God & War: Why Did God Command War in the Old Testament? | Brooklyn Park Campus

Devotional

Day 1: Altars Smashed, Idols Burned

The Israelites stood at the edge of Canaan, swords in hand. God commanded them to destroy nations practicing infant sacrifice and temple prostitution. Bronze idols shattered. Asherah poles splintered. Flames consumed gold-plated gods. This wasn’t random violence—it was surgical removal of evil infecting the land. [08:09]

God prioritized purity over political expansion. He acted as a surgeon cutting out gangrene to save the body. The Canaanites had four centuries to repent but clung to cruelty. Deuteronomy 7 reveals God’s hatred of idolatry’s poison, not a blanket endorsement of war.

You face subtler idols daily—approval, comfort, control. What false altars have you tolerated? Name one compromise that’s slowly eroding your worship. Will you let God purify what you’ve rationalized?

“You must destroy all the peoples the Lord your God gives over to you. Do not look on them with pity…for that will be a snare to you.”
(Deuteronomy 7:16, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to reveal any hidden idolatry in your relationships, finances, or ambitions.
Challenge: Read Deuteronomy 7:1-6. Write one sentence about how this passage makes you feel.

Day 2: Four Hundred Years of Mercy

God told Abraham his descendants would inherit Canaan—but not yet. Four hundred years. That’s how long God waited for the Amorites to abandon child sacrifice. He held back judgment through thirteen generations, sending plagues, miracles, and Rahab’s testimony as invitations to repent. [14:08]

Mercy delays what justice could demand. God’s patience with Canaan mirrors His patience with you. He intervenes through consequences, Scripture, and Spirit-whispers not to destroy, but to redeem.

What habit, grudge, or lie have you assumed is “too far” for grace? Hear His whisper: “I take no pleasure in death. Turn.” Where is He giving you one more chance to change?

“Then the Lord said to Abram…‘In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.’”
(Genesis 15:13,16 NLT)

Prayer: Thank God for three specific mercies He’s shown you this year despite your failures.
Challenge: Identify one area where you’ve judged others’ sin harshly while excusing your own.

Day 3: The Harlot Who Chose Yahweh

Rahab’s walls shook as Israel’s army camped outside Jericho. She’d heard stories—Red Sea parting, kings defeated. Hiding the spies, she bargained: “Swear by Yahweh you’ll spare me.” Scarlet cord dangled. Smoke rose. She joined God’s people, later becoming King David’s grandmother. [15:12]

One Canaanite’s repentance altered eternity. Rahab proves no one is beyond redemption if they turn. God’s war wasn’t against people, but the evil enslaving them.

Who seems “too far gone” for you to love or share Christ with? What if your next kind word could be their scarlet cord?

“By faith Rahab the prostitute…was not killed with those who were disobedient.”
(Hebrews 11:31, ESV)

Prayer: Confess the name of someone you’ve written off as beyond God’s reach.
Challenge: Text or call one person with opposing views to say, “I’m praying for you today.”

Day 4: Slow Anger, Quick Forgiveness

Moses stood in the cleft, hearing God’s heartbeat: “Compassionate. Gracious. Slow to anger.” Israel had just worshiped a golden calf. Yet God re-carved the commandments, His mercy outrunning their betrayal. Centuries later, Jesus would cite this moment while forgiving His executioners. [22:32]

War language in Deuteronomy meets its counterpoint here. God’s core character isn’t destruction—it’s steadfast love. He judges only when endless patience is abused.

When have you assumed God was eager to punish? How might viewing Him as “slow to anger” change your next failure?

“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”
(Exodus 34:6, NIV)

Prayer: Write a prayer thanking God for a time He was patient with your rebellion.
Challenge: Memorize Exodus 34:6. Whisper it when tempted to doubt God’s heart toward you.

Day 5: Kindness Meant to Lead

Paul confronted hypocrites: “You judge others but do the same things!” Roman believers had split over food laws and holidays. He redirected them to God’s kindness—the same patience that spared Rahab and waited four centuries for Canaan. Mercy, not wrath, changes hearts. [23:21]

Using Scripture to attack enemies always backfires. Jesus’ followers wield truth to heal, not humiliate. Every harsh tweet, smug comment, or silent judgment betrays the kindness that saved you.

