War God – Part 2

The solution is still evasive, but I have a few more thoughts on the tension which exists between the God of war in the Old Testament and the Prince of Peace in the New Testament.

I was listening to Dr. Greg Boyd speak (via mp3 during my Monday morning walk) as he discussed the purpose of Jesus’ incarnation and sacrificial work on the Cross. He cited Hebrews 2:14 as a launch pad for discussing the warfare in which God is engaged. Some of the insights he shares are fabulous and are worthy of some elaboration. The number of passages in the New Testament which refer to the conquering mission of Jesus Christ on the Cross is actually quite impressive when you begin researching. My focus, though, is to simply reflect on the parallels between the literal warfare of the Israelite Conquest with the spiritual (yet, no less real) conquest of Christ.

The parallels are rather striking.

• Both are led by a man with the same name, “Yeshua” – Joshua (Hebrew) / Jesus (Greek).
• Both come after a time in the wilderness.
• Both come after passing through the waters of the Jordan.
• Both begin with a resounding victory – Jericho / Calvary & Resurrection – followed by a series of smaller battles.
• Both begin the process of purging evil from a promised region – Canaan / Earth.
• Both have as their primary objective the defeat of Satan’s work.
• Both simultaneously demand holiness to prevail and call the unrighteous to come to God to escape condemnation.

The contrast (which is the real crux of the problem) is that in the conquest of Christ, Satan is the conquered one, condemned justly for complete rebellion against God. In the conquest of Israel, human beings created in the image of God are the condemned, though they are, in reality, the victims of Satan’s rebellion. How can we possibly draw a parallel between the defeat of Satan and the slaughter of pagan human beings? Were those ancient peoples such committed agents of the devil that they were evil incarnated? If this were the case, we could more easily justify their extermination.

It is true that the wicked influence of these peoples is so dynamic that, even in their decimated state, they cause the outnumbering and overpowering Israelites to fall time and again to practices completely abhorrent to God. Read Judges and the Divided Kingdom segments of the Old Testament (1 Kings 12-22; 2 Kings; 2 Chronicles 10-36, plus many of the writings of the Prophets).

But are any human beings so “far gone” spiritually as to be considered unredeemable and worthy of execution via warfare? Of course, only God can determine the spiritual state of the human heart, but it is true that even the children of some of these pagan hordes were not safe from their own, being offered as sacrifices to their gods. Still, is death brought by invading God-fearers preferable to death inflicted by their own parents at the sacrificial altar?

Another troubling question: Is a mandate from the Creator God for the extermination of a people group consistent with His character or a just treatment of even the most sinful of people?

The sovereignty of God establishes the authority of God’s judgment. His method of judgment cannot be considered less “humane” simply because it is more graphic in nature to us. We are ALL sinners and due condemnation. Should God choose to exercise His wrath in a more physical way before we are condemned eternally, is He being unjust?

As sinners we are deserving of complete separation from God for eternity. Our rebellion is the cry of our evil heart. In condemning us to an eternal alienation, God is simply giving us our desire. Perhaps the issue with which we struggle is the public nature of His wrath in ancient times, and the lack of such visibility today. Invisibility does not negate reality. And visibility does not intensify the horrendous nature of what has been otherwise unseen. Sin, judgment and wrath are brutal realities created, not by God, but by our sin. We cringe at the thought of carnage done by the hand of God, but our hypocrisy betrays us. We seek grace for sin, but never wrath. God is not only love. He is also holy.

One more question that stirs inside me: What affect does this warfare have on those who are the instruments of such judgment (the Israelite soldiers)? Even though the mandate of God was unmistakable, actually being used by God to execute (an unfortunate pun) His judgment is a frightful thing. How does this scar the human soul? Is this a lesson for Israel as to the “bloody” nature of sin, one which would, hopefully, help to steer them clear of their own rebellion in times to come? If so, it failed miserably. They became as faithless and heartless as those whom they slaughtered.

I am raising far more questions than answers. And I am still pondering. Perhaps there will be a third installment.

The Tree That Would Not Die

Trees fascinate me. As a kid I loved to climb them, build forts up in them, enjoy their shade and fruit, marvel at their fall colors, and jump in their castaway leaves.

As an adult I still love them. They have a majesty that few other living things have. I’m not sure I can define why.

Trees play a role in God’s story from the beginning. A tree was the first meeting place for Satan and man. A “tree” was the figurative term for the mode of Jesus’ execution. A tree figures in the final scenes portrayed in Revelation.

The tree that is most intriguing is the “tree of life” which appears in both the opening scene and closing scene of the Bible. Besides God, it seems the one consistent presence.

Several questions are apparent as we consider this tree.

• What was the purpose of the tree of life in the beginning of creation?
• Was the tree of life more or less enticing than the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
• Was the tree of life eaten from before the man and woman ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
• If so, what affects did it have?
• What is the purpose of the tree of life in the final scene in Revelation?
• Why is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil absent in that final scene?

