| IS A WAR EVER HOLY? |
| Why did God order a ruthless military campaign? |
| The Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain." 11:6 |
| Holy war. Ironically, the term applies to the most vicious, bloody wars. And often, far too often, Christians have been at the heart of such holy wars. There is something irrational and even repulsive about a holy war. It harnesses all the best energies of religion for one of the ugliest acts of human nature. And yet anyone who reads the Bible cannot ignore the holy wars in the Old Testament. Whole books have been written about the problem, and no brief article can begin to cover the issues. But modern readers need some background to help understand why a fierce holy war is presented in such a good light. A Land Promised to the Israelites The Israelites' fighting style fit the harsh patern of warfare in that day. Contemporary Egyptian and Assyrian reports boasted of mass executions, torture, and the systematic razing of cities. But God's involvement raises unique questions. He personally ordered the destruction of seven Canaanite nations, with no survivors. Why? The Old Testament makes clear that the Canaanites were not being uprooted on a sudden whim. God had promised the land to the Israelites over 400 years before Joshua. He had called one man, Abraham, to found a nation of chosen people. He repeated those promises often (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:5-18; 17:2-8; 26:3, 23-24; 28:13-14) and finally called the Israelites out of Egypt to take over the promised land. Amost from the beginning Canaan was a vital part of God's plan. Delayed Punishment Israel's inheritance, however, meant kicking out the Canaanites. How could innocent people simply be pushed |
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