Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.
You can blame this one on my brother, who gave me the idea.
Throughout the Bible, and especially the Old Testament, the image of God as a warrior king is prevalent. In fact, one of the most common "the God who" phrases in the Bible is the God who will fight for His people, just as we studied last time. Over and over, He fights for His people: Deut. 1:30; 3:22; 20:4; Joshua 23:3,10; 2 Chron. 32:7-8, and Nehemiah 4:20 are just some examples. But why does God fight for His people? It is because of the covenant relationship He has with His people. God makes promises to protect and care for His people and His people promise to obey His commands. Ex. 24:7 "All that Jehovah has spoken we will do." This leads to the Blessings and Cursings of the Law. To oversimplify, if the people obey God, He will fight for them:
Deut. 28:7 "Jehovah will cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thee: they shall come out against thee one way, and shall flee before thee seven ways."
But if the people disobey God, He will fight against them:
Deut. 28:25 "Jehovah will cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies; thou shalt go out one way against them, and shalt flee seven ways before them: and thou shalt be tossed to and from among all the kingdoms of the earth."
This concept is seen most clearly in the Exile of the people from the Promised Land to Babylon. Jeremiah clearly saw what was taking place:
Jer. 21:4-5 "Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel . . . I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation."
This is repeated in Lamentations:
Lam 1:15 "The Lord hath set at nought all my mighty men in the midst of me; He hath called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men: The Lord hath trodden as in a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah."
Lam 2:5 "The Lord is become as an enemy, he hath swallowed up Israel"
In the Exodus we see God as Israel's warrior who led His people from slavery with a strong right arm. In the Exile we see God as Israel's enemy who fights against His rebellious people and sends them back into slavery.
Why?! Why is God fighting against His people? It is a simple answer. They broke the covenant. In Deuteronomy 28 you can find the main list of blessings and curses and if you read it over carefully, you will see that what takes place as the Israelites are sent into captivity is almost word for word exactly what was promised as the punishment for breaking the covenant. You see, God keeps His promises, even the ones about punishment. Again, Jeremiah understood this:
Lam 1:18 "Jehovah is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment"
This concept is also made clear in the New Testament. We have extraordinary promises made to us -- look at the first 12 verses of 1 Peter 1 -- if we will follow Him. We are told, however, that if we enter into a covenant with Him and then break that covenant, things won't be good.
2 Peter 2:20-21 "For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first. For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them."
Hebrews 6:4-6 "For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."
Hebrews 10:28-31 "A man that hath set at nought Moses' law dieth without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
This is why Jesus told His disciples to count the cost and make sure before they began to walk with Him (Luke 14:28ff).
If you are God's, He will fight for you. Nothing will stand against you.
If you turn away from your covenant relationship with Him, God will fight against you.
Lucas Ward
You can blame this one on my brother, who gave me the idea.
Throughout the Bible, and especially the Old Testament, the image of God as a warrior king is prevalent. In fact, one of the most common "the God who" phrases in the Bible is the God who will fight for His people, just as we studied last time. Over and over, He fights for His people: Deut. 1:30; 3:22; 20:4; Joshua 23:3,10; 2 Chron. 32:7-8, and Nehemiah 4:20 are just some examples. But why does God fight for His people? It is because of the covenant relationship He has with His people. God makes promises to protect and care for His people and His people promise to obey His commands. Ex. 24:7 "All that Jehovah has spoken we will do." This leads to the Blessings and Cursings of the Law. To oversimplify, if the people obey God, He will fight for them:
Deut. 28:7 "Jehovah will cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thee: they shall come out against thee one way, and shall flee before thee seven ways."
But if the people disobey God, He will fight against them:
Deut. 28:25 "Jehovah will cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies; thou shalt go out one way against them, and shalt flee seven ways before them: and thou shalt be tossed to and from among all the kingdoms of the earth."
This concept is seen most clearly in the Exile of the people from the Promised Land to Babylon. Jeremiah clearly saw what was taking place:
Jer. 21:4-5 "Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel . . . I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation."
This is repeated in Lamentations:
Lam 1:15 "The Lord hath set at nought all my mighty men in the midst of me; He hath called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men: The Lord hath trodden as in a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah."
Lam 2:5 "The Lord is become as an enemy, he hath swallowed up Israel"
In the Exodus we see God as Israel's warrior who led His people from slavery with a strong right arm. In the Exile we see God as Israel's enemy who fights against His rebellious people and sends them back into slavery.
Why?! Why is God fighting against His people? It is a simple answer. They broke the covenant. In Deuteronomy 28 you can find the main list of blessings and curses and if you read it over carefully, you will see that what takes place as the Israelites are sent into captivity is almost word for word exactly what was promised as the punishment for breaking the covenant. You see, God keeps His promises, even the ones about punishment. Again, Jeremiah understood this:
Lam 1:18 "Jehovah is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment"
This concept is also made clear in the New Testament. We have extraordinary promises made to us -- look at the first 12 verses of 1 Peter 1 -- if we will follow Him. We are told, however, that if we enter into a covenant with Him and then break that covenant, things won't be good.
2 Peter 2:20-21 "For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first. For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them."
Hebrews 6:4-6 "For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."
Hebrews 10:28-31 "A man that hath set at nought Moses' law dieth without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
This is why Jesus told His disciples to count the cost and make sure before they began to walk with Him (Luke 14:28ff).
If you are God's, He will fight for you. Nothing will stand against you.
If you turn away from your covenant relationship with Him, God will fight against you.
Lucas Ward
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