(c) 1996, 1997 David C. Treibs, sirdavid@ktc.com God and Guns: The Bible's Perspective on Personal Ownership and Use of Weapons, and Related Matters
(c) 1996, 1997 David C. Treibs, sirdavid@ktc.com
This page contains new material that has not yet been added to
the main body of notes.
These notes were posted to the web page about 18 May 1999.
These notes detail what the Bible says about owning and using
guns.
Deuteronomy 29:14-15
14 Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this
oath;
15 But with [him] that standeth here with us this day
before the LORD our God, and also with [him] that [is] not
here with us this day:
Deuteronomy 29:14-15
This covenant is with us also--if we follow him, he will bless, if we
forsake him, he will curse us
Deuteronomy 29:19,22-28
19 And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this
curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall
have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart,
to add drunkenness to thirst:
22 So that the generation to come of your children that
shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come
from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of
that land, and the sicknesses which the LORD hath laid upon
it;
23 [And that] the whole land thereof [is] brimstone, and
salt, [and] burning, [that] it is not sown, nor beareth, nor
any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and
Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his
anger, and in his wrath:
24 Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD
done thus unto this land? what [meaneth] the heat of this
great anger?
25 Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the
covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which he made
with them when he brought them forth out of the land of
Egypt:
26 For they went and served other gods, and worshipped
them, gods whom they knew not, and [whom] he had not given
unto them:
27 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against this
land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in
this book:
28 And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger,
and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into
another land, as [it is] this day.
Deuteronomy 29:19,22-28
The secret for our nation to prosper and be able to deal with crime and
enemies is not just to be armed, but to trust and serve God.
Deuteronomy 30:9-20
9 And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every
work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the
fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good:
for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he
rejoiced over thy fathers:
10 If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy
God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are
written in this book of the law, [and] if thou turn unto the
LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
11. For this commandment which I command thee this day, it
[is] not hidden from thee, neither [is] it far off.
12 It [is] not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who
shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we
may hear it, and do it?
13 Neither [is] it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest
say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us,
that we may hear it, and do it?
14 But the word [is] very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth,
and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
15. See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and
death and evil;
16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy
God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and
his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and
multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land
whither thou goest to possess it.
17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not
hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and
serve them;
18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely
perish, [and that] ye shall not prolong [your] days upon the
land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.
19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you,
[that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and
cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed
may live:
20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, [and] that thou
mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him:
for he [is] thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou
mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy
fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Deuteronomy 30:9-20
The key for our nation's blessing is to serve God--being armed is
secondary.
Deuteronomy 31:6
6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid
of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with
thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Our courage, strength, fearlessness, etc is not our
weapons, but in God. The Israelites were armed and somewhat experienced
in battle, but their trust was in God.
Deuteronomy 32:18,20
18 Of the Rock [that] begat thee thou art unmindful, and
hast forgotten God that formed thee.
20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see
what their end [shall be]: for they [are] a very froward
generation, children in whom [is] no faith.
Deuteronomy 32:18,20
The worst judgment--God simply withdraws his hand and we go on our merry
way to self destruction.
Deuteronomy 32:23
23 I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine
arrows upon them.
Deuteronomy 32:23
God's arrows--probably figurative, but shows personal weapons and their
use are not unclean or unholy, at least by God.
Deuteronomy 32:25
25 The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy
both the young man and the virgin, the suckling [also] with
the man of gray hairs.
Deuteronomy 32:25
Sword--inability to resist the enemy is a judgment
Deuteronomy 32:30
30 How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten
thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the
LORD had shut them up?
Deuteronomy 32:30
huh? Not sure, but we know it is a blessing for one to chase a
thousand
Deuteronomy 32:41-42
41 If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold
on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and
will reward them that hate me.
42 I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword
shall devour flesh; [and that] with the blood of the slain
and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the
enemy.
Deuteronomy 32:41-42 God's weapons
Deuteronomy 33:27
27 The eternal God [is thy] refuge, and underneath [are]
the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from
before thee; and shall say, Destroy [them].
Deuteronomy 33:27
God helps people to do the destroying, as he did in the book of
Joshua
Deuteronomy 33:29
29 Happy [art] thou, O Israel: who [is] like unto thee, O
people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who
[is] the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be
found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high
places.
Deuteronomy 33:29
Blessings compared to personal weapons.
Blessings to destroy the sacred places of the enemies, which could only
be done after the enemy has already been destroyed.
(juxtaposition: blessings in concert with weapons or the use of them or
the effects of using them, ie, death, slaughter, defense, etc)
Joshua 1:6-7,9,18
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people
shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware
unto their fathers to give them.
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou
mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses
my servant commanded thee: turn not from it [to] the right
hand or [to] the left, that thou mayest prosper
whithersoever thou goest.
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good
courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the
LORD thy God [is] with thee whithersoever thou goest.
18 Whosoever [he be] that doth rebel against thy
commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that
thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be
strong and of a good courage.
Joshua 1:6-7,9,18
It is good for us to be strong and courageous to fulfill God's will for
his people--being weak, afraid, and timid is no virtue.
Joshua 1:14-15
14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall
remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan;
but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty
men of valour, and help them;
15 Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as [he
hath given] you, and they also have possessed the land which
the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the
land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the
LORD'S servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the
sunrising.
Joshua 1:14-15
God gives us rest (15) but he does it by working through our hands (pass
over armed (14)) to secure the rest.
Joshua 2:24
24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath
delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the
inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.
Joshua 2:24
God delivered it into their hands--they had to do the work, including
using force, weapons, strategy, cunning.
Joshua 4:12-13
12 And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad,
and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the
children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:
13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over
before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
Joshua 4:12-13
They passed over before the LORD as though he were the General and his
troops were passing in review. God would not stand for this if weapons
were evil.
Joshua 6:2
2 And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into
thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, [and] the mighty
men of valour.
Joshua 6:2
God gave the enemy into their hand.
Joshua 6:7-9,13
7 And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the
city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of
the LORD.
8 And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the
people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of
rams' horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the
trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed
them.
9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew with
the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, [the
priests] going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns
before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew
with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but
the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, [the priests]
going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
Joshua 6:7-9,13
They were armed and before the LORD--in his presence with weapons--it
couldn't be wrong for God's people to be armed, even while in his
presence.
Joshua 6:18-19
18 And ye, in any wise keep [yourselves] from the accursed
thing, lest ye make [yourselves] accursed, when ye take of
the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and
trouble it.
19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and
iron, [are] consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into
the treasury of the LORD.
Joshua 6:18-19
Evil objects. Apparently all the personal booty was forbidden here, but
the metal could be dedicated for holy use.
Joshua 6:21
21 And they utterly destroyed all that [was] in the city,
both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and
ass, with the edge of the sword.
Joshua 6:21
The men did the work--God working through them
Joshua 7:1,8,12,13,15
1. But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the
accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of
Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the
accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled
against the children of Israel.
8 O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their
backs before their enemies!
12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before
their enemies, [but] turned [their] backs before their
enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with
you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves
against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel,
[There is] an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel:
thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take
away the accursed thing from among you.
15 And it shall be, [that] he that is taken with the
accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he
hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD,
and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
Joshua 7:1,8,12,13,15
Evil objects: that which is cursed by God--never did he say weapons were
cursed or evil.
Being beaten by your enemies is a judgment and, therefore, evil.
Joshua 10:11-14
11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel,
[and] were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD
cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah,
and they died: [they were] more which died with hailstones
than [they] whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD
delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and
he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon
Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the
people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. [Is] not
this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still
in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a
whole day.
14 And there was no day like that before it or after it,
that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the
LORD fought for Israel.
Joshua 10:11-14
The people killed some and God killed some--God worked through his
people to do some of the work, and he divinely and supernaturally
intervened without people partly (the stones).
Then God supernaturally intervened (sun stood still) to allow the people
to do more than they could under normal circumstances. This is yet
another example of how God works to help us, but he does it in such a
way that allows us to do as much of the work as possible, and which
leaves the results in our hands (very hard work equals great results,
mediocre results equals mediocre results, poor or no work, etc). God
could have simply killed them all, like he did the firstborn of Egypt or
that army wherein he killed them all--but he chose to do a little of
each, work through the people to kill, do some supernatural killing, and
then do something supernatural to allow Israel to kill some more.
%
This is also an example of where God directly and divinely works to
allow people to kill, at his command, no less, indicating that killing
and weapons are not against God's character, which never changes, his
will, or his holiness (and he didn't later judge them for this, as he
did those who were God's sword against Israel to punish them when they
sinned, no, this was something good, and that God approved of).
Joshua 10:19-20
19 And stay ye not, [but] pursue after your enemies, and
smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into
their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into
your hand.
20 And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of
Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great
slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest [which]
remained of them entered into fenced cities.
Joshua 10:19-20
Delivered them into their hands, but they had to work hard and had to
be diligent so they wouldn't escape. They couldn't say, hey, let's
loligag around and goof off and take our time--God gave them to us so
that means it will be a piece of cake and effortless and we can turn off
our brains, and no matter how sloppily we do it, we will succeed just as
well as if we had done our best. Not at all.
Joshua 10:25
25 And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed,
be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to
all your enemies against whom ye fight.
Joshua 10:25
God did it, but they did the work, their hands used the weapons, and
where they were not diligent, or where the circumstances just didn't
work out, they didn't succeed--because some of the enemy escaped.
Joshua 10:30,32,42
30 And the LORD delivered it also, and the king thereof,
into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of
the sword, and all the souls that [were] therein; he let
none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did
unto the king of Jericho.
32 And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel,
which took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge
of the sword, and all the souls that [were] therein,
according to all that he had done to Libnah.
42 And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at
one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.
Joshua 10:30,32,42
God put the matter in their hands--they did the work. At least half a
dozen cities are listed in Ch 10.
Joshua 11:6-8
6 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of
them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up
all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and
burn their chariots with fire.
7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him,
against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell
upon them.
8 And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who
smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto
Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and
they smote them, until they left them none remaining.
Joshua 11:6-8
6 sounds like it says God will give them to you all dead. Take a nap and
find them all dead at your feet when you awaken.
7 but Joshua has to do the killing, God gave them to him, but he had to
do the work.
Joshua 11:20
20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that
they should come against Israel in battle, that he might
destroy them utterly, [and] that they might have no favour,
but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Joshua 11:20
Sometimes God does things so we have to fight, it's not just that it's
his will, he sometimes engineers it so we have no other choice--which is
even further than saying that fighting and war are acceptable to God.
Sometimes it's required.
Joshua 22:11-14,29-32
11 And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the
children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half
tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land
of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the
children of Israel.
12 And when the children of Israel heard [of it], the
whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered
themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.
13 And the children of Israel sent unto the children of
Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of
Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of
Eleazar the priest,
14 And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince
throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one [was] an
head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of
Israel.
29 God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and
turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for
burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices,
beside the altar of the LORD our God that [is] before his
tabernacle.
30. And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the
congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which
[were] with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben
and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake,
it pleased them.
31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto
the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to
the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD
[is] among us, because ye have not committed this trespass
against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of
Israel out of the hand of the LORD.
32 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the
princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the
children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of
Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word
again.
Joshua 22:11-14,29-32
Phinehas the priest, maybe a chance he was even the high priest, he
headed up the militia/army and marched off to make things right, which
included engaging in warfare and bloodshed when necessary.
Joshua 23:1
1. And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD had
given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about,
that Joshua waxed old [and] stricken in age.
Joshua 23:1
God gave them rest from their enemies, but their job wasn't done!
Israel took the rest to mean their work was finished, but it decidedly
was not, and God punished them for not doing what he told them to do !!!
They were supposed to be on the warpath until the enemy was eradicated,
but they quit after the pressure was off them and when they were
enjoying God's rest, and the abundance of the land God had provided, and
were feeling the pressure to do other things, like till and clear the
land, ranch the animals, etc.
Joshua 23:3
3 And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done
unto all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God
[is] he that hath fought for you.
Joshua 23:3
God fought for you, but their hands did most of the work--God worked
through them to accomplish his will, and God fought by using their
hands.
Joshua 23:5
5 And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before
you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall
possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto
you.
Joshua 23:5
"God will expel them," but since they didn't do their part, God didn't
do his. We should recall all the blessings and promises of God: health,
security, provisions, help, comfort, etc and remember that these won't
always come to us if we just sit around and wait for God to do all the
work, or if we do only a token amount of work and expect God to pick up
our slack.
Joshua 23:9-10
9 For the LORD hath driven out from before you great
nations and strong: but [as for] you, no man hath been able
to stand before you unto this day.
10 One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD
your God, he [it is] that fighteth for you, as he hath
promised you.
Joshua 23:9-10
God works and we work
Joshua 23:11-13
11. Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love
the LORD your God.
12 Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the
remnant of these nations, [even] these that remain among
you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto
them, and they to you:
13 Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no
more drive out [any of] these nations from before you; but
they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in
your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from
off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.
Joshua 23:11-13
God stops helping if they not follow him--these were some of the things
they weren't supposed to do in addition to the the things they were
supposed to do, ie fight relentlessly
Joshua 24:8
8 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which
dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you:
and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their
land; and I destroyed them from before you.
Joshua 24:8
--Gave them into their hand so you could destroy them
--I destroyed them
Joshua 24:11
11 And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the
men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the
Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the
Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered
them into your hand.
Joshua 24:11
delivered into your hand
Joshua 24:12
12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out
from before you, [even] the two kings of the Amorites; [but]
not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.
Joshua 24:12
God did this once
Judges 1:1-2
1. Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the
children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up
for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them?
2 And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have
delivered the land into his hand.
Judges 1:1-2
At this point they were doing, belatedly, what they were supposed to
do--wipe out the enemy--God was helping them.
Judges 1:19
19 And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out [the
inhabitants of] the mountain; but could not drive out the
inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of
iron.
Judges 1:19
Just because God is on your side doesn't mean everything will be easy,
or that you will not have to use all your resources and then some to
win
Judges 1:21,27-33,2:1-3
21. And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the
Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell
with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.
27 Neither did Manasseh drive out [the inhabitants of]
Bethshean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the
inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of
Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her
towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they
put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive
them out.
29 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt
in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of
Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites
dwelt among them, and became tributaries.
31 Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho,
nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib,
nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:
32 But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the
inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.
33 Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of
Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Bethanath; but he dwelt
among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land:
nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath
became tributaries unto them.
1. And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim,
and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought
you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I
said, I will never break my covenant with you.
2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this
land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not
obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?
3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from
before you; but they shall be [as thorns] in your sides, and
their gods shall be a snare unto you.
Judges 1:21,27-33,2:1-3
They didn't do what they were supposed to do! Then the next verse after
all these "they didn't do it" list is that God refused to help them any
more! This is the point where things changed from God helping them to
him not helping them. THen what they didn't do corrupted them, and God
began working against them, and it all started by not doing what they
were supposed to do.
Judges 2:13-23
13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and
Ashtaroth.
14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and
he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled
them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round
about, so that they could not any longer stand before their
enemies.
15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was
against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD
had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered
them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but
they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves
unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their
fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD;
[but] they did not so.
18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD
was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of
their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the
LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that
oppressed them and vexed them.
19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, [that]
they returned, and corrupted [themselves] more than their
fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow
down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor
from their stubborn way.
20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and
he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my
covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not
hearkened unto my voice;
21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before
them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:
22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will
keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers
did keep [it], or not.
23 Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving
them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of
Joshua.
Judges 2:13-23
The spoilers and oppressors came as a result of rejecting God. This is
the first reference in the Bible to this happening to Israel. Those who
try to be strong without God, like Libertarians, will fail.
Apparently this was happening while Joshua was still alive (v.23), and
apparently several of the things they did angered God and he wouldn't
help them destroy the enemy. And this also happened after Joshua died
(v.21).
%
I'm not sure which happened first, but both were bad--maybe they
happened simultaneously.
--They served pagan gods,
therefore God would not drive out the enemy
--They did not obey God's command to destroy the enemy,
therefore God didn't help them,
and they began to serve the gods of them.
Judges 5:15-16
15 And the princes of Issachar [were] with Deborah; even
Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the
valley. For the divisions of Reuben [there were] great
thoughts of heart.
16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the
bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben [there
were] great searchings of heart.
Judges 5:15,16
They didn't have signs from heaven any more than did Jael, but they
failed because they didn't act on what was an obvious need that they
knew they were obligated to do, not because of some sign from God, but
because it was the right thing to do.
Judges 5:17-18
17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in
ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his
breaches.
18 Zebulun and Naphtali [were] a people [that] jeoparded
their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.
Judges 5:17-18
Militia
This sounds like the American Revolution--many did not help when the
need was obvious--the states not close to the conflict didn't send men
or money; Washington was continuously under-manned, under-funded,
under-armed, and under-supplied.
Judges 3:9-10
9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the
LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who
delivered them, [even] Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's
younger brother.
10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged
Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered
Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his
hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.
Judges 3:9-10
The spirit of the LORD came upon him. Wonder what they would say in
certain charismatic churches if someone became "in the spirit" and ran
out to attack some criminal or fight against ungodliness.
9 God's answer to their prayer was to send a person to rescue them from
the evil oppressors. By no means were they all repentant. Maybe even
Othniel was praying and God answered his prayer by sending him! Like if
we pray for our country, God might send us to fight against the
evil.
Judges 5:23
23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye
bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to
the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the
mighty.
Judges 5:23
Militia
Those who don't help when there's a need are under God's judgment--see
above on Am Revo (5:17-18)
Judges 3:15
15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD,
the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a
Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of
Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
Judges 3:15
When they prayed and repented in their hearts, but not all of them as in
our country, we pray but by no means is everyone repentant, then God
sends a person or persons to do his work of rescuing his people either
completely or only in part, to lighten the load somewhat, a little
grace.
%
I guess Ehud had no respect for the laws that contravened God's laws, or
for the man who contravened them.
Judges 3:26-30
26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond
the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.
27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a
trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of
Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before
them.
28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD
hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And
they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan
toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand
men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not
a man.
30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel.
And the land had rest fourscore years.
Judges 3:26-30 Militia
He had to have previously organized, planned, and armed the people--all
against the law of the Moabites--but not against God's law. Just like
the evil tyrants who have passed laws that contravene our law (Const)
and God's law, we have no duty to obey them.
Judges 4:14
14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this [is] the day
in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is
not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from
mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.
Judges 4:14
A question we might expect to hear from some Christians is: "What would
Jesus do?" or "Would Jesus fight and carry a weapon and kill people?
After all, he said his kingdom was not of this world." True, when he was
on earth he had little to do with fighting, and only some things
involved weapons. But when he returns, he will use the greatest weapon
ever (from his mouth) and he will kill and slaughter people, telling us
it is not against his character, but it was against the PURPOSE he came
to fulfill. Furthermore, we can see that, while he may not have done
that sort of thing while he was on earth, he had no problem at all
calling his people to do such things, as in this verse and many others.
Plus, he has personally done these things many times in the OT, or he
sent angels to do it, etc.
Judges 7:23-25
23. And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out
of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and
pursued after the Midianites.
24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount
Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take
before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all
the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took
the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.
25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and
Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they
slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and
brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other
side Jordan.
