by Jim Mettenbrink
The last few days have been devoted to remembering those who died in wars. Emphasis is given to the beginning of Veterans day, following WWI, the “war to end all wars.” That “end” did not happen and never will. Such a phrase reflects ignorance of God and perhaps an even denial of the consequence of our own sinfulness. Ignorance of God and His actions come from one failure – Biblical ignorance.
And man, always wants God on his side, especially in war. In 1963 Bob Dylan wrote With God on Our Side, the last phrase of which is – “That if God’s on our side He’ll stop the next war.” Even Judah’s King David attributed his victory to God being on his side (Psalm 118:6; 124:1-2). David expressed what is common to man. We want to believe God is always with us, supporting us, on our side.
That man deceives himself regarding God’s support even when walking in the depths of sin, is exposed when Judah thought all was OK between them and God as long as they had God’s temple. “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these’…Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’? (Jeremiah 7:3-4,8-10).
Even a cursory reading of the Old Testament reveals the exact opposite attitude – we must be on God’s side. Shortly before Moses died, Israel’s mantel of leadership was given to Joshua (Deuteronomy 31:1-8). Moses declared God would be with him (v6, 8). As Joshua prepared to lead Israel to conquer the promised land of Canaan, God reassured him, He was with him (Jsh 1:5, 9; 3:7). God showed that in the literal collapse of the walls of Jericho (Jsh 6). However, Israel lost the next battle (Jsh 7:1-9). Why? Because there was direct disobedience to God’s command. Of that sin God said “…Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you” (Jsh 7:12). God being with a people, depends first of all if the people are with Him. But why war in any case?
God’s justice is on two levels. The first is personal – people have a choice, heaven or hell. Hell is God’s justice for failing to come to Him of His terms. Since God is the sovereign creator, nations and governments exist by His appointment – “The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it” (Jeremiah 18:7-10; Job 12:23).
Ultimately it is not if God will use war to punish a nation, but when He has had enough of its wickedness that He unleashes His wrath. Since “Righteousness exalts a nation, sin is a reproach to any people” (Prv 14:34), it behooves us to be a people according to God’s standard of righteousness. So, what does destroying the heterosexual monogamous lifetime marriage via adultery, easy divorce and homosexuality, and abortion, the murder of unborn babies say about our righteousness? When will God have had enough of our putridness?
Who will be God’s instrument of war? God used Babylon, an evil nation to destroy Judah, an evil nation, then 50 years later destroyed Babylon (Ezekiel 21:1-18; Daniel 5:1-31). If we continue on this path of evil, it is not if God will bring the nation to its knees, but when!