| Why did ancient Israel have an army? Was
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| | only to avoid those aspects of this
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| it because they didn't have faith? Did
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| | world's system that are Biblically wrong
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| they believe in themselves instead of
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| | (1 Jn. 2:16).Joseph served in pharaoh's
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| trusting God? Did they insist on fighting
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| | administration. Was he spiritually
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| their own battles, rather than let God
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| | defiled? Daniel was in the belly of the
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| wage war for them?Why did God fight for
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| | beast - Babylon - yet he served the king
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| Israel in Egypt? Did they exercise faith
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| | and God. Whenever there arose any
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| then? Did they somehow lose their
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| | conflict of interest, Daniel put God
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| confidence in the wilderness, after
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| | first, as we must also always do.
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| having seen God's mighty miracles? Does
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| | Nehemiah worked in the Persian
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| that make sense? They'd heard what God
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| | government, yet he was also blameless
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| was going to do to Egypt from the onset,
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| | before God. God even referred to Cyrus
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| and they saw with their own eyes what God
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| | and Nebuchadnezzar as His servants.God is
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| did through 10 consecutive plagues. After
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| | our Heavenly King over all, that's why we
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| defeating the world's only superpower,
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| | can't allow others to try and usurp His
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| had God spent His energy?God took on the
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| | authority over our lives. He's our
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| gods of Egypt single-handedly. He didn't
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| | Husband and to listen to anyone else who
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| want Israel's participation lest their
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| | would dare go against His Word is
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| deliverance be misconstrued as a
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| | spiritual adultery and fornication. This
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| successful slave revolt. He took a slave
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| | is one of modern Israel's biggest sins:
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| people to become His Servant-Nation.
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| | giving in to international peer pressure
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| Israel had only changed masters.When God
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| | rather than obey God! Yet God isn't our
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| led Israel out of Egypt by Moses, He
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| | only ruler. He's ordained that men aren't
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| purposely told Moses to bypass the hot
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| | to be left in a state of anarchy, but
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| spots where Israel would encounter
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| | ought to obey the Noachide laws binding
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| hostile forces, lest they opt for the
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| | on all mankind: to establish a system of
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| "security" of Egypt (Ex. 13:17). They
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| | justice, abstain from idolatry and
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| went out of their way to avoid war! It
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| | immorality, and refrain from eating blood
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| doesn't sound like they were eager to do
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| | (Acts 15:29).Even Christ will be King of
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| battle when you read the accounts of
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| | kings and Lord of lords; He won't be
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| their griping and complaining to Moses
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| | ruling alone. God's our Minister, and
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| (Ex. 14:10-12).Moses, full of faith,
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| | Jesus Christ's our High Priest, yet we
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| encouraged the congregation to believe
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| | don't object to having human ministers
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| God. The first time Israel engaged in
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| | also. Do we have a double standard when
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| battle was at Moses' command! He
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| | it comes to politics? We speak of "dirty
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| instructed Joshua (also faithful) to
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| | politics." And there is too much graft
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| assemble a fighting force and defeat the
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| | and corruption. But what about religious
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| pesky Amalekites (Ex. 17:8-16).God had
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| | scandals? Perverted preachers and
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| fought the first few rounds against
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| | adulterous ministers? Does that mean we
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| Israel's enemies, showing Israel He would
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| | should reject the whole idea of God
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| destroy their foes. Now God would fight
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| | having human servants? "Dirty religion?"
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| in and through and for Israel! Moses'
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| | Both Church and State need to let Christ
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| uplifted hands of blessing and authority
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| | clean up their act (Malachi 3:3).
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| insured Israel's military success. It was
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| | God didn't forbid Israel from having a
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| evident to all where their true strength
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| | king or a high priest. He simply put
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| came from (Ps. 33:16). Israel was only a
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| | restrictions on them and offered
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| fighting instrument in God's Hands (Isa.