Judges 7:23-25 (or it might be I Sam, though I doubt it)
Even though he didn't use them in the initial attack, he called them up
for the mop up--they were standing by and ready, partly because they had
just been mustered, and partly because they were always ready in case
they were called up or invaded, etc.
Judges 10:1,3
1. And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola
the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he
dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.
3 And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel
twenty and two years.
Judges 10:1,3
Various people stood up at different times to defend their nation AND to
turn them to the right way.
Judges 14:4
4 But his father and his mother knew not that it [was] of
the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the
Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion
over Israel.
Judges 14:4
God was looking for an excuse to defeat his and his peoples' enemies, we
should be ready and willing to do the same, perhaps he will use us for
some respite for our nation, even if it's only to begin to deliver us, r
to give us a little help.
Judges 14:19
19 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went
down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took
their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which
expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went
up to his father's house.
Judges 14:19
The spirit of the LORD led him to kill and destroy--God's character not
opposed to killing, this was not a governmentally directed action but
an individual one.
Judges 15:11-12
11 Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the
rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the
Philistines [are] rulers over us? what [is] this [that] thou
hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto
me, so have I done unto them.
12 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee,
that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines.
And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not
fall upon me yourselves.
Judges 15:11-12
These are those who submit to the unrighteous and fight against anyone
who tries to throw off the oppressors.
Judges 15:13
13 And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind
thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we
will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords,
and brought him up from the rock.
Judges 15:13
They work for the enemy, even though they are our brethren, they are at
least as great an obstacle as the enemy themselves.
Judges 15:14-15
14 [And] when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted
against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon
him, and the cords that [were] upon his arms became as flax
that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his
hands.
15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his
hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
Judges 15:14-15
Again, God directly enabled him to kill and destroy, and it was for the
purpose of helping the nation and freeing them from the oppressive
tyrants whose laws contradicted God's laws.
Judges 16:28-30
28 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD,
remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee,
only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the
Philistines for my two eyes.
29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon
which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the
one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And
he bowed himself with [all his] might; and the house fell
upon the lords, and upon all the people that [were] therein.
So the dead which he slew at his death were more than [they]
which he slew in his life.
Judges 16:28-30
Another example of where God divinely helps a person kill others.
Judges 18:22
22 [And] when they were a good way from the house of
Micah, the men that [were] in the houses near to Micah's
house were gathered together, and overtook the children of
Dan.
Judges 18:22
A small militia or group of minutemen, rallied in a very short time,
unable to overcome the 600 Danites, which is probably good.
Judges 20:35
35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the
children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day
twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew
the sword.
Judges 20:35
God used people to kill and destroy.
1 Samuel 2:9
9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked
shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man
prevail.
I Samuel 2:9
Victory depends on God, not strength, although you have to balance that
with preparing, etc.
1 Samuel 7:10
10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the
Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD
thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the
Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten
before Israel.
I Samuel 7:10
The LORD divinely helped Israel slaughter the enemy, but the Israelites
did the actual pursuing and killing.
1 Samuel 7:13
13. So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more
into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was
against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
I Samuel 7:13
Because of a righteous leader, God helped Israel defeat their enemies
and keep them at bay: when a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even
his enemies to be at peace with him. Maybe because they are all
dead.
I Samuel 7:14
14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from
Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath;
and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands
of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and
the Amorites.
I Samuel 7:14
The people did the work, God helped them.
1 Samuel 17:28-29
28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto
the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he
said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou
left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride,
and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down
that thou mightest see the battle.
29 And David said, What have I now done? [Is there] not a
cause?
I Samuel 17:28-29
Like Christians who chew out other Christians for standing against evil,
and especially who physically resist or fight against evil.
1 Samuel 13:20-22
20 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to
sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe,
and his mattock.
21 Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the
coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to
sharpen the goads.
22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was
neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the
people that [were] with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and
with Jonathan his son was there found.
I Samuel 13:20-22
They had to use home made or home adapted weapons. Pass the Anarchist
Cookbook!
1 Samuel 14:48
48 And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and
delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them.
I Samuel 14:48
Saul took care of this one, it was probably too big a problem for small
militia groups to handle.
1 Samuel 15:32-33
32. Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king
of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And
Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
33 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women
childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And
Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
I Samuel 15:32-33
A man of God, before the LORD, hacked a fellow to death. If killing were
always unholy, God would not have told Saul to kill the Amalekites in
the first place, and secondly, he wouldn't have wanted Samuel to kill
Agag.
1 Samuel 17:39
39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he
assayed to go; for he had not proved [it]. And David said
unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved
[them]. And David put them off him.
I Samuel 17:39
If we are going to fight, we must use what we are good with. THis means
we need to be good with something, meaning we need to have it ahead of
time and practice with it.
1 Samuel 17:45
45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me
with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I
come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of
the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
I Samuel 17:45
David had faith that God was going to help him. Goliath had stood up
against Israel, and Israel was God's nation. David had no revelation of
God's help, but he had skill, experience, and most of all, faith in God.
We similarly can stand in faith for God's people and for our nation,
even though we have no special revelation to so so, because God expects
us to, and because he will help his people.
1 Samuel 21:8
8 And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here
under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought
my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business
required haste.
I Samuel 21:8
Also, apparently it was not uncommon for the priest to have weapons at
hand in or near the temple. David didn't have cows about it.
1 Samuel 22:2
2 And every one [that was] in distress, and every one that
[was] in debt, and every one [that was] discontented,
gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over
them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
I Samuel 22:2
They formed a militia.
1 Samuel 22:13
13 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against
me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him
bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that
he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
I Samuel 22:13
Not quite gun control, but it is a case where an evil man is very
displeased that a good man has acquired a weapon--he wanted him to
remain unarmed so it would be easier to kill him (presumably) and so
David could not ambush him, which he says David wants to do "to lie in
wait." Wonder what the gov't wants to do to us, since it so badly wants
us disarmed?
1 Samuel 22:17
17 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about
him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their
hand also [is] with David, and because they knew when he
fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the
king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests
of the LORD.
I Samuel 22:17
Obey the law.
Disobeyed the law (word) of the king to keep the law (word) of
God.
1 Samuel 23:4-5
4 Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD
answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will
deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the
Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them
with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of
Keilah.
I Samuel 23:4-5 Militia
This was an anti-gov't militia of sorts, the debtors, those on the
king's wanted list, etc joined here, and they took kingly unauthorized
military actions, but God commanded them to do this and blessed their
efforts. If it were ungodly to do this, God wouldn't have blessed
them.
1 Samuel 25:7-8,15-16,21
7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy
shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was
there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in
Carmel.
8 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore
let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in
a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine
hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
15 But the men [were] very good unto us, and we were not
hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were
conversant with them, when we were in the fields:
16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the
while we were with them keeping the sheep.
21 Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that
this [fellow] hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was
missed of all that [pertained] unto him: and he hath
requited me evil for good.
I Samuel 25:7-8,15-16,21 Militia
According to several people, including Ravi Zacharais, I heard on the
radio that it was a custom for groups of men to provide security to
people like Nabal and his animals and servants, and then for the owner
to pay them for the protection from the many wild animals, bands of
robbers, and criminals, but Nabal refused to do his reasonably expected
and customary duty.
1 Samuel 30:8,23
8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue
after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered
him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake [them], and
without fail recover [all].
23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with
that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us,
and delivered the company that came against us into our
hand.
I Samuel 30:8,23 Militia, Divine help
God supernaturally helped David fight and win. Remember, this was an
unauthorized, illegal militia group, personally armed, and yet God had
no qualms helping them.
2 Samuel 1:12,14-16
12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for
Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the
LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen
by the sword.
14 And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to
stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?
15 And David called one of the young men, and said, Go
near, [and] fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.
16 And David said unto him, Thy blood [be] upon thy head;
for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have
slain the LORD'S anointed.
2 Samuel 1:12,14-16
A case of individually meted justice without the oversight of the
gov't.
2 Samuel 2:18
18. And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and
Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel [was as] light of foot as a
wild roe.
2 Samuel 2:18
By the hand of David I will save Israel from their enemies--God works
through his people to accomplish his will.
2 Samuel 3:33-34
33 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner
as a fool dieth?
34 Thy hands [were] not bound, nor thy feet put into
fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, [so] fellest
thou. And all the people wept again over him.
2 Samuel 3:33-34
A fool will not defend himself. He will have the opportunity to fight
but will not.
2 Samuel 10:12
12 Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our
people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that
which seemeth him good.
2 Samuel 10:12
No special revelation, just doing the right thing.
2 Samuel 22:3
3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: [he is] my
shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my
refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.
2 Samuel 22:3
Obviously it is not just violence, it is violence that would destroy
him, as in, thou savest me from being harmed.
2 Samuel 22:40
40 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them
that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.
2 Samuel 22:40
God enabled him to do 36-38--the same God who gave him "gentleness" and
"the shield of thy salvation" also game him "strength to battle" to
subdue those that rose up against him. Note, this is defensive: he acted
after they rose up against him.
2 Samuel 22:43
43 Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth,
I did stamp them as the mire of the street, [and] did spread
them abroad.
2 Samuel 22:43
This was not gentle warfare. He annihilated the enemy.
2 Samuel 22:49
49 And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also
hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against
me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
2 Samuel 22:49
Again the violent man is the one who seeks to harm David, and do evil,
because David is very violent (38, 41,43) and yet that is not what
"violence" refers to, more likely it is harm of the just and righteous
and those who trust God.
2 Samuel 23:6-8
6 But [the sons] of Belial [shall be] all of them as
thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:
7 But the man [that] shall touch them must be fenced with
iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly
burned with fire in the [same] place.
8. These [be] the names of the mighty men whom David had:
The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the
captains; the same [was] Adino the Eznite: [he lift up his
spear] against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.
2 Samuel 23:6-8
The only way to deal with the wicked is with weapons! Nothing else will
work, because they will hurt anyone who is not armed.
2 Samuel 23:17
17 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should
do this: [is not this] the blood of the men that went in
jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it.
These things did these three mighty men.
2 Samuel 23:17
David would not partake of innocent blood. Obviously there is a
difference between innocent and guilty blood--David was judged in
shedding blood only in the instance of Uriah--all the rest God helped
him do and blessed him in it. The only caveat is that God wouldn't let
him build the temple because he had shed so much blood, but even in that
instance, David drew up the plans, and gathered and prepared most of the
materials for it, plus the site.
%%%
The wicked vs the innocent, guilty blood vs innocent blood--there is a
difference.
2 Samuel 24:2,4
2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which
[was] with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel,
from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I
may know the number of the people.
4 Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab,
and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the
captains of the host went out from the presence of the king,
to number the people of Israel.
2 Samuel 24:2,4
This was the official army that conducted the census, obviously it is
different from the people they counted.
%%%
The armed populace--militia--as distinct from the people they
counted.
1 Kings 8:33-34,37-40
33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the
enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn
again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make
supplication unto thee in this house:
34 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy
people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou
gavest unto their fathers.
37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence,
blasting, mildew, locust, [or] if there be caterpiller; if
their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities;
whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness [there be];
38 What prayer and supplication soever be [made] by any
man, [or] by all thy people Israel, which shall know every
man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands
toward this house:
39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and
forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his
ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, [even] thou only,
knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)
40 That they may fear thee all the days that they live in
the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.
1 Kings 8:33-34,37-40
38 by the nation, or by 1 person
%
They lose battles and wars because they reject God.
1 Kings 18:40
40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal;
let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah
brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
1 Kings 18:40 Law breaking, individual taking lethal action
It was illegal, but it was God's law. This is an instance of one
individual killing without authorization from gov't, but in accordance
with God's Word.
1 Kings 20:42
42 And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou
hast let go out of [thy] hand a man whom I appointed to
utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life,
and thy people for his people.
1 Kings 20:42
If we do not kill when it is time, God will punish us. There is a time
to kill.
1 Kings 21:7,9-10,14
7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern
the kingdom of Israel? arise, [and] eat bread, and let thine
heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the
Jezreelite.
9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast,
and set Naboth on high among the people:
10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear
witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and
the king. And [then] carry him out, and stone him, that he
may die.
14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned,
and is dead.
1 Kings 21:7,9-10,14
The wicked murder the righteous and the just.
2 Kings 5:1
1. Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria,
was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by
him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a
mighty man in valour, [but he was] a leper.
2 Kings 5:1
God did it using a man. The man did all the visible work.
2 Kings 6:14,24,7:6-7,15-17
14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a
great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city
about.
24. And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of
Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged
Samaria.
6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a
noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, [even] the noise
of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king
of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites,
and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.
7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left
their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the
camp as it [was], and fled for their life.
15 And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the
way [was] full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians
had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned,
and told the king.
16 And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the
Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was [sold] for a shekel,
and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the
word of the LORD.
17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned
to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon
him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said,
who spake when the king came down to him.
2 Kings 6:14,24,7:6-7,15-17
They also left most if not all of their weapons, probably, since while
they were running, they dropped vessels and clothing while running,
meaning that's what they were carrying, instead of swords and spears and
bows. They likely didn't stop top pick up their weapons, because if they
had stopped for anything at all, it would have been fir their horses so
they could make a faster escape, but perhaps the horses were unsaddled,
and so they ran with whatever was in their hands--their supper
dishes--and left behind their weapons in their tents. Also, the horses
were still tied and at least some of the horses were chariot horses,
because in the previous battle Syria used chariots (6:14), and no reason
why they wouldn't again. This means the heavy weapons, like tanks and
jet fighters today, chariots, were also left for the common people. And
it was the ordinary people who spoiled all these things: food, money,
clothes, weapons. V.16 The people spoiled their tents. The militia was
augmented, because the people obtained many weapons, including tanks and
other non-bearable weapons, and the king didn't have a cow about it.
v.17 Obviously the king had no control whatsoever over the people at
this point. Also, all the people did the spoiling.
1 Kings 14:9-10,14-16
9 But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for
thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images,
to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:
10 Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of
Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth
against the wall, [and] him that is shut up and left in
Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of
Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.
14 Moreover the LORD shall raise him up a king over
Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day:
but what? even now.
15 For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in
the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good
land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them
beyond the river, because they have made their groves,
provoking the LORD to anger.
16 And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of
Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.
1 Kings 14:9-10,14-16
Why Jeroboam will be killed--he was very evil
1 Kings 15:27-29
27 And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar,
conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon,
which [belonged] to the Philistines; for Nadab and all
Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.
28 Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha
slay him, and reigned in his stead.
29 And it came to pass, when he reigned, [that] he smote
all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that
breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the
saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the
Shilonite:
1 Kings 15:27-29
Baasha killed him and all his offspring as prophesied, for Jereboam's
sin. This was God's doing.
1 Kings 16:7
7 And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of
Hanani came the word of the LORD against Baasha, and against
his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of
the LORD, in provoking him to anger with the work of his
hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he
killed him.
1 Kings 16:7
God was mad because he killed Jereboam Huh? Wonder why. Since there were
several assassinations God approved of. I would guess it was for the
following--the assassination was justified because Jereboam was an evil
man, and killing him stopped him from doing further evil, and put a man
in his place who would do righteously. However, once this man who
resigned failed to be any better than the man he killed, the
justification for the assassination was lost, and then God implicated
him for the killing.
1 Kings 16:8,10-13,16,18,19
8 In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began
Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two
years.
10 And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the
twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in
his stead.
11 And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as
he sat on his throne, [that] he slew all the house of
Baasha: he left him not one that pisseth against a wall,
neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends.
12 Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha,
according to the word of the LORD, which he spake against
Baasha by Jehu the prophet,
13 For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his
son, by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to
sin, in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their
vanities.
16 And the people [that were] encamped heard say, Zimri
hath conspired, and hath also slain the king: wherefore all
Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel
that day in the camp.
18 And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was
taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house, and
burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died,
19 For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight
of the LORD, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his
sin which he did, to make Israel to sin.
1 Kings 16:8,10-13,16,18,19
Here's an example of an assassination where we know God it done but he
really didn't say whether or not he blessed the doer, although we can
see he was killed without any help from God.
2 Kings 9:7-9
7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that
I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the
blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of
Jezebel.
8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut
off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him
that is shut up and left in Israel:
9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of
Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the
son of Ahijah:
2 Kings 9:7-9
God will seek vengeance by using a person to do his work. All this work
of God will be done by a man.
%%%
double assassination
breaking the law to keep God's higher law and word
touching God's anointed
God working through a man to kill, with his full blessings on the man
(not a later judgment, like he did to the Syrians or whoever when he
used them to punish Israel)
2 Kings 9:14,16
Jerhoram (Joram) King of Israel, Ahaziah king of Judah
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2 Kings 9:23-24
assassinates Jehoram,
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2 Kings 9:25-26
fulfills God's judgment against house of Ahab without any judgment upon
himself
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2 Kings 9:27
assassination of Ahaziah
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2 Kings 9:36-37
this again was the word of God that was fulfilled by a man
2 Kings 9:31-33
31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, [Had]
Zimri peace, who slew his master?
32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who
[is] on my side? who? And there looked out to him two [or]
three eunuchs.
33 And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down:
and [some] of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on
the horses: and he trode her under foot.
2 Kings 9:31-33
Jezebel's servants rebelled against their master, broke the law of
the king, and killed her, or at least had a hand in it.
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had peace like Zimri? not all are bad?
2 Kings 9:31
31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, [Had]
Zimri peace, who slew his master?
2 Kings 9:31
A perfect example (Jezebel) of those who say we should not fight against
evil rulers because God will judge us for it--you are in good company:
Jezebel's! It is the wicked and evil who use the example of Zimri to
prove that they should not fight against evil rulers and even
assassinate them, because God will not bless it. God blessed all these
assassinations of these wicked rulers.
2 Kings 10:6-8,10-11,13-14,17,21,25
6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying,
If ye [be] mine, and [if] ye will hearken unto my voice,
take ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to
me to Jezreel by to morrow this time. Now the king's sons,
[being] seventy persons, [were] with the great men of the
city, which brought them up.
7 And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that
they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put
their heads in baskets, and sent him [them] to Jezreel.
8 And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They
have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay
ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until
the morning.
10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing
of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the
house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done [that] which he spake
by his servant Elijah.
11 So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in
Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his
priests, until he left him none remaining.
13 Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah,
and said, Who [are] ye? And they answered, We [are] the
brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children
of the king and the children of the queen.
14 And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive,
and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, [even] two
and forty men; neither left he any of them.
17 And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained
unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according
to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.
21 And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the
worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left
that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the
house of Baal was full from one end to another.
25 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of
offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and
to the captains, Go in, [and] slay them; let none come
forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and
the guard and the captains cast [them] out, and went to the
city of the house of Baal.
2 Kings 10:6-8,10-11,13-14,17,21,25
He killed them all, and with God's blessing. In this instance, he
received specific directions from God that he was supposed to wipe out
Ahab's house (2Ki 9:7), unlike some cases where the person was acting on
general principles, instead of specific instructions.
2 Kings 10:30
30 And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done
well in executing [that which is] right in mine eyes, [and]
hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that [was]
in mine heart, thy children of the fourth [generation] shall
sit on the throne of Israel.
2 Kings 10:30
This is the crowning note--that God blessed him for his bloody work,
instead of judging the judger as he did of the nations that were God's
punishing tools for Israel's sins. Unfortunately, Jehu sinned and ruined
it all.
