Getting Biblical in Daily Life
War
Back in the day, God gave Israelite people ten important commandments to follow. Maybe you've heard of them. One of the most important ones was "thou shalt not kill." So if murder is wrong, then mass killing during war must be terrible, right?
Um, not quite. Apparently, God intended for there to be a whole lot more wiggle room on the 6th commandment. In 1 Chronicles, he regularly approves of war and even takes side in battles:
- They made war on the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab; and they received help against them […] for they cried to God in the battle, and he granted their entreaty because they trusted in him […] Many fell slain, because the war was of God. (5:19-20, 22)
- Now the people had fled from the Philistines, but he and David took their stand in the middle of the plot, defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the Lord saved them by a great victory. (11:13-14)
- David inquired of God, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?" The Lord said to him, "Go up, and I will give them into your hand." So he went up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there […] David again inquired of God, God said to him, "You shall not go up after them; go around and come on them opposite the balsam trees. When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle; for God has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines." David did as God had commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. The fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him on all nations. (14:10-11, 14-17)
- The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. (18:6)
- "Be strong, and let us be courageous for our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what seems good to him." So Joab and the troops who were with him advanced toward the Arameans for battle; and they fled before him. (19:13-14)
- From booty won in battles they dedicated gifts for the maintenance of the house of the Lord. (26:27)
The whole book seems like one giant martial epic. David slaughtering his "ten thousands" (compared to Saul's paltry "thousands") was something to be proud of.
Okay, but not totally. Obviously, David was a mighty warrior and God loved him, but there was a downside to slaughtering his enemies on the battlefield:
David said to Solomon, "My son, I had planned to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood in my sight on the earth. See, a son shall be born to you; he shall be a man of peace. I will give him peace from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days.'" (22:7-9)
God may have backed David in his quest to strike down Israel's enemies, but that doesn't mean he's fit to oversee the building of God's house. There's too much blood on his hands. But even though the Almighty would prefer to deal with a man of peace, he's no pacifist.
So where does that leave us? Is all war acceptable to God? Or are just some wars? Should people of faith act a certain way when they go to war? In chapter 20 of the Book of Deuteronomy, God lays out some pretty clear rules for war, including things like trying to make peace first, attacking only if attacked, and not cutting down fruit trees in captured cities.
Were David's wars just and righteous by these standards? In some cases, it seems he did try to look for peaceful solutions. He sends his condolences when the king of the Ammonites dies and offers to keep their peace treaty (19:2), but the Ammonite leaders attack instead. It's only then that David really goes at them. He also only strikes back at the Philistines after they come at him (14:8), so that might be considered self-defense. Of course, David's attack on Jerusalem is basically just a land grab (11:4). It's a mixed bag, but the Chronicler feels that God is behind it all.
Today, most people probably aren't 100% comfortable with the idea that God picks winners and losers in wars. When a minister told Abraham Lincoln that he hoped God was on the North's side, the president famously responded, "I am not at all concerned about that…But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side."
If Shmoop had to guess, we'd bet that God is really hoping for a day when he doesn't have to take sides at all. The words of the Prophets let us know that peace is God's long game.
Whose Land is This Anyway?
A (not so) brief and (so) oversimplified history of Jerusalem:
Jerusalem, including and especially the Temple Mount, is the central flash-point for conflict between all the Abrahamic religions. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all lay claim to Jerusalem (al-Quds in Arabic) as their holy city. Today, the "Old City" of Jerusalem is divided up into quarters with Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Armenians each getting a slice of the pie. Sometimes things are peaceful and sometimes they aren't.
Control of Jerusalem and the region changed hands countless times since the days of David and Solomon described by the Chronicler. Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Persia, Greece, Rome, and Byzantium all laid claim to the land in ancient times.
The Muslim conquest of Jerusalem around 626 CE resulted in Muslim control of the city. The al-Aqsa Mosque and The Dome of the Rock were built about 50 years later on the spot where Muhammad was said to have ascended into heaven. In 1099, Christian crusaders captured the city, killed most of the Muslims and Jews living there, and converted the Dome of the Rock into a church. In 1187, the great sultan Saladin recaptured Jerusalem, and re-established the Dome of the Rock as a mosque. He was defeated during the Third Crusade by the English King Richard the Lionhearted, but managed to keep political control of Jerusalem. For the next few hundred years, Jerusalem remained under Muslim control, with some interruptions by the Mongols. The Ottoman Empire took control in the early 1500s. In the late 19th century, Jews began pouring into Palestine as the beginning of the Zionist movement, which sought a homeland for Jews in the area that they believed to be their ancient promised land of the Bible.
At the end of WWI, the British were given Palestine as part of a League of Nations agreement that divvied up the postwar world. In 1948, tired of administering this tense area, they handed over control of the territory to the local population to form independent states. The State of Israel was declared in 1948 and war broke out immediately between Israel and the neighboring Arab nations. Israel occupied West Jerusalem and Jordan captured East Jerusalem. In the 1967 war, Israel captured East Jerusalem and declared it the unified capital of Israel. Since then, control of Jerusalem has been a sticking point for many unsuccessful attempts to negotiate an Israeli-Palestinian peace. It's been suggested that Jerusalem should be an international city, administered by representatives all the major faiths. This idea has been a total no-go so far.
All this is a wordy way of telling this story:. It hasn't been pretty.
If the fate of Jerusalem is a potential political earthquake, then the Temple Mount/Noble Sanctuary is Ground Zero. Even though the Old City of Jerusalem's under Israeli control, the Temple Mount is administered by an Islamic Waqf (kind of a land trust committee) with security provided by Israel. It's the site of frequent confrontations and riots between Jews and Muslims. In an effort to minimize conflict, the Israeli government allows non-Muslim visitors to the Temple Mount, but forbids any prayer or other religious activities by non-Muslims. Jews pray along the ruins of the Second Temple known as the Western Wall. Those Third Temple activists aren't making things any easier. And to complicate things further, some Christian sects believe that the Temple needs to be rebuilt according to prophecy to usher in Armageddon and the return of Christ. And this means the mosque has to go, maybe relocated to Mecca. Another non-starter of an idea.
At press time, increased violence at the Temple Mount was threatening to break out into a large-scale conflict. Anyone who can see a way out of this is a lock for the Nobel Peace Prize. Go for it, Shmoopers.