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| | guidelines. The king was to be Israelite;
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| 41:15, Micah 4:13).Many people understand
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| | he wasn't to put his trust in financial
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| the commandment against killing should be
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| | securities or gold, or depend on a huge
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| translated "murder." God commands His
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| | army or arsenal of weapons for Israel's
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| ministers of state to execute judgment
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| | defense; and he was to study the
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| and utilize capital punishment for
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| | Scriptures daily (Deut. 18:15-20). He was
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| various offenses (Rom. 13:4). We're told
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| | permitted a token military force made up
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| to remember Moses' law and obey it
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| | of volunteers (Judg. 7:2, Deut. 20:5-9).
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| (Malachi 4:4). God has authorized the
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| | The priest was to bless Israel's troops
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| State to act within the guidelines of His
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| | before they went to battle, encourage
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| Law Book.Israel wasn't anxious to enter
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| | them that God would fight through them,
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| Canaan - they were afraid! Moses admitted
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| | and sound the alarm with the sacred
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| they were outnumbered and outgunned by
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| | silver trumpet (Deut. 20:1-4, Nu. 10:9,
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| the Canaanites, but reassured Israel that
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| | 31:6).God was upset with Israel when they
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| GOD would be with them and grant them
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| | demanded a king, but not because they
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| supernatural victory (Deut. 7:1-2,
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| | wanted a king - He had made an allowance
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| 16-24). When the spies brought their
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| | for that through Moses - but because they
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| report to Moses about Canaan's men and
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| | were rejecting God as their Supreme Ruler
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| might, they wanted to run with their
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| | (1 Sam. 8:20).They wanted to walk by
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| tails tucked between their legs (Numbers
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| | sight, not by faith, overconfident in
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| 13:31). Only Joshua and Caleb put things
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| | human leaders (Ps. 118:9).The kings were
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| in perspective and encouraged the people
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| | to lead the way (Ps. 1:10-11). They were
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| to trust in God (Numbers 14:9). Israel
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| | to follow in the footsteps of King David
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| didn't have any faith in their own
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| | who enacted the law of Moses (1 Kgs.
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| ability or God's!What many have failed to
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| | 2:3). Israel was only to follow men as
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| realize is ancient Israel wasn't going to
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| | they followed God. The prophet Samuel
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| enter the Promised Land by faith alone;
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| | warned them of greedy rulers, excessive
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| it was going to require faith and works!
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| | taxes, and corrupt administrations, but
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| God wasn't going to do all the work for
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| | they still decided to go ahead with their
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| them. Israel had to actively claim their
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| | political elections. Not that the
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| inheritance. Don't we also?Israel lacked
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| | religious world was free from fault (1
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| faith that GOD could work miracles
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| | Sam. 8:3). And God reveals that the best
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| through them! They knew God could take on
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| | man shouldn't always win (Dan. 4:17). But
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| their enemies, but they doubted He could
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| | if we pray for God to lead us in deciding
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| work through them. They concentrated on
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| | who to vote for or against, it's His
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| their weakness rather than on God's
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| | responsibility to let us know what to do.
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| strength. God expected Israel to fight
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| | Of course we should study the party
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| His battles and He would guarantee their
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| | platforms and see which one is more
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| success. Israel took one city at a time,
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| | closely aligned to biblical principles.
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| slowly but surely making progress,
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| | It's vain to think that our vote could
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| subduing the land and defeating their
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| | thwart God's Will! He'll promote and
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| foes, and yet giving God all the credit -
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| | demote whom He will (Ps. 75:7).Ancient
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| like our process of conversion (Ps.
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| | Israel was both Church and State: a
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| 44:1-8).Even David, a man after God's own
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| | theocracy. God recognizes these two
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| heart, fought numerous battles for God
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| | branches of government and encourages us
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| and His people, but considered God the
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| | to do the same (Malachi 4:4-5). The two
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| Victor. David would ask God whether he
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| | anointed positions in Israel were that of
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| should attack at this time or place, and
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| | priest and king (Zech. 4:14). The oil was
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| what to do, when and how, and God
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| | representative of God's Holy Spirit that
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| answered him (1 Chron. 14:10).Did
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| | Israel prayed would guide and direct
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| Abraham, the father of the faithful, sin
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| | their leaders.We've seen how God has
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| by waging war against those who had
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| | authorized human leaders to take life
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| kidnapped his relatives (Gen. 14)?
