Bible Considerations of War

In chapter 3 of the Biblical wisdom book of Ecclesiastes, it states …  To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven … A surprising revelation here speaks of there being a “time of war” & a time of peace!?!

Perhaps this should not be a surprise, because Jesus warned us of the “way of things” in His Matthew 24 “Olivet prophecy”.

Mat 24:6-8  & you will hear of wars & rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.   For nation will rise against nation, & kingdom against kingdom. & there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.

So, 2,000 years ago Jesus tells us there WILL be war, and James concisely tells us WHY war exists …

Jas 4:1-2  Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?  You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war…

Because mankind (& our human nature) includes greed & lust … there will seemingly ALWAYS be war.  Even if we have a cluster of “nice” people – they are not immune from war because “others” will want their lands and their goods.

Jesus states a “common sense” principle saying …

Luke 14:31-32  … what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?   Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.

Mankind has a principle saying “Might makes Right!” … meaning …people who have power are able to do what they want because no one can stop them.  It is NOT saying that this is justice or “fair” … but in the short term … it says sometimes bullies will prosper.  For this reason we pray (as Jesus showed us…) “Thy Kingdom Come”.

We understand that in the Kingdom of God that Jesus came to proclaim to the world…

• There will be fairness
• There will be peace
• There will be justice
• There will be a King – Jesus Christ – with the Might to rule the nations with a rod of iron (Rev 19:15) and the Wisdom to be called the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)

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