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"Be strong, and let us be courageous for the sake of our
people, and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what seems good
to him." (2 Samuel 10:12, NRSV)
— Joab, Military Commander during the reign of David, King
of Israel
In the Face
of War & Conflict
As citizens of a free
land, we have the right and privilege to oppose the decisions and actions
of our local and national leaders. We can publicly oppose any wars or
military conflicts pursued by our military forces. Even our soldiers are
free to voice their opposition.
Certainly there are
military conflicts that no one really wants. The worldwide war on terror
touched off by the September 11 attack on our nation is one such
conflict. Terrorism, of course, did not begin with that attack on New
York and Washington. It had already been around for a long time. But how
could anyone effectively fight it or hope to stop it?
Even so, when our cities
and citizens were attacked, we had little choice but to strike back and do
our best to take the battle to the enemy. Defensively speaking, our
presence in the Middle East is an attempt to not only flush out and
eradicate known terrorists, but also to keep the enemy preoccupied on his
own home front, and to demonstrate that the United States will not lie
down and be another helpless victim of terror. So long as we have breath
as a nation, we will defend our people and our land — we will strike back.
Such bitter and
undesirable conflicts are not new.
In ancient Israel, the
successful and popular King David also had to make such decisions. When
news of an unprovoked and shameful attack on David’s own peaceful
ambassadors reached the king, he had to decide right away how he would
respond. David knew he really had little choice (read the whole story for
yourself in 2 Samuel 10:1-19). He sent a military response. In the mean
time, his enemies (the Ammonites) gathered military help (Syrians or
Arameans) from neighboring nations.
When Joab, Israel's top
military commander under David, reached the battlefield with his troops,
he soon discovered that he had to face enemy forces both in front and in
back. It was not a good situation. But Joab, like David, his king, was
no coward. In the face of undesirable odds and doubtful circumstances, he
divided his forces and prepared to do what had to be done. The army of
Israel would not turn tail or quake with fear. They would be the
aggressor that day, even when faced with the strong possibility of bitter
defeat and death.
Joab had no guarantee of
victory, but he did possess a good resolve. I believe it was a resolve
grounded in faith, as well as in his experience and skill as a warrior.
No doubt, Joab was confident of his ability to lead. But I see in this
fighting man a resolve that is born of faith in the Lord. Mark his words:
"Be strong, and let us be courageous for the sake of our people, and for
the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what seems good to him." (2
Samuel 10:12, NRSV)
Israel's military
commander did not foolishly presume that God would automatically give
Israel a great victory — or any victory at all. But he trusted in God to
do what was right and good. And as for himself, and his men, he
understood their duty perfectly well. Their job was to fight for their
people, for their land, and for their king. With this courage, faith, and
determination Joab led Israel's forces to victory that day.
The Ammonites and Arameans
didn't seem to be prepared for a real battle that day. Apparently, they
had expected the sheer number of their combined forces to frighten (and
thereby weaken) Israel, so that an easy bloodbath would follow. When
Israel charged at them without fear, both the Aramean and then the
Ammonite forces turned and ran.
When word finally got back
to Syria of Israel's complete victory that day, the Arameans decided they
wanted another battle in order to better prove themselves. They gathered
all their infantry forces, their armed chariot teams and horsemen together
and faced Israel again. And once again Israel won the day.
The lesson in Scripture,
for me, is not simply that Israel was a superior force in battle. For me,
the message is much more basic: we must always be firm in our resolve to
do whatever needs to be done. Our faith must first be in God for a right
and good outcome — even if that outcome is not always in our favor. No
matter what, we need to do our job.
The US troops in the
Middle East today are not there because they really want to be away from
home, fighting in a war. I'm sure that just about every soldier in Iraq
and Afghanistan would rather be here at home, living and working in
peace. But they know they have a job to do. They know that the odds are
not so great, and that the enemy wears many faces. Our troops fight for
the sake of terrorized people in Iraq and Afghanistan who cannot defend
themselves. They also fight to protect the United States from arrogant
terrorists who would bring their doctrine of hate and ruin to our cities
and citizens.
Whether we win or lose in
our war on terror, we must face the enemy and take the battle to them. We
must not be arrogant or assume too much. God Himself will bring about
whatever seems right in His own eyes. He is righteous even when we are
not.
The United States is not
populated by a people more righteous or more holy or more deserving than
the people of any other nation. In fact, we in the USA are simply the
people of this world who've gathered together under one flag and one hope
of liberty, to see if we can build and preserve a society and culture
based on personal rights and freedom for all citizens.
Our national history is
not pure or perfect. We’ve made our share of mistakes and foolish choices
as a nation and as individuals. But thankfully, our history also shows
that we’re usually willing to learn from mistakes and failures, and to
correct our course. May God truly help us to both see and understand His
good will in the present and future challenges we face as a people, as
families, and as individuals.
In the mean time, men and
women of America stand ready to die, if need be, to protect our
opportunity to remain strong and free as a people. A great number of
these men and women are fighting in the Middle East right now. Others are
taking their stand right here at home, on the streets of every town and
city in the United States. Law enforcement officers, firefighters, and
others place their lives on the line day after day and night after night,
working to preserve what we have as a free people.
Our hats are off to all
such men and women. Our gratitude must always be rich and strong. May
the Lord keep them all, and bless them all with good success and life.
And may they succeed in their work of helping to preserve and maintain
this nation — one nation under God. Amen.
"Be strong, and let us be
courageous for the sake of our people, and for the cities of our God; and
may the LORD do what seems good to him." (2 Samuel 10:12, NRSV)
— Joab, Military Commander
during the reign of David, King of Israel
© 2006 Jim
Sutton
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