Building the Temple through Peace

Day 78: I Chronicles 22-29

It's interesting to me that God did not allow David to build the Temple. David was a man of God, a man loved by God and a man patterned after God's own heart. And yet, David did not get to build the Temple. And this passage says that the reason he didn't get to do so is because of all the violence he did while he lived--all the death, all the killing, and all the wars.

We have been in a time of war for over eight years (since 9/11 at least). It's hard to believe it's been that long. I don't like war. I like peace. I think we all like peace, and I think we all want it. We just have different ways of going about it. Here, though, we have the example of David who fought battles and wars and thought he was doing the right thing, yet in the end he didn't get to build the Temple--or even to see it--because of all the violence he had done during his lifetime.

I hope and pray that the wars we are in today will end soon--that there will be peace on earth soon. All this violence is not good for humanity. It's not good for our souls. While we may not be able to stop the wars or end the international violence, we can all make small steps to make our lives less violent. We can turn to Jesus and see the nonviolent way that he lived. We can cut out the fighting we do with our loved ones. We can think twice before we use our fists or our words for revenge. Together, small steps can make a big impact. May we all strive for peace. If we do, one day we, like David, will be able to see the Temple of the Lord.

Conquering, Killing, and Covenant-Keeping: The Ways of God or The Ways of the Israelites?

Day 43: Joshua 10-21

Since I was young, I have heard of the "Promised Land," the land God promised to the Israelites when he established his covenant with them. What I did not know, however, was that the Promised Land entailed more than the city of Jericho. Before today, I thought that after Joshua fought--and won--the battle of Jericho, the covenant had been fulfilled.

But I was wrong.

After they defeated Jericho, the Israelites continued to conquer city after city after city after city (thirty additional lands in all!). That's a lot of conquering. That's A LOT of war.

The first point I want to make about this is that the land was not just "given" to the Israelites by God. Instead, the Israelites had to fight wars--violent, horrific ones--to gain control of the land. The Israelites had to do something in order for God to fulfill his promise. They didn't just have the promise handed down to them either before or after their defeat of Jericho; rather, they "earned" it by defeating their "enemies." Yes, God was on their side, but they also had to trust him, obey him, and follow his will in order to live in the Promised Land.

This point is interesting in itself, but it's also interesting in light of salvation. God offers us salvation through Jesus, but we still have to accept his invitation. We have to respond. We have to act.

The second point I want to make here is that the Israelites gained control of all these lands by killing all the people in their way. What bothers me about this is that it appears as if the lands they conquered and the people they murdered (men, women, and children!) had done nothing wrong. The wars could not even be considered"just" (just war advocates claim that war is justified under certain conditions). The people who were conquered and killed had not sinned (at least to my knowledge based on the text). In fact, the only thing that was "wrong" with them seems to be the fact that they weren't Israel; they weren't the people of God. The fact that they weren't Israel is probably enough of a justification to destroy others, but I'm not sure why these innocent people had to die to fulfill God's covenant with Israel.

God's ways are, once again, puzzling to me.

But He did fulfill his promise to Israel, and He fulfills his promise to us as well (all people--not just Jews, not just Christians--all people!).

Thoughts about the book of Joshua

Day 41: Joshua 1 to 4

Strength and courage seems to be an important characteristic to have when you're a leader and when you're preparing for battle. Four times in this short reading God gives the command to, "Be strong and courageous." Three times the Lord tells this command to Joshua, the new leader of the people, and once he gives the command to the Israelites. The Israelites are preparing to enter the promised land. War is about to ensue, and strength and courage are necessary attitudes to possess.
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Have you ever wondered why the spies went to Rahab's house, a prostitute's house? Perhaps this is another cultural thing about the Bible. Sex with prostitutes. Judah slept with a Tamar when he thought she was a prostitute. Maybe that's what's going on here, too. God uses all types of people--both the spies and Rahab to accomplish his mission.
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I didn't remember that God had dried up two waterways so the Israelites could pass through. Of course we all know about the Red Sea, but God did the same thing again when 40,000 Israelites needed to cross over the Jordan River. This time, the Ark of the Covenant was what dried up the water flow.