2 Kings 11:15
15 But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the
hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have
her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her
kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be
slain in the house of the LORD.
2 Kings 11:15
Another assassination--commanded by God's holy priest: "kill with the
sword" was the command.
Giving that order was the same as doing it himself. If God's priest can
do it and still remain holy (not counting the uncleanness brought on by
touching a dead body, etc), it must not be an unclean or evil thing to
do, if done properly.
2 Kings 13:3
3 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel,
and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria,
and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all [their]
days.
2 Kings 13:3
Their defeats in battle were because of God's anger for their
sins.
2 Kings 13:4-7
4 And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened
unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the
king of Syria oppressed them.
5 (And the LORD gave Israel a saviour, so that they went
out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of
Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.
6 Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the
house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, [but] walked
therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.)
7 Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty
horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for
the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like
the dust by threshing.
2 Kings 13:4-7 gun control example
4-5 The king prayed and God heard and sent someone to deliver them
6 but they kept on sinning
7 their oppressor disarmed them to a large extent
they were allowed only a relatively small quantity of soldiers and
weapons, the enemy destroyed the rest. This is kinda like today, they
want to be sure we don't have too many weapons or ammo (ie, an
"arsenal") and they want to be sure there aren't too many militias, to
successfully resist their oppression. Since to a large extent the
individual citizens were also the militia, it is likely that the Syrians
disarmed the people to a large extent also (which might explain where
all the weapons went that the Israelites were continuously having to
procure, unless there was a high breakage rate for them), however, I
think that these kings further down the line tended to have bigger
standing armies than they were supposed to have.
4-7 Tells me that if we seek God he may help us even if there is still
sin in the nation. We don't have to be sinless before we can ask God for
deliverance. However, the deliverance in this case wasn't complete.
Also, we don't have to have a perfect nation before we can act as the
saviors, to fight for our country (besides that, it is a sin if we don't
defend those we are commanded to defend, and that brings more
judgment!). As always, though, we have to realize God may or may not
grand us victory, or only a partial victory, or we may not live to see
the results, and they results may be short-lived, if at all.
7 It doesn't say the Syrians continued to enforce their arms
embargo/disarmament, however, they destroyed many weapons before the
deliverance from the Syrians, and apparently it was a significant enough
reduction to merit mentioning.
2 Kings 16:2-5,8-9
2 Twenty years old [was] Ahaz when he began to reign, and
reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not [that which
was] right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his
father.
3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea,
and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the
abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from
before the children of Israel.
4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places,
and on the hills, and under every green tree.
5. Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king
of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged
Ahaz, but could not overcome [him].
8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the
house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house,
and sent [it for] a present to the king of Assyria.
9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king
of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and
carried [the people of] it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.
2 Kings 16:2-5,8-9
Here is an amazing account of how this very evil king was not defeated
in battle, for one very simple reason: God had not purposed to destroy
him, and therefore the determining factor in his defeat or victory was
how well he had prepared in advance to withstand a seige, how strong the
fortifications were, etc. It was a matter of better using the natural
laws, physics, natural forces, strategy, etc.
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The point of all this is that God doesn't always divinely intervene or
determine the outcome: sometimes, perhaps even most of the time he lets
things play out without divine intervention, according to the physical
laws he set up (cause-effect, reap-sow, etc). He does this even in the
lives of believers, and that is why we must be prepared on the physical
level to meet challenges with sufficient physical resistance to overcome
them.
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We build our houses following this philosophy. We ensure they can
withstand wind, rain, hail, thieves, etc, and we don't expect God to
keep out the wind if we don't build the house properly. We don't build a
house along the banks of the river and expect him to keep the house and
us from washing away if the river rises or the dam breaks. We don't go
to the coast and expect God to keep hurricanes from damaging houses not
sufficiently strong to withstand them. If we do, God won't protect the
house, because if he did, you could go to the coast after a hurricane
and all the Christian's homes would still be standing (without even the
smell of smoke on their garments), but that's not how it works. The best
built ones are left standing--the physical laws apply equally to the
just and the unjust (rain). There are an infinite number of things we do
following this philosophy--that we must live within the natural laws God
set up, or we will suffer the natural consequences if we don't:
clothing, food, construction, work, etc.
2 Kings 18:11-12
11 And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto
Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor [by] the river
of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:
12 Because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their
God, but transgressed his covenant, [and] all that Moses the
servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear [them],
nor do [them].
2 Kings 18:11-12
Defeat in battle because of rejecting God.
Godliness must be part of resistance--without it, you will probably
fail, especially if the oppressor is sent from God because of sin--even
if there is just the natural consequence of sin, he will be very hard to
defeat, because sin that is set in the heart of many is impossible to
remove, and sin's followers are a bad lot.
2 Kings 18:25
25 Am I now come up without the LORD against this place to
destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land,
and destroy it.
2 Kings 18:25
Ah, but this captain was part of God's judgment, right? But God blessed
and encouraged his resistance _precisely_ because he was a godly man!!
Perhaps if we are godly, we have his blessings and help in resisting
evil, and if God intends to bring judgment in spite of us, we will die
like the other good kings who died fighting against evil.
2 Kings 23:32-33
32 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the
LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.
33 And Pharaohnechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the
land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and
put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver,
and a talent of gold.
2 Kings 23:32-33
Evil brings about captivity, servitude, tribute (loss of money), because
God fights against the evil and brings these conditions on them: evil
captors foreign to their national law (foreigners or evil native kings,
in our case Clinton, an evil man who has no regard for our national
laws, ie, Constitution).
2 Kings 24:1
1. In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and
Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and
rebelled against him.
2 Kings 24:1
Yet another captivity because of sin--not just because of insufficient
weaponry or soldiers or poor tactics--no quantities of these would have
helped, because God purposed to defeat them because of their
sins--repentance was what they needed first, and then their weaponry
might have done them some good. We cannot rely only on strength for
victory: we must have God fighting for us, and not just that he isn't
against us, he must be actively for us, and we can ensure that partly by
being right with him.
2 Kings 24:2-3
2 And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and
bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands
of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to
destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he
spake by his servants the prophets.
3 Surely at the commandment of the LORD came [this] upon
Judah, to remove [them] out of his sight, for the sins of
Manasseh, according to all that he did;
2 Kings 24:2-3
These evil bands (rogue militias? troops of robbers? why didn't they
call for the outlawing of militias, since some of them were bad? Maybe
because the only way to deal with evil militias is to counter them with
good ones, and in any event, is does no good for the good people to see
that there are evil people around, and so the good people all surrender
their guns to the police for destruction in hopes that somehow magically
the evil people will also disarm and maybe even be nice) came because of
sin--not just because of natural events.
2 Kings 24:14
14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes,
and all the mighty men of valour, [even] ten thousand
captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained,
save the poorest sort of the people of the land.
2 Kings 24:14 Gun Control
Doubtlessly many of the smiths were weapon smiths--here is yet another
example of gun control--the manufacturers and repairers of weapons were
removed by an evil captor, probably to further subjugate and keep
subjugated the nation, and to put anyway of any use to work for the evil
captor instead of their own nation (like the feds do).
2 Kings 25:19
19 And out of the city he took an officer that was set
over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the
king's presence, which were found in the city, and the
principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of
the land, and threescore men of the people of the land [that
were] found in the city:
2 Kings 25:19
He killed off anyone who had any relation to resistance--to call up the
militia, to be in charge of the military, anyone who was aligned with
the gov't or with the religion of Israel was killed. He was making sure
there was no organization (like the feds squash any organized
resistance, and fear this much more than individuals) or national
identity that was contrary to his oppression, no resistance whatsoever,
nothing and no one to whom anyone could turn who did not want to serve
him (he declared them all cults, I suppose)--there was not resistance
left of any kind.
1 Chronicles 4:38-43
38 These mentioned by [their] names [were] princes in
their families: and the house of their fathers increased
greatly.
39 And they went to the entrance of Gedor, [even] unto the
east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.
40 And they found fat pasture and good, and the land [was]
wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for [they] of Ham had dwelt
there of old.
41 And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah
king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the habitations
that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this
day, and dwelt in their rooms: because [there was] pasture
there for their flocks.
42 And [some] of them, [even] of the sons of Simeon, five
hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their captains
Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of
Ishi.
43 And they smote the rest of the Amalekites that were
escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.
1 Chronicles 4:38-43
(or was this with 2Ki 24:14) gun control, militia--the military and the
people distinguished by 2 different ones in charge of each
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Various private armies fighting and taking land without the king
interfering
1 Chronicles 5:10
10 And in the days of Saul they made war with the
Hagarites, who fell by their hand: and they dwelt in their
tents throughout all the east [land] of Gilead.
1 Chronicles 5:10 militia
more private action
1 Chronicles 5:19
19 And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, and
Nephish, and Nodab.
1 Chronicles 5:19
They did this on their own, perhaps as part of claiming the promised
land and taking their portion of it, nevertheless, this was a private
army
1 Chronicles 7:2,4,5,7,9,11,40
2 And the sons of Tola; Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel,
and Jahmai, and Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father's
house, [to wit], of Tola: [they were] valiant men of might
in their generations; whose number [was] in the days of
David two and twenty thousand and six hundred.
4 And with them, by their generations, after the house of
their fathers, [were] bands of soldiers for war, six and
thirty thousand [men]: for they had many wives and sons.
5 And their brethren among all the families of Issachar
[were] valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their
genealogies fourscore and seven thousand.
7 And the sons of Bela; Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and
Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of the house of [their]
fathers, mighty men of valour; and were reckoned by their
genealogies twenty and two thousand and thirty and four.
9 And the number of them, after their genealogy by their
generations, heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men
of valour, [was] twenty thousand and two hundred.
11 All these the sons of Jediael, by the heads of their
fathers, mighty men of valour, [were] seventeen thousand and
two hundred [soldiers], fit to go out for war [and] battle.
40 All these [were] the children of Asher, heads of
[their] father's house, choice [and] mighty men of valour,
chief of the princes. And the number throughout the
genealogy of them that were apt to the war [and] to battle
[was] twenty and six thousand men.
1 Chronicles 7:2,4,5,7,9,11,40
The census was based on who could fight--it was both common place highly
important that as many men as possible be adept for war, because the
defense of the nation, tribe, family, and individual was secured by the
strength and training of the men
1 Chronicles 7:21
21 And Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and
Elead, whom the men of Gath [that were] born in [that] land
slew, because they came down to take away their cattle.
1 Chronicles 7:21 militia
an example of the need for warrior/men
1 Chronicles 8:40
40 And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour,
archers, and had many sons, and sons' sons, an hundred and
fifty. All these [are] of the sons of Benjamin.
1 Chronicles 8:40 militia
Saul taught the people archery, these fellows were related to him, from
the same tribe. Somehow there's probably a connection--Saul taught them,
they all learned it together, then Saul taught Israel, they taught him,
who knows. In any event, this is most likely grass roots training and
arming, and these weapons and ideas were spread, and when Saul becomes
king, he establishes it throughout Israel.
1 Chronicles 9:1
1. So all Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and, behold,
they [were] written in the book of the kings of Israel and
Judah, [who] were carried away to Babylon for their
transgression.
1 Chronicles 9:1
Defeat and captivity were because of sin--the weapons failed because God
was against them. That doesn't mean certain people didn't fight
successfully, but it means the nation as a whole was defeated.
1 Chronicles 10:11-12
11 And when all Jabeshgilead heard all that the
Philistines had done to Saul,
12 They arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body
of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to
Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and
fasted seven days.
1 Chronicles 10:11-12
Likely a privately orchestrated effort carried out by the militia
members--ie, all the men fit for war (which, by the way was the census
method) obviously it had nothing to do with the king, since he was dead,
and it doesn't say it was done by the king's garrison, etc.
1 Chronicles 11:6
6 And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first
shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went
first up, and was chief.
1 Chronicles 11:6
append.
David announced the mission, and whoever had sufficient men and arms in
their private armies could take a shot at it in hopes of gaining the
reward. This is one way these militias helped the king. They also
probably were made official garrisons, and given pay, etc to become full
time employees in the official army. I would suppose Joab's men also
were promoted by Joab after he was promoted.
1 Chronicles 11:11
11 And this [is] the number of the mighty men whom David
had; Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he
lifted up his spear against three hundred slain [by him] at
one time.
1 Chronicles 11:11
append.
It was honorable to be a warrior and to defeat and kill the enemy and to
help your nation and people, and defend property.
1 Chronicles 12:15
15 These [are] they that went over Jordan in the first
month, when it had overflown all his banks; and they put to
flight all [them] of the valleys, [both] toward the east,
and toward the west.
1 Chronicles 12:15
They (v15) had proven themselves. They joined David while he was hiding
from Saul.
1 Chronicles 12:16,18,19
16 And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to
the hold unto David.
18 Then the spirit came upon Amasai, [who was] chief of
the captains, [and he said], Thine [are we], David, and on
thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace [be] unto thee,
and peace [be] to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee.
Then David received them, and made them captains of the
band.
19 And there fell [some] of Manasseh to David, when he
came with the Philistines against Saul to battle: but they
helped them not: for the lords of the Philistines upon
advisement sent him away, saying, He will fall to his master
Saul to [the jeopardy of] our heads.
1 Chronicles 12:16,18,19
19 Captains of Manesseh--their tribal military. The band--ie, militia
group.
19 fell to him when he was with the Philistines.
%
band--war word
1 Chronicles 12:23-38
23. And these [are] the numbers of the bands [that were]
ready armed to the war, [and] came to David to Hebron, to
turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of
the LORD.
24 The children of Judah that bare shield and spear [were]
six thousand and eight hundred, ready armed to the war.
25 Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valour for the
war, seven thousand and one hundred.
26 Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred.
27 And Jehoiada [was] the leader of the Aaronites, and
with him [were] three thousand and seven hundred;
28 And Zadok, a young man mighty of valour, and of his
father's house twenty and two captains.
29 And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul,
three thousand: for hitherto the greatest part of them had
kept the ward of the house of Saul.
30 And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and
eight hundred, mighty men of valour, famous throughout the
house of their fathers.
31 And of the half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand,
which were expressed by name, to come and make David king.
32 And of the children of Issachar, [which were men] that
had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to
do; the heads of them [were] two hundred; and all their
brethren [were] at their commandment.
33 Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in
war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which
could keep rank: [they were] not of double heart.
34 And of Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them with
shield and spear thirty and seven thousand.
35 And of the Danites expert in war twenty and eight
thousand and six hundred.
36 And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in
war, forty thousand.
37 And on the other side of Jordan, of the Reubenites, and
the Gadites, and of the half tribe of Manasseh, with all
manner of instruments of war for the battle, an hundred and
twenty thousand.
38 All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a
perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel:
and all the rest also of Israel [were] of one heart to make
David king.
1 Chronicles 12:23-38
23 A listing of the "bands," armed and trained groups, that came to make
David king.
33 (1) they were experts, probably meaning well-trained and probably
experienced, (2) They were experts with all weapons of war (which means
they had both the weapons and the training prior to coming to the king)
(3) They were trained well in group tactics and maneuvers (4) they were
single minded in their mission and purpose (ie, they had been
indoctrinated in the proper ideology, (they read the constitution and
swore to defend it from all enemies foreign and domestic, eh?)),
dedicated to the cause of liberty and safety.
1 Chronicles 16:11
11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face
continually.
I Chronicles 16:11
Knowing David, "Strength" very likely includes strength for battle
%
strength--war word
1 Chronicles 18:3,4,7,11
3 And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as
he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates.
4 And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven
thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also
houghed all the chariot [horses], but reserved of them an
hundred chariots.
7 And David took the shields of gold that were on the
servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
11 Them also king David dedicated unto the LORD, with the
silver and the gold that he brought from all [these]
nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of
Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.
I Chronicles 18:3,4,7,11
This was how some weapons were obtained: from all these different
nations they took spoil, they also took weapons, as noted with the
chariots, and many others that were not listed.
1 Chronicles 17:10-12
10 And since the time that I commanded judges [to be] over
my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies.
Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an
house.
11 And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired
that thou must go [to be] with thy fathers, that I will
raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons;
and I will establish his kingdom.
12 He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his
throne for ever.
I Chronicles 17:10-12
he used the best strategy available to him
1 Chronicles 19:13
13 Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves
valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and
let the LORD do [that which is] good in his sight.
I Chronicles 19:13
This is precisely the philosophy we follow: we fight because it is the
right thing to do, not because we have some special word from
God.
1 Chronicles 26:26-27
26 Which Shelomith and his brethren [were] over all the
treasures of the dedicated things, which David the king, and
the chief fathers, the captains over thousands and hundreds,
and the captains of the host, had dedicated.
27 Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to
maintain the house of the LORD.
I Chronicles 26:26-27
Dedicated some spoils to God, obviously other items such as weapons were
also taken
1 Chronicles 26:32
32 And his brethren, men of valour, [were] two thousand
and seven hundred chief fathers, whom king David made rulers
over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of
Manasseh, for every matter pertaining to God, and affairs of
the king.
I Chronicles 26:32 warriors some of whom also served God
1 Chronicles 27:5-6,34
5 The third captain of the host for the third month [was]
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, a chief priest: and in his
course [were] twenty and four thousand.
6 This [is that] Benaiah, [who was] mighty [among] the
thirty, and above the thirty: and in his course [was]
Ammizabad his son.
34 And after Ahithophel [was] Jehoiada the son of Benaiah,
and Abiathar: and the general of the king's army [was] Joab.
I Chronicles 27:5-6,34
(his son?) a chief priest who is also one of the top ranked mighty men
in David's highest ranking warriors, who did mighty deeds--1 Chr
11:22-25
1 Chronicles 21:12
12 Either three years' famine; or three months to be
destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine
enemies overtaketh [thee]; or else three days the sword of
the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of
the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now
therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to
him that sent me.
I Chronicles 21:12
Destruction from the enemy and the inability to successfully defend the
nation was one of the choices of punishment David was offered.
1 Chronicles 22:8-9,18-19
8 But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast
shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt
not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much
blood upon the earth in my sight.
9 Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man
of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round
about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace
and quietness unto Israel in his days.
18 [Is] not the LORD your God with you? and hath he [not]
given you rest on every side? for he hath given the
inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is
subdued before the LORD, and before his people.
19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your
God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD
God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the
holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to
the name of the LORD.
I Chronicles 22:8-9,18-19 reap and sow
The interesting thing is that Solomon could not have had peace if David
had not defeated so many enemies. What a nation saves it reaps down the
road, even several generations down--both benefits and problems. If
David had shirked his duty, Solomon would have had to be the fighter,
and maybe would have lost the nation.
1 Chronicles 26:5-6
5 Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peulthai the
eighth: for God blessed him.
6 Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons born, that ruled
throughout the house of their father: for they [were] mighty
men of valour.
I Chronicles 26:5-6
These fellows were Levites, and get they were men of valor--ie,
warriors, and this was a blessing from God.
2 Chronicles 14:7
7 Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities,
and make about [them] walls, and towers, gates, and bars,
[while] the land [is] yet before us; because we have sought
the LORD our God, we have sought [him], and he hath given us
rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
2 Chronicles 14:7
It a blessing of God to be able to build up defenses
2 Chronicles 14:8
8 And Asa had an army [of men] that bare targets and
spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of
Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and
fourscore thousand: all these [were] mighty men of valour.