I have failed to give too much brain power to these questions in times past because they seemed rather trivial, but the reality is that the tree of life seems a major player in these two crucial scenes, both being scenes which are eternal in nature – i.e. the original creation was intended to endure for all time, and the final “new heaven and earth” will endure for all time. Be it literal or figurative in nature, it is indicative of something in God’s design that cannot be ignored. It had a part in His original plan, and a it plays a part in the final/eternal phase as well.

In Genesis 2 greater detail is given as to the work outlined in Genesis 1. We are told that God “planted a garden in the east, in Eden” and stocked it with many trees, all of them “pleasing to the eye and good for food.” These traits are God-created and come into play later (see Genesis 3:6). The center of the garden was a special spot in which two trees stood – “the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

The fact that these two trees stand side by side geographically and textually indicate that they are both created by God and intended to be central to God’s plan. It is as though they are both to be considered either in comparison or in contrast to one another. Soon thereafter, God places man in this spot as the gardener and gives an important command: You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.

This already prompts a question. Why? Why present an array of trees with similarly tempting traits and declare just one of them off limits? Is God simply providing man the opportunity of choice for the first time?

Consider the opportunity for choice in Deuteronomy 30:19-20.

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Should we view these trees as competing for the attention of man? Is God holding forth the options of life and death? A case could be made that the tree of knowledge of good and evil presents the option of man to seek to know and make moral judgements rather than allow God to be the arbiter of good and evil. This would actually make the statement of the serpent (Satan) true in Genesis 3:5. We should come to God to receive life, not moral authority.

Once this line was crossed, the tree of life became a forbidden tree as well (Genesis 3:22-24). To reject one, is to have the other withheld. To live forever in this state would be unbearable for man and for God.

This, too, raises a question. Was the tree of life some kind of elixir that would be needed periodically to maintain the unending life force in man’s body? This seems to be a bizarre idea, for if God makes us eternal, why would we need some kind of supplement to maintain life? Is that why the tree of life appears in the heavenly in vision in Revelation 22 as well? We are given some more clues by Revelation 22:2.

On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

The tree of life provides a “healing” power. But why would healing be needed in the perfect environs of heaven?

More on this later. I need help in understanding.

Slow Miracles

I must confess that my prayer life has been rather sporadic and rather un-spectacular. At times my devotion to prayer has been extended and consistent. Many more times it has been the opposite. But even in the best of times, I cannot recall very many miracles being harvested as the fruit of my efforts.

Much of the blame falls to me, for I cannot expect great things to happen when I have allowed my devotion to falter. But you would think that amazing things might pop up once in a while. Even as I have prayed in concert with others for high and noble things, it has been rare that we have witnessed a “miracle.”

My frustration stems from that lure of a “miracle around every corner” sense that the Bible conveys. I realize that we have, in Scripture, an extended account of peak events separated by many years of quietness and inaction. But still, would it be so much to ask for a resurrection or a parted sea every couple decades or so?

As I write, I know several people in dire need of healing. Cancers, paralysis, emphysema, addictions, relationships falling apart, and on and on. In my estimation, each one could be so much more effective for God’s Kingdom if they could be whole. And yet, no miracles.

On the other hand, my estimation is restricted by my vision and my very limited knowledge. Some of these lives are having greater impact in their affliction than they may have had in their full strength. Reminds me of someone else – see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.

Some individuals for whom I am praying seem to be in the process of healing. Call it a slow miracle. No one expected them to be where they are at this point, and yet they are defying the hypotheses of medical experts. Only time will tell if in a month, or a year, or several years they may not be fully healthy.

Still, slow miracles aren’t as much of a rush as those instantaneous “Rise up and walk!” wonders done by Jesus and His apprentices. But are they any less indicative of the power of God because they may take longer?

This morning in our men’s Bible study group, we read through Genesis 15 and noted the repeated promise to Abram of a family that would emerge from his own flesh and would gain the land of Canaan and be a blessing to the world. He received the promise at the age of 75, but didn’t have the son of the promise until he was 100. Twenty-five years. Was it slow in coming? By my clock, no doubt. Was it by God’s power? No doubt.

Our frustration with slow miracles is probably largely culturally based. We live in an instant society, so God should be at least as efficient as we are, right? And maybe that is why God makes us wait for His power to be seen, because we are so prone to expecting the immediate. Folks living in ancient times were familiar with waiting because technology hadn’t conditioned them otherwise. An instant miracle was eye-opening. The twenty-first century citizen would probably be far less amazed with the fast miracle than the slow one, eventually expecting God to keep up the pace of quick miracles. Instead, we learn through waiting that the goodness and the power of God is rich, especially after times of inactivity and doubt. His slow, but consistent, power comes as refreshment to souls who have been waiting. We grow in hope as we grow in patience. The miracle is not just the healing of the one for whom we are praying. The miracle is also in the transforming of our own hearts and the opening of our own eyes. We, too, have been made whole along with those on our prayer list.

Lord, may I be rebuked when I judge the majesty of Your miracles according to my timetable. May I have my cold heart warmed, and my cemented eyelids opened to the glory of Your restoring hand in the times when You work, no matter how quickly. May I never fail to hope in You.