the nations surrounding israel were powerful, strong, wealthy. but they had also sinned, because they worshiped other gods. ten commandments, the first of which is:
"You shall have no other gods before me."
that's the short version explaining the first of xbish's quotes.
but it is not just about punishment of those nations. it is also about israel submitting to God.
if i can try to summarise it:
- israel was God's chosen people through no virtue of their own: they were all very sinful.
- God wanted his people to be holy, even though he knew they were sinful. again heronz' comparison of father and child.
- in his perfect wisdom he implemented ways for his people to become holy. if they submitted their will to him, they would be able to follow these ways.
(i'd quote but it will get too long)
if you look at the biblical context, you will see that israel did not especially want to make war on the nations around them. they were a small, wandering group of nomads, and all the nations around them were more powerful than they were:
"The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples." dt 7:7
dt 7 is entitled in the NIV "driving out the nations," sure enough this is what he wants israel to do. surely God cannot be commanding twelve weak little desert tribes to drive the nations out of their own lands? what can he be thinking? we read on to dt 7:23-24.
"But the LORD your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed. He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them."
it is only through God's power that they conquer nations. how else can a tiny little nation conquer many more powerful lands? God is not only revealing a miracle through israel but demonstrating to them that when they are humble and submit to him, they have a closer relationship with him and are in line with his commands. the victories are, on the one hand, God carving his name out in history and what kind of power he has, and on the other hand a human-palatable reminder of how important it is to submit to God.
that is where submission fits in, and always has, throughout the OT and NT and today. with relevance to xbish's quote, israel will not win the nations by killing on possessed rampages. they win by submitting to God and obeying his commands; see how when they submit, dt 1:13:
"The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes..."
compare how the reverse is true: if they do not submit to God, he won't fight for them, and in fact will fight against them. isa 63:10
"Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them."
with application to xbish's verse about killing other nations -
- if they declare war on the nations in rebellion to God they will be overpowered, because they have become enemies of God.
- if they declare war on the nations in submission to God they will win wherever they go, because they have recognised him as their father.
God has not changed today. take home message: we find ourselves rebelling against God over and over again, just like israel (see nehemiah 9:26-29 for a crystal clear example): we still need to submit to God.
"You shall have no other gods before me."
that's the short version explaining the first of xbish's quotes.
but it is not just about punishment of those nations. it is also about israel submitting to God.
if i can try to summarise it:
- israel was God's chosen people through no virtue of their own: they were all very sinful.
- God wanted his people to be holy, even though he knew they were sinful. again heronz' comparison of father and child.
- in his perfect wisdom he implemented ways for his people to become holy. if they submitted their will to him, they would be able to follow these ways.
(i'd quote but it will get too long)
if you look at the biblical context, you will see that israel did not especially want to make war on the nations around them. they were a small, wandering group of nomads, and all the nations around them were more powerful than they were:
"The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples." dt 7:7
dt 7 is entitled in the NIV "driving out the nations," sure enough this is what he wants israel to do. surely God cannot be commanding twelve weak little desert tribes to drive the nations out of their own lands? what can he be thinking? we read on to dt 7:23-24.
"But the LORD your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed. He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them."
it is only through God's power that they conquer nations. how else can a tiny little nation conquer many more powerful lands? God is not only revealing a miracle through israel but demonstrating to them that when they are humble and submit to him, they have a closer relationship with him and are in line with his commands. the victories are, on the one hand, God carving his name out in history and what kind of power he has, and on the other hand a human-palatable reminder of how important it is to submit to God.
that is where submission fits in, and always has, throughout the OT and NT and today. with relevance to xbish's quote, israel will not win the nations by killing on possessed rampages. they win by submitting to God and obeying his commands; see how when they submit, dt 1:13:
"The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes..."
compare how the reverse is true: if they do not submit to God, he won't fight for them, and in fact will fight against them. isa 63:10
"Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them."
with application to xbish's verse about killing other nations -
- if they declare war on the nations in rebellion to God they will be overpowered, because they have become enemies of God.
- if they declare war on the nations in submission to God they will win wherever they go, because they have recognised him as their father.
God has not changed today. take home message: we find ourselves rebelling against God over and over again, just like israel (see nehemiah 9:26-29 for a crystal clear example): we still need to submit to God.