2 Chronicles 14:8 Militia
These came from each tribe because each tribe had its own defense
forces.
2 Chronicles 14:11-15
11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD,
[it is] nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or
with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for
we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this
multitude. O LORD, thou [art] our God; let not man prevail
against thee.
12 So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before
Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.
13 And Asa and the people that [were] with him pursued
them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that
they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed
before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away
very much spoil.
14 And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for
the fear of the LORD came upon them: and they spoiled all
the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.
15 They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away
sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 14:11-15
11 "we rest on thee" the basis for the song used by the missionaries
going to the Auca Indians, Jim Elliot--and this is a military prayer
which God answered, BTW, several of those missionaries had guns but
didn't use them.
13 "and before his host" --the men were God's warriors, the Army of God,
doing His work, or work of weapons, warfare, slaughter, and destruction
to save their nation, their families, their lands, and their
lives.
2 Chronicles 6:24-25,28-30,36-39
24 And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the
enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall
return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication
before thee in this house;
25 Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of
thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which
thou gavest to them and to their fathers.
28 If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence,
if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers;
if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land;
whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness [there be]:
29 [Then] what prayer [or] what supplication soever shall
be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every
one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall
spread forth his hands in this house:
30 Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and
forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his
ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the
hearts of the children of men:)
36 If they sin against thee, (for [there is] no man which
sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them
over before [their] enemies, and they carry them away
captives unto a land far off or near;
37 Yet [if] they bethink themselves in the land whither
they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the
land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have
done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;
38 If they return to thee with all their heart and with
all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they
have carried them captives, and pray toward their land,
which thou gavest unto their fathers, and [toward] the city
which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have
built for thy name:
39 Then hear thou from the heavens, [even] from thy
dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and
maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have
sinned against thee.
2 Chronicles 6:24-25,28-30,36-39
defeat in battle is because of sin, sometimes, in which case, repentance
must be part of regaining the upper hand over the enemy
28-30 grief brings repentance
36-39 this is the third time he mentions it--it must be
important!
2 Chronicles 8:3-6
3 And Solomon went to Hamathzobah, and prevailed against
it.
4 And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store
cities, which he built in Hamath.
5 Also he built Bethhoron the upper, and Bethhoron the
nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;
6 And Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had,
and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen,
and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in
Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.
2 Chronicles 8:3-6
Even though he was a man of peace and they had quiet in the land, he
still saw some action and built up militarily--actually he violated
scripture in multiplying horses to himself, etc.
2 Chronicles 9:25
25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and
chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in
the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 9:25
He built too large a standing army--he was to rely more on God first and
then the militia (Deut 17:16)
2 Chronicles 12:1
1. And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the
kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of
the LORD, and all Israel with him.
2 Chronicles 12:1
This is the great danger of being very strong (he had fortified
everything (v.5-12)), you trust in yourself and your might instead of
trusting God and using your might for his glory.
2 Chronicles 15:1-2
1. And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:
2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye
me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD [is] with you,
while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found
of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
2 Chronicles 15:1-2
This is a double confirmation that God blessed the war--and that...
victory depends on righteousness towards God more than might.
2 Chronicles 12:7-8
7 And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the
word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled
themselves; [therefore] I will not destroy them, but I will
grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be
poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
8 Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may
know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the
countries.
2 Chronicles 12:7-8
"some deliverance"--repentance doesn't automatically bring instant
liberation--probably not all of them repented anyway.
2 Chronicles 15:3-6
3 Now for a long season Israel [hath been] without the
true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
4 But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD
God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.
5 And in those times [there was] no peace to him that went
out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations [were]
upon all the inhabitants of the countries.
6 And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city:
for God did vex them with all adversity.
2 Chronicles 15:3-6 militia
"city of city" cities with armed and trained militias
2 Chronicles 15:7
7 Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak:
for your work shall be rewarded.
2 Chronicles 15:7 reap/sow
you'll have what you work for
2 Chronicles 15:19
19 And there was no [more] war unto the five and thirtieth
year of the reign of Asa.
2 Chronicles 15:19
There was no war for several reasons:
--many of their enemies had been destroyed, including Israel
(benefits of previous work was being reaped)
--God blessed them by quieting their enemies
2 Chronicles 16:8
8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with
very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst
rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand.
2 Chronicles 16:8
"Delivered them into thine hand" God works using us--whatever work we
do, we gain the rewards of it--whatever we don't do, we , we don't
receive the rewards of it
2 Chronicles 16:9
9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the
whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of [them]
whose heart [is] perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done
foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
2 Chronicles 16:9 Weapons and warfare not unclean or unholy
Your heart can be perfect toward God even while engaged in warfare and
slaughter and weaponscraft
2 Chronicles 17:16
16 And next him [was] Amasiah the son of Zichri, who
willingly offered himself unto the LORD; and with him two
hundred thousand mighty men of valour.
2 Chronicles 17:16
it is possible to offer yourself to God in the capacity of a
warrior
2 Chronicles 21:12-17
12. And there came a writing to him from Elijah the
prophet, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of David thy
father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of
Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of
Judah,
13 But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and
hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a
whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and
also hast slain thy brethren of thy father's house, [which
were] better than thyself:
14 Behold, with a great plague will the LORD smite thy
people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods:
15 And thou [shalt have] great sickness by disease of thy
bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness
day by day.
16 Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit
of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that [were] near
the Ethiopians:
17 And they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and
carried away all the substance that was found in the king's
house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was
never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his
sons.
2 Chronicles 21:12-17
The evil kill and fight against the good, especially when in
power
2 Chronicles 21:16-17
16 Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit
of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that [were] near
the Ethiopians:
17 And they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and
carried away all the substance that was found in the king's
house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was
never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his
sons.
2 Chronicles 21:16-17
The evil ruler brings damage and destruction to the entire nation,
including those who are not evil, and when God judges the nation for the
evil ruler, many suffer who are innocent. This is one reason why we must
keep the wicked and wicked laws out of power, and this is also an
indirect and passive way to defend the innocent
2 Chronicles 21:17
17 And they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and
carried away all the substance that was found in the king's
house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was
never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his
sons.
2 Chronicles 21:17
The walls being torn down left the inhabitants vulnerable to criminals,
invading groups, wild animals, etc. Gun control of sorts.
2 Chronicles 20:12
12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no
might against this great company that cometh against us;
neither know we what to do: but our eyes [are] upon thee.
2 Chronicles 20:12
The militiaman's prayer against the feds
2 Chronicles 20:25
25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away
the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both
riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they
stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry
away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it
was so much.
2 Chronicles 20:25
Source of $ and weapons
2 Chronicles 20:37
37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied
against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined
thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And
the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to
Tarshish.
2 Chronicles 20:37
Another injunction against helping the evil, add to the one where
"shouldest thou help the ungodly or love them that hate God? therefore
is wrath upon thee," also include with Obadiah 1:10-15
2 Chronicles 23:7
7 And the Levites shall compass the king round about,
every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever [else]
cometh into the house, he shall be put to death: but be ye
with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.
2 Chronicles 23:7
"the Levites...are holy...and...shall compass the king...with _his_
weapons in his hand; and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall
be put to death...."
Maybe the weapons were their personal weapons. It doesn't say--although
v 10 uses the same wording "his weapon" to refer to the king's
weapons.
2 Chronicles 23:9-10
9 Moreover Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains
of hundreds spears, and bucklers, and shields, that [had
been] king David's, which [were] in the house of God.
10 And he set all the people, every man having his weapon
in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left
side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by
the king round about.
2 Chronicles 23:9-10
He delivered the weapons to the captains who passed them out to their
men. Possibly the captains were accountable for them, since they were
special (ie, armed by David). Recall when those repairing the temple
were paid but were not scrutinized in their usage of the money, because
they were faithful and trustworthy. There are other instances where
people were given the king's resources and sometimes had to return them
and sometimes did not.
2 Chronicles 24:24
24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company
of men, and the LORD delivered a very great host into their
hand, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their
fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash.
2 Chronicles 24:24
When God is against you, numbers and powers are useless.
2 Chronicles 25:19-20
19 Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; and
thine heart lifteth thee up to boast: abide now at home; why
shouldest thou meddle to [thine] hurt, that thou shouldest
fall, [even] thou, and Judah with thee?
20 But Amaziah would not hear; for it [came] of God, that
he might deliver them into the hand [of their enemies],
because they sought after the gods of Edom.
2 Chronicles 25:19-20
When a nation forsakes God, he can give them evil leaders which will do
things that bring destruction to the nation, like we have an evil
President who does evil things, and a stupid/cowardly/traitorous
Congress who lets him do all these things and appoint all these evil
people, and each of these things bring destruction upon our
nation.
2 Chronicles 26:15
15 And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning
men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot
arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far
abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.
2 Chronicles 26:15
heavy weapons
2 Chronicles 30:6,9
6 So the posts went with the letters from the king and his
princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to
the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel,
turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped
out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.
9 For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and
your children [shall find] compassion before them that lead
them captive, so that they shall come again into this land:
for the LORD your God [is] gracious and merciful, and will
not turn away [his] face from you, if ye return unto him.
2 Chronicles 30:6,9
6 Never quit & never give up. No matter how badly destroyed and wiped
out you are. There's still room for repentance, victory, and God's
blessing--even if it could never be as good as it would have been if sin
had not worked its destruction and had not God enacted his wrath.
9 God can always turn around the evil, so we must never stop working for
righteousness or for victory.
2 Chronicles 31:1
1. Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were
present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the
images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down
the high places and the altars out of all Judah and
Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had
utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel
returned, every man to his possession, into their own
cities.
2 Chronicles 31:1
Prayer alone is not enough. Faith without works is dead.
2 Chronicles 32:7-8
7 Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for
the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that [is]
with him: for [there be] more with us than with him:
8 With him [is] an arm of flesh; but with us [is] the LORD
our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people
rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
2 Chronicles 32:7-8
Notice, Hezekiah understands the principle--that our hands do the work
but God receives the credit because he accomplishes the success.
2 Chronicles 33:9-13
9 So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem
to err, [and] to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD
had destroyed before the children of Israel.
10 And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but
they would not hearken.
11. Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of
the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among
the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to
Babylon.
12 And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his
God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his
fathers,
13 And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and
heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem
into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he [was]
God.
2 Chronicles 33:9-13
They were carried captive and likely disarmed and spoiled
2 Chronicles 33:14
14 Now after this he built a wall without the city of
David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the
entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and
raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in
all the fenced cities of Judah.
2 Chronicles 33:14
He must have had some sort of weapons, unless all he had was farm and
butchery and carpentry tools.
2 Chronicles 34:6
6 And [so did he] in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim,
and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round
about.
2 Chronicles 34:6
"with their mattocks round about"
This suggests perhaps: this is all they had for weapons, and just like
the priests stood round about the king to Josiah to protect him, or,
maybe they went around using their mattocks to destroy everything nearby
that related to ungodliness, since swords weren't as well suited for the
task, although I tend to think they were disarmed. Another instance of
probable gun control.
Round about here refers to about the cities or tribes of Manasseh,
Ephraim, Nathtali.
2 Chronicles 34:3
3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet
young, he began to seek after the God of David his father:
and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and
Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the
carved images, and the molten images.
2 Chronicles 34:3
Faith without works is dead. Along with seeking God comes the
requirement for acting on what you know about God and about what's
happening on earth.
Ezra 3:3
3 And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear [was]
upon them because of the people of those countries: and they
offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, [even] burnt
offerings morning and evening.
Ezra 3:3 Militia
There were lots of human predators about, in large enough numbers to
make 4x,000 people afraid. Maybe those predators were heavily armed.
Good thing Ezra didn't decide to destroy all his weapons in hopes that
somehow the predators would be magically disarmed somehow.
%%%
outline material:
1. God must be on your side
2. You must use wisdom (Ez 4:23-24) and you can avoid many problems
3. Foresee evil and prepare for it
4. Meet problems with sufficient counter-force or sufficient cunning to
overcome it.
5. Do your best in the battle, and leave the results to God. If you
weren't diligent or wise enough, you will fail, and God's grace will be
sufficient for your suffering. If you succeed, thank God for his help,
and don't become proud and forget to serve God.
5a. The results will be temporary. (as with anything: work temporarily
pays the bills, brushing your teeth temporarily cleans them, taking a
bath temporarily helps you smell good, digging a hole temporarily makes
a hole, etc) The important issue is how long will it last, and MOST
importantly, how long will you be diligent to keep the freedom alive.
5b. If you are so blessed that you pass the freedom to your children,
you must have already trained them to exercise it properly, and to pass
it to their children.
Ezra 9:14
14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in
affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not
thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed [us], so that
[there should be] no remnant nor escaping?
Ezra 9:14
"Should we...join in affinity with the people of these abominations?
wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that
there should be no remnant nor escaping?"
Don't become part of evil, like the Social Security system, gun control,
fascist gov't, etc.
Nehemiah 9:36-37
36 Behold, we [are] servants this day, and [for] the land
that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof
and the good thereof, behold, we [are] servants in it:
37 And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou
hast set over us because of our sins: also they have
dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their
pleasure, and we [are] in great distress.
Nehemiah 9:36-37
Obviously this kind of subservience to gov't is evil, because it is a
punishment for sin--it is "at their pleasure" (the righteous falling
down before the wicked), the Israelites have no ability to resist--this
is also evil--being unable to resist evil, evil gov'ts, evil rulers,
evil people, and being disarmed is part of that, meaning being disarmed
is also evil.
--Gun control is judgment from God
--Gun control is evil (therefore, being armed is good)
Nehemiah 9:29
29 And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring
them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and
hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy
judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and
withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would
not hear.
Nehemiah 9:29
We have life in God's Word, not just spiritual life, but physical life
and abundance from following the principles in his Word
Nehemiah 4:8-9
8 And conspired all of them together to come [and] to
fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a
watch against them day and night, because of them.
Nehemiah 4:8-9
1. prayed
2. set a watch
3. prepared to fight
Nehemiah 4:16
16. And it came to pass from that time forth, [that] the
half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half
of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and
the habergeons; and the rulers [were] behind all the house
of Judah.
Nehemiah 4:16
If they are not from the king's stores, then the individuals have quite
an array and assortment of weapons, and they have enough for everyone to
be armed. Also, it appears that it was necessary for them to be as
heavily armed as possible, because their enemies were equally heavily
armed, ie, everyone was armed--the good, the bad, and the ugly. The
only ones not armed were those who were slaves or who were in captive
nations, and had been disarmed by their enemies. That's a nice way to
say you know who your enemies are by who it is that disarms you.
Nehemiah 4:17
17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare
burdens, with those that laded, [every one] with one of his
hands wrought in the work, and with the other [hand] held a
weapon.
Nehemiah 4:17
"every one:" must have been lots of weapons available
Nehemiah 5:3-4
3 [Some] also there were that said, We have mortgaged our
lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn,
because of the dearth.
4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for
the king's tribute, [and that upon] our lands and vineyards.
Nehemiah 5:3-4
God didn't protect them from the famine or from servitude just because
they were his people doing his work (why should he protect them from
attack?). They had to apply wisdom and God's laws to the situation to
work it out (7-13) just like we have to provide wisdom and God's
principles if we are to be protected physically.
Esther 4:8
8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree
that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew [it] unto
Esther, and to declare [it] unto her, and to charge her that
she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto
him, and to make request before him for her people.
Esther 4:8
The first effort was an appeal to the king to stop the day of attack.
The second try was to legally resist. If this had failed, the third
effort would have been to flee, or if that had not been possible, to
illegally resist.
Esther 4:14
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time,
[then] shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the
Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house
shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to
the kingdom for [such] a time as this?
Esther 4:14
God gives us positions, abilities, resources, knowledge, etc to use for
his glory and his kingdom and his people, and we must use them for such
purposes. This is part of living in a cause/effect, reap/sow world--it
takes tools, knowledge, skills, etc to accomplish things.
(16) tells us how to do it, petitioning God for his help, doing it
according to his will, etc.
In 5:4 we learn she had it all prepared ahead of time--this is also part
of it--foreseeing the need and preparing for it.
Esther 9:3
3 And all the rulers of the provinces, and the
lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king,
helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon
them.
Esther 9:3
When those in power are on your side, it makes things so much
easier--the righteous must be in power (Mordecai), or at the very least
must be in a position to influence those who are--Mordecai and the power
of the Jews influenced the lower rulers.
Esther 9:2,5
2 The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities
throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay
hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could
withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people.
5 Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of
the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they
would unto those that hated them.
Esther 9:2,5
It wasn't pure defense--just stop aggressors from hurting them and use
only enough to defend themselves, they intended to "lay hands on them,"
likely, based on what they actually did--killed a bunch of people--to
kill them and ensure they had no future opportunities to hurt the Jews.
If they hadn't done this, they would have been to blame if some future
persecution arose.
Esther 9:12
12 And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have
slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace,
and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest
of the king's provinces? now what [is] thy petition? and it
shall be granted thee: or what [is] thy request further? and
it shall be done.
Esther 9:12
This is what the king should have done when the prophet said smite the
arrows.
Esther 9:16
16 But the other Jews that [were] in the king's provinces
gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and
had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy
and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the
prey,
Esther 9:16
It helps to have the law on your side, or failing that, it's better than
nothing to have the Constitution on your side.
Job 20:24-25,29
24 He shall flee from the iron weapon, [and] the bow of
steel shall strike him through.
25 It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the
glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors [are] upon
him.
29 This [is] the portion of a wicked man from God, and the
heritage appointed unto him by God.
Job 20:24-25,29 (add)
The portion of the wicked. Not sure how much stock we can put in this.
This is probably literal, for the most part, not sure about v25. Could
be the wicked destroy him, or the just do it. Doesn't say.
Job 21:7-15
7. Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are
mighty in power?
8 Their seed is established in their sight with them, and
their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their houses [are] safe from fear, neither [is] the rod
of God upon them.
10 Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow
calveth, and casteth not her calf.
11 They send forth their little ones like a flock, and
their children dance.
12 They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the
sound of the organ.
13 They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go
down to the grave.
14 Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we
desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
15 What [is] the Almighty, that we should serve him? and
what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?
Job 21:7-15 (add)
God set up the laws so we would all benefit from them and so we could
live by them. The children of this world are wiser than the children of
light--they understand it is necessary to understand this world and to
live in it according to the way it works--not just in fantasy
land.
Job 27:13-14
13 This [is] the portion of a wicked man with God, and the
heritage of oppressors, [which] they shall receive of the
Almighty.
14 If his children be multiplied, [it is] for the sword:
and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
Job 27:13-14 (add)
The sword is God's judgment.
Psalms 5:6
6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD
will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
Psalm 5:6
bloody, deceitful man
Psalms 7:4
4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with
me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine
enemy:)
Psalm 7:4
it is righteous to deliver those who are in trouble
Psalms 15:5
5 [He that] putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh
reward against the innocent. He that doeth these [things]
shall never be moved.
Psalm 15:5
The good person doesn't take a reward (pat on head, feel good, federal
snitch money, seizure money, etc) for harming the innocent (those who
are guilty of no wrong-doing) by turning them in (for owning guns, being
"anti-gov't," etc for disciplining children, etc)
Psalms 17:4
4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I
have kept [me from] the paths of the destroyer.