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| | (Lev. 20). They're free to deputize a
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| Melchizedek blessed him, He didn't rebuke
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| | police force (to protect and defend
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| him! Levi and sons, following Moses' call
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| | communities), as well as use the armed
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| to arms (at God's command), went through
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| | forces to defend their country and
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| Israel's camp and slaughtered those who'd
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| | kin.God holds His leaders responsible not
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| sinned with the golden calf (Ex. 32:28).
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| | to get greedy or become bloodthirsty.
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| Did they lack faith? No! They were acting
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| | We're not to relish war, but use it as a
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| faithfully! They put God before family
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| | last resort (Deut. 20:10-12).We're only
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| and friends. Couldn't God have just sent
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| | to fight wars of self-defense and not
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| a plague? Yes. But He worked through men.
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| | throw our weight around (Lk. 3:14). We're
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| Since God works through men, why didn't
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| | to hate the sins of our enemies and learn
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| Jesus let Peter defend Him? 1) Because
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| | to love them, knowing they're also made
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| prophecy had to be fulfilled and 2)
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| | in God's image and hopefully will come to
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| because God's Kingdom wasn't established
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| | their senses someday; we're not to be
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| yet - otherwise Jesus said His servants
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| | trigger-happy or gloat over our enemies'
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| should fight! This example teaches us
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| | downfall (Prov. 24:17).God's going to
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| that loyal citizens ought to be willing
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| | utilize Israel to punish various nations
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| to fight and defend their king and
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| | during their trek back to the Middle East
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| country!Presently we have a "dual
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| | (Isa. 11:14). And God will be fighting
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| citizenship." Paul didn't deny that he
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| | through the Jews at Jerusalem (Zech.
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| was a Roman citizen or hesitate to
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| | 14:14). Christ's coming back to earth to
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| exercise his civil rights (Acts 16:37,
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| | wage war before He ushers in peace!God
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| 22:25, 25:11). He didn't just turn the
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| | hasn't only intervened for Israel. He's
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| other cheek when he was about to be
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| | determined the outcome of various wars
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| scourged! There's a time and a place to
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| | and battles to let one group of Gentiles
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| wage war or declare peace (Ecc. 3:8); to
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| | beat another (Deut. 2:19-23). Moses also
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| suffer persecution and death, or to run
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| | said it would've been a sin if the
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| for your life (Mat. 24:16, John
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| | different tribes of Israel didn't rally
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| 8:59)!Spiritually speaking, we should all
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| | to each others defense (Nu. 32:20-23).
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| understand we're only mortal, taking up
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| | And it's a disastrous sin to go to war if
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| temporary residence on earth, and
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| | God's servants instruct otherwise (Deut.
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| therefore be mindful of eternity and live
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| | 1:42-45).It's all a matter of faith and
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| accordingly, waiting for our eternal
| |
| | obedience. We're to realize God is our
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| inheritance in God's Kingdom (2 Cor. 5:1,
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| | true Commander in Chief and the Captain
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| Ps. 39:12, 2 Pet. 3:11).But what about
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| | of our Salvation, and follow the lead of
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| "spiritual fornication?" If we exercise
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| | His Holy Spirit (Jos. 5:13-15, Heb.
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| our right to vote and get involved in
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| | 2:10). But let's not forget that God can
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| politics, isn't that defiling ourselves
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| | and does work through inspired men (Neh.
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| with this world's system? Only if and
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| | 9:27).David Ben-Ariel is a
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| when it contradicts the commandments of
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| | Christian-Zionist writer and author of
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| God. We should never disobey God to
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| | Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall.
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| follow men (Acts 5:29). We're in this
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| | With a focus on the Middle East and
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| world and do take an active part in its
| |
| | Jerusalem, his analytical articles help
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| system of government and education
| |
| | others improve their understanding of
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| everytime we go to work and pay taxes or
| |
| | that troubled region. Check out the
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| send our kids to school or college! We're
| |
| | Beyond Babylon blog.
|
