Church Order: Discipline, Enemies, and Institutional Faithfulness

God is a Warrior

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Church Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 1996-10-27

Synopsis: John Weaver introduces a series on the biblical doctrine of war, arguing that God is a warrior and that fighting is not inherently sinful. He demonstrates from Scripture that God fights for His people, against His enemies, and even against His own people when they sin. The message challenges pacifism and humanistic thinking, urging believers to adopt a biblical, warrior mentality grounded in God's justice and righteousness.

[John Weaver] Lord willing, today I want to begin a series, and when I say a series, I don't know how long I'm going to preach on the subject. I know at least four weeks, but I probably will preach even longer than that on this subject, because I have been thinking about it and praying about it for a good while, on the biblical doctrine of war, or when is it right to fight, or what does the Bible say about these kinds of things. Because there is so much controversy today over this. I want you to look in your Bibles, Hosea chapter 8, and just look at verse 12, and let's read this passage. Hosea 8 verse 12, God says concerning his people, he says, I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. And note what God says, I've written him the great things of my law, but they're counted as a strange thing.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you a joke that I heard while I was gone. I'm going to tell it for two reasons. Number one, I thought it was absolutely hilarious. And number two, it's going to fit right in with what I want to explain to you by way of introduction. The man that told this joke was from New Orleans, and so he told it on two Cajuns, okay? And one of them's name was Boudreaux, and the other was Thibodeau, which are very famous names back in New Orleans. And so Thibodeau saw Boudreaux.

[John Weaver] He hadn't seen him in a while. He said, Boudreaux, he said, where in the world have you been? He said, well, I've been away at college. He said, well, what have you been studying? He said, I've been studying logic. He said, what in the world is logic? He said, well, it's a form of reasoning how you arrive at deductions. And Thibodeau said, I don't understand what you're talking about. He said, well, let me try to explain to you. He said, Thibodeau, do you have a dog? Well, he said, yes, I have a dog. Boudreaux said, well, if you have a dog, then logic tells me that you probably have a yard. Well, he said, yeah, man, I've got a yard. He said, and logic either further tells me that if you've got a yard, you've probably got a fence around that yard since you live in town. Yeah, he said, man, I do have a fence around my yard. He said, and logic tells me that if you've got a dog and a yard and a fence, you probably have a house on that property as well.

[John Weaver] He said, yeah, man, I've got a three bedroom house. Well, he said, you see, the logic tells me further that if you've got a dog in a yard and a fence in a house, that you're probably married. He said, yeah, man, I've been married. I got a wife. He said, you see, the logic tells me that if you're married, then you're not a homosexual. Oh, he said, I think I got this. He said, let me see if I understand this. He said, Boudreaux, do you have a dog? He said, no man, I don't have a dog.

[John Weaver] Now, the reason I told that was to demonstrate that's exactly how most people think. They do not think rationally, logically, and let me go further, they do not even think scripturally or biblically. You see, the truth is, humanism has captured the minds and the bodies of Christendom. Our ideas, attitudes, and philosophies, even our actions, are so contrary to the Bible and truth that when we hear Bible truth, We, like these people in Hosea's time, count it as something strange. In other words, we hear God's truth, but we don't believe it. We hear God's truth, but we don't receive it. Why? Because it's strange, it's foreign, it's contrary to what we've heard, contrary to what we believe, and contrary to what we've been taught. In fact, God's truth is usually so contrary to the average person's thinking that when he hears it, he begins to think, well, what I'm hearing has to be wrong. In fact, usually you will find that most people, when they hear real Bible preaching, they think that the preacher is either just making it up or taking it out of context.

[John Weaver] Or they explain it and they just say, well, that's just simply his opinion. And so they simply do not want to do anything then or receive anything that's contrary to what they taught or contrary to what they believed all of their life. And the fact is, most people are willing to believe and continue to believe error rather than truth. I'm going to amply illustrate that for you today in the message that I'm going to be preaching. The message is entitled, God is a Warrior. God is a Warrior. You see, just the very statement of that truth is strange to our ears because we do not think of God in terms of a warrior. We certainly do not think of God as a warrior God. We have been taught all of our lives that war is wrong, or that God does not approve of war, or that war is a necessary evil. Sometimes it is necessary, but it's still evil. That's what we've heard. That's what we've been taught. In fact, I have known people, adults, They refused to allow their little boys to play with guns, little clay guns.

[John Weaver] They refused to let them wrestle and tussle with their friends because they did not want their children to grow up and have a fighting mentality or a warrior mentality. Let me tell you something, and of course this is a different subject, but do you realize that every man is aggressive by nature? It's called dominion. OK, that's the biblical term, but that's a fact. I'm thinking of one individual right now who raised that little boy and never had never seen a gun. Didn't watch TV. And she was so protective of this little child. And one day she looked outside and he had picked up a stick and was going pow, pow, pow.

[John Weaver] She said, where he got it, I don't know. But he got it. But, you know, we've come with the idea that all fighting is wrong. Let me ask a series of questions before I begin today. Here's a question. Is it right to fight against sin? Very obviously the answer is yes. Is it right to fight against wickedness? And the answer is yes. Is it right to fight for freedom? Yes. Is it right to fight to preserve one's life? Yes. Is it right to fight to preserve the lives of other people? And the answer is yes. Is it right to fight for truth, justice, and righteousness? And the answer is yes. Now, if you come along and say, well, all fighting is wrong, then I have a question to ask you. Why does God fight? And the Bible does say that God is a warrior and that God does fight.

[John Weaver] You see, if one denies the validity and the morality of fighting, he not only accuses God of being immoral and wicked, But at the same time, when he denies the validity of fighting, he is denying the validity of church discipline, of family discipline, of civil justice or civil discipline, because church discipline and family discipline and civil discipline is nothing more than a means of fighting against wickedness. I mean, when you chastise your child, you don't chastise a child for being a child. You chastise a child because he's done something wicked and wrong. You don't discipline a church member just because they're human. You discipline them because they're sinful and wicked and are failing to repent. When you discipline someone for violating the law of the land, that's fighting against anarchy and rebellion. So when you make a point-blank statement that fighting is wicked or fighting is wrong, not only are you accusing God of being immoral and wicked, you're invalidating all of the discipline that we have in the land.

[John Weaver] Now, the truth of the matter is this. We must learn to fight, but we must learn to fight biblically in order to preserve ourselves, our church, our society, and even our nation. It may surprise you that the word war, w-a-r, milhamah in the Hebrew, occurs 313 times in the Old Testament alone.

[John Weaver] Now, that's not talking about the words fighting, army, armory. That's just the word war. The word war occurs 313 times in the Old Testament. The word war, poromos in the Greek, occurs 18 times in the New Testament. So very obviously there is a lot of scripture that deals with the subject of war.

[John Weaver] Now, when we understand that God is a warrior, it means very obviously we're going to learn to think scripturally and biblically. If we're going to be biblical in our fighting, then very obviously we've got to think the way God thinks on these subjects.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just first of all give you a broad overview. I want you to understand that the theme of God as a warrior is taught throughout the Bible. It's the main theme of the Bible. For instance, let me give it to you in five statements. First of all, number one, God appears as a warrior who fights for Israel against her flesh and blood enemies. That's number one. God appears as a warrior who fights for Israel against her flesh and blood enemies.

[John Weaver] Now, I don't have to take the time to go through the scripture and show you that. Everybody knows how God fought against the gods of Egypt. I fought against the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, the Jebusites, and all of those other items in the Bible. So very obviously, God is a warrior and God fought for Israel against her flesh and blood enemies. Number two, when Israel rebelled and sinned against God, God the warrior fought against Israel. Let me show you that in the Bible very quickly.

[John Weaver] Turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to 2 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles chapter 24. Number of passages, I'll just show you about three of them look in 2nd Chronicles chapter 24 and verse 24 Watch what the Bible says 2nd Chronicles 24 verse 24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand why because they the people of God had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers and So they executed judgment against Joash. Now notice, if you would please, God brought a very small handful of Syrians into the land, and God delivered a very great host of his people into their hands. Why? Because the people had sinned against God. Look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles 25 and verse 20. 2 Chronicles 25 verse 20. The Bible says, but Amaziah would not hear, for it came of God that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom. So here God is fighting against his people because of their sin and their rebellion.

[John Weaver] Look in 2 Chronicles 28 at verses 4 and 5. He sacrificed also and burned incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria, and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of the captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. Look in verse 9. But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded. And he went out before the host that came to Samaria and said unto them, Behold, because the Lord God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage that reacheth up into heaven." Note now God is fighting in this passage against Judah. So you're going to find, number one, that God fought against Israel's flesh and blood enemies. But number two, when Israel, either the southern tribe, Judah, or the northern ten tribes sinned against God, God always fought against his people.

[John Weaver] Thirdly, the Old Testament ends with the prophets looking forward and proclaiming the advent of a powerful, divine warrior. Thirdly, the Old Testament ends with the prophets looking forward, looking into the future and proclaiming the advent of a powerful divine warrior. Then number four, Christ came as a warrior to deliver his people from sin Satan, death, and their lesser enemies as well. Christ came as a divine warrior to deliver his people from sin, Satan, death, and their lesser enemies.

[John Weaver] Look very quickly in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter one. Let me just show you what Zacharias says. Zacharias was the Father of John the Baptist, and look at verse 67. He's prophesying, and note what he says. Luke chapter 1, verse 67. And his father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been in the world again. Watch carefully now that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all them that hate us to perform the mercy promised our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he swore to our father Abraham that he would grant unto us that we be delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear and holiness, righteousness before him all the days of our life.

[John Weaver] Now this passage deals with the first coming of Christ. So Christ came as a warrior to deliver us from sin, Satan, and death. I could refer you to Hebrews chapter 2 and show you that as well, but also from our lesser enemies. And then number 5, Christ will return a second time as a divine warrior who will judge and destroy both the human and the spiritual enemies of God. So Christ will return a second time as a divine warrior who will judge and destroy the human and spiritual enemies of God.

[John Weaver] Now that's just simply an overview. in the Bible of God as a warrior. Now, the entire Bible is developed around the theme of God as the divine warrior. In fact, one of the names of God that is given over and over in Scripture is the Lord God of hosts, H-O-S-T-S. When you read, and I'm going to show you some of the passages in just a moment, whenever you read about the Lord God of hosts, You ought to understand the word literally means the Lord God of the armies.

[John Weaver] That is, both of heaven and earth. Look in your Bibles, if you would please, to 1 Samuel 1. 1 Samuel 1, and look at verse 3. In fact, I may come back and develop a whole message just around this name of God. But I want you to see how many times it occurs, and I'm just going to show you several of them. But I want you to also note the context in which this occurs. Look in 1 Samuel chapter 1 and verse 3.

[John Weaver] And this man went up out of his city, yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh. Note the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. But note, he went to sacrifice unto the Lord of Hosts, that is, the God of the armies. Look in verse 11. Here's Hannah praying, and she vowed a vow and said, O Lord of Hosts, if thou will indeed look upon the affliction of thine handmaid." So she's praying to the God of the armies. Look in 1 Samuel chapter 4 and verse 4. 1 Samuel 4 and verse 4. So the people sent to Shiloh that they might bring forth hence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who dwelleth between the cherubims. Note, the Lord of hosts. Look in your Bibles, the 1st Samuel chapter 15 and verse 2. Here in this passage, God is sending Saul on a mission. 1st Samuel chapter 15 verse 2. And that mission, of course, is to destroy all of the Amalekites.

[John Weaver] Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up out of Egypt. Note, thus saith the Lord of the armies. I remember what Amalek did.

[John Weaver] Now, Saul, I want you to go and to wipe him out. Now, if you will turn to one other passage, 1 Samuel chapter 17, and look at verse 45. Very obviously, here is the Story of David fighting Goliath and look at what David says in verse 45 Then said David to the Philistine thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield But I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts watch it

[John Weaver] the God of the armies of Israel Who now has defied so now he? Explains who the Lord God of hosts is he is the God of the armies of Israel of Israel.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you something that I find fascinating. Do you realize that there is an entire book in the Bible that is dedicated to war? Now, most of you, when you think of the entire book that is dedicated to war, you're probably thinking about the book of Joshua. But that's wrong. See, Joshua has an awful lot of war in it. But the book that I'm thinking about is the book of Numbers. I want you to turn, if you would please, to the book of Numbers, and let me show you something.

[John Weaver] I get so tickled at people because I don't know how to say it. Sometimes I want to say ignorance, and sometimes I want to say stupidity. But whichever it is, I still get tickled because I have heard preachers say concerning their efforts to get humongous crowds any way that they can get them that will God is interested in numbers even have a book about the Bible. That's Boudreaux and Thibodeau once again, you see. But I want you to know that the Book of Numbers has to deal with war because it has to deal with numbering the army. Look in your Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter 1.

[John Weaver] Let me just go through this very quickly. I'm not going to show you all of it, but a number of passages. Look in Numbers 1, verse 3. Here were the men numbered to fight. From twenty years old and upward, watch now, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel, thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies." What is the book of numbers about? It's a book of numbering the men who are able to fight. Look in verse 20. and the children of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names by their poles, every male from twenty years old and upward." Watch now, all that we're able to go forth to war. Look at verse 22. of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them according to the number of the names by their poles, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war.

[John Weaver] Look at verse 24. of the children of Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to Mar." Verse 26, of the children of Judah, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war. Skip down to verse twenty-eight, the latter part of the children of Issachar, all that were able to go forth to war. Skip down to verse thirty, of the children of Zebulun, all that were able to go forth to war. Look in verse 32 of the children of Joseph, namely of Ephraim, all that were able to go forth to war. Look in verse 34 of the children of Manasseh, the last part, all that were able to go forth to war. Look in verse 36 of the children of Benjamin, the latter part, all that were able to go forth to war.

[John Weaver] Verse 38 of the children of Dan, all that were able to go forth to war. Verse 40 of the children of Asher, All that were able to go forth to war, verse 42. Of the children napped alive, all that were able to go forth to war, verse 45. So here's the total number, all that were able to go forth to war. Note if you look over and over, God says here is the number of all that were able to go forth to war. Now look in your Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter 10, and note verse 9. Numbers 10, verse 9. Watch this, it's a book of war, look what God says. And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresses you, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets and you shall be remembered before the Lord your God and you shall be saved from your enemies. Now I'm going to be teaching on this a little bit later, but note if you would what God says.

[John Weaver] If you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresses you, Then God says, you blow the trumpet. There's an order in which God gives, and you shall be saved from your enemies. Look in your Bibles to the book of Numbers chapter 26. I'm just skipping through this just to show you how this book is a book of war. Doesn't matter where you look, Numbers chapter 26.

[John Weaver] And note, if you would please, verse 2. God says, Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel from 20 years old and upward throughout their father's house. All that are able to go to war in Israel. Look at number chapter 31 and verse 3. Numbers 31 verse 3. And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian." Boy, that's a powerful verse. Avenge the Lord. In other words, you execute the Lord's wrath against the Midianites. I'm not going to take the time to read verses 4 through 53, but all of this is how they're selecting the men to go out to fight. So they were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, 12,000 armed for the war. But I do want you to look at verse 21. Look at verse 21. And Eliezer the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses.

[John Weaver] Now it may surprise you, and I'm going to preach on it and teach on it a little bit later, but do you realize there was an ordinance for war? God says, here are my rules for warfare. And Eleazar is going to lay down the ordinances of booty and everything that is there. Then look in Numbers chapter 32 at verse 20. Numbers 32 verse 20. And Moses said to them, if you will do this thing, if you go over armed before the Lord to war. Now note that phrase, armed before the Lord to war. Then look in verse 27, Numbers 32 verse 27. But thy service will pass over every man armed for war before the Lord to battle, as my Lord said." I'm going to develop that thought a little bit later. But I want you to note that these men went over armed before the Lord.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask a question. Is God a warrior? And the answer is yes. There's not only a whole book in the Bible dedicated to war, but I want you to understand that the way God delivered Israel out of Egypt was by means of war. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 4. Deuteronomy chapter 4. If I took the time today to show you the ten plagues, I would want you to understand that each of those plagues was aimed at one of the gods of Egypt. Literally, what you had in those ten plagues was God warring or fighting against the gods of Egypt. But look in your Bible Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 32 and let's begin and let me show you how God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt. Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 32.

[John Weaver] For ask now the days that are past which were before thee since the day that God created man upon the earth and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other whether there have been any such thing as this great thing is or have been heard like it. Now watch Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard and lived? Watch! Or hath God assayed to go and to take him a nation from the midst of another nation by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war? and by a mighty hand, by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes." So Moses wrote and said it was an act of war on God's part against Egypt and against those false gods when God delivered Israel out of the land. Now, if war and fighting are inherently sinful, That is, if war and fighting are morally wicked and wrong in themselves, question, would God ever engage in such practices?

[John Weaver] And the answer is no. So very obviously, war is not evil in and of itself. Fighting is not evil in and of itself. What does that mean? That means we're going to have to re-educate ourselves. We're going to have to learn to think scripturally and biblically. Listen, there are hard times coming in our country. You say, Brother Weaver, why in the world are you preaching this?

[John Weaver] Let me tell you something. If you ever get in a pinch and if you ever get in a corner and you have to sit there and wonder, well, should I fight or should I not fight? It's too late. You're dead. You better know what God says about the subject before that time ever comes. You better have your mind made up. You better say, I know what the Bible says, I know what God's rules are and therefore I'm going to obey God. You see, it's not wrong to fight for the right reasons. It is not wrong even to war for the right reasons. Let me show you how that God himself fights.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 1. Let's begin there with verse 30, Deuteronomy chapter 1 and verse 30. Deuteronomy 1 and verse 30. Let's look very carefully at these passages.

[John Weaver] Now, if fighting is inherently wicked, if fighting is morally wrong, I want you to explain these passages for me. Deuteronomy chapter 1 verse 30, the Lord your God who go up before you, he shall fight for you according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes. Now who's going to do the fighting? It's God who's going to do the fighting. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 2 beginning there with verse 19, Deuteronomy 2 verse 19.

[John Weaver] And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them. For I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession, because I have given it unto the children of Lot for possession. That also was accounted a land of giants. Giants dwelt therein in the old time, and the Ammonites called them Zamzumans, a people great in many, and tall as the Anacons. The Lord destroyed them before them, and they succeeded them and dwelt in their stead, as he did to the children of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, when he, that is, the Lord, destroyed the Horams before them. And they succeeded them and dwelt in their stead even unto this day." Now, twice the Bible has said in this passage that God has destroyed a people. Look in verse 24.

[John Weaver] Rise you up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon. Behold, I have given unto thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Hegemon, and his land." Look what God says,"...begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle." God said, you find him. Look if you would in verse 36. From Aurora, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us, the Lord our God delivered all unto us." Note it is God who is fighting. Look in chapter 3, beginning there with verse 2. And the Lord said unto me, Fear him not, for I will deliver him and all his people and his land into thy hand, and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon, king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon. Did you hear that? So the Lord our God delivered into our hands Og, also the king of Bashan, and all his people, and we smote him until none was left to him remain."

[John Weaver] You don't want genocide. You don't want wiping out a people. And it was God who was delivering on and his people into the hands of the children of Israel. Look, if you would, in verse 21 and 22 of the same chapter. And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying nine, I have seen all that the Lord, your God, have done under these two teams. So shall the Lord do it to all the kings, whether thou passest.

[John Weaver] You shall not fear them. For the Lord your God, he shall fight for you." Now, if fighting is inherently wrong, if war is inherently wicked, explain to me how God can be a warrior and God can be a fighter. Very obviously, they are not inherently wicked in and of themselves. All fighting is not wrong. All war is not wrong. Now granted, there are times that fighting is wicked and wrong. There are times that wars are wicked and wrong. But just because some wars and some fights are wicked and wrong does not mean that all wars are wicked and wrong. I want to show you even further, since God is a warrior, that God even has his own arsenal. You know, every warrior has his weapons. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 50. I want you to know that God has an entire armory. God has an arsenal.

[John Weaver] And he'll never take a license from Janet Reno to have his arsenal either. OK? Watch this. Jeremiah chapter 50 and look at verse 25. Jeremiah 50. Look what the Scripture says. The Lord hath opened his armory, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation. For this is the work of the Lord God of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.

[John Weaver] Now note the first part. The Lord hath opened his armory. You know what an armory is? That's why we call them the National Guard armories. That's where the weapons are stored. The Lord God had opened his armory and had brought forth the weapons of his indignation. Look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 51, verse 20. I'll probably come back to this verse later on in this study. But look what God told his people. He says, Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war.

[John Weaver] For with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms. Now how's that grab you? God says, for thou art my battle axe and my weapons of war. Isn't that interesting? We, the people of God, are to be God's battle axe and God's weapons of war. So very obviously, then, fighting in and of itself is not wicked. Wars in and of themselves are not wicked. Otherwise, if they were, God certainly would not be a warrior. But the Bible says that God is a warrior.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask another question. If fighting and war were inherently wicked and evil, not only why would God be a warrior, question, why would God also teach others to fight? You say, well, Weaver, God doesn't teach people to fight. Oh, yes, I can show you. Look in your Bibles, if you would please, first of all, to the book of Judges, chapter 3. Judges, chapter 3. And let's look at verse 2. Let's find out. In fact, let's read verses 1 and 2. Let's find out why God allowed some of these Canaanites to be left into the land. Judges, chapter 3, beginning with verse 1.

[John Weaver] Now, these are the nations which the Lord left to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel's had had not known all the wars of Canaan, only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, watch, to teach them war at the least such as before knew nothing thereof. God said, I left some enemies in here just to teach you how to fight, just to teach you about war. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 18. Psalm 18, verse 34. Psalm 18, verse 34. Look what David says. David says, He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bowl of steel is broken in mine arms. Who was it that taught David how to fight? David said, God taught me how to fight. God taught my hands to war, so much so that a bow of steel is broken in my arms. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 144, beginning there with verse 1, and let's read 1 and 2. Psalm 144. You will also find this exact same truth taught in 2 Samuel 22 and verse 35.

[John Weaver] But look in Psalm 144. David says in verse 1, Blessed be the Lord, my strength, who teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight, my goodness and my fortress, my high tower, my deliverer, my shield, and he in whom I trust, who subdueth my people under me. So David says, Blessed be the Lord, my strength, who teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight. So very obviously, if fighting and wars were inherently evil and wicked in and of themselves, then God would not be a warrior, nor would God be teaching other people to fight as well.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn in your Bibles to First Chronicles, chapter 18, and let me show you another truth. You see, if war and fighting are inherently wicked, here's another question. Why would God preserve those who were engaged in such practices? Notice, if you would, in 1 Chronicles chapter 18. 1 Chronicles 18, and let's begin with verse 6. Then David put garrisons in Syria, Damascus, and the Syrians became David's servants and brought gifts. Thus the Lord preserved David, whithersoever he went." Now we should note that this is in the context of war. It's in the context of fighting. Thus the Lord preserved David, whithersoever he went. Skip down to verse 13. And he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David's servants. Thus the Lord preserved David, whithersoever he went." What's God doing? God is providentially protecting and preserving David as he fights.

[John Weaver] By the way, I want you to know that's the only reason anyone ever comes out alive from any war, is God's providential preservation and protection. I remember when I was in service, we went out to what they called a fire fight. It was at night. There was a 12-man squad. And back then, the weapon was a BAR, a Browning Automatic Rifle. And some of you men who've been in service know what I'm talking about. You had 12 men. The man on each end had a BAR.

[John Weaver] And the others just usually had M1's or something similar to that. But every one of them had a field of fire and those fields of fire crossed. So that means if I'm sitting here, my field of fire would be from Chester to Ed. If Don was over here, his would be maybe from Chester to Ed this way or whatever. In other words, all the fires crisscross. Every fifth bullet was a tracer. Every fifth one. That means for every, every fifth bullet had a red streak. That meant for every red streak you saw, there were four bullets that you didn't see. When they put on that field of fire for all these new recruits, and I was one of them, all you could see was a solid sheet of red.

[John Weaver] And I remember thinking, oh, Lord, how will anybody ever get through that? And yet men crawl through that through war after war. Miraculously. Why? Only because God preserved them. That's what the Bible says about David. God was preserving David, whether so ever he went. And in the context, it's dealing with fighting.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just try to Bring to a head this message on God is a warrior and then make some applications. He said brother Weaver I'm still not convinced. Well, let me show you Turning your Bible first of all to the book of Numbers chapter 21 the book of Numbers chapter 21 if these two main passages Cannot show you the truth. You're not going to believe it if I showed you a Forty million passages look in the book of Numbers chapter 21 and note verse 14 Numbers 21 verse 14 Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord What he did in the Red Sea and in the books of Arnon? What? Did you know that all of those wars in the Old Testament? that were fought on the direction of God are referred to as the wars of the Lord. The wars of the Lord. Numbers 21, verse 14, whereof it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord, what He did. So all of those wars that Israel engaged in at the direction and the quest of God, it was referred to as the wars of the Lord.

[John Weaver] They're God's wars. God initiated them. God brought them to an end. If that passage is not sufficient, I want you to look back in your Bibles to the book of Exodus, chapter 15, and verse 3. And certainly I saved this passage until now. Exodus, chapter 15. In fact, let's begin reading it with verse 1. Exodus, chapter 15, verse 1. Watch carefully, then saying Moses, when is the then after Pharaoh and his host have been drowned in the Red Sea, then saying Moses and the children of Israel, this song saying unto the Lord in Spain saying, I will sing unto the Lord for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song. He's become my salvation. He is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation, my Father's God. I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war." The Lord is his name. Did you see that? The Lord, that is, Jehovah, Yahweh, is a man of war. Jehovah is his name.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just show you. Since God is a man of war, I want you to understand that he is always captain of his hosts. Look in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Joshua. Joshua. No chapter five to begin with. You remember the people. Are about to. Fight against Jericho. Their first real battle. Look in Joshua 5 verse 13. It came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man over against him with a sword drawn in his hand."

[John Weaver] Now, that would get your attention, wouldn't it? That's kind of like you stepping out of this building, and there's a fellow pointing a.357 Magnum at your head. I mean, you'd do a little double-take. Well, he sees this man with a sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua walks up to him, and look what he asks. He asks,"'Are thou for us or for our adversaries?' Well, that's a logical question.

[John Weaver] Are you for me or against me? That's what I want to know. Somebody points a pistol my way. Are you one of me or are you one of them? I want to know. Look what the answer comes. And he said, Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so." What did God tell Joshua? Joshua, I came to direct.

[John Weaver] I'm the head of this army. I'm the captain. I'll tell you what to do. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to 2 Chronicles chapter 13 and verse 2. 2 Chronicles 13. And verse 2. 2nd Chronicles 13 verse 2. Verse 12 it is. 2nd Chronicles 13 verse 12. You look what the king says. And behold God himself is with us for our captain and his priests With sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you, O children of Israel, fight you not against the Lord God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper. Now this was a war between Israel and Judah. And the King of Judah said, behold, God himself is with us as our captain. And of course, if you read the context, you'll find that Judah whipped the daylights out of Israel because Israel had sinned against God. But he said, God is with us as our captain. Now, I want you to turn back in your Bible to 2 Chronicles chapter 6, because here's an interesting verse. God, as captain of his host, often sends for his armies.

[John Weaver] Look at this prayer. This is Solomon's prayer when he is dedicating the temple to God. Look in verse 34. He says, If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, those sending the people out to war, someone tell me, God is. By the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name's sake, then hear thou," and he goes on. But he said that thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them. So God then, as captain, sends forth his people to war. I want you to look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 20 and verse 22. Because here's an interesting verse you will find that God is not only captain. God only sends his people to fight, but God himself often times sets ambushes for his enemies. 2 Chronicles chapter 20 verse 22.

[John Weaver] And when they began to sing and to praise the Lord, watch, when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, Mount Seir, which were come against Judah, and they were smitten. Why were they smitten? Because God ambushed them. God set His ambushes. He's a man of war. And if you'll turn over in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 20 while we're there, look in verse 17. I want you to see that sometimes God's people need not even fight, because God fights the battle himself. He says in verse 17, You shall not need to fight in this battle. Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem.

[John Weaver] Fear not, nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you. They didn't have to fight. God discomfited them.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn to one last passage, 1 Chronicles 5, And look at verse 22. 1 Chronicles 5 and verse 22. I'm going to try to reconcile some of these passages for you in the following weeks, but I want you to look at this passage. 1 Chronicles 5 verse 22. For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steds until the captivity. Did you hear that? And there fell down many slain. That is, many people were killed. Why? Because the war was of God. You say, Brother Weaver, how in the world can God use war? Why would God use war?

[John Weaver] Well, you'll have to come back next week to find out. Now, let me make some applications. I want you to understand just from our study this morning, we can derive this principle. There is a proper and a just violence. That does not mean that all violence is right, but it does mean that there is a proper violence that is right, that is just. There is a war, There is a violence that is grounded in the principles of the justice, holiness, and the wrath of God. And when you find a violence that is grounded in the principles of the justice, and the holiness, and the wrath of God, then you find a just violence and a just war. Secondly, listen carefully, Pacifism. Does everybody know what pacifism is?

[John Weaver] That's when you won't fight. Mennonites are known for their pacifism. The Amish. Pacifism, listen carefully, pacifism is anti-God, anti-Bible, anti-Christian. Why? Because pacifism rejects the fundamental opposition of righteousness and sin. You see, pacifism teaches that the ultimate sin is violence. That's not true. The ultimate sin is not violence. Sin and wickedness and rebellion are wrong. violence is not necessarily wrong. I've shown you because God is using violence, has used violence, and he himself has become engaged in it. There's a proper use of violence. But without a principle of righteousness, without a principle of justice, yes, It is wrong, but when righteousness and justice is there, it is to be a restraint upon evil. Now watch, if you do not have a just violence, if you do not have a just force, if you do not have a just war, then you do not have a restraint upon violence and wickedness. Thus, pacifism then elevates violence and wickedness because it refuses to punish wickedness. and wrong and wicked violence. So pacifism in essence endorses evil and promotes it by failing to punish it.

[John Weaver] Now let me go ahead and tell you this. Thirdly, I want you to understand that God does not make war upon the righteous, but he makes war upon the wicked. And that means, dear friend, You better learn to be right. You see what God does is that God will allow evil to reach a certain level. And then he judges that he punishes it. I'm not going to ask you to take time to turn there, but you remember in Genesis chapter 6. when God told Noah that the wickedness of man had come up before his face and then God sent the flood and drowned those antediluvians. And remember there in Genesis chapter 15 when God was telling Abraham that he and his seed were going to be a stranger in a strange land for 400 years? And then God even told him why.

[John Weaver] He said because the cup of iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. And when 430 years passed, God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt. He put a sword in their hand and said, kill everyone. Why? Because the cup of iniquity had reached the proper level. God doesn't fight against the righteous. God fights against the wicked. Because God is a warrior. We need to learn a warrior's mentality. But the warrior we need to emulate is the Lord God Himself, who fights righteously and justly according to His law and His principles.

[John Weaver] Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank Thee that Thou art indeed a warrior king. We thank Thee that Thou dost indeed fight for Thy people. Does it matter how great or how numerous our enemies are? Thou art the sovereign warrior. Thou art the holy, omnipotent God. who is able to subdue all things and bring all things into subjection to thy son and to thy people. We give thee praise today.

[John Weaver] Instruct us, illuminate us, encourage us. In the name of Christ we pray. Amen. This program was produced by Dominion Ministry. For more information about Pastor Weaver's sermons, you may contact Dominion Ministry by mail at 7400 Abercorn, that's A-B-E-R-C-O-R-N, Street, Suite 705, P-M-B 175, Savannah, Georgia, 31406. Or give us a call at 912 You can also visit our website at www.dominionministry.com

God is a Warrior

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	127111022192
Subject	Church Government
Course	Church Order: Discipline, Enemies, and Institutional Faithfulness
Genre	Sermon
Date	1996-10-27
Dictation Name
Book	Book 039: Church Order and Worship - Volume 1 — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	69

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Need for Biblical Thinking on War

Weaver introduces the series on the biblical doctrine of war, noting the controversy and the need to think scripturally rather than being influenced by humanism. He uses Hosea 8:12 to show that God's truth often seems strange to modern ears.

Lord willing, today I want to begin a series, and when I say a series, I don't know how long I'm going to preach on the subject. I know at least four weeks, but I probably will preach even longer than that on this subject, because I have been thinking about it and praying about it for a good while, on the biblical doctrine of war, or when is it right to fight, or what does the Bible say about these kinds of things. Because there is so much controversy today over this. I want you to look in your Bibles, Hosea chapter 8, and just look at verse 12, and let's read this passage. Hosea 8 verse 12, God says concerning his people, he says,

Scripture Reading — Hosea 8:12

"I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing."

And note what God says,

Scripture Reading — Hosea 8:12

"I've written him the great things of my law, but they're counted as a strange thing."

Let me tell you a joke that I heard while I was gone. I'm going to tell it for two reasons. Number one, I thought it was absolutely hilarious. And number two, it's going to fit right in with what I want to explain to you by way of introduction. The man that told this joke was from New Orleans, and so he told it on two Cajuns, okay? And one of them's name was Boudreaux, and the other was Thibodeau, which are very famous names back in New Orleans. And so Thibodeau saw Boudreaux.

He hadn't seen him in a while. He said, "Boudreaux, where in the world have you been?" He said, "Well, I've been away at college." He said, "Well, what have you been studying?" He said, "I've been studying logic." He said, "What in the world is logic?" He said, "Well, it's a form of reasoning how you arrive at deductions." And Thibodeau said, "I don't understand what you're talking about." He said, "Well, let me try to explain to you. Thibodeau, do you have a dog?" Well, he said, "Yes, I have a dog." Boudreaux said, "Well, if you have a dog, then logic tells me that you probably have a yard." Well, he said, "Yeah, man, I've got a yard." He said, "And logic either further tells me that if you've got a yard, you've probably got a fence around that yard since you live in town." "Yeah," he said, "man, I do have a fence around my yard." He said, "And logic tells me that if you've got a dog and a yard and a fence, you probably have a house on that property as well."

He said, "Yeah, man, I've got a three bedroom house." Well, he said, "You see, the logic tells me further that if you've got a dog and a yard and a fence and a house, that you're probably married." He said, "Yeah, man, I've been married. I got a wife." He said, "You see, the logic tells me that if you're married, then you're not a homosexual." "Oh," he said, "I think I got this." He said, "Let me see if I understand this." He said, "Boudreaux, do you have a dog?" He said, "No man, I don't have a dog." Now, the reason I told that was to demonstrate that's exactly how most people think. They do not think rationally, logically, and let me go further, they do not even think scripturally or biblically. You see, the truth is, humanism has captured the minds and the bodies of Christendom. Our ideas, attitudes, and philosophies, even our actions, are so contrary to the Bible and truth that when we hear Bible truth, we, like these people in Hosea's time, count it as something strange. In other words, we hear God's truth, but we don't believe it. We hear God's truth, but we don't receive it. Why? Because it's strange, it's foreign, it's contrary to what we've heard, contrary to what we believe, and contrary to what we've been taught. In fact, God's truth is usually so contrary to the average person's thinking that when he hears it, he begins to think, well, what I'm hearing has to be wrong. In fact, usually you will find that most people, when they hear real Bible preaching, they think that the preacher is either just making it up or taking it out of context.

The Pervasiveness of the Warrior Theme in Scripture

Weaver provides a broad overview of the warrior theme: God fights for Israel, against Israel when they sin, the prophets foretell a divine warrior, Christ came as a warrior, and Christ will return as a warrior.

Now, when we understand that God is a warrior, it means very obviously we're going to learn to think scripturally and biblically. If we're going to be biblical in our fighting, then very obviously we've got to think the way God thinks on these subjects. Now, let me just first of all give you a broad overview. I want you to understand that the theme of God as a warrior is taught throughout the Bible. It's the main theme of the Bible. For instance, let me give it to you in five statements. First of all, number one, God appears as a warrior who fights for Israel against her flesh and blood enemies. That's number one. God appears as a warrior who fights for Israel against her flesh and blood enemies.

Now, I don't have to take the time to go through the scripture and show you that. Everybody knows how God fought against the gods of Egypt. He fought against the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, the Jebusites, and all of those other items in the Bible. So very obviously, God is a warrior and God fought for Israel against her flesh and blood enemies. Number two, when Israel rebelled and sinned against God, God the warrior fought against Israel. Let me show you that in the Bible very quickly. Turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to 2 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles chapter 24. Number of passages, I'll just show you about three of them. Look in 2nd Chronicles chapter 24 and verse 24. Watch what the Bible says. 2nd Chronicles 24 verse 24:

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 24:24

"For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash."

Now notice, if you would please, God brought a very small handful of Syrians into the land, and God delivered a very great host of his people into their hands. Why? Because the people had sinned against God. Look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles 25 and verse 20. 2 Chronicles 25 verse 20. The Bible says, "But Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom." So here God is fighting against his people because of their sin and their rebellion.

Look in 2 Chronicles 28 at verses 4 and 5.

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 25:20

"He sacrificed also and burned incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of the captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter."

Look in verse 9. "But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the Lord God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven." Note now God is fighting in this passage against Judah. So you're going to find, number one, that God fought against Israel's flesh and blood enemies. But number two, when Israel, either the southern tribe, Judah, or the northern ten tribes sinned against God, God always fought against his people.

Thirdly, the Old Testament ends with the prophets looking forward and proclaiming the advent of a powerful, divine warrior. Thirdly, the Old Testament ends with the prophets looking forward, looking into the future and proclaiming the advent of a powerful divine warrior. Then number four, Christ came as a warrior to deliver his people from sin, Satan, death, and their lesser enemies as well. Christ came as a divine warrior to deliver his people from sin, Satan, death, and their lesser enemies. Look very quickly in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter one. Let me just show you what Zacharias says. Zacharias was the father of John the Baptist, and look at verse 67. He's prophesying, and note what he says. Luke chapter 1, verse 67:

Scripture Reading — Luke 1:67-75

"And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life."

Now this passage deals with the first coming of Christ. So Christ came as a warrior to deliver us from sin, Satan, and death. I could refer you to Hebrews chapter 2 and show you that as well, but also from our lesser enemies. And then number 5, Christ will return a second time as a divine warrior who will judge and destroy both the human and the spiritual enemies of God. So Christ will return a second time as a divine warrior who will judge and destroy the human and spiritual enemies of God.

Now that's just simply an overview in the Bible of God as a warrior. Now, the entire Bible is developed around the theme of God as the divine warrior. In fact, one of the names of God that is given over and over in Scripture is the Lord God of hosts, H-O-S-T-S. When you read, and I'm going to show you some of the passages in just a moment, whenever you read about the Lord God of hosts, you ought to understand the word literally means the Lord God of the armies.

God as the Lord of Hosts (Armies)

The name 'Lord of hosts' means 'Lord of the armies.' Weaver cites multiple passages from 1 Samuel showing this title in contexts of worship, prayer, and battle, emphasizing God's role as commander.

That is, both of heaven and earth. Look in your Bibles, if you would please, to 1 Samuel 1. 1 Samuel 1, and look at verse 3. In fact, I may come back and develop a whole message just around this name of God. But I want you to see how many times it occurs, and I'm just going to show you several of them. But I want you to also note the context in which this occurs. Look in 1 Samuel chapter 1 and verse 3.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 1:3, 11

"And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there."

But note, he went to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts, that is, the God of the armies. Look in verse 11. Here's Hannah praying, "And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid." So she's praying to the God of the armies. Look in 1 Samuel chapter 4 and verse 4. 1 Samuel 4 and verse 4.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 1:3, 11

"So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims."

Note, the Lord of hosts. Look in your Bibles, the 1st Samuel chapter 15 and verse 2. Here in this passage, God is sending Saul on a mission. 1st Samuel chapter 15 verse 2. And that mission, of course, is to destroy all of the Amalekites.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 17:45

"Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt."

Note, thus saith the Lord of the armies. I remember what Amalek did. Now, Saul, I want you to go and to wipe him out. Now, if you will turn to one other passage, 1 Samuel chapter 17, and look at verse 45. Very obviously, here is the story of David fighting Goliath and look at what David says in verse 45.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 17:45

"Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts."

Watch it. The God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. So now he explains who the Lord God of hosts is: he is the God of the armies of Israel.

Now, let me tell you something that I find fascinating. Do you realize that there is an entire book in the Bible that is dedicated to war? Now, most of you, when you think of the entire book that is dedicated to war, you're probably thinking about the book of Joshua. But that's wrong. See, Joshua has an awful lot of war in it. But the book that I'm thinking about is the book of Numbers. I want you to turn, if you would please, to the book of Numbers, and let me show you something.

The Book of Numbers: A Book of War

Weaver argues that the book of Numbers is dedicated to war, as it repeatedly numbers men able to go to war and includes ordinances for warfare. He reads numerous verses to support this.

I get so tickled at people because I don't know how to say it. Sometimes I want to say ignorance, and sometimes I want to say stupidity. But whichever it is, I still get tickled because I have heard preachers say concerning their efforts to get humongous crowds any way that they can get them that will God is interested in numbers even have a book about the Bible. That's Boudreaux and Thibodeau once again, you see. But I want you to know that the Book of Numbers has to deal with war because it has to deal with numbering the army. Look in your Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter 1. Let me just go through this very quickly. I'm not going to show you all of it, but a number of passages. Look in Numbers 1, verse 3.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45

"From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies."

What is the book of Numbers about? It's a book of numbering the men who are able to fight. Look in verse 20.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45

"And the children of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war."

Look at verse 22.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45

"Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war."

Look at verse 24. "Of the children of Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war." Verse 26, "Of the children of Judah, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war." Skip down to verse 28, the latter part, "Of the children of Issachar, all that were able to go forth to war." Skip down to verse 30, "Of the children of Zebulun, all that were able to go forth to war." Look in verse 32, "Of the children of Joseph, namely, of Ephraim, all that were able to go forth to war." Look in verse 34, "Of the children of Manasseh, the last part, all that were able to go forth to war." Look in verse 36, "Of the children of Benjamin, the latter part, all that were able to go forth to war."

Verse 38,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45

"Of the children of Dan, all that were able to go forth to war."

Verse 40,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45

"Of the children of Asher, all that were able to go forth to war."

Verse 42,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45

"Of the children of Naphtali, all that were able to go forth to war."

Verse 45,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45

"So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel."

Note if you look over and over, God says here is the number of all that were able to go forth to war. Now look in your Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter 10, and note verse 9. Numbers 10, verse 9. Watch this, it's a book of war, look what God says. "And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies." Now I'm going to be teaching on this a little bit later, but note if you would what God says.

If you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresses you, then God says, you blow the trumpet. There's an order in which God gives, and you shall be saved from your enemies. Look in your Bibles to the book of Numbers chapter 26. I'm just skipping through this just to show you how this book is a book of war. Doesn't matter where you look, Numbers chapter 26. And note, if you would please, verse 2. God says,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 26:2

"Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers' house, all that are able to go to war in Israel."

Look at Numbers chapter 31 and verse 3. Numbers 31 verse 3. "And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian." Boy, that's a powerful verse. Avenge the Lord. In other words, you execute the Lord's wrath against the Midianites. I'm not going to take the time to read verses 4 through 53, but all of this is how they're selecting the men to go out to fight. So they were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for the war. But I do want you to look at verse 21. Look at verse 21. "And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses."

Scripture Reading — Numbers 31:3, 21

Now it may surprise you, and I'm going to preach on it and teach on it a little bit later, but do you realize there was an ordinance for war? God says, here are my rules for warfare. And Eleazar is going to lay down the ordinances of booty and everything that is there. Then look in Numbers chapter 32 at verse 20. Numbers 32 verse 20. "And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war." Now note that phrase, "armed before the Lord to war." Then look in verse 27, Numbers 32 verse 27. "But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord saith." I'm going to develop that thought a little bit later. But I want you to note that these men went over armed before the Lord.

Now, let me ask a question. Is God a warrior? And the answer is yes. There's not only a whole book in the Bible dedicated to war, but I want you to understand that the way God delivered Israel out of Egypt was by means of war. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 4. Deuteronomy chapter 4. If I took the time today to show you the ten plagues, I would want you to understand that each of those plagues was aimed at one of the gods of Egypt. Literally, what you had in those ten plagues was God warring or fighting against the gods of Egypt. But look in your Bible Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 32 and let's begin and let me show you how God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt. Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 32.

"For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?" So Moses wrote and said it was an act of war on God's part against Egypt and against those false gods when God delivered Israel out of the land. Now, if war and fighting are inherently sinful, that is, if war and fighting are morally wicked and wrong in themselves, question, would God ever engage in such practices?

God's Deliverance of Israel as an Act of War

Deuteronomy 4:34 describes the Exodus as God taking a nation by war. Weaver argues that if war were inherently sinful, God would not engage in it.

And the answer is no. So very obviously, war is not evil in and of itself. Fighting is not evil in and of itself. What does that mean? That means we're going to have to re-educate ourselves. We're going to have to learn to think scripturally and biblically. Listen, there are hard times coming in our country. You say, "Brother Weaver, why in the world are you preaching this?"

God Fights for His People

Weaver cites Deuteronomy 1:30, 3:22, and other passages where God explicitly fights for Israel, demonstrating that fighting is not inherently wrong.

Look in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 1. Let's begin there with verse 30, Deuteronomy chapter 1 and verse 30. Deuteronomy 1 and verse 30. Let's look very carefully at these passages.

Now, if fighting is inherently wicked, if fighting is morally wrong, I want you to explain these passages for me. Deuteronomy chapter 1 verse 30, "The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes." Now who's going to do the fighting? It's God who's going to do the fighting. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 2 beginning there with verse 19, Deuteronomy 2 verse 19.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 2:19-24, 36; 3:2-3, 21-22

"And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession. (That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the Lord destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead: as he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day.)"

Now, twice the Bible has said in this passage that God has destroyed a people. Look in verse 24.

"Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle." God said, you find him. Look if you would in verse 36. "From Aroer, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us: the Lord our God delivered all unto us." Note it is God who is fighting. Look in chapter 3, beginning there with verse 2. "And the Lord said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon." Did you hear that? "So the Lord our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people: and we smote him until none was left to him remaining."

You don't want genocide. You don't want wiping out a people. And it was God who was delivering Og and his people into the hands of the children of Israel. Look, if you would, in verse 21 and 22 of the same chapter. "And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the Lord do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest. Ye shall not fear them: for the Lord your God he shall fight for you."

Now, if fighting is inherently wrong, if war is inherently wicked, explain to me how God can be a warrior and God can be a fighter. Very obviously, they are not inherently wicked in and of themselves. All fighting is not wrong. All war is not wrong. Now granted, there are times that fighting is wicked and wrong. There are times that wars are wicked and wrong. But just because some wars and some fights are wicked and wrong does not mean that all wars are wicked and wrong. I want to show you even further, since God is a warrior, that God even has his own arsenal. You know, every warrior has his weapons. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 50. I want you to know that God has an entire armory. God has an arsenal.

God's Arsenal and His People as Weapons

God has an armory (Jeremiah 50:25) and calls His people His battle axe and weapons of war (Jeremiah 51:20), further proving that war can be righteous.

And he'll never take a license from Janet Reno to have his arsenal either. OK? Watch this. Jeremiah chapter 50 and look at verse 25. Jeremiah 50. Look what the Scripture says.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 50:25

"The Lord hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord God of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans."

Now note the first part. "The Lord hath opened his armoury." You know what an armory is? That's why we call them the National Guard armories. That's where the weapons are stored. The Lord God had opened his armory and had brought forth the weapons of his indignation. Look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 51, verse 20. I'll probably come back to this verse later on in this study. But look what God told his people. He says, "Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war."

"For with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms." Now how's that grab you? God says, "For thou art my battle axe and my weapons of war." Isn't that interesting? We, the people of God, are to be God's battle axe and God's weapons of war. So very obviously, then, fighting in and of itself is not wicked. Wars in and of themselves are not wicked. Otherwise, if they were, God certainly would not be a warrior. But the Bible says that God is a warrior.

Now let me ask another question. If fighting and war were inherently wicked and evil, not only why would God be a warrior, question, why would God also teach others to fight? You say, "Well, Weaver, God doesn't teach people to fight." Oh, yes, I can show you. Look in your Bibles, if you would please, first of all, to the book of Judges, chapter 3. Judges, chapter 3. And let's look at verse 2. Let's find out. In fact, let's read verses 1 and 2. Let's find out why God allowed some of these Canaanites to be left into the land. Judges, chapter 3, beginning with verse 1.

God Teaches His People to Fight

Judges 3:2 says God left nations to teach Israel war. Psalm 18:34 and 144:1 say God teaches hands to war. If fighting were evil, God would not teach it.

"Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof." God said, I left some enemies in here just to teach you how to fight, just to teach you about war. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 18. Psalm 18, verse 34. Psalm 18, verse 34. Look what David says. David says, "He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms." Who was it that taught David how to fight? David said, God taught me how to fight. God taught my hands to war, so much so that a bow of steel is broken in my arms. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 144, beginning there with verse 1, and let's read 1 and 2. Psalm 144. You will also find this exact same truth taught in 2 Samuel 22 and verse 35.

But look in Psalm 144. David says in verse 1, "Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: my goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me." So David says, "Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight." So very obviously, if fighting and wars were inherently evil and wicked in and of themselves, then God would not be a warrior, nor would God be teaching other people to fight as well.

God Preserves Warriors and Directs Wars

1 Chronicles 18 shows God preserving David in war. Numbers 21:14 mentions 'the book of the wars of the Lord.' Exodus 15:3 declares 'The Lord is a man of war.' God is captain of His host (Joshua 5:13-15).

I want you to turn in your Bibles to First Chronicles, chapter 18, and let me show you another truth. You see, if war and fighting are inherently wicked, here's another question. Why would God preserve those who were engaged in such practices? Notice, if you would, in 1 Chronicles chapter 18. 1 Chronicles 18, and let's begin with verse 6. "Then David put garrisons in Syria-damascus; and the Syrians became David's servants, and brought gifts. Thus the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went." Now we should note that this is in the context of war. It's in the context of fighting. Thus the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went. Skip down to verse 13. "And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became David's servants. Thus the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went." What's God doing? God is providentially protecting and preserving David as he fights.

By the way, I want you to know that's the only reason anyone ever comes out alive from any war, is God's providential preservation and protection. I remember when I was in service, we went out to what they called a fire fight. It was at night. There was a 12-man squad. And back then, the weapon was a BAR, a Browning Automatic Rifle. And some of you men who've been in service know what I'm talking about. You had 12 men. The man on each end had a BAR.

And the others just usually had M1's or something similar to that. But every one of them had a field of fire and those fields of fire crossed. So that means if I'm sitting here, my field of fire would be from Chester to Ed. If Don was over here, his would be maybe from Chester to Ed this way or whatever. In other words, all the fires crisscross. Every fifth bullet was a tracer. Every fifth one. That means for every, every fifth bullet had a red streak. That meant for every red streak you saw, there were four bullets that you didn't see. When they put on that field of fire for all these new recruits, and I was one of them, all you could see was a solid sheet of red.

And I remember thinking, "Oh, Lord, how will anybody ever get through that?" And yet men crawl through that through war after war. Miraculously. Why? Only because God preserved them. That's what the Bible says about David. God was preserving David, whithersoever he went. And in the context, it's dealing with fighting.

Now, let me just try to bring to a head this message on God is a warrior and then make some applications. He said, "Brother Weaver, I'm still not convinced." Well, let me show you. Turning your Bible first of all to the book of Numbers chapter 21, the book of Numbers chapter 21. If these two main passages cannot show you the truth, you're not going to believe it if I showed you forty million passages. Look in the book of Numbers chapter 21 and note verse 14. Numbers 21 verse 14. "Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon." What? Did you know that all of those wars in the Old Testament that were fought on the direction of God are referred to as the wars of the Lord? The wars of the Lord. Numbers 21, verse 14, "Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord, what he did." So all of those wars that Israel engaged in at the direction and the quest of God, it was referred to as the wars of the Lord.

They're God's wars. God initiated them. God brought them to an end. If that passage is not sufficient, I want you to look back in your Bibles to the book of Exodus, chapter 15, and verse 3. And certainly I saved this passage until now. Exodus, chapter 15. In fact, let's begin reading it with verse 1. Exodus, chapter 15, verse 1. Watch carefully, "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name." Did you see that? The Lord, that is, Jehovah, Yahweh, is a man of war. Jehovah is his name.

Now, let me just show you. Since God is a man of war, I want you to understand that he is always captain of his hosts. Look in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Joshua. Joshua chapter 5 to begin with. You remember the people are about to fight against Jericho. Their first real battle. Look in Joshua 5 verse 13. "And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand."

Now, that would get your attention, wouldn't it? That's kind of like you stepping out of this building, and there's a fellow pointing a .357 Magnum at your head. I mean, you'd do a little double-take. Well, he sees this man with a sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua walks up to him, and look what he asks. He asks, "Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?" Well, that's a logical question. Are you for me or against me? That's what I want to know. Somebody points a pistol my way. Are you one of me or are you one of them? I want to know. Look what the answer comes. "And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so." What did God tell Joshua? Joshua, I came to direct.

I'm the head of this army. I'm the captain. I'll tell you what to do. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to 2 Chronicles chapter 13 and