Psalm 17:4
the destroyer--another evil person
Psalms 17:13
13 Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver
my soul from the wicked, [which is] thy sword:
Psalm 17:13
the wicked is God's sword
%%%
MISC
defending ourselves, families, brethren, houses, lands, neighbors,
nation, etc is a responsibility of ours--we are worse than infidels,
Nehemiah, etc.
Psalms 12:8
8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are
exalted.
Psalm 12:8
It doesn't say when they are armed, but when they are in power, and it
doesn't say being in power is wicked, it says the wicked doing evil
things and allowing evil to flourish is wicked.
Psalms 7:16
16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his
violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.
Psalm 7:16
More of the violent man--he practices "mischief."
14 he works for iniquity, he "conceives falsehood"
11 he is called "wicked"
Psalms 9:18
18 For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the
expectation of the poor shall [not] perish for ever.
Psalm 9:18
the needy are forgotten and the hope (expectations) of the poor is not met--
God will remedy it someday, but until them it is our job to do what we
can
Psalms 10:2-14,18
2 The wicked in [his] pride doth persecute the poor: let
them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and
blesseth the covetous, [whom] the LORD abhorreth.
4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will
not seek [after God]: God [is] not in all his thoughts.
5 His ways are always grievous; thy judgments [are] far
above out of his sight: [as for] all his enemies, he puffeth
at them.
6 He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for [I
shall] never [be] in adversity.
7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under
his tongue [is] mischief and vanity.
8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the
secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are
privily set against the poor.
9 He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth
in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he
draweth him into his net.
10 He croucheth, [and] humbleth himself, that the poor may
fall by his strong ones.
11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he
hideth his face; he will never see [it].
12. Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not
the humble.
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in
his heart, Thou wilt not require [it].
14 Thou hast seen [it]; for thou beholdest mischief and
spite, to requite [it] with thy hand: the poor committeth
himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man
of the earth may no more oppress.
Psalm 10:2-14,18
unaccountable, does evil to others, has no regard for God--no where is
he defined by what he owns, nor is evil defined by objects, but by acts
of sin and harm to others, oppress, etc
Psalms 11:2
2 For, lo, the wicked bend [their] bow, they make ready
their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at
the upright in heart.
Psalm 11:2
the armed wicked
Psalms 11:5
5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him
that loveth violence his soul hateth.
Psalm 11:5
Righteousness is opposed to those who are wicked and love
violence--consider other discussions of it, compare to others in Ps
where he is armed and violent do disprove that armed and violent is
wicked.
Psalms 12:5
5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the
needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set [him] in
safety [from him that] puffeth at him.
Psalm 12:5
Because he sees oppression, he will act! Remember, sometimes he works
through us, so when he sees oppression and moves against it, it may well
be through us, as we are commanded to fight evil and oppression.
Psalms 14:4
4. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat
up my people [as] they eat bread, and call not upon the
LORD.
Psalm 14:4 (for outline)
Evil People:
workers of iniquity (eat God's people, don't call upon God
defined by what they do
punished for what they do
not the tools they do it by
Psalms 18:29
29. For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God
have I leaped over a wall.
Psalm 18:29
Those who stop at 18:2, where God is a tower, ie, defensive, miss half
the truth, God protects, and furthermore enables his people to
fight
Psalms 18:36-38
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did
not slip.
37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them:
neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise:
they are fallen under my feet.
Psalm 18:36-38
In the same--God kept his feet from slipping so he could pursue,
overtake, and destroy his enemies, more direct participation by God
helping people accomplish his will and also destroy their
enemies.
Psalms 22:4-5
4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou
didst deliver them.
5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted
in thee, and were not confounded.
Psalm 22:4-5
Combine with Heb 11--the faithful fathers--they all acted, they didn't
equate trust with doing nothing.
Psalms 18:43
43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the
people; [and] thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a
people [whom] I have not known shall serve me.
Psalm 18:43
After he pursues, overtakes, destroys the enemy, he rules over them--all
with God's help and direct participation. Not sure if this is before or
after he became king.
Psalms 20:5
5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our
God we will set up [our] banners: the LORD fulfil all thy
petitions.
Psalm 20:5
We will set up our banners (war flags) in God's name.
Banners = Battle Flags = war word
Psalms 20:7
7 Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses: but we
will remember the name of the LORD our God.
Psalm 20:7
God's warrior man reveals his trust--not in his weapons, but in God.
NEvertheless, he definitely uses his weapons.
Psalms 21:1
1. To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The king shall
joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how
greatly shall he rejoice!
Psalm 21:1 comparison
Strength and salvation are put on the same level, both are cause for
rejoicing
Psalms 26:5,6,9
5 I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will
not sit with the wicked.
6. I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass
thine altar, O LORD:
9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody
men:
Psalm 26:5,6,9
He is armed and a warrior, and yet does not lump himself with the
"wicked" or "evil doers," which would be necessary if being armed or
fighting were in any way wrong, nor is he a "bloody
man."
Psalms 27:6
6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies
round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle
sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises
unto the LORD.
Psalm 27:6
God will lift his head above his enemies and the hosts compassing him
(it doesn't say how God will do it--maybe compare to other scriptures)
and he will praise God in his tabernacle.
Psalms 28:3-5
3 Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers
of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but
mischief [is] in their hearts.
4 Give them according to their deeds, and according to the
wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of
their hands; render to them their desert.
5 Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the
operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build
them up.
Psalm 28:3-5
The wicked are those who have no regard for God, including Libertarians!
who know about freedom, the Constitution, etc.
Psalms 29:1,11
1. A Psalm of David. Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give
unto the LORD glory and strength.
11 The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD
will bless his people with peace.
Psalm 29:1,11
How do we give God strength? Maybe the same way we give him glory? Maybe
it means attribute (ascribe) to him. I think that's more like it.
Psalms 48:1-14
1. A Song [and] Psalm for the sons of Korah. Great [is] the
LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, [in]
the mountain of his holiness.
2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth,
[is] mount Zion, [on] the sides of the north, the city of
the great King.
3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge.
4 For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by
together.
5 They saw [it, and] so they marvelled; they were
troubled, [and] hasted away.
6 Fear took hold upon them there, [and] pain, as of a
woman in travail.
7 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.
8. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the
LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it
for ever. Selah.
9 We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the
midst of thy temple.
10 According to thy name, O God, so [is] thy praise unto
the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of
righteousness.
11 Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be
glad, because of thy judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the
towers thereof.
13 Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that
ye may tell [it] to the generation following.
14 For this God [is] our God for ever and ever: he will be
our guide [even] unto death.
Psalm 48:1-14
He is meditating on the beauty of the fortress Zion, describing its
different physical attributes.
12 count the towers
13 notice ("mark") this and that.
At the same time, he is praising God and comparing his attributes to
those of the fortress
--he is a refuge v3
He is also meditating on some of God's attributes:
1 Great
1 worthy of praise
2 God's city
4-5 troubler of the heathen
7 destroyer of the evil and/or enemy
9 living kindness
10 righteousness
11 righteous judgment
God is being juxtaposed with this fortress, which is a large weapon
(like a "flying fortress" or a "stratofortress:" modern ones that fly)
It cannot be against God's character to be spoken of in the same
sentence as large weapons, because that would be like comparing God to
the devil.
Psalms 29:11
11 The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD
will bless his people with peace.
Psalm 29:11
Weakness definitely does not go with peace.
Psalms 34:14
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue
it.
Psalm 34:14
This was when David was captured by Ahimelech and acted crazy. He didn't
stop his warfare, even after saying v.14, so we know seeking peace is
not the same as non-violence. Peace is the absence of activity of the
wicked, and/or a lack of the wicked.
Psalms 36:1
1. To the chief Musician, [A Psalm] of David the servant of
the LORD. The transgression of the wicked saith within my
heart, [that there is] no fear of God before his eyes.
Psalm 36:1
Another def of the wicked--those who have no fear of God.
Their acts of evil reveal their wickedness, and demonstrate they do not
fear God.
Psalms 37:12,14
12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon
him with his teeth.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent
their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, [and] to slay
such as be of upright conversation.
Psalm 37:12,14
The wicked are out to destroy the just without provocation--he must be
stopped and neutralized--the just must be able to defend himself--he is
out to use his weapons and all his wherewithal to do evil
Psalms 41:11
11 By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine
enemy doth not triumph over me.
Psalm 41:11
A nice promise to pray for those in battle
Psalms 42:9
9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me?
why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
Psalm 42:9 Compare
God is a rock fortress, like Zion (?)
Psalms 73:3-6
3 For I was envious at the foolish, [when] I saw the
prosperity of the wicked.
4 For [there are] no bands in their death: but their
strength [is] firm.
5 They [are] not in trouble [as other] men; neither are
they plagued like [other] men.
6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain;
violence covereth them [as] a garment.
Psalm 73:3-6
They are violent because their heart is evil and they prosper and fare
well
Psalms 74:10-11,19-23
10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the
enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
11 Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand?
pluck [it] out of thy bosom.
19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the
multitude [of the wicked]: forget not the congregation of
thy poor for ever.
20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of
the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor
and needy praise thy name.
22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the
foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of
those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.
Psalm 74:10-11,19-23 God works by himself
Sometimes we can do nothing but plead for God's help and mercy
Psalms 64:1-10
1. To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Hear my voice,
O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the
enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the
insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
3 Who whet their tongue like a sword, [and] bend [their
bows to shoot] their arrows, [even] bitter words:
4 That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly
do they shoot at him, and fear not.
5 They encourage themselves [in] an evil matter: they
commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see
them?
6 They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent
search: both the inward [thought] of every one [of them],
and the heart, [is] deep.
7. But God shall shoot at them [with] an arrow; suddenly
shall they be wounded.
8 So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon
themselves: all that see them shall flee away.
9 And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of
God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.
10 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall
trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.
Psalm 64:1-10
The tongues of the wicked are compared to weapons of war
they do evil deeds (defines the wicked)
God will use his weapons (God's weapons) to wound them
8 their tongues/weapons will bring them self-destruction (they will
destroy themselves with their tongues)
Psalms 68:12
12 Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at
home divided the spoil.
Psalm 68:12
God chased the enemy, either directly or through Israel (part of this is
praise to God for helping Israel leave Egypt) and the little humble
women gathered the spoil--this is a blessing from God gather the
spoil, and of course, it included military weapons.
Psalms 68:17
17 The chariots of God [are] twenty thousand, [even]
thousands of angels: the Lord [is] among them, [as in]
Sinai, in the holy [place].
Psalm 68:17
God has chariots of war--could refer to Israel's (meaning God's weapons
are our weapons, meaning our weapons are God's weapons, making them
holy, just and righteous, as long as they are used justly, righteously,
etc), or could be God's angels' chariots--more likely his angels'
chariots, although that's a guess.
Psalms 68:22-23
22. The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will
bring [my people] again from the depths of the sea:
23 That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of [thine]
enemies, [and] the tongue of thy dogs in the same.
Psalm 68:22-23 God helps in war
God will help them dip their foot in the blood of the enemy, ie, kill
them and smear it on themselves. THat's kinda gross, but he said he
would help them do it.
Psalms 68:35
35 O God, [thou art] terrible out of thy holy places: the
God of Israel [is] he that giveth strength and power unto
[his] people. Blessed [be] God.
Psalm 68:35
God-given strength and power to his people--both are good.
Psalms 61:2-3
2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my
heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock [that] is higher
than I.
3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, [and] a strong
tower from the enemy.
Psalm 61:2-3 compare
God is a shelter
Psalms 62:6-7
6 He only [is] my rock and my salvation: [he is] my
defence; I shall not be moved.
7 In God [is] my salvation and my glory: the rock of my
strength, [and] my refuge, [is] in God.
Psalm 62:6-7 compare
God is a tower (war tower), rock; remember strong holds, mountains, etc
with natural defenses are called "rock," and David hid in several rocks
when he fled from Saul.
Psalms 50:2
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
Psalm 50:2
Zion the fortress-(??)-the instrument of power, warfare, and death, is
beautiful, and God shines out of it--compare
Psalms 55:23
23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of
destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out
half their days; but I will trust in thee.
Psalm 55:23
the bloody man
Psalms 52:1-9
1. To the chief Musician, Maschil, [A Psalm] of David, when
Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him,
David is come to the house of Ahimelech. Why boastest thou
thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God
[endureth] continually.
2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor,
working deceitfully.
3 Thou lovest evil more than good; [and] lying rather than
to speak righteousness. Selah.
4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O [thou] deceitful
tongue.
5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take
thee away, and pluck thee out of [thy] dwelling place, and
root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.
6. The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh
at him:
7 Lo, [this is] the man [that] made not God his strength;
but trusted in the abundance of his riches, [and]
strengthened himself in his wickedness.
8 But I [am] like a green olive tree in the house of God:
I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done
[it]: and I will wait on thy name; for [it is] good before
thy saints.
Psalm 52
An evil mighty man, evil because of his deeds--not that any of them were
violent ones, nevertheless, he is called evil and wicked because of his
heart and for what he does--not for what he has, and his environment is
not blamed for his behavior, and that includes his parents.
Psalms 54:3
3 For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors
seek after my soul: they have not set God before them.
Selah.
Psalm 54:3
definition of oppressor--one who has not set God before them
Psalms 53:2-3
2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to
see if there were [any] that did understand, that did seek
God.
3 Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether
become filthy; [there is] none that doeth good, no, not one.
Psalm 53:2,3
Good and evil are defined by by hearts and actions, not objects--also,
this is in NT as well.
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Guns are deceitful above all and desperately wicked, who can own
them?!? Not quite!!!
Psalms 53:1
1. To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, [A Psalm]
of David. The fool hath said in his heart, [There is] no
God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity:
[there is] none that doeth good.
Psalm 53:1
The fool: another person defined by what he does: "corrupt," "iniquity,"
"no good"
Psalms 45:4-5
4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth
and meekness [and] righteousness; and thy right hand shall
teach thee terrible things.
5 Thine arrows [are] sharp in the heart of the king's
enemies; [whereby] the people fall under thee.
Psalm 45:4-5
God's Character--Godly characteristics (for us as well)
--the properness of weapons
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If this is God, he is heavily armed, and also meek--all these attributes
are together, and none of them conflict in any way:
mighty, glory, majesty (when you sing the song, you are at the same time
praising the armed strong man)
truth, meekness, righteousness, terrible things (great acts of strength
carried out with the sword), zapping the enemies in their hearts)
These characteristics do not conflict, and they are for us as
well.
Psalm 45:6-8
6. Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever and ever: the sceptre
of thy kingdom [is] a right sceptre.
7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness:
therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of
gladness above thy fellows.
8 All thy garments [smell] of myrrh, and aloes, [and]
cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made
thee glad.
Psalm 45:6-8
This is Christ. Not sure if the above (45:4-5) refers to him, but it is
a juxtaposition--Christ with heavy weapons = no contradiction of
character.
Notice all the beautiful and righteous, and good smelling and
happiness--all intermingled with the heavily armed description in
4-5.
Psalms 46:8
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he
hath made in the earth.
Psalm 46:8
This might cause a bit of a problem
Psalms 53:4
4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my
people [as] they eat bread: they have not called upon God.
Psalm 53:4
Workers of iniquity = defined and named by deeds
Psalms 55:9
9. Destroy, O Lord, [and] divide their tongues: for I have
seen violence and strife in the city.
Psalm 55:9
an evil tongue (out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth
speaketh)
Psalms 57:4
4 My soul [is] among lions: [and] I lie [even among] them
that are set on fire, [even] the sons of men, whose teeth
[are] spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
Psalm 57:4
Here is a comparison, where the evil are compared to weapons.
Psalms 58:3,6-8,10
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray
as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
6. Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the
great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
7 Let them melt away as waters [which] run continually:
[when] he bendeth [his bow to shoot] his arrows, let them be
as cut in pieces.
8 As a snail [which] melteth, let [every one of them] pass
away: [like] the untimely birth of a woman, [that] they may
not see the sun.
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the
vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the
wicked.
Psalm 58:3,6-8,10
He wants the wicked to be destroyed (not disarmed)
Psalms 59:17
17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God [is] my
defence, [and] the God of my mercy.
Psalm 59:17
Is God his strength? Almost like a personification. He calls God his
strength in other places.
Psalms 71:16
16 I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make
mention of thy righteousness, [even] of thine only.
Psalm 71:16
I will go in the strength of the LORD GOD--this is the summary of our
success in absolutely anything: Trust God, work to accomplish it.
Psalms 72:4
4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the
children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the
oppressor.
Psalm 72:4
Sometimes he will use us to do that
Psalms 76:3-7
3 There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and
the sword, and the battle. Selah.
4 Thou [art] more glorious [and] excellent than the
mountains of prey.
5 The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their
sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands.
6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and
horse are cast into a dead sleep.
7. Thou, [even] thou, [art] to be feared: and who may stand
in thy sight when once thou art angry?
Psalm 76:3-7
This is not against the weapons, but against the wicked--just like when
God is angry with his people he causes their weapons and resistance to
fail.
Psalms 78:42
42 They remembered not his hand, [nor] the day when he
delivered them from the enemy.
Psalm 78:42
or when God delivered our nation from England
Psalms 78:57
57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their
fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
Psalm 78:57 compare
A malfunctioning weapon? It doesn't shoot where you think it will? If
so, this is bad, because the good thing is to have a straight shooting
weapon that doesn't "turn aside" or deflect improperly.
Psalms 84:5,7
5 Blessed [is] the man whose strength [is] in thee; in
whose heart [are] the ways [of them].
7 They go from strength to strength, [every one of them]
in Zion appeareth before God.
Psalm 84:5,7
Strength is a gift from God
Psalm 84:8,12
8. O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of
Jacob. Selah.
12 O LORD of hosts, blessed [is] the man that trusteth in
thee.
Psalm 84:8,12
Lord of armies--probably angels, but also could be people's armies--but
need a specific reference to it.
Psalms 86:14
14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the
assemblies of violent [men] have sought after my soul; and
have not set thee before them.
Psalm 86:14 violent men--since David isn't part of them, doing violence
isn't the same as being a violent man.
Psalms 89:13-14
13 Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, [and] high
is thy right hand.
14 Justice and judgment [are] the habitation of thy
throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
Psalm 89:13-14 God's characteristics
Might, strength, justice, judgment, mercy all together are not in any
conflict.
Psalms 89:17
17 For thou [art] the glory of their strength: and in thy
favour our horn shall be exalted.
Psalm 89:17
God is the glory of our strength. Strength is also OK for people, as
well as God.
Psalms 89:19-20
19. Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and
saidst, I have laid help upon [one that is] mighty; I have
exalted [one] chosen out of the people.
20 I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I
anointed him:
Psalm 89:19-20
God helped one that is mighty--David
Psalms 89:21-24
21 With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also
shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of
wickedness afflict him.
23 And I will beat down his foes before his face, and
plague them that hate him.
24 But my faithfulness and my mercy [shall be] with him:
and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
Psalm 89:21-24
God gives strength, victory over the enemy, faithfulness, etc to a
person.
Psalms 101:1-8
1. A Psalm of David. I will sing of mercy and judgment:
unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.
