Joysong:
Dear Philip,
RE: All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.
Oh my, you brought up a real dilemma. Are you familiar with the story of Mathathias in 1 Mach. 2:27-48? There is a perfect example of two different types of people - the first group turned the other cheek and they all died. Mathathias and his followers fought hard and slew the enemy, “and yielded not the horn to the sinner.” vs. 48.
What I saw today, but missed the many times I reflected on this chapter, is the wording in verse 44: “And they gathered an army, and slew the sinners in their wrath, and the wicked men in their indignation; and the rest fled to the nations for safety.”
They won the battle, but I am now wondering if it was done with a spirit that pleased God? Does anything done in wrath, even though it has a good end, have the strength of virtue? I used to think the first group was right, many years ago, that they preferred death rather than fight, and rather than disobey God by worshipping idols.
I suppose it depends on the interior motive and inspiration from God. Any ideas on this?
Num.25
1] While Israel dwelt in Shittim the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab.
2] These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate, and bowed down to their gods.
3] So Israel yoked himself to Ba’al of Pe’or. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel;
4] and the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.”
5] And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Every one of you slay his men who have yoked themselves to Ba’al of Pe’or.”
6] And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Mid’ianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting.
7] **When Phin’ehas the son of Elea’zar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation, and took a spear in his hand
****8] and went after the man of Israel into the inner room, and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman, through her body. Thus the plague was stayed from the people of Israel. **
9] Nevertheless those that died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.
10] And the LORD said to Moses,
**
****11] “Phin’ehas the son of Elea’zar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy.
****12] Therefore say, `Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace;
****13] and it shall be to him, and to his descendants after him, the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the people of Israel.’” **
14] The name of the slain man of Israel, who was slain with the Mid’ianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, head of a fathers’ house belonging to the Simeonites.
15] And the name of the Mid’ianite woman who was slain was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was the head of the people of a fathers’ house in Mid’ian.
16] And the LORD said to Moses,
17] "Harass the Mid’ianites, and smite them;
18] for they have harassed you with their wiles, with which they beguiled you in the matter of Pe’or, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Mid’ian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague on account of Pe’or."
Carole
). If someone were to assault me just to be assaulting me, or to try to steal something I have, I might take a different position. And if our society ever got to the point where someone was assaulting my wife, my grand-daughter, or one other of my friends or relatives, I would not be ashamed to introduce the assailant to my friends Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson. (Of course, first I would have to acquire Mssrs Smith and Wesson as friends, first