Deuteronomy

Warfare

Professor: Dr. R.J. Rushdoony

Subject: Pentateuch

Lesson: 633-110

Genre: Talk

Track: 063

Dictation Name: RR187AH63

Location/Venue:

Year: 1993

Let us worship God. Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary, praise Him for His mighty acts. Praise Him according to His excellent greatness, let everything that have breath praise the Lord, praise ye the Lord. Let us pray.

Almighty God our Heavenly Father we gather together to praise Thee, to rejoice in the fact that Thou art God. We thank Thee that not man but Thou dost sit on the throne of the universe. That this world and all they that are therein be governed according to Thy holy purpose. Grant oh Lord that the rebellion of men be put to rest. That the waywardness of human flesh be turned into faithfulness. Grant us Thy peace and Thy victory. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Deuteronomy 20:1-9 and our subject: Warfare. Warfare, Deuteronomy 20:1-9.

“When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,

3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;

4 For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.

6 And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.

7 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.

8 And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart.

9 And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.”

J.A. Thompson has cited the biblical texts concerning Godly warfare. First, no such war could be conducted apart from God’s words or orders. Here in all his points are many texts that he cites, I won’t take time to go into those. Second, there had to be a consecration to the task by the men of Israel. All that would offend God must be separated from them because God dwells in the camp with His people. Third, the Lord can deliver His people by many or by few. Fourth, God can and does send panic into the ranks of the enemy and thereby brings about their defeat. Fifth, the spoils of the war belong to God, not to man. One of the Dead Sea scrolls is entitled The War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness. Its concern was with the great war with God’s enemies at the end time. These laws had their influence in every sphere of life. Throughout the Christian era much has occurred in the way of efforts both successful and unsuccessful to limit injustices in wartime. Although the history of western warfare is not good it is still very different from the ferocity of most pagan conflicts until recently. In verse one God stresses through Moses that He is with them. Therefore thou shalt not be afraid of them, this is a command, to believe in God means to trust in His word. As a result two kinds of exemption from military service are granted. These are religious exemptions. First, all those whose minds are distracted and preoccupied by their affairs at home, that is, a new house as yet not dedicated nor used, a bride betrothed but not taken or a new vineyard finally producing but as yet unharvested. All such men however willing to fight are to be sent home both as a merciful fact and also to eliminate distracted minds.

Second, all who are fearful and fainthearted are also to be sent home. Their presence in the army is a threat to their fellow soldiers. Now, from the modern perspective this is preposterous, who would fight. But we have forgotten that because wars are now political and men have to be compelled to come out by a draft that there was a time when men were ready to defend their homes without any compulsion, in fact, often had to be sent home because they were too old or infirm. These exemptions are to be declared by a priest. They are religious exemptions and thus to be set forth by a priest. According to numerous texts, a campaign was to be preceded by burnt offerings. These various verses also tell us that attempts to replace obedience with the presence of the ark led to a disastrous result. The exemptions applied to all ranks of soldiers. If therefore clan leaders dropped out because of some kind of exemption then captains of armies were to be made out of the remaining men. The officers were thus named by the men of courage. The army must then trust in God, not in the size of the army. Wars are not outside of God’s providential government and the most necessary equipment for battle is a trust in God. Well it is clear from all this that military service was voluntary not compulsory. The covenant people were to place their hope in God, to use godly soldiers and to eliminate from the ranks of the volunteers all men who might for any cause be double minded. Morecraft noted and I quote:

“When wars are fought in the defense of justice in the suppression of evil or in defense of the homeland they are godly and are a part of the work of restoration. Such wars are wars of the Lord according to Numbers 21:24.” Unquote.

Again citing Morecraft verse two indicates that the priests accompanied the army. This was the origin of chaplains. Moreover the exemptions made clear that the family had priority together with exercising dominion over the earth under God. Deuteronomy deals with warfare in chapters 20:1-20 and chapter 21:10-14, 23:9-14, 24:5 and 24:17-19. Even a modernist like Anthony Philips has called the laws humanitarian. In verse nine the officers speak unto the people. Instead of a drafted army the soldiers are really the people come together to defend their cause or their homes. This is basic to Deuteronomy. Instead of a state decreeing war as a matter of policy we have a people ready to fight for their cause. Instead of men drafted, made soldiers by compulsion, we have a gathering of the clansmen to defend their cause. The first step before battle is to send home some of these men. The captains or commanders were according to A. D. H. Mayes apparently chosen on the same basis as were elders in cities and in the temple life of the people. Captains over tens, twenties, hundreds and thousands. The original commandment for this is cited in Deuteronomy 1:9-15. P.C. Craigies comments on this text are very telling. He says and I quote:

“Israelite strength laid not in numbers nor in their superiority of their weapons but in their God. The strength of their God was not simply a matter of faith but a matter of experience.” Unquote.