2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when
wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a
perfect heart.
3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the
work of them that turn aside; [it] shall not cleave to me.
4 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a
wicked [person].
5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut
off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I
suffer.
6 Mine eyes [shall be] upon the faithful of the land, that
they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he
shall serve me.
7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house:
he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I
may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.
Psalm 101 (add) (all of it)
3. what is the "wicked thing?" check this out
3-8 he deals with evil by dealing with evildoers
8 sums up what he will do to the wicked--not that he will disarm
everyone so the wicked are disarmed, or feed them so they don't rob, he
will eliminate them from the land
%%%
Outline:
how to deal with the wicked
Psalms 103:6
6. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all
that are oppressed.
Psalm 103:6
"judgment for the oppressed"
People will take various verses where God promises help or defense or
whatever, and apply those to mean they have to do little or nothing for
their defense, but this verse is a good example of why that is
incorrect, because in other verses God commands _us_ to help and relieve
the oppressed, etc, but here it says _he_ executes righteousness and
judgment for the oppressed.
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A good way to open this section is to give excerpts of all the things
God says he will do: I will feed you, clothe you, take care of the poor,
etc, and they comment that we no longer have to feed ourselves or
whatever.
Psalms 105:3
3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice
that seek the LORD.
Psalm 105:3
This (seek his strength) could be taken several ways--pray, asking God
to do it, or pray that God would give us his strength to do it (since we
are his body, we need his strength): comparing it to several NT verses:
I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me, I think we can
safely say we can seek God's strength to do mighty deeds for him.
Psalms 105:24
24 And he increased his people greatly; and made them
stronger than their enemies.
Psalm 105:24
It is a blessing from God to be strong, and to be stronger than your
enemies.
Psalms 94:3-7,21
3 LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the
wicked triumph?
4 [How long] shall they utter [and] speak hard things?
[and] all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?
5 They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afflict
thine heritage.
6 They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the
fatherless.
7 Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the
God of Jacob regard [it].
21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the
righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.
Psalm 94:3-7,21
God's people are not exempt! Not from suffering and destruction, not
from judgment brought on by sin--after all--all suffering is caused by
someone's sin, why should it be so odd that we should be exempted from
this particular suffering?
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3 The wicked triumph! The good guys win only if they prepare, plan,
work, have enough on their side, and have God on their side.
Rahab and her family were saved, but it would have been silly to expect
God to spare the whole nation or city, because most of them were evil.
God had mercy on Rahab and counted her faith, but she suffered the loss
of everything--her home, country, friends, many relatives, etc.
You will save only yourself--as that Bible verse says though Noah,
Daniel, and Job stood before me, they would not save family or anyone
but themselves.
It may depend in part on the reap/sow principle: what has gone before us
for the last few generations: righteousness and understanding of liberty
(God and Constitution) or licentiousness, laziness, apathy, ignorance,
and acquiescence to tyranny?
Psalms 106:23
23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not
Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn
away his wrath, lest he should destroy [them].
Psalm 106:23
Part of saving our nation and fighting for and standing up for it is to
stand before God and pray and plead for mercy.
Psalms 94:20-23
20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee,
which frameth mischief by a law?
21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the
righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.
22 But the LORD is my defence; and my God [is] the rock of
my refuge.
23 And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and
shall cut them off in their own wickedness; [yea], the LORD
our God shall cut them off.
Psalm 94:20-23
The throne of iniquity--an evil ruler frames mischief by law--mischief
is evil, the evil ruler has nothing to do with God. If 21 and 22 follows
20, it could be it is speaking of evildoers in v.16, unless they are
also the same as or an example of evildoers.
They fight against the righteous--guess means the righteous have to
defend themselves, and protect the innocent from them.
We also have a right to prevail over evil when it comes from rulers...
v.23 he may use us to do it.
Psalms 95:1
1. O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful
noise to the rock of our salvation.
Psalm 95:1
rock=fortress? of my salvation--deliverance from the enemy--even if only
figurative--it compares God to a weapon.
Psalms 97:10
10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the
souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of
the wicked.
Psalm 97:10
Outline: the destruction of the innocent is evil, and we are to hate it,
and fight against it.
Psalms 118:8-14,21
8 [It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put
confidence in man.
9 [It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put
confidence in princes.
10 All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the
LORD will I destroy them.
11 They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about:
but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
12 They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as
the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will
destroy them.
13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the
LORD helped me.
14 The LORD [is] my strength and song, and is become my
salvation.
21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art
become my salvation.
Psalm 118:8-14, (add) 21
Notice how he says he "trusts" God several times, then he says _he_ will
destroy them as he destroyed Goliath--God delivered him into his hand.
Trusting God doesn't equal doing nothing.
21 Praising God and God being salvation are juxtaposed with destroying
enemies--no conflict of character, etc.
Psalms 119:81,87
81. CAPH. My soul fainteth for thy salvation: [but] I hope
in thy word.
87 They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook
not thy precepts.
Psalm 119:81, (add) 87
Even when rescuing and victory are far from evident, we should keep in
God's word
Psalms 127:3-5
3 Lo, children [are] an heritage of the LORD: [and] the
fruit of the womb [is his] reward.
4 As arrows [are] in the hand of a mighty man; so [are]
children of the youth.
5 Happy [is] the man that hath his quiver full of them:
they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the
enemies in the gate.
Psalm 127:3-5
note it is his quiver
Psalms 135:15-18
15. The idols of the heathen [are] silver and gold, the
work of men's hands.
16 They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they,
but they see not;
17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there
[any] breath in their mouths.
18 They that make them are like unto them: [so is] every
one that trusteth in them.
Psalm 135:15-18
We don't trust in or worship our weapons any more than David did
Psalms 136:17-22
17 To him which smote great kings: for his mercy
[endureth] for ever:
18 And slew famous kings: for his mercy [endureth] for
ever:
19 Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy [endureth]
for ever:
20 And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy [endureth] for
ever:
21 And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy
[endureth] for ever:
22 [Even] an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his
mercy [endureth] for ever.
Psalm 136:17-22
God did it and Israel and Joshua did it
Psalms 140:7
7 O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast
covered my head in the day of battle.
Psalm 140:7 (add)
God directly and divinely helps David fight--in this case it seems he
protects David while he engages in battle
Psalms 144:2
2 My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my
deliverer; my shield, and [he] in whom I trust; who subdueth
my people under me.
Psalm 144:2 compare and character
Psalms 144:10
10 [It is he] that giveth salvation unto kings: who
delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.
Psalm 144:10
God rescues from the sword
Psalms 144:14-15
14 [That] our oxen [may be] strong to labour; [that there
be] no breaking in, nor going out; that [there be] no
complaining in our streets.
15 Happy [is that] people, that is in such a case: [yea],
happy [is that] people, whose God [is] the LORD.
Psalm 144:14-15
When the nation loves God, these blessing will be upon you, including
low crime "breaking in"
Psalms 146:7-9
7 Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth
food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:
8 The LORD openeth [the eyes of] the blind: the LORD
raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the
righteous:
9 The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the
fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth
upside down.
Psalm 146:7-9
Remember in Isaiah he tells us to loose the oppressed and feed the
hungry (the fast that I have called) he tells us to care for the
needy--God works through us, and, sometimes, just because God says he
does something doesn't mean we are excused from it (103:6)
Proverbs 2:1-5
1. My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my
commandments with thee;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, [and] apply
thine heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, [and] liftest up
thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as
[for] hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and
find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2:1-5
Just because you are a Christian doesn't mean you will know what is the
right way to think--you must seek after it or you might chose the wrong
way of thinking about firearms or whatever.
Proverbs 3:13-18
13. Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man
[that] getteth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it [is] better than the
merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15 She [is] more precious than rubies: and all the things
thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16 Length of days [is] in her right hand; [and] in her
left hand riches and honour.
17 Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, and all her paths
[are] peace.
18 She [is] a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her:
and happy [is every one] that retaineth her.
Proverbs 3:13-18
By wisdom you can have life, peace, happiness, long life, etc--this must
be part of your warfare.
Proverbs 6:6-11
6. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be
wise:
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat in the summer, [and] gathereth her
food in the harvest.
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou
arise out of thy sleep?
10 [Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, a little
folding of the hands to sleep:
11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and
thy want as an armed man.
Proverbs 6:6-11
Be wise and prepare ahead for things to come like the ant, don't be lazy
and sleep your time away and be unprepared for difficulties to
come.
Proverbs 10:6,11,14,16
6. Blessings [are] upon the head of the just: but violence
covereth the mouth of the wicked.
11. The mouth of a righteous [man is] a well of life: but
violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
14. Wise [men] lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the
foolish [is] near destruction.
16. The labour of the righteous [tendeth] to life: the
fruit of the wicked to sin.
Proverbs 10:6,11,14,16
16 defines the wicked--they break God's law, ie, sin
Proverbs 3:31
31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his
ways.
Proverbs 3:31
Don't disarm anyone--it can be demonstrated that this is one of the ways
of the oppressor
Proverbs 4:14-17
14. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in
the way of evil [men].
15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and
their sleep is taken away, unless they cause [some] to fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the
wine of violence.
Proverbs 4:14-17
This tells the shedding of innocent blood is a terrible thing
--if we enable it to happen (by disarming the poor) we are in trouble
--if we allow it by not defending the innocent, we are in trouble
Proverbs 11:9
9. An hypocrite with [his] mouth destroyeth his neighbour:
but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.
Proverbs 11:9
If they don't have knowledge, they won't be delivered, just because they
are Christians, have faith, or whatever. We must exercise wisdom,
prepare, etc.
Proverbs 11:23
23. The desire of the righteous [is] only good: [but] the
expectation of the wicked [is] wrath.
Proverbs 11:23
Libertarians will never have liberty and peace because of their sins.
They do not understand the underlying cause of tyranny--sin and not
following God's principles.
Proverbs 11:28
28. He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the
righteous shall flourish as a branch.
Proverbs 11:28
He doesn't say riches are wrong or should be disposed of, just that if
you trust in them, you will fail, just like of you trust in your
guns.
Proverbs 12:24
24. The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the
slothful shall be under tribute.
Proverbs 12:24
The slothful will be ruled by tyrants--we must see to it that the
righteous are in power, and not be slothful about it.
Proverbs 13:4
4. The soul of the sluggard desireth, and [hath] nothing:
but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
Proverbs 13:4
Those who diligently desire security, liberty, protection, etc and work
for it.
Proverbs 16:6
6. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear
of the LORD [men] depart from evil.
Proverbs 16:6
This is another way to stop evil--spread fear of God. Also, this is a
warning that those who don't fear God (Libertarians) can't be trusted
completely because they have a tendency for evil in addition to the
tendency that God-fearing people have.
Proverbs 16:7
7. When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his
enemies to be at peace with him.
Proverbs 16:7
God's help is always the best way to win battles and lead peaceable
lives.
Proverbs 17:7
7. Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying
lips a prince.
Proverbs 17:7
rebellion is all he sees; not liberty or justice or peace; anarchists
would fit this definition, perhaps Libertarians to some degree
also
Proverbs 17:15
15. He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth
the just, even they both [are] abomination to the LORD.
Proverbs 17:15
Those who justify people like President Clinton even though he obviously
is an evil man, they are in trouble--even Christians who cannot discern
between good and evil, and are simple (ie, stupid)
Proverbs 17:19
19. He loveth transgression that loveth strife: [and] he
that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.
Proverbs 17:19
We shouldn't pick a fight just to fight, we will probably commit
transgressions eventually--our purpose should be to avoid strife as much
as possible--men are minded to suffer evils as long as they are
sufferable, but after a long train of abuses....
Proverbs 20:22
22. Say not thou, I will recompense evil; [but] wait on the
LORD, and he shall save thee.
Proverbs 20:22
This could be equally applied to criminal justice--we could let
criminals run unpunished in the streets, but from other verses, we know
that is incorrect, just like we know it is incorrect to apply this in
matters of self-defense.
Proverbs 22:22-23
22. Rob not the poor, because he [is] poor: neither oppress
the afflicted in the gate:
23 For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul
of those that spoiled them.
Proverbs 22:22-23
(comment about SNSs) In fact, that will harm them, and bring God's
judgment on you.
Proverbs 24:28
28. Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause;
and deceive [not] with thy lips.
Proverbs 24:28
Don't be a snitch for the gov't! If he spanks his children or owns funny
looking guns or has strange religious (ie, cultic) beliefs or is kinda
weird, etc.
Proverbs 27:12
12. A prudent [man] foreseeth the evil, [and] hideth
himself; [but] the simple pass on, [and] are punished.
Proverbs 27:12
There it is again.
Proverbs 27:23-24
23. Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, [and]
look well to thy herds.
24 For riches [are] not for ever: and doth the crown
[endure] to every generation?
Proverbs 27:23-24
Liberty, property, the ability to accomplish things and the materials to
accomplish it, and the window of opportunity when conditions are just
right won't be always available so you can succeed.
Proverbs 28:1
1. The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous
are bold as a lion.
Proverbs 28:1
Boldness is a righteous characteristic--and this is in the physical
realm, because it's talking in the context of someone pursuing.
Proverbs 28:2
2. For the transgression of a land many [are] the princes
thereof: but by a man of understanding [and] knowledge the
state [thereof] shall be prolonged.
Proverbs 28:2
Just because the land is full of transgressions and transgressors
doesn't mean our efforts to return our nation to righteousness and to
save it are useless--our actions can make a real difference! Our efforts
aren't useless!
However, knowledge and understanding must be applied or we could end up
being part of the problem in some areas--like Gary Bauer advocating
growth of unconstitutional federal gov't to stem certain problems such
as porn, etc.
Proverbs 28:4
4. They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as
keep the law contend with them.
Proverbs 28:4
We must keep the Constitution, and as Bastiat says in The Law, we will
contend with the wicked and their unlawful statutes, laws, etc.
All those who forsake the Constitution further the causes of the wicked
and bring about our destruction.
Proverbs 28:26
26. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso
walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
Proverbs 28:26
We must be wise, or we will not be delivered.
Proverbs 28:28
28. When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when
they perish, the righteous increase.
Proverbs 28:28
Conflict between the righteous and the wicked, and the wicked devour the
righteous.
Isaiah 1:5
5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more
and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
Isaiah 1:5
This is profoundly true even without any supernatural action--God
working to eliminate crime, etc, because following God's principles
brings good success, a peaceful land, justice, economic prosperity,
riddance of evil doers and the evil they perpetuate, righteous rulers,
etc
Isaiah 1:14-17
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul
hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear
[them].
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine
eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not
hear: your hands are full of blood.
16. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your
doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed,
judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Isaiah 1:14-17
If our nation is full of blood, and we don't stop it, or at least try to
stop it, we cannot expect God to hear us, at least as a nation, and if
we as individuals have bloody hands, and don't repent, and stop our
bloodshedding, God won't hear us either.
Isaiah 3:5
5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another,
and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave
himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against
the honourable.
Isaiah 3:5
Neighbors will oppress each other--turn each other in and narc on them
to the block watch committees. Children will turn in their parents to
school and social authorities for "abuse," etc.
Isaiah 3:5-6,11-12
5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another,
and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave
himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against
the honourable.
6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house
of his father, [saying], Thou hast clothing, be thou our
ruler, and [let] this ruin [be] under thy hand:
11 Woe unto the wicked! [it shall be] ill [with him]: for
the reward of his hands shall be given him.
12 [As for] my people, children [are] their oppressors,
and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee
cause [thee] to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
Isaiah 3:5,6,11,12
Evil fights against the good and overthrows any good rulers, then they
are replaced with evil rulers, who then oppress the people.
Isaiah 5:21-22
21 Woe unto [them that are] wise in their own eyes, and
prudent in their own sight!
22 Woe unto [them that are] mighty to drink wine, and men
of strength to mingle strong drink:
Isaiah 5:21-22
Libertarians
22 or smoke dope
Isaiah 8:9-10
9. Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be
broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries:
gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird
yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought;
speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God [is] with
us.
Isaiah 8:9-10
An "association" is a militia in one sense. Look out Libertarians and
other God-haters.
Isaiah 9:3
3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, [and] not increased the
joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest,
[and] as [men] rejoice when they divide the spoil.
Isaiah 9:3
Spoiling is common
Isaiah 9:18
18 For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the
briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the
forest, and they shall mount up [like] the lifting up of
smoke.
Isaiah 9:18
Evil destroys. The wages of sin is death.
Isaiah 10:5
5. O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in
their hand is mine indignation.
Isaiah 10:5
Evil nations are God's punishment for sin--good chance so is the likes
of Clinton: he's like an evil foreign ruler who has taken over our
nation and is now using the legal process to destroy it for his benefit
and for the benefit of his nation (hell, or perhaps the UN), and for
king who has his allegiance (the devil, or maybe himself)
Isaiah 13:5
5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven,
[even] the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to
destroy the whole land.
Isaiah 13:5
(see 10:5)
evil nations = God's punishment for a sinful nation--this is pronounced
against Babylon.
Isaiah 25:4
4 For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to
the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow
from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones [is] as a
storm [against] the wall.
Isaiah 25:4
There's nothing wrong with strength--God gives it to those he loves,
he's happy when the poor and weak become strong, meek does not equal
weak
Isaiah 25:9
9. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this [is] our God;
we have waited for him, and he will save us: this [is] the
LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in
his salvation.
Isaiah 25:9
"waiting on God" does not equal doing nothing
Isaiah 26:4
4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH
[is] everlasting strength:
Isaiah 26:4
Strength is one of God's characteristics, and it's one of them that he
gives to us.
Isaiah 26:10
10 Let favour be shewed to the wicked, [yet] will he not
learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal
unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD.
Isaiah 26:10
If the land is full of sin and evil and crime, it is because the land is
full of evil people, not because the environment is bad or there are too
many guns. However, you do have to remember that everyone is potentially
sinful, and society must discourage evil by swiftly judging evildoers,
etc.
Isaiah 27:1
1. In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong
sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even
leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon
that [is] in the sea.
Isaiah 27:1
God has the biggest sword ever! Weapons couldn't be evil, or it would be
like saying God has an idol or a porn magazine.
Isaiah 28:5
5 In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of
glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his
people,
Isaiah 28:5
5 or 6 (unsure) notice this also juxtaposes several things God will do,
and several of his characteristics, warfare and strength with crowns of
glory and beauty. These are not contradictory.
Isaiah 30:1-3,7
1. Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that
take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering,
but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:
2 That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at
my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of
Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
3 Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame,
and the trust in the shadow of Egypt [your] confusion.
7 For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose:
therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength [is]
to sit still.
Isaiah 30:1-3,7
Libertarians, beware! Godless strength not only will not help, it will
be your ruin.
Isaiah 31:6,8-9
6. Turn ye unto [him from] whom the children of Israel have
deeply revolted.
8 Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a
mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour
him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men
shall be discomfited.
9 And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and
his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD,
whose fire [is] in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 31:6,8,9
After they put away evil, then the enemy will flee.
Isaiah 32:7
7 The instruments also of the churl [are] evil: he
deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying
words, even when the needy speaketh right.
