May 24, 2024

Offer of Peace – Deuteronomy 20

Have we made peace with God?

By ROBERT PRINS

Read Time: 1 minute

Some people have said the God of the Old Testament was a blood-thirsty and vindictive God. To back their view, they point out that the LORD instructed His people, Israel, to go to war and kill all the inhabitants of Canaan without mercy and then take over their land. But God’s mercy extended much further than we might care to remember.

In His instructions as to how Israel was to behave during battle, God gave these instructions:

When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labour and shall work for you. If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city (Deuteronomy 20:10–12).

The people Israel battled were not destroyed without a say in the matter. They were offered peace, but most refused and engaged Israel in battle, thus signing their own death warrant. When Joshua led the children of Israel into the land of Canaan, some of the inhabitants did make peace with them, and Israel honored that agreement for peace, going to extreme measures to do so.

Old Testament or New, God shows Himself to be a merciful God, giving sinners the opportunity to repent and accept His conditions right up to the last minute. We have the same choice. Have we made peace with God?

Robert Prins,
Pakuranga Ecclesia, NZ

Reflections

Compromising With Sin

When we fight against sin, we know that God is with us. He taught Israel that lesson in their literal battles against their enemies.

Exposition

God Is Not A Monster – God and Genocide

This final article in our five part series will examine whether the God of the Bible condones genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Exposition

Everyone Did That Which was Right in His Own Eyes, Part 4

As Christians, we must strive to overcome our survival instincts and to accept the portion of blame, however small or large it may be, that lies at our door.

Exhortation and Consolation

Made Perfect in One, Part 2

In the first part of this article of this series, we considered the civil war between Israel and Benjamin in Judges 20-21. We noted that Israel continued routing Benjamin until almost the entire tribe was wiped out. Was this really the right thing to do? We’ll consider this question and continue with the theme of how we can achieve unity amongst God’s holy people.

Exhortation and Consolation

Made Perfect in One

Judges 19-21 tell of a horrific civil war involving the Benjaminites: how it started, how it was conducted and how Israel recovered from it. Because the story is so unpleasant, it is easy to read it dutifully and then move on. Yet we are told “whatever things were written before were written for our learning.” (Rom 15:4).

Exposition

Everyone Did That Which Was Right in Their Own Eyes, Part 5