The legitimate wars were Godly wars because their purpose was to remain secure in their possession of the land and their exercise of godly dominion therein. Again quoting the very admirable Dr. Cragie, I quote:

“The basis of these exemptions becomes clear against the background of the function of war in ancient Israel. The purpose of war in the early stages of Israelite history was to take possession of the land promised to the people of God. In the later period of history war was fought for defensive purposes to defend the land from external aggressors. The possession of the Promised Land in other words was at the heart of Israel’s war and the importance of the land in the plan of God was that Israel was to live and work and prosper in it. The building of homes and orchards, the marrying of a wife and other such things were of the essence of life in the promised land. And if these things ceased then the wars would become pointless. Thus in these exemptions from military service it is clear that the important aspects of normal life in the land take precedence over the requirements of the army. But this somewhat idealistic approach in modern terms was possible only because of the profound conviction that military strength and victory lay in the last resort not in the army, but in God.” Unquote.

And here we come to the heart of the matter. What is the point of warfare according to biblical law? To defend the family, the land and a way of life under God! It’s not for political goals it is for the goals of the covenant life. This is why when wars are alien to this function either mercenaries or draftees have to be used. Israel’s military muster included all men between ages twenty and fifty but all were used. In Judges 7 we see how Gideon reduced his army in terms of this law. Our Lord applied this law in selecting his army, his disciples and He sent home all who were not totally dedicated. We read about this in Luke 9:57-62. In Luke 14:18-20 our Lord makes clear that the law of exemptions from military service did not apply where men are summoned into His kingdom, into the life of the covenant. Verse four states that God is He that goeth with you. This had been rendered as ‘God who marches with you’. We see here as elsewhere that there is nothing outside God’s government. Work, worship, war, eating, sanitation and all things else are subject to His laws. He is totally the governor of all things, the marginal note to this text in the Geneva Bible tells us:

“God permitteth not His people to fight when it seemeth good to them.”

We are in all things totally under His government. Thus the wars that God permits are never political wars. They are of necessity wars in the defense of the way of life under God, in defense of the family, in defense of land and its productivity.

Political wars are something in terms of scripture that are pagan. War therefore in the modern age is totally ungodly. In the Christian era we do see an element of the biblical concept when lords during the feudal era went to war to protect their people on their land. They protected the productivity of the people, their families, and their womenfolk. However crude life was at that time there was still that particular focus and we have lost it and we have turned everything now into a political purpose not a covenantal one. Let us pray.

Our Father, the truth of Thy word hangs over our age as a judgment. May Thy judgment oh Lord bring to end the councils of evil that prevail in all the nations. Make us again a righteous people, given to peace that we might wherever we are rejoice in Thy peace and the prosperity of Thy covenant. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Are there any questions now about our lesson? Yes?

[Question] It’s interesting that the secular state of modern Israel brings out the promise of God over that land… [Becomes unintelligible]

[Rushdoony] [laughs] Yes, that’s ironic that a Zionist, socialist, humanistic, state should claim that the land is theirs because it’s given by God. Well the name of God is used all over the world now by people who have not the remotest faith in Him and it is a very, very sorry fact and I think it’s a fact that will bring judgment upon the nations. You cannot use the name of God in vain and He promises judgment where that is done. Any other questions or comments, yes?

[Question] In World War One and World War Two there were supposedly fifty million people killed and I don’t think anybody sees that as God’s judgment upon a wayward people.

[Rushdoony] Yes, modern warfare is totally the reverse of what God says warfare should be. Most of those were civilians that were killed in those two wars. And yet it is the protection of the godly civilian life that the biblical laws of warfare are designed for. So we’ve completely reversed it. Winston Churchill has a fearful guilt in terms of this because in World War Two he started the ruthless bombing of civilians. In World War One of course the blockade was aimed at starving the civilians. Warfare was no longer between two armies, it was against civilians. And yet it’s the civilian way of life that is to be preserved as we have seen on a previous week, the fruit trees could not be cut down, the enemy’s fruit trees had to be preserved! This was a part of the godly exercise of dominion to establish orchards and vineyards and productivity. And now we aim to destroy productivity. There is no way that that can be called other than evil. Any other questions or comments?

Well if not let us conclude with prayer.

Our Father, the world has gone far, far astray, it has embraced evil as its good, and it is now paying a fearful price for its waywardness. Cleanse the nations oh Lord of their iniquity. Humble them and break them that they may kneel before Thee and acknowledge that Thou art the Lord. Teach us oh Lord to trust in Thee and to know that not all the evil of men can alter the scales of Thy judgment as much as grain of dust. Thine is the victory oh Lord for Thine is the kingdom. And now go in peace, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, bless you and keep you, guide and protect you, this day and always, Amen.