Isaiah 32:7
Those who take away the few morsels of the poor, that little which they
have that sustains their life and enables them to survive from one day
to the next, those who do this are wicked and evil, and what they do is
wicked and evil (or even if "good" people do it, it is still evil, and
they become "evildoers.") Taking away their cheap guns (SNSs, SKSs) they
defend themselves with.
Isaiah 40:29
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to [them that have]
no might he increaseth strength.
Isaiah 40:29
Power and strength are gifts from God (remember to balance with meekness
and lowliness and such as that) God's character.
Isaiah 42:24-25
24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers?
did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they
would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto
his law.
25 Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his
anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on
fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he
laid [it] not to heart.
Isaiah 42:24-25
Unfortunately, a wicked, God-forsaken will not consider the
suffering--they will turn more and more away from God (since we ceased
to give offering to the Queen of Heaven...; and, (they cursed God and
gnawed their tongues for pain, but wouldn't repent) to their evil and
sin and further away from God's principles that would help them.
Isaiah 49:2
2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the
shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished
shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
Isaiah 49:2
Remember in other another instance God uses Assyria or Babylon or some
such nation as a _tool_ or weapon or hammer to punish Israel, and then
he turns and says he will destroy his weapon for the evil it did. In
this instance, the weapon God is using is good: either it is Isaiah or
Israel.
Isaiah 54:16-17
16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals
in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his
work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;
and every tongue [that] shall rise against thee in judgment
thou shalt condemn. This [is] the heritage of the servants
of the LORD, and their righteousness [is] of me, saith the
LORD.
Isaiah 54:16-17
17 The water is able to destroy only because God allows it--the heritage
is that God protects his people
Isaiah 57:1
1. The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth [it] to
heart: and merciful men [are] taken away, none considering
that the righteous is taken away from the evil [to come].
Isaiah 57:1
Or maybe we did an unwise thing and the fruit was our untimely death,
since God allows us to reap the harvest of what we sow even though it
may not be his perfect will
Isaiah 57:13
13. When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but
the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take
[them]: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess
the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;
Isaiah 57:13
"the wind shall carry them away" --defenses without God, weapons
without his help
Isaiah 58:12
12 And [they that shall be] of thee shall build the old
waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many
generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the
breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
Isaiah 58:12
It would be wonderful if we could rebuild the Constitution and all those
old landmarks.
Isaiah 59:15
15 Yea, truth faileth; and he [that] departeth from evil
maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw [it], and it
displeased him that [there was] no judgment.
Isaiah 59:15
He is displeased no one is judging and dealing with this mess
Isaiah 60:18-22
18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting
nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy
walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.
19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for
brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD
shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy
glory.
20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon
withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting
light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
21 Thy people also [shall be] all righteous: they shall
inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the
work of my hands, that I may be glorified.
22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a
strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.
Isaiah 60:18-22
This tells us there will always be violence--and instead of trying to
eliminate it (by stupid means, once sensible means have been exhausted
and violence still exists), we should try to beat it and ensure the
innocent are defended from it.
%
Economy works best when each person works for and enjoys the benefits of
his labor--instead of someone else providing it, or sharing the
responsibility without taking personal responsibility as in a
commune--same with defense.
Isaiah 64:11-12
11 Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers
praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant
things are laid waste.
12 Wilt thou refrain thyself for these [things], O LORD?
wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?
Isaiah 64:11-12
God's work is destroyed, his servants feel abandoned.
Isaiah 65:8
8. Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the
cluster, and [one] saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing
[is] in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may
not destroy them all.
Isaiah 65:8
God will save some of his servants when destroying the land--meaning he
will destroy many of them.
Isaiah 65:11-12
11. But ye [are] they that forsake the LORD, that forget my
holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that
furnish the drink offering unto that number.
12 Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall
all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did
not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil
before mine eyes, and did choose [that] wherein I delighted
not.
Isaiah 65:11-12
The evil is not the weapons, it is the sin--the destruction is brought
on by undealt with sin, not weapons or violence.
Jeremiah 2:19-20
19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy
backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that
[it is] an evil [thing] and bitter, that thou hast forsaken
the LORD thy God, and that my fear [is] not in thee, saith
the Lord GOD of hosts.
20. For of old time I have broken thy yoke, [and] burst thy
bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon
every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest,
playing the harlot.
Jeremiah 2:19-20
God's ways and principles cause a nation to prosper--forsaking them
causes them to be destroyed.
Jeremiah 2:30
30 In vain have I smitten your children; they received no
correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like
a destroying lion.
Jeremiah 2:30
The wicked destroy the righteous--the righteous are destroyed and God
doesn't stop it.
Jeremiah 4:18
18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these [things]
unto thee; this [is] thy wickedness, because it is bitter,
because it reacheth unto thine heart.
Jeremiah 4:18
Your wickedness has brought this evil on you--it is evident from all the
evil around us that we have brought it on ourselves--no morals, no
respect for human life or property or rules, no higher purpose to live
for other then nerve endings.
Jeremiah 5:2
2 And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear
falsely.
Jeremiah 5:2
There are lots of people who talk like they love God, but they don't DO
his commands, particularly the ones in Isaiah--break bands, loose
prisoners, put away evil
Jeremiah 5:4-5
4 Therefore I said, Surely these [are] poor; they are
foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, [nor] the
judgment of their God.
5 I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto
them; for they have known the way of the LORD, [and] the
judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the
yoke, [and] burst the bonds.
Jeremiah 5:4-5
The first bunch didn't serve God, so he tried the second bunch, they
were also godless
--no one was serving the Lord: they claim his name but are full of
sin.
Jeremiah 5:10
10. Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a
full end: take away her battlements; for they [are] not the
LORD'S.
Jeremiah 5:10
God has battlements.
%%%
Judgment against our nation, not gun related:
Jer 5:15-17, 6:12, 8:10
Jeremiah 5:26-29
26 For among my people are found wicked [men]: they lay
wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch
men.
27 As a cage is full of birds, so [are] their houses full
of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.
28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the
deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of
the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy
do they not judge.
29 Shall I not visit for these [things]? saith the LORD:
shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Jeremiah 5:26-29
The wicked are at ease (apparently, so are the righteous, when they
should not be, or else there aren't any righteous), no one is resisting
or fighting or stopping them from profiting from the destruction of the
innocent and helpless
Jeremiah 6:11-12
11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary
with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children
abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for
even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with
[him that is] full of days.
12 And their houses shall be turned unto others, [with
their] fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my
hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 6:11-12
Everyone will be hit by this judgment, and so it is doubly imperative
for us to act to stop evil,
1. to stop it from presently destroying the innocent,
2. and to keep it from further growing and strengthening itself to do
yet more harm, and,
3. To hold back God's judgment, which will bring even more destruction
to the innocent, our children, etc.
Jeremiah 7:17-18
17 Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and
in the streets of Jerusalem?
18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the
fire, and the women knead [their] dough, to make cakes to
the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto
other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
Jeremiah 7:17-18
Each person plays a part in the evil of society, and each one
participated--all are guilty. The medical companies sell the abortion
equipment, IBM sells them copy machines, locksmiths unjam their doors,
police remove the rescuers, the courts hang them out to dry, jails hold
them, the phone company prints their ads and gives them phone service,
the repairmen fix the lines, etc.
Jeremiah 7:5-7,9
5 For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if
ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his
neighbour;
6 [If] ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and
the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place,
neither walk after other gods to your hurt:
7 Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the
land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.
9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear
falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other
gods whom ye know not;
10 And come and stand before me in this house, which is
called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these
abominations?
Jeremiah 7:5-7,9
Christians have to overcome the notion that all we have to do is pray or
witness and go to church and do religious deeds, and then that's good
enough to be counted as one of the 10 righteous who will keep the city
from being destroyed, and that's standing in the gap. We must learn that
only if we put away evil will God spare our nation. If we do the best we
can but fail, he might have mercy on our nation for our sake, but there
were plenty of times when he didn't (as in when he said, though Noah,
Daniel and Job stood up for the nation, they would not prevail, but save
only themselves)--he destroyed Israel and Judah many times in spite of
the Godly who were doing all they could to turn their nation. Even if
God's hand doesn't divinely destroy us, the reaping of all the evil that
has been sowed and that we have not stopped and that has come about
because of the leaders we elected or who we allowed to be elected will
bear fruit and will destroy us and our nation, as it has many other
contemporary nations where Christians are tortured, persecuted, and
destroyed, and God doesn't rescue them, because we are his hands, which
are supposed to do the rescuing. Maybe God will allow us to be like all
the babies we have allowed to be murdered. Hey, God might answer, I'll
have someone write a letter to their congressman, or pray for you once or
twice a month; meanwhile you can suffer, bleed, and die, just like the
35 million plus who you treated exactly the same way.
%%%
10 lots of religious deeds, but God is furious with
them, because they are full of evil, and don't do the fast
that God has called them to.
Jeremiah 13:15-17
15 Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath
spoken.
16 Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause
darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark
mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the
shadow of death, [and] make [it] gross darkness.
17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in
secret places for [your] pride; and mine eye shall weep
sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is
carried away captive.
Jeremiah 13:15-17
Sometimes, after having done all we can, and having failed because of
the hardness of their hearts, all we can do is watch the destruction and
weep, for them and us as well.
Jeremiah 7:30
30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight,
saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the
house which is called by my name, to pollute it.
Jer 7:30 demons in the temple
Jeremiah 16:3-4
3 For thus saith the LORD concerning the sons and
concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and
concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning
their fathers that begat them in this land;
4 They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be
lamented; neither shall they be buried; [but] they shall be
as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be
consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases
shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of
the earth.
Jeremiah 16:3-4
The innocent will be destroyed and God will not stop it--this is brought
on by sin.
Jeremiah 17:7
7 Blessed [is] the man that trusteth in the LORD, and
whose hope the LORD is.
Jeremiah 17:7
One sows, another waters, but God gives the increase--since we trust God
we don't fail to use the arm to work, because _that_ would be lack of
faith; work demonstrates faith (see James).
Jeremiah 19:3-4,7,9
3 And say, Hear ye the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah,
and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith the LORD of hosts,
the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this
place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle.
4 Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this
place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom
neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of
Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of
innocents;
7 And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem
in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword
before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek
their lives: and their carcases will I give to be meat for
the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
9 And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and
the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one
the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness,
wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives,
shall straiten them.
Jeremiah 19:3-4,7,9
9 Incredible anguish and suffering because of v.4
Jeremiah 22:3-5
3 Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and
righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of
the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the
stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed
innocent blood in this place.
4 For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter
in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne
of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his
servants, and his people.
5 But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself,
saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.
Jeremiah 22:3-5
It isn't enough just to do no evil
Jeremiah 22:7
7 And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one
with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars,
and cast [them] into the fire.
Jeremiah 22:7
If the destroyers are from God and are destroying, and you try to stop
them by disarming everyone, all you will succeed in doing is disarming
everyone but the destroyers, and therefore, render everyone even more
defenseless, and thereby you will be guilty of even more innocent blood.
Then again, remember about resisting God's judgment.
Jeremiah 23:14,17
14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an
horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they
strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth
return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as
Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath
said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that
walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil
shall come upon you.
Jeremiah 23:14 Gun control.
They strengthen the hand of evil doers--enabling them to do evil and
harm good people, making it harder for the good to resist them.
There are 2 ways to enable the evil to harm the innocent: you could help
the evil ones by augmenting their numbers, improving their strategy,
fine tuning their weapons, or you could weaken the ones they seek to
harm by demoralizing them, making them sick, focusing their minds on
things that tend to take them away from the conflict, damaging or taking
away their weapons. Some of this weakening of the good is described in
Thomas Schuman's _Love Letter to America._
%
Definition of the enemy: he who strengthens the evil (or conversely, who
weakens (ie, disarms) the good).
17 If it's up to God, he's pretty sorry, at least from our earthly
perspective, because it doesn't look like he does much (when in reality,
we know he is the one who "now lets," or holds back the devil and sin).
These people must have a pretty dim view of God, first, because their
understanding of why there is evil is shallow, and secondly, because
they expect God to do continuously and in every instance what he refuses
to do: make the world a perfect place, right every wrong, etc; third,
they have a poor understanding of sin and what it has done to earthly
life, how it has corrupted and destroyed everything; and fourth, they do
not understand that in spite of all the evil, God is still powerful and
loving enough to go with us through the very worst that can be, which is
much harder than just taking us out of it. No matter what the devil
throws at weak and ignorant us, God is able to work through us, even
through our utter failure and sinfulness, to be glorified and to take us
to heaven, no thanks to our righteousness. When we totally screw up and
ruin everything, that just shows what sorry, good-for-nothing wretches
we are, who are not only worthless to God, we are actually a major
detriment, and yet, through all this he can still be glorified.
Jeremiah 26:14
14 As for me, behold, I [am] in your hand: do with me as
seemeth good and meet unto you.
Jeremiah 26:14
This is how God can be just in wiping out the just--they stood by while
the innocent were being destroyed, making them guilty as well
Jeremiah 27:7
7 And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his
son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then
many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.
Jeremiah 27:7
This is an interesting verse. He told them to submit and not fight this
evil king--or they would die. Of course, this was because of their sins.
Nevertheless, perhaps a sinful nation doesn't always have the choice to
live free or die. Some might take this to mean that, since our nation is
evil, we may not resist the evil, or we will die, because God's will is
for us to suffer under tyranny. However, no proof exists that this is
the case, any more than it was in 1776 America. God isn't giving us any
specific instructions other than the principles in his Word, which make
it paramount for us to defend the innocent, keep the evil out of power,
and "put away the evil." If God has some thoughts that we need to be
slaves, he can tell us when we die fighting and go to see him. Liberty
or death is a Christian motto. (See Jer 35:5-14,19)
Jeremiah 35:5-14,19
5 And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites
pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye
wine.
6 But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the
son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall
drink no wine, [neither ye], nor your sons for ever:
7 Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant
vineyard, nor have [any]: but all your days ye shall dwell
in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye
[be] strangers.
8 Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of
Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink
no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our
daughters;
9 Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we
vineyard, nor field, nor seed:
10 But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done
according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
11 But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar king of
Babylon came up into the land, that we said, Come, and let
us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans,
and for fear of the army of the Syrians: so we dwell at
Jerusalem.
12. Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,
13 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and
tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will
ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the
LORD.
14 The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he
commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for
unto this day they drink none, but obey their father's
commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising
early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me.
19 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to
stand before me for ever.
Jeremiah 35:5-14,19
God's Word is our highest law
Obeying the law, obeying our spiritual leaders and those in authority
over us
Commended and blessed forever for following what their father had
commanded (as in, our forefathers, the founding fathers of our nation,
commanded us) over what the prophet of God commanded, and God commended
them, how much more should we follow God's word over the words of anyone
else. This is especially true in the case of Jer 27:7, where someone
might say, God told them or gave them some word that we must be slaves.
Sorry, God's word says otherwise, and you can take your words and have
them to yourself.
Jeremiah 36:9
9. And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the
son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, [that] they
proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in
Jerusalem, and to all the people that came from the cities
of Judah unto Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 36:9
Faith without works is dead.
They were religious and did religious deeds for God, but they were evil
(Jer 36:3,7), and they disobeyed and disrespected God's word ((36:22-26)
and they didn't do the fast that God has called.
Jeremiah 37:21
21 Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should
commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they
should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers'
street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus
Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
Jeremiah 37:21
The innocent are destroyed.
Not only was Jeremiah innocent, he was doing all he could to turn around
his nation--and still he suffered like the rest of them. God gave him no
special deliverance--only the grace to go through it, like he gave all
the young men who followed him (in Lamentations last chapter) the grace
to be slaughtered and the women the grace to be gang raped and
murdered.
Jeremiah 41:5,7
5 That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and
from Samaria, [even] fourscore men, having their beards
shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves,
with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring [them] to
the house of the LORD.
7 And it was [so], when they came into the midst of the
city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, [and cast
them] into the midst of the pit, he, and the men that [were]
with him.
Jeremiah 41:5,7
God didn't protect them--they should have been armed and alert.
Jeremiah 46:4
4 Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand
forth with [your] helmets; furbish the spears, [and] put on
the brigandines.
Jeremiah 46:4
brigandine--war word--weapon
Jeremiah 48:7,26,42
7 For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy
treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go
forth into captivity [with] his priests and his princes
together.
26 Make ye him drunken: for he magnified [himself] against
the LORD: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also
shall be in derision.
42 And Moab shall be destroyed from [being] a people,
because he hath magnified [himself] against the LORD.
Jeremiah 48:7,26,42
7 Trusting in our works and treasures (including weapons) instead of God.
26 Magnify self against God--like those who hate him and say they don't
need him.
42 No longer a people--like the USA?
Jeremiah 50:7
7 All that found them have devoured them: and their
adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned
against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD,
the hope of their fathers.
Jeremiah 50:7
It is wrong to do evil even against those who have sinned (condemned
murderers, etc), like stealing, etc. Such as those who think that when
the big R hits they can do whatever evil they want because those they do
it to are evil.
Jeremiah 50:11
11 Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye
destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the
heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls;
Jeremiah 50:11
God's Judgment:
it's always possible that God could use us to punish the evil rulers,
etc who destroy his heritage.
Jeremiah 50:25
25 The LORD hath opened his armoury, and hath brought
forth the weapons of his indignation: for this [is] the work
of the Lord GOD of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.
Jeremiah 50:25
God sent God-hating heathen to punish Israel, like we have God-haters
destroying our nation) then he had mercy on Israel and destroyed and
punished the God-haters, unfortunately for us, he also destroyed the
ungodly nations they came from. Hopefully God will see us as Israel
instead of Babylon, and remove the wicked instead of the whole
nation.
Jeremiah 51:30
30 The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight, they
have remained in [their] holds: their might hath failed;
they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces;
her bars are broken.
Jeremiah 51:30
Mighty men--war word.
Mighty once doesn't mean mighty always.
Jeremiah 51:45
45 My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver
ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD.
Jeremiah 51:45
God's Judgment.
Otherwise, you will be destroyed with them, because God will wipe out
the righteous with the wicked--he made the righteous a way of escape
(self-defense, militias, the obligation to defend the helpless, the
opportunity to be in power, the responsibility to preach the gospel and
transmit it to their children, etc), but they refused to take it.
Jeremiah 51:53
53 Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though
she should fortify the height of her strength, [yet] from me
shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 51:53
That includes the invincible US military against the people, but it also
includes the militias if they should be evil, and our nation against
foreign nations.
Lamentations 1:1
1. How doth the city sit solitary, [that was] full of
people! [how] is she become as a widow! she [that was] great
among the nations, [and] princess among the provinces, [how]
is she become tributary!
Lamentations 1:1
It is a greatly woeful event when a nation becomes a tributary and a
payer of tribute--same for individuals. We are slaves to our
gov't.
Lamentations 2:4
4 He hath bent his bow like an enemy: he stood with his
right hand as an adversary, and slew all [that were]
pleasant to the eye in the tabernacle of the daughter of
Zion: he poured out his fury like fire.
Lamentations 2:4
God's weapon
Lamentations 2:22
22 Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round
about, so that in the day of the LORD'S anger none escaped
nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath
mine enemy consumed.
