Holy Wars in the OT

[The_Way]

As Christians how do we explain the wars that went on in the OT in terms of re-claiming the promised land?

How do we explain the booty that was taken like the verse below?

“This booty, what was left of the loot which the soldiers had taken, amounted to six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep, seventy-two thousand oxen, sixty-one thousand asses, and thirty-two thousand girls who were still virgins.” - Numbers 31:32-35

God bless,

 

[Epistemes]

It is likely that the account Moshe (Moses), as chief of the tribes, ascending and descending mountains, seeking isolation away from the mundane affairs of the people, has some historical basis. As such, I think the best historical comparison to understanding the character of Moshe and the dynamics of a nomadic tribal culture, as the Hebrews were, is the Prophet Muhammed and the expansion of Islam in the 8th century C.E. I recommend watching the 1976 film “The Message: The Story of Islam” in order get a sense for the divine privelege that followers of a particular prophet react to. Based on the collective experience of the Hebrews and being driven out of the land of Egypt and thus being rendered homeless, combined with shared stories around the campfire about the tribal patriarchs (Avraham, Ishaq, and Ya’akov), plus the basic societal implications of tribal growth and expansion, settling on a single piece of land and calling it “home” were as much motivations for the looting and genocide then as they are now in African nations like Somalia and Sudan. If a “holy war,” as you say, were successful, then the tribes would understand this as divine favor; if an enterprise were unsuccessful, however, then the tribes would reconvene, consult the leader (Moshe) and discern what had displeased their god to such an extent that it resulted in such catastrophic failure.

 

[FightingFat]

As Christians how do we explain the wars that went on in the OT in terms of re-claiming the promised land?

How do we explain the booty that was taken like the verse below?

“This booty, what was left of the loot which the soldiers had taken, amounted to six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep, seventy-two thousand oxen, sixty-one thousand asses, and thirty-two thousand girls who were still virgins.” - Numbers 31:32-35

God bless,

By taking it in its contemporary, historical context and not applying modern sensibilities to what happened thousands of years ago? In Mark 10 Jesus teaches that it was because of the hardness of the people’s hearts that things happened the way they did then!

 

[FightingFat]

I recommend watching the 1976 film “The Message: The Story of Islam” in order to understand the dynamics

It is likely that the account Moshe (Moses), as chief of the tribes, ascending and descending mountains, seeking isolation away from the mundane affairs of the people, has some historical basis. As such, I think the best historical comparison to understanding the character of Moshe and the dynamics of a nomadic tribal culture, as the Hebrews were, is the Prophet Muhammed and the expansion of Islam in the 8th century C.E. I recommend watching the 1976 film “The Message: The Story of Islam” in order get a sense for the divine privelege that followers of a particular prophet react to. Based on the collective experience of the Hebrews and being driven out of the land of Egypt and thus being rendered homeless, combined with shared stories around the campfire about the tribal patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), plus the basic societal implications of tribal growth and expansion, settling on a single piece of land and calling it “home” were as much motivations for the looting and genocide then as they are now in African nations like Somalia and Sudan. If a “holy war,” as you say, were successful, then the tribes would understand this as divine favor; if an enterprise were unsuccessful, however, then the tribes would reconvene, consult the leader (Moshe) and discern what had displeased their god to such an extent that it resulted in such catastrophic failure.

No idea what all that’s about!

 

[Epistemes]

By taking it in its contemporary, historical context and not applying modern sensibilities to what happened thousands of years ago? In Mark 10 Jesus teaches that it was because of the hardness of the people’s hearts that things happened the way they did then!

I see nothing in the whole chapter of Mark 10 that would even begin to apply to the historical situation of the Hebrews, much less a rejoinder to the question of divorce. The only divorce which is happening is any attempt to divorce Jesus from Moshe, the Torah, and his own unique experience as a marginal Jewish peasant under Roman control with a familiar heritage extending back to the days of Moshe. This is the Jesus who had a Zealot in his entourage (Luke 6:15) and advises his followers to buy swords (Luke 22-35-38).

 

[ryanoneil]

As Christians how do we explain the wars that went on in the OT in terms of re-claiming the promised land?

How do we explain the booty that was taken like the verse below?

“This booty, what was left of the loot which the soldiers had taken, amounted to six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep, seventy-two thousand oxen, sixty-one thousand asses, and thirty-two thousand girls who were still virgins.” - Numbers 31:32-35

God bless,

The author of Hebrews describes it as faith (Heb 11:29-39). Not until Jesus opened the way to glory did the righteous of the OT enter the true inheritance that was promised.

 

[The_Way]

I suppose another reason why this all went on is because God had bound Himself to a promise He had made with Abraham. Since the Israelites could not be a light of revelation to the pagans due to their own sinfulness it had to be taken by force.

Does anyone agree/disagree?

Any further comments?

God bless,

 

[donsnow]

When you read the OT, put aside the mental filter of political correctness and you’d probably see it differently.

The God of Moses whupped the gods of Egypt, a world power at that time. The God of Moses led Israel into and around in Sinai. Then, the God of Moses led Israel into Canaan, and whupped the gods of Canaan. Over the centuries and millenia, the God of Moses whupped lesser regional gods all the way up to Hittite gods, Persian gods, Greek gods and Roman gods. The Roman gods were bested by the love of God in His son come in the flesh, Jesus the Christ, instead of the wrath of God, like before. That is the Good News: the wrathful God has turned aside His wrath and offered His love. The war was between God Most High the Holy Trinity and lesser gods. Sometimes human military force was applied during battles of that Divine and Holy war.

BTW, I don’t even know if that’s Catholic dogma or doctrine, but that is one way to look at it. In the same viewpoint, the war against lesser gods continued against Norse gods, Irish gods, etc. Now, the Holy Roman Catholic Church did lead several Crusades (holy wars) to free the Holy Land from the Muslims, who were not then and are not now, into a loving god. We won a few and lost a few.

In the present, Christians are meekly dying in Asia and Africa, for the love of God. In the future, when political correctness has finished watering down the Holy Bible, Christians will evidence the love of God by standing and dying as martyrs for the faith, in Europe and the Americas, being martyred by militant Muslims. Somewhat further in the future, Jesus the Christ will return from Heaven, in shekinah glory, with the Hosts of Heaven. There will be no human military, no helicopters, no flying saucers, etc. In glory he will come. He will blast the armies of the world surrounding Jerusalem. This is a necessary teaching, so that the faithful may not be misled by the Anti-Christ, a false god, who will rule, in those coming days. Still a divine war.