violence in our schools, random shootings because people are depressed, gangs are coming to a neighborhood near you, and a culture that most of you would never allow in your homes. In many homes of people I know, I dare any 13-year-old to act like a majority of them do on the television programs that are standard issue – I know what your reaction will be, the same thing we got – a big whuppin’. We were taught unashamedly that people (including children) were not to act like a bunch of heathens!
Perhaps we have gotten a little off the subject, but I wanted to show that those in our society that are required to keep order and security are dealing with a number of people who are out of control, that have a confrontational personality, and for the most part never grew up with the values that many of us knew as normal discipline and training.
I have tried to show in this topic that we can demonstrate Biblically that people of God, and God Himself, (along with the hosts of heaven) are not hesitant to confront evil in both word and deed. Yes, there are times when we as individuals are required to turn the other cheek and times to suffer wrong and count it all joy. Yet we are told in the New Testament that we are soldiers in a spiritual battle first and foremost as individuals.
I will conclude by pointing out that from Genesis to Revelation, we see angels as those beings that often bear a sword. One angel was going to kill Balaam in Numbers in Numbers 22:23. In Exodus 33:2 we see an angel going before the children of Israel to clear out the Promised Land before their arrival. In II Kings 19:35 we see where one angel smote 185,000 in one night of an army coming against Israel. In I Chronicles 21:16 David sees an angel with a sword stretched over Jerusalem. We see angels fighting the hosts of darkness – the book of Daniel has a good example. In my first blog I mentioned the incident in the book of Acts where an angel smote Herod. The book of Revelation is full of angels in warfare. I would also mention that in Matthew 26:53, Jesus said that God would dispatch 12 legions of angels if He only asked for them. We can be assured that those angels would not be coming just to play harps.
Let us pray for the grace and wisdom to respond properly and in the right way to all of the difficult situations ahead of us.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Christians & the Military ~ Part I
This topic is one that could indeed be a lightning rod. In just the little study I have done, I believe a book could be written on it from the Biblical standpoint. Thus, I will likely not settle a great deal of conflict (no pun intended) with this little treatise.
While I personally know little of violent arguments that have come out of this question, many Pastors and counselors have spent hours with young people who have wrestled with the question as they considered their own military service. Some have fled the draft, others could not function on the field, and some have just tried to hold on with fear and trembling when confronted with the reality of actually being in a battle.
One of the first places to start is to realize that there is the Christian life of the individual (and how to settle conflicts that arise between individuals), and there is also the responsibility of individuals (either alone or as some organized unit) to protect people and property. Here is a good place to remember that we live in a fallen world, where the ways of God are generally not adhered to, and that which is evil or wrong must be confronted.
In the Bible we see God dealing with this before man ever did. There was a rebellion in the ranks of God’s creation – when true freedom is given, the chance of that is always taken. In a nutshell, all those involved in the attempted overthrow of God were stripped of all heavenly privileges, citizenship, and essentially came to be what is called satan and the forces of darkness. Countless books have already been written on the details of that, the demonic realm, what they do now, their final end, etc. Indeed there is a great deal in the New Testament about it. That is not our discussion at this time. The main point I want to emphasize is that God dealt with it in no uncertain terms: He did not offer a cease fire, a state of détente, or give an invitation to talk it over – they were all thrown out.
In the Bible, it is not long after the fall of man that we see the results. At first, we see it among or between individuals – such as when Cain killed Abel. You will recall that there is a great deal in the law of Moses about how to treat your fellow man – what to do when someone stole something, accusations of lying, when someone was killed, sexual misconduct, dispute over property boundaries, just weights and balances, and the list goes on. This was essentially between people within Israel – yet someone had to be responsible for carrying out judgment, punishment, etc. When groups began to form to the place where we are now talking about nations, we are now dealing with the same thing on a much larger scale. Now we are ready to consider a nation having an army.
From a Biblical standpoint, there is no better place to start than to look at the nation of Israel. When the people of Israel were in Egypt, they had no real government of their own. They had no army either, and God did the fighting for them that eventually led them out of Egypt.
It is estimated that Israel was between 1-3 million when they came out of Egypt. It was not long that we see things being put in place so they could function as a nation – rules and regulations, where each tribe would camp, how to deal with problems, etc.
Soon we see an army under the general command of Moses and the specific command of Joshua in Exodus 17:8-16. The Bible says that Amalek came and fought with Israel. It is interesting that at this time when Israel is under the leadership of the prophet Moses (there was no “king” in Israel yet), there seems to be no hesitancy in Israel joining the fight. In Exodus 17: 14, God instructs Moses: “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”
In Leviticus 26:7-8 we see, “And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.”
In Numbers chapter 1, the number mentioned specifically is in regards to those who could go to war.
In Numbers 26, we see the same type of numbering again with a total given of 601,730 given in verse 51. If you read through the book of Numbers, you will see that they were called armies, they were to go out in battle and they were ranked.
From Moses through the prophet Samuel, the nation of Israel was governed in like manner – prophets as God’s representatives. Samuel ruled over Israel particularly when they were fighting the Philistines.
