What did Moses Teach about War?
After a few centuries the earth was filled with violence so God sent a flood. Only Noah and his family survived. Yah made it plain that violence must not be part of the new earth. He said people were not to be killed because they were made in the image of God. He warned that if they broke this command, they would set in motion a chain reaction of killings. He said
"Whosever sheds man's blood by man shall his blood be shed" (Gen.9:6).
Some murderous people have twisted this to justify Capital Punishment. It does not sanction the taking of life it says the taking of any life is wrong and will result only in further bloodshed.
A recurring lesson throughout the writings of Moses is that obedience to God leads to peace,
prosperity and long life; disobedience is punished with war, starvation, sickness and death.
The first war recorded in the Bible involves Abraham. Moses tells us Abraham was told to leave his
country, and kin and move to Canaan. He disobeyed and it lead to war. Abraham left his country, but did not leave his
kin, he brought his Nephew,
Lot, with him. This resulted in a war, when Lot was kidnapped. Instead of trusting God, Abraham took things into his
own hands and fought five Babylonian kings to rescue him. Sin can have generational consequences for Judas who betrayed Jesus was a descendant of Lot.
Moses tells us Abraham's second act of disobedience was to conceive a child with Sara's slave The slave's son was
a wild one. It says Ishmael
was a wild man whose hand was against every one. Disobedience breeds warriors, not lovers. Thousands of years later the descendants of Ishmael are still fighting
the other descendants of Abraham.
Isaac, Abraham's second son, was the child of promise for Isaac understood Yah's will for people to
live in peace. Three times Isaac's enemies attacked him, but Isaac never retaliated. He always migrated.
Each time Yah led him to a better land, until finally he led him to a place of great peace and prosperity.
Moses next tells us about Jacob. Jacob was Isaac's son who also understood Yah's will for people to
live in peace. When his own daughter was raped and his sons were calling for vengeance, Jacob refused to retaliate,
instead he befriended the tribe of the rapist and entered into a covenant of friendship with them. But two of Jacob's sons,
Simeon and Levi, were bent on revenge and slaughtered the other tribe behind Jacob's back.
Jacob was furious and put a curse on those two sons.
Moses then tells us about Joseph who when he had a chance to retaliate against his brothers,
who hated him and sold him as a slave, forgave them and showed them mercy.
The stories of Moses all show us Yah's love and forgiveness. These are the characteristics
that distinguish a child of Yah from others.
When Moses himself was faced with war and was fleeing from Pharaoh, and was trapped at the Red Sea, Yah ordered
him not to fight,
but to stand still and see the power of God. Yah opened the Red Sea, and when Pharaoh tried to pursue Moses, God fought
against Pharaoh and destroyed Pharaoh and his army.
If there's one thing we learn from the stories of Moses is that "the battle belongs to the Lord" alone.
"Vengeance is mine says the Lord".
To take vengeance is to play God. Do not play God; be an Isaac, be a Jacob, be
a Joseph, be a Moses.
When Moses led the children of to the borders of Canaan, it was to be a non-violent invasion, they were not to go in and take the land by
tooth and claw. Yah said he would send his angel and hornets to drive out the inhabitants. But the people rebelled
against Moses.
Well you know the rest of the
story, their rebellion led to poverty, sickness, death, and 40 years of
wandering in the desert in circles. The survivors were then condemned to all out
warfare as they were forced to take the land. Their sins caused them to be
punished by slaughtering every man, woman, boy, girl, and infant.... (Do you
think anyone feels proud killing a three-year-old girl, or a baby boy in a
crib?) The Invasion of the land was not God giving them the land, it was God
punishing them for their rebellion. Sin = punishment = war.
Someone said the whole Old Testament is nothing but wars. Yes from that point on, the people were cursed
with continuous wars. They had no prosperity, nor health. They were often enslaved and to this day are still oppressed
with continual warfare. Had Moses lived to see it, he would have said, “I told you this would happen if you disobeyed.”
When Jesus came along he affirmed the teachings of Moses on war. He said the way to live is through hard obedience. You must not retaliate. Only
Yah is allowed to retaliate. You but turn the other cheek. You must bless those who attack you and do good to
them that hate you. You must even love them.
Some false teachers say
that Jesus was only speaking of personal enemies and not to the enemies of
nations. They insert words into the writings that are not there. They would have
you fight in wars because they are the sons of Satan and he is the father of all
wars. Do not let them deceive you.
The sons of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
Joseph, and Moses are peacemakers, non-violent, pacifists and lovers. They see
their enemies as unknown friends. There is no greater love than to lay down your
life for your friends; especially the one's you haven't met yet.
After 6000 years only a handful of people in each generation understand and obey.
Indeed it is a narrow path that leads to life and few there be that find it.
Jesus said. If they will not
believe Moses, they will not believe me. So if you do not believe Moses ,or
Jesus, you will reject my writings too. However feel free to write. I answer all
emails.
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