When did someone’s patience lead you to repentance? How can you extend that same grace today?

“Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness…not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”
(Romans 2:4, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to replace one critical thought about someone with active kindness today.
Challenge: Read Romans 2:1-4. Circle every “you” and “your” in the passage.

Sermon Summary

A new series titled God and War opens by naming current military tensions and the way Christian language has surfaced in political discourse. The narrative traces how leaders have invoked God to bless or frame violent actions and signals concern about using Jesus as justification for modern conflict. Historical patterns receive attention, showing how early American settlers and later Christian movements have read Israelite imagery into national identity and sometimes misapplied scripture to sanction violence.

A full reading of Deuteronomy seven anchors the examination. The passage commands Israel to drive out Canaanite nations and includes harsh language that troubles many readers. Rather than isolate that chapter, the broader narrative and historical context receive careful attention. Five observations clarify the Old Testament warfare texts: most commands occur in a limited time period; wars targeted peoples who rebelled against God; some groups practiced particularly grievous evils; God gave prolonged warnings before judgment; and biblical language often uses hyperbole that described a purpose rather than prescribing continual policy.

The discussion argues that God’s actions in those texts function within a redemptive plan meant to protect Israel from corrupting idolatry and to prepare a context for God’s presence among a covenant community. Examples like Rahab and references to Ezekiel and Genesis show that repentance remained possible and that patience and warning preceded judgment. The sermon contrasts celebratory cultural stories about good triumphing over evil with the Bible’s portrayal of divine judgment aimed at removing idolatry, not modeling perpetual national violence.

A hermeneutical distinction clarifies application: some biblical passages are descriptive, reporting unique historical acts, while others are prescriptive, giving timeless instruction. Deuteronomy seven reads as a moment in ancient covenant history, not as a template for contemporary warfare. The closing appeal calls for sober, careful Bible reading, resisting the temptation to pluck verses to fit modern agendas. Scripture should shape moral thinking by revealing God’s character across the whole canon, balancing hard texts with depictions of mercy, patience, and the command to love neighbors. The piece ends by urging personal study and prayerful reflection rather than quick sound bites.

Key Takeaways

1. Do not justify war with Jesus The Bible warns against using Christ to endorse national violence. Claims that God anoints modern leaders for war compress complex biblical narratives into political slogans and ignore the Bible’s larger ethic of love, mercy, and justice. Christians must test such claims against scripture as a whole rather than accept language that sanctifies conflict. [01:37]
2. Read difficult texts in context Hard passages demand careful placement within the Bible’s story and the culture of ancient Israel. Isolating violent verses breeds confusion and allows misuse; situating them within narrative, covenant, and prophetic critique reveals purpose and limits. Context exposes whether a passage describes a unique moment or prescribes ongoing behavior. [08:39]
3. Deuteronomy seven was contextual judgment The commands to destroy were tied to specific covenant circumstances and idolatrous practices that threatened Israel’s identity. Biblical hyperbole and ancient warfare norms shaped language that aimed to remove corrupt worship, not to offer a perpetual model for nations. Understanding these texts as limited interventions prevents modern misappropriation. [09:57]
4. Scripture reveals patience and redemptive love God’s character, shown across Exodus, Ezekiel, and the New Testament, combines justice with long-suffering invitation to repentance. Judgment in scripture follows warning and opportunity to turn; the ultimate goal points to restoration rather than vindictive cruelty. Holding these threads together prevents moral double standards when reading hard texts. [22:14]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:24] - Current events and context
[00:46] - Christian language in politics
[01:21] - Examples of religious framing
[01:37] - Concern about justifying war with Jesus
[03:18] - Historical American parallels
[05:11] - Reading Deuteronomy seven aloud
[08:09] - Reactions to difficult passages
[09:12] - Five observations introduced
[09:57] - Observation one explained
[12:00] - Wicked practices and idolatry
[13:06] - God’s patience and warnings
[16:22] - Hyperbole and ancient warfare
[18:16] - Prescriptive versus descriptive texts
[19:25] - Application and careful Bible reading
[23:42] - Love, justice, and scripture shaped life
[24:09] - Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Deuteronomy 7:1–6, 16–26 (ESV)
1 When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you… 2 and when the Lord your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them… 5 But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire… 16 You shall consume all the peoples that the Lord your God will give over to you. Your eye shall not pity them…

