Setting – Moses outlines engagement of war guidelines.
Content – Even though the enemy might have horses, chariots and more fighters, Israel was not to be afraid because God was with them. The priest where to encourage the people not be fainthearted (v. 4), “for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” The officers were to say to them, if there were unfinished affairs, such as, a new house hasn’t be dedicated, first fruit of the vineyards that hasn’t be harvested, man engaged to a woman, fainthearted, etc. they were to not to engage in war.
When they approached the city to fight it, they were to offer peace to them. If the enemy accepts, then they were to be Israel’s slaves. If not, they were to besiege the city and kill all men with the sword, but spare women, children and animals. They were also to take all of the spoil. This is for the far away cities. But for the cities that the Lord has provided as an inheritance, they were to utterly destroy everything that breathes. This was (v. 18), “so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the LORD your God.”
When besieging a city for a long time, they were to spare the fruit trees because they will eat from them, but only the non-fruit trees could they use for siege works.
Application – God goes with us into battle. The easiest way to know if the Lord is with us is to have our lives align to what God’s Word says. We have seen where God didn’t go with Israel when they were in living disobedience. If we want God to be for us, we need to be living within His will.
It’s also easy to see that God doesn’t want us to learn the detestable things of the world. 1 John 2:15 states, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." And James 4:4, "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." We are to be salt and light to the world not the food (if you will).
The best way to insure that we are avoiding learning the world’s ways is to be immersed in God’s Word.
Content – Even though the enemy might have horses, chariots and more fighters, Israel was not to be afraid because God was with them. The priest where to encourage the people not be fainthearted (v. 4), “for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” The officers were to say to them, if there were unfinished affairs, such as, a new house hasn’t be dedicated, first fruit of the vineyards that hasn’t be harvested, man engaged to a woman, fainthearted, etc. they were to not to engage in war.
When they approached the city to fight it, they were to offer peace to them. If the enemy accepts, then they were to be Israel’s slaves. If not, they were to besiege the city and kill all men with the sword, but spare women, children and animals. They were also to take all of the spoil. This is for the far away cities. But for the cities that the Lord has provided as an inheritance, they were to utterly destroy everything that breathes. This was (v. 18), “so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the LORD your God.”
When besieging a city for a long time, they were to spare the fruit trees because they will eat from them, but only the non-fruit trees could they use for siege works.
Application – God goes with us into battle. The easiest way to know if the Lord is with us is to have our lives align to what God’s Word says. We have seen where God didn’t go with Israel when they were in living disobedience. If we want God to be for us, we need to be living within His will.
It’s also easy to see that God doesn’t want us to learn the detestable things of the world. 1 John 2:15 states, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." And James 4:4, "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." We are to be salt and light to the world not the food (if you will).
The best way to insure that we are avoiding learning the world’s ways is to be immersed in God’s Word.
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