Lamentations 2:22
none escaped, none remained
%%%
For the Outline
God's rescuing:
--sometimes he spares the nation for the righteous sake
--sometimes there are 10 righteous that spare the city
--sometimes the righteous escape and everyone else is wiped out
--sometimes the pen and inkhorn guy marks the righteous and slaughters
everyone else
--sometimes the lives of the righteous are a prey for them--captivity
--sometimes they are killed like everyone else
--sometimes the devil is in control and all the righteous are killed,
tortured, stripped of everything, and God does not rescue them. He is
with them through it, but he does not take them out of it.(Lamentations,
Heb 11:35-38). This is where 99.99% of all Christians are today,
including American Christians. It's just a matter of time before
conditions digress to the point where we Christians will reap the bitter
harvest of our wickedness, and that of the rest of our nation's
wickedness.
--How can we (Christians) be righteous: we stand by while millions of
babies are murdered each year, we don't know or follow God's word, we
don't pass the fear of the Lord to our children, we are more controlled
by the world than by God's word, we vote for or allow evil politicians
to be in power, we have no understanding of the world or the times or
what we should do (mostly because we substitute the ideas of men for the
word of God, because we don't read it). Further, those Christians, like
Gary Bauer, who are fighting hard, don't understand our Constitution,
and they are pushing for things that in the long run will bring even
more destruction to our nation.
--sometimes God spares the lives of only those who are righteous--Noah,
Daniel, and Job
--sometimes a combination, such as happened to Lot and his wicked family
and 1 evil city.
Lamentations 4:13-14
13. For the sins of her prophets, [and] the iniquities of
her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the
midst of her,
14 They have wandered [as] blind [men] in the streets,
they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could
not touch their garments.
Lamentations 4:13,14 (add 14)
No one stopped it, no one stood in the gap, no one defended the
innocent, or perhaps, as in this country, not enough stood, etc. This is
reason enough to take up an energetic campaign to defend the
innocent--because it (destruction of the innocent blood) is one of the
main reasons for all the destructions. Of course, one of the best ways
to defend the innocent is to enable to defend themselves. Giving them
police protection is like giving them a fish--you'll have to give
another one the next day, if there are any fish at all. Better to teach
a man to fish, and let him own a pole and hook (it's like a communist
economy, controlled from the top by a few know-it-alls, verses a
capitalist economy, where each person works out what's best for himself
and his family), and you will have to feed him for a lifetime,
additionally, you won't have all the responsibility if he is
hungry--since he can provide for himself. Society currently is
responsible for many crimes, because they don't allow people to provide
for themselves.
Also, since we the people elected those idiots who made the disarming
laws, we are equally guilty and our hands run with blood.
14 blood: same as above in 4:13
Ezekiel 7:14
14 They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready;
but none goeth to the battle: for my wrath [is] upon all the
multitude thereof.
Ezekiel 7:14
Being unable to muster a defense against the enemy is a judgment--as in
being unable to prosecute Clinton for all his crimes, the Congress being
unable to resist his evil (mostly because they are just as bad), and us
being unable to resist his attacks against us.
Ezekiel 7:23
23. Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes,
and the city is full of violence.
Ezekiel 7:23
Chain = servitude, captivity, slavery--as to the feds and other gov't
that bind and control us and our substance and our families.
Ezekiel 9:4-6
4 And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the
city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon
the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the
abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
5. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after
him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare,
neither have ye pity:
6 Slay utterly old [and] young, both maids, and little
children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom
[is] the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at
the ancient men which [were] before the house.
Ezekiel 9:4-6
Even the innocent (children) were not spared--only the most
righteous.
Ezekiel 12:22-28
22 Son of man, what [is] that proverb [that] ye have in
the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and
every vision faileth?
23 Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will
make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as
a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at
hand, and the effect of every vision.
24 For there shall be no more any vain vision nor
flattering divination within the house of Israel.
25 For I [am] the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I
shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more
prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say
the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.
26 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
27 Son of man, behold, [they of] the house of Israel say,
The vision that he seeth [is] for many days [to come], and
he prophesieth of the times [that are] far off.
28 Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There
shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word
which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 12:22-28
People today think they will escape every calamity and trouble because
the rapture will very soon take them out of everything. Likewise, the
Jews thought they would escape because the prophecy was a very far away
long time in coming. Both are wrong. Neither did or will avoid calamity.
They distance themselves from trouble by whatever means is at
hand.
Ezekiel 16:27
27 Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over
thee, and have diminished thine ordinary [food], and
delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the
daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thy lewd
way.
Ezekiel 16:27
We are delivered into the hands of those who hate our heritage, our
Constitution, our rights, our religion, our society, our economy, our
military, our history, etc. How much plainer does it need to
be??
Ezekiel 18:30
30. Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every
one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and
turn [yourselves] from all your transgressions; so iniquity
shall not be your ruin.
Ezekiel 18:30
"iniquity" destroys a nation, turning and undoing it saves the
nation.
Ezekiel 22:26
26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned
mine holy things: they have put no difference between the
holy and profane, neither have they shewed [difference]
between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes
from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
Ezekiel 22:26
Outline: Those who put no difference between good and evil harbor God's
vehement anger.
Ezekiel 22:4
4 Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed;
and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast
made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art
come [even] unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a
reproach unto the heathen, and a mocking to all countries.
Ezekiel 22:4
Bloodshed is closely associated with idolatry here, whatever takes God's
place--convenience, drugs, power, religion, tolerance, etc.
Ezekiel 24:6-9
6 Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody
city, to the pot whose scum [is] therein, and whose scum is
not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot
fall upon it.
7 For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon
the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to
cover it with dust;
8 That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I
have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should
not be covered.
9 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody
city! I will even make the pile for fire great.
Ezekiel 24:6-9
Innocent blood brings wrath--or is this the blood of a sacrifice that
isn't poured into the dust.
Ezekiel 31:12
12 And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut
him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all
the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are
broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of
the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.
Ezekiel 31:12
The mighty wicked--Clinton, the feds, the other levels, have driven us
away from our heritage and our liberty.
Ezekiel 32:10
10 Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their
kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, when I shall
brandish my sword before them; and they shall tremble at
[every] moment, every man for his own life, in the day of
thy fall.
Ezekiel 32:10
God's sword.
Ezekiel 33:25
25 Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye
eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols,
and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?
Ezekiel 33:25
YE SHED BLOOD, AND SHALL YE HAVE LIBERTY?!?
Repent from evil.
Ezekiel 36:18
18 Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that
they had shed upon the land, and for their idols [wherewith]
they had polluted it:
Ezekiel 36:18
bloodshed (of the innocent) is very evil and brings judgment
Ezekiel 37:10
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came
into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an
exceeding great army.
Ezekiel 37:10
God used Ezekiel to do things--like he uses us to do things
Daniel 6:20-23
20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable
voice unto Daniel: [and] the king spake and said to Daniel,
O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou
servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions'
mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him
innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king,
have I done no hurt.
23 Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded
that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel
was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found
upon him, because he believed in his God.
Daniel 6:20-23
One of the few times when a person was spared natural consequences
because he was innocent, probably because God had larger plans for
him.
Daniel 11:32-35
32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he
corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God
shall be strong, and do [exploits].
33 And they that understand among the people shall
instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by
flame, by captivity, and by spoil, [many] days.
34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a
little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.
35 And [some] of them of understanding shall fall, to try
them, and to purge, and to make [them] white, [even] to the
time of the end: because [it is] yet for a time appointed.
Daniel 11:32-35
who will fall? God's people? The instructors?
If God's people will fall, then it is no disgrace to die of
fighting--and just because God helps you doesn't mean you will succeed,
as indicated by v. 34-35. He might help you to suffer and die
gracefully.
Hosea 4:1-3,6,14
1. Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for
the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the
land, because [there is] no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge
of God in the land.
2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and
committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth
blood.
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that
dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the
field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the
sea also shall be taken away.
6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because
thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that
thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten
the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit
whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for
themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice
with harlots: therefore the people [that] doth not
understand shall fall.
Hosea 4:1-3,6,14 (add 3,6,14)
Notice the basic problems: they forgot God, which leads to sins, which
causes blood to flow, and then verse 3 happens--the land languishes,
then v.6 describes what's happened and the results.
v.6-7 immorality and drunkenness (stoned) are a big part of leading from
God--this is a big part of leading from God--this is a big problem with
those who reject god but want freedom (Libertarians): their sins
inevitably lead them away from freedom and into destruction.
v. 14 the people that don't understand shall fall
Hosea 8:4
4 They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made
princes, and I knew [it] not: of their silver and their gold
have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.
Hosea 8:4
Don't have a cow when destruction reigns in America, we have committed
the evil ("made them idols"), the resulting destruction will follow
("be cut off").
Hosea 8:13
13 They sacrifice flesh [for] the sacrifices of mine
offerings, and eat [it; but] the LORD accepteth them not;
now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins:
they shall return to Egypt.
Hosea 8:13
Religious deeds--they sacrifice so they can eat the meat--maybe kinda
like those who give money to get more?
Hosea 10:1-2
1. Israel [is] an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto
himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath
increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land
they have made goodly images.
2 Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty:
he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their
images.
Hosea 10:1-2
Suggests the temples are pagan.
Hosea 9:15
15 All their wickedness [is] in Gilgal: for there I hated
them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them
out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their
princes [are] revolters.
Hosea 9:15
Religious deeds.
Apparently they still attended God's house even though they were full of
wickedness. Maybe even they considered themselves to be serving
God.
Hosea 10:13
13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye
have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in
thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
Hosea 10:13 (add v.14)
Look out Libertarians.
Joel 3:10
10 oops
Joel 3:10 (add 9,11-13)
Fighting and preparing against God is suicide.
Amos 2:12-16
12 But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded
the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
13 Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed
[that is] full of sheaves.
14 Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and
the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the
mighty deliver himself:
15 Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and [he
that is] swift of foot shall not deliver [himself]: neither
shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.
16 And [he that is] courageous among the mighty shall flee
away naked in that day, saith the LORD.
Amos 2:12-16
If you rebel against him, don't expect the Big R to succeed,
Libertarians.
Amos 3:9-10
9. Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in
the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the
mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the
midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.
10 For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who
store up violence and robbery in their palaces.
Amos 3:9-10
Violence, oppression, and tumult are in the cities of those who have
forsaken God and don't know to do right--has nothing to do with
weapons.
Amos 5:14
14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the
LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have
spoken.
Amos 5:14
God of hosts: armies
Amos 6:1,3,5
1. Woe to them [that are] at ease in Zion, and trust in the
mountain of Samaria, [which are] named chief of the nations,
to whom the house of Israel came!
3 Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of
violence to come near;
5 That chant to the sound of the viol, [and] invent to
themselves instruments of musick, like David;
Amos 6:1,3,5 (add 7)
5-7 Like Christians who are so caught up in church and religious
activities but don't help those who need it.
Micah 2:1-2
1. Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon
their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it,
because it is in the power of their hand.
2 And they covet fields, and take [them] by violence; and
houses, and take [them] away: so they oppress a man and his
house, even a man and his heritage.
Micah 2:1-2
Good description of the greens and those who take our heritage of
liberty, especially those in gov't stealing and regulating away our land
and wealth.
--these are evil people.
--definition of evil.
-defines the evil.
Micah 2:9-10
9 The women of my people have ye cast out from their
pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my
glory for ever.
10 Arise ye, and depart; for this [is] not [your] rest:
because it is polluted, it shall destroy [you], even with a
sore destruction.
Micah 2:9,10
Steal the children's hearts from God, make them secular humanists, etc.
--take women's houses
10 the consequences of this is destruction of the nation and the
people
Micah 3:9-10
9 Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob,
and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and
pervert all equity.
10 They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with
iniquity.
Micah 3:9-10
Defines evil rulers (people): build with blood and iniquity
Jonah--God uses a man to proclaim his message and cause the people to
repent--God uses people.
Jonah 3:8
8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry
mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his
evil way, and from the violence that [is] in their hands.
Jonah 3:8
Repented of violence.
Nahum--defeat of Nineveh in battle--some interesting scenes of battle
and defeat.
Zechariah 1:14-15
14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry
thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for
Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen [that
are] at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they
helped forward the affliction.
Zechariah 1:14-15
They forwarded the affliction--had a hand in harming Israel, like
Obadiah 1:10-15
%%%
misc
"servants obey your masters"
"he beareth not the sword in vain"
We the people are the gov't, we bear the sword to punish evil-doer
servants (gov't is the servant) to punish wickedness, and gov't is to
submit to every ordinance of the Constitution, else they are evil doers
and we may have to bear the sword to punish evil and set it
right.
Zechariah 7:5-14
5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the
priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and
seventh [month], even those seventy years, did ye at all
fast unto me, [even] to me?
6 And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye
eat [for yourselves], and drink [for yourselves]?
7 [Should ye] not [hear] the words which the LORD hath
cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited
and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her,
when [men] inhabited the south and the plain?
8. And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,
9 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true
judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his
brother:
10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the
stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil
against his brother in your heart.
11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the
shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
12 Yea, they made their hearts [as] an adamant stone, lest
they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of
hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets:
therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.
13 Therefore it is come to pass, [that] as he cried, and
they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear,
saith the LORD of hosts:
14 But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the
nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after
them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid
the pleasant land desolate.
Zechariah 7:5-14
They were doing all sorts of religious deeds (5) fasting and mourning,
ie, religious duties, (6) eating (for feast days, etc, the religiously
required feasting??), but they didn't do it unto God (5,6) and they
didn't rescue the helpers and help the hurting and do justice (9,10).
They refused to help and rescue (11, 12) and therefore God wiped them
out (12-14).
Refusing to help the helpless is great wickedness, it is a definition of
wickedness, and it brings destruction against a nation.
Zechariah 8:13
13 And it shall come to pass, [that] as ye were a curse
among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so
will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, [but]
let your hands be strong.
Zechariah 8:13
God works.
God is going to rescue them, but their hands still have to be
strong.
Zechariah 11:6
6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land,
saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one
into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his king:
and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will
not deliver [them].
Zechariah 11:6
Waco, etc
Malachi 1:6-10
6. A son honoureth [his] father, and a servant his master:
if then I [be] a father, where [is] mine honour? and if I
[be] a master, where [is] my fear? saith the LORD of hosts
unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say,
Wherein have we despised thy name?
7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say,
Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of
the LORD [is] contemptible.
8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, [is it] not
evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, [is it] not evil?
offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with
thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.
9 And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be
gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he
regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.
10 Who [is there] even among you that would shut the doors
[for nought]? neither do ye kindle [fire] on mine altar for
nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts,
neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
Malachi 1:6-10
Religious service and deeds that are meaningless.
Matthew 15:1-9
1. Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of
Jerusalem, saying,
2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the
elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also
transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother:
and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the
death.
5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to [his] father or [his]
mother, [It is] a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be
profited by me;
6 And honour not his father or his mother, [he shall be
free]. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none
effect by your tradition.
7 [Ye] hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you,
saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and
honoureth me with [their] lips; but their heart is far from
me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching [for] doctrines
the commandments of men.
Matthew 15:1-9
Very meticulous religious service, but not serving God
Acts 6:1-6
1. And in those days, when the number of the disciples was
multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against
the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the
daily ministration.
2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples
[unto them], and said, It is not reason that we should leave
the word of God, and serve tables.
3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of
honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we
may appoint over this business.
4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to
the ministry of the word.
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they
chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost,
and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and
Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had
prayed, they laid [their] hands on them.
Acts 6:1-6
Physical World.
Apparently not everyone is supposed to do nothing but preach the gospel.
Apparently, meeting the physical needs ("serve tables") is equally valid
and godly for Christians to pursue.
%
This is one more example that we live in a physical world and must play
by the rules the same as everyone else, and we cannot ignore the
physical laws God has set up.
Acts 9:26-27
26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join
himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him,
and believed not that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him, and brought [him] to the
apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in
the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had
preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
Acts 9:26-27
Implies the apostles avoided or hid from Saul, and Barnabus had to bring
him to them--low level resistance--hiding and avoiding.
Acts 12:6-11,19
6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same
night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with
two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon [him], and
a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the
side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his
chains fell off from [his] hands.
8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on
thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy
garment about thee, and follow me.
9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it
was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a
vision.
10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they
came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which
opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and
passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel
departed from him.
11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know
of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath
delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and [from] all the
expectation of the people of the Jews.
19 And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not,
he examined the keepers, and commanded that [they] should be
put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and
[there] abode.
Acts 12:6-11,19
God supernaturally helped Peter escape--ie, resist evil, and it didn't
even matter that the keepers were killed. God didn't bother to protect
them, perhaps because they were doing evil in holding him? or because
they were having a hand in stopping the gospel, and so whatever it took
to continue the gospel was acceptable? There is another instance with
Paul and Silas where they did care for the jailer's life.
Acts 18
1. After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came
to Corinth;
2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus,
lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because
that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:)
and came unto them.
3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with
them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were
tentmakers.
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and
persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia,
Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews
[that] Jesus [was] Christ.
6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he
shook [his] raiment, and said unto them, Your blood [be]
upon your own heads; I [am] clean: from henceforth I will go
unto the Gentiles.
7. And he departed thence, and entered into a certain
[man's] house, named Justus, [one] that worshipped God,
whose house joined hard to the synagogue.
8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed
on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians
hearing believed, and were baptized.
9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be
not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:
10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to
hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.
11 And he continued [there] a year and six months,
teaching the word of God among them.
12. And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made
insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him
to the judgment seat,
13 Saying, This [fellow] persuadeth men to worship God
contrary to the law.
14 And when Paul was now about to open [his] mouth, Gallio
said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked
lewdness, O [ye] Jews, reason would that I should bear with
you:
15 But if it be a question of words and names, and [of]
your law, look ye [to it]; for I will be no judge of such
[matters].
16 And he drave them from the judgment seat.
17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of
the synagogue, and beat [him] before the judgment seat. And
Gallio cared for none of those things.
18. And Paul [after this] tarried [there] yet a good while,
and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence
into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn
[his] head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.
19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he
himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the
Jews.
20 When they desired [him] to tarry longer time with them,
he consented not;
21 But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means
keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return
again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.
22 And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and
saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.
23 And after he had spent some time [there], he departed,
and went over [all] the country of Galatia and Phrygia in
order, strengthening all the disciples.
24. And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an
eloquent man, [and] mighty in the scriptures, came to
Ephesus.
25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and
being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently
the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom
when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto
[them], and expounded unto him the way of God more
perfectly.
27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the
brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who,
when he was come, helped them much which had believed
through grace:
28 For he mightily convinced the Jews, [and that]
publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was
Christ.
Acts 18
No one will do you hurt--not that they didn't beat and stone and whip
him (actually, I'm not sure if they did here or not)
I have much people in this city--ie, I have a task for you and will
protect you enough to finish the task, but not from every little
hurt.
2 Timothy 3:15-17
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy
scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and
[is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished
unto all good works.
2 Timothy 3:15-17
Scripture, ie, the OT, is profitable for (1) DOCTRINE! reproof, and
correction (because it instructs us what to do and what not to do)
Instruction in righteousness--how we must be righteous!
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(c) November 4, 1995; May 31, 1996; January 1999 David C. Treibs. All rights reserved.
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