- Exodus 34:6–7 (ESV)
6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…”

- Ezekiel 33:11, 16 (ESV)
11 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live… 16 None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him…

Observation Questions

According to Deuteronomy 7:1–6, what specific reasons does God give for commanding Israel to destroy the Canaanite nations?
The sermon mentions that God gave the Canaanites “400 years” to repent before judgment (Genesis 15:13–16). What examples of God’s patience toward rebellious nations were highlighted? [13:39]
How does Exodus 34:6–7 describe God’s character, and how does this contrast with the harsh language in Deuteronomy 7?

Interpretation Questions

Why is the distinction between descriptive (reporting historical events) and prescriptive (timeless commands) important when reading passages like Deuteronomy 7? How might mislabeling these lead to harmful applications? [19:02]
The sermon argues that Deuteronomy 7’s commands were meant to “remove idolatry,” not model perpetual violence. How does Rahab’s story (Joshua 2; Hebrews 11:31) support the idea that repentance was still possible even amid judgment?
How does God’s judgment in Deuteronomy 7 align with His character as “slow to anger” in Exodus 34:6–7? Does judgment contradict mercy, or do they coexist in God’s redemptive plan?

Application Questions

When have you encountered a Bible passage that confused or troubled you (e.g., violence in the Old Testament)? How can you practice “sober, careful reading” instead of avoiding or misusing such texts? [19:25]
The sermon warns against using Jesus to justify modern conflicts. What steps can you take to test whether political or cultural claims about “God’s will” align with Scripture’s full ethic of love and justice? [01:37]
In what areas of your life (habits, relationships, priorities) might idolatry subtly influence you? How can you actively “destroy” those corrupting influences, as Israel was called to remove false worship?
Ezekiel 33:11 says God takes “no pleasure in the death of the wicked.” How can this truth shape how you respond to people or groups you perceive as “enemies”?
The sermon urges studying Scripture as a whole rather than relying on “sound bites.” What is one practical way you can deepen your understanding of God’s character through regular Bible reading?

Sermon Clips

Personally, I've had friends who stopped believing in Jesus because of verses like this. Why would God allow that? Why would God permit that? So as Christians, what do we do with passages like this? How are we supposed to understand them? When it comes to reading scripture, when it comes to reading the bible, one of the most important rules is this, that you just can't pluck out one verse or one passage and isolate it by itself. [00:08:18] (35 seconds) #ContextMatters

Phrases like destroy them totally, which we see in Deuteronomy seven were sometimes hyperbolic. It was a hyperbole. It wasn't literal. The goal was to empty the land and destroy the previous identities that occupied the space there. It wasn't genocide. It wasn't, again, mindless murder. Rather, it was meant to eliminate the false worship of other gods that could corrupt the worship of god. And while people did die, it was God's judgment being implemented to remove idolatry that would interrupt his plan to save the world. [00:16:42] (36 seconds) #BiblicalHyperbole

Most of the violent bible verses regarding God sending Israel to battles are from a limited time period in biblical history and are not found throughout the entire Old Testament. And so when it comes to a chapter like Deuteronomy seven, most of the battles that we hear that God initiated occurred in just one generation. When Israel engaged in war, God gave the people that Israel fought against an opportunity to turn to him and to avoid battle. These groups that Israel engaged in battle with occupied the land that God had designated for Israel. [00:09:45] (36 seconds) #TimeBoundBattles

And so don't pick and just choose verses and passages that simply fit your agenda or fit what it is that you're for or against. When it comes to scriptures, it's never about us. It was never for our interests. Scripture is for us, but it's not about us. Scripture is for us, but it's not about us. Scripture is for us because it helps us understand God. That's what scripture is all about. It's who God is. It it reveals to us who God is, and so it's to help us understand God, but again, it's not about us. [00:20:13] (35 seconds) #ScriptureIsAboutGod

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God & War: Why Did God Command War in the Old Testament? | Brooklyn Park Campus | Kong Moua