During the time of Samuel, the people of Israel began to ask for a king so they could be like other nations. Samuel said it would not be good to have a king like other nations, and God warned them that it would eventually destroy them. Nevertheless, the people insisted on a king and God gave them their first king – Saul. Note: I Samuel 8:6-7: But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
From this point on, it appears that the king would be in charge of the army. He would be commander-in-chief. However, the king often asked the prophet and looked to God for specific instructions about when to go to war, who to fight, etc. It is also interesting in I Samuel 15 when Saul refused to kill the enemy King Agag, Samuel did it in no uncertain terms.
As mentioned earlier, a book could be written starting here on the Biblical cause for war, armies, etc. However, we also see that from the time of Saul on, the leadership in Israel was not in God’s perfect will. Even with all of the good things that God says about David and Solomon, and all the ways they were blessed; the whole system was not what God wanted and these kings would eventually lead to Israel’s downfall. Therefore, we do not see God’s perfect will in the nation of Israel from this time on in so many ways.
Likewise when we get into the New Testament, we see a lot about how to act as an individual Christian – Jesus specifically taught a great deal about this. The epistles also contain a lot on this theme and how the church should function. But also included in the New Testament are instructions regarding the “powers” and those in authority.
I particularly mention again the passage from Romans chapter 13. This scripture is particularly applicable to our study because it addresses our subject under discussion, it flows right with the principles of the Old Testament and the nation of Israel, and it agrees with the words that Peter wrote in his epistles.
If you will read Romans 13:1-7, even though it is a relatively short passage, it contains a copious amount of info and principles on this subject. Again, just a few points here:
First, it states that the principle of people being in power over others is something that is God-ordained. We know from the scripture that God would not ordain that which is bad or wrong. Therefore, the principle and design is good. All in authority should understand this before they ever serve in a public office.
Second, we should not resist that power, for in doing so, we are resisting God. I know this can be very difficult in these days and times. However, it should be our goal and desire to show both God and our government that we are trying to be obedient and flow with the program in place.
Third, these rulers are to be a terror to evil works, and those doing evil works should be afraid of these rulers. These rulers are also told to praise those who do that which is good. The Bible has much to say about people knowing the difference between good and evil. Every ruler should take heed in this regard.
Fourth, these rulers are to be ministers of God for us (God gave them for our benefit). They are ministers of God – a revenger who bears the sword for God to execute wrath on evildoers. That ought to get some people’s attention, and it would if those in authority would understand what God expects of them.
Fifth, we must not be evildoers for we know wrath may come our way and also because our conscience should tell us we are not pleasing God. Many of us can perhaps remember as a young person of times when we disobeyed our parents. Do you remember how loud and strong that conscience was on the inside that would make us feel so miserable?
Finally, we are to pay tribute for such a service. I would gladly pay for such a service if it would work like God wanted. Wouldn’t you – if you are the ones out there doing good – these ministers of God are out there to keep evil from bothering you.
All this applies to those in the military – these are the ones on the front lines against evil. I am thankful that there are some ministers preaching some of these things directly to our troops – and indeed all who have decided to serve. These men and women should know they are ministers of God with a weapon (that is a new thought to many). Therefore, they certainly should not be in any type of junk or trashy outfit – they should be first-class representatives of God in the earth. Any organization like that should literally scare the hell out of any terrorist.
Hey! – Policemen and women. You fall in the same category and do the same thing in a different aspect of society. Do you remember when policemen were those of utmost respect and integrity? Like the military, a relatively few bad incidents and people have caused a lot of problems. The police force and those guarding our country would benefit greatly from some sound Biblical teaching on these types of positions of authority.
Part II in a couple of weeks
While I personally know little of violent arguments that have come out of this question, many Pastors and counselors have spent hours with young people who have wrestled with the question as they considered their own military service. Some have fled the draft, others could not function on the field, and some have just tried to hold on with fear and trembling when confronted with the reality of actually being in a battle.
One of the first places to start is to realize that there is the Christian life of the individual (and how to settle conflicts that arise between individuals), and there is also the responsibility of individuals (either alone or as some organized unit) to protect people and property. Here is a good place to remember that we live in a fallen world, where the ways of God are generally not adhered to, and that which is evil or wrong must be confronted.
In the Bible we see God dealing with this before man ever did. There was a rebellion in the ranks of God’s creation – when true freedom is given, the chance of that is always taken. In a nutshell, all those involved in the attempted overthrow of God were stripped of all heavenly privileges, citizenship, and essentially came to be what is called satan and the forces of darkness. Countless books have already been written on the details of that, the demonic realm, what they do now, their final end, etc. Indeed there is a great deal in the New Testament about it. That is not our discussion at this time. The main point I want to emphasize is that God dealt with it in no uncertain terms: He did not offer a cease fire, a state of détente, or give an invitation to talk it over – they were all thrown out.
In the Bible, it is not long after the fall of man that we see the results. At first, we see it among or between individuals – such as when Cain killed Abel. You will recall that there is a great deal in the law of Moses about how to treat your fellow man – what to do when someone stole something, accusations of lying, when someone was killed, sexual misconduct, dispute over property boundaries, just weights and balances, and the list goes on. This was essentially between people within Israel – yet someone had to be responsible for carrying out judgment, punishment, etc. When groups began to form to the place where we are now talking about nations, we are now dealing with the same thing on a much larger scale. Now we are ready to consider a nation having an army.
From a Biblical standpoint, there is no better place to start than to look at the nation of Israel. When the people of Israel were in Egypt, they had no real government of their own. They had no army either, and God did the fighting for them that eventually led them out of Egypt.
It is estimated that Israel was between 1-3 million when they came out of Egypt. It was not long that we see things being put in place so they could function as a nation – rules and regulations, where each tribe would camp, how to deal with problems, etc.
Soon we see an army under the general command of Moses and the specific command of Joshua in Exodus 17:8-16. The Bible says that Amalek came and fought with Israel. It is interesting that at this time when Israel is under the leadership of the prophet Moses (there was no “king” in Israel yet), there seems to be no hesitancy in Israel joining the fight. In Exodus 17: 14, God instructs Moses: “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”
In Leviticus 26:7-8 we see, “And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.”
In Numbers chapter 1, the number mentioned specifically is in regards to those who could go to war.
In Numbers 26, we see the same type of numbering again with a total given of 601,730 given in verse 51. If you read through the book of Numbers, you will see that they were called armies, they were to go out in battle and they were ranked.
From Moses through the prophet Samuel, the nation of Israel was governed in like manner – prophets as God’s representatives. Samuel ruled over Israel particularly when they were fighting the Philistines.
During the time of Samuel, the people of Israel began to ask for a king so they could be like other nations. Samuel said it would not be good to have a king like other nations, and God warned them that it would eventually destroy them. Nevertheless, the people insisted on a king and God gave them their first king – Saul. Note: I Samuel 8:6-7: But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
From this point on, it appears that the king would be in charge of the army. He would be commander-in-chief. However, the king often asked the prophet and looked to God for specific instructions about when to go to war, who to fight, etc. It is also interesting in I Samuel 15 when Saul refused to kill the enemy King Agag, Samuel did it in no uncertain terms.
As mentioned earlier, a book could be written starting here on the Biblical cause for war, armies, etc. However, we also see that from the time of Saul on, the leadership in Israel was not in God’s perfect will. Even with all of the good things that God says about David and Solomon, and all the ways they were blessed; the whole system was not what God wanted and these kings would eventually lead to Israel’s downfall. Therefore, we do not see God’s perfect will in the nation of Israel from this time on in so many ways.
Likewise when we get into the New Testament, we see a lot about how to act as an individual Christian – Jesus specifically taught a great deal about this. The epistles also contain a lot on this theme and how the church should function. But also included in the New Testament are instructions regarding the “powers” and those in authority.
I particularly mention again the passage from Romans chapter 13. This scripture is particularly applicable to our study because it addresses our subject under discussion, it flows right with the principles of the Old Testament and the nation of Israel, and it agrees with the words that Peter wrote in his epistles.
If you will read Romans 13:1-7, even though it is a relatively short passage, it contains a copious amount of info and principles on this subject. Again, just a few points here:
First, it states that the principle of people being in power over others is something that is God-ordained. We know from the scripture that God would not ordain that which is bad or wrong. Therefore, the principle and design is good. All in authority should understand this before they ever serve in a public office.
Second, we should not resist that power, for in doing so, we are resisting God. I know this can be very difficult in these days and times. However, it should be our goal and desire to show both God and our government that we are trying to be obedient and flow with the program in place.
Third, these rulers are to be a terror to evil works, and those doing evil works should be afraid of these rulers. These rulers are also told to praise those who do that which is good. The Bible has much to say about people knowing the difference between good and evil. Every ruler should take heed in this regard.
Fourth, these rulers are to be ministers of God for us (God gave them for our benefit). They are ministers of God – a revenger who bears the sword for God to execute wrath on evildoers. That ought to get some people’s attention, and it would if those in authority would understand what God expects of them.
Fifth, we must not be evildoers for we know wrath may come our way and also because our conscience should tell us we are not pleasing God. Many of us can perhaps remember as a young person of times when we disobeyed our parents. Do you remember how loud and strong that conscience was on the inside that would make us feel so miserable?
Finally, we are to pay tribute for such a service. I would gladly pay for such a service if it would work like God wanted. Wouldn’t you – if you are the ones out there doing good – these ministers of God are out there to keep evil from bothering you.
All this applies to those in the military – these are the ones on the front lines against evil. I am thankful that there are some ministers preaching some of these things directly to our troops – and indeed all who have decided to serve. These men and women should know they are ministers of God with a weapon (that is a new thought to many). Therefore, they certainly should not be in any type of junk or trashy outfit – they should be first-class representatives of God in the earth. Any organization like that should literally scare the hell out of any terrorist.
Hey! – Policemen and women. You fall in the same category and do the same thing in a different aspect of society. Do you remember when policemen were those of utmost respect and integrity? Like the military, a relatively few bad incidents and people have caused a lot of problems. The police force and those guarding our country would benefit greatly from some sound Biblical teaching on these types of positions of authority.
Part II in a couple of weeks
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)