Session 8

Future of War: Prophets – The Hope for a Prince of Peace

The world is seeking a way to end conflict. After World War I, the League of Nations was formed “to promote international cooperation and to achieve peace and security.” However, it failed to prevent World War II. After World War II, the nations again tried to form an agreement between nations that would prevent another World War. Even with the United Nations, military conflicts continue around the world.  According to Revelation 6, we know at some point it will fail to prevent a world war that will kill a quarter of the world’s population. Who will be able to end this never ending cycle?

Article 1

The Purposes of the United Nations are:

  1. To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;
  2. To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;
  3. To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and
  4. To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends.

 

Problem of War:

  • Christians may be influenced by nationalism to support either side of a conflict leading to Christians killing other Christians on the battlefield
  • As in the case of slavery, scripture interpretation may be skewed in support of the nation’s sin
  • Christians use the same arguments to support war as antebellum Southerners used scriptures to support slavery

Beginning of War:

  • God instituted the law that required men to be killed if they have murdered another human because mankind is created in the image of God.
  • God will use war to punish a nation once the wickedness of that nation has reached a point requiring judgement.

Regulating War: Soldiers

  • God institutes requirements that require the nation of Israel to depend on Him for success.
  • Only soldiers that meet certain qualifications are allowed to fight
  • Soldiers that are scared to fight are allowed to not fight
  • Required to kill combatants and non-combatants in the tribes set aside for destruction
  • Required to offer peace to cities not belonging to the tribes set aside for destruction
  • Only kill combatants in the cities that do not accept peace

Regulating War: Kings

  • God institutes requirements to keep the king from being militaristic
    1. Cannot acquire horses
    2. Cannot form alliances through marriage
    3. Cannot build a large treasury
  • Like soldiers, the king has to depend on the Lord for victory.
  • Kings are required to review the law throughout all their days as a king

Regulating War: Priests

  • God took the Levites in place of the firstborn to serve in His priesthood
  • Priests are not numbered with the military for combat
  • Priests do have a part in war with the blowing of trumpets

Application of War: Conquest of Canaan and Judges

  • Like Rahab and her family, the Canaanites are allowed to repent and join themselves to Israel. God’s command to kill all in the land only applies to those individuals, families, and nations that choose no to accept Him.
  • Joshua relied on the Lord for victory against Jericho.
  • Gideon used the requirements of Deuteronomy 20 to send over 2/3 of his army away.
  • Gideon had to have faith that 300 men was enough to defeat a large army.

Consequences of War: Rise and Fall of the Kingdom of Israel

  • David depended on the Lord for his defeat of Goliath, but later sinned against God with a military census showing his trust in military size.
  • God viewed a military census as a sin that required an atonement price to be paid per soldier.
  • God did not wish for David, a man of war, to build His temple.
  • The nation of Israel was condemned for trusting in its large number of soldiers.
  • Because Manasseh led Israel to commit the same sins and worse than the original inhabitants of the land, God promised them military defeat.

God promised Abraham that He would bless all the families of the earth though him. Israel was to be a light that would point the nations of this earth to God (2 Chronicles 6:32-33). In the end, the nation of Israel became just as dark as the surrounding nations.  As the kings of Judah and Israel were leading their nations towards judgement, God sent prophets to point towards a future king that would lead all nations to Himself. Although there are many prophecies pertaining to the coming Messiah, we will examine the ones relating to war and peace.

Discussion Questions

Review: Isaiah 2:5-7

1.  What were the reasons that God is abandoning His people?

Review: Isaiah 2:2-4

2.  Does the teaching of the Lord draw other nations to Jerusalem or does God send His instruction to other nations?

3.  How does Micah 4:1-3 compare to Isaiah 2:2-4?

4.  What will be the result of nations coming to the knowledge of God?

Review: Isaiah 9:1-2 and Matthew 4:12-16

5.  How does Jesus fulfill the first 2 verses in Isaiah chapter 9?

Review: Isaiah 9:6-7

6.  What other verses in Isaiah 9 are also fulfilled in Jesus?

Review: Isaiah 9:3-5 and Judges 7:21-22

7.  How did God shatter the staff of the oppressor as in the days of Midian?

8.  What will happen to weapons of war when the Prince of Peace establishes His Kingdom?

Review: Zechariah 9:9 and Matthew 21:5

9.  How doe Jesus fulfill Zechariah 9:9?

Review: Zechariah 9:10

10.  What will be the result of the coming of Jerusalem’s King?

Review: Isaiah 53:5, Colossians 1:19-23

11.  In what ways does Jesus proclaim peace to the nations?

Summary

Unlike the kings of the nation of Israel, the Prince of Peace will be successful in establishing a lasting kingdom. His kingdom will spread from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth with teachings that will cause people to turn their weapons of war to instruments of peace. This brings up several questions for the followers of Jesus:

  • How do the teachings of Jesus line up with the principles of war found in the Old Testament?
  • Are the teachings that stop the training for war only pertain to after the Second Coming?
  • Does Jesus teach anything that would end a conflict before it happens?
  • Does Jesus or the early church teach anything about God’s kingdom in relation to the kingdoms of this world?
  • How is God’s kingdom different?
  • How does the Kingdom of God wage war on its enemies?

Looking Ahead: We will start to examine the teachings of the Prince of Peace: Matthew 5:1-12, Matthew 5:21-26, Matthew 5:43-48, Matthew 7:13-14

Exercises

  1. Pray to be open to whatever the Lord may reveal through His scriptures no matter the social, political, or economic cost.
  2. King Uzziah probably had Israel’s second strongest military after Solomon. See more at 2 Chronicles 26 and how his military strength led to his downfall.
  3. Besides for Gideon’s victory against Midian, God turning the swords of His enemies against each other is fairly common. 2 Chronicles 20, Ezekiel 38, Revelation 6.
  4. If God required Israel do be dependent on Him military, do you think a kingdom established by the Messiah would demand more or less of its subjects to show the glory of God?

References

History of the United Nations. http://www.un.org/en/sections/history/history-united-nations/index.html

United Nations Charter Chapter 1. http://www.un.org/en/sections/un-charter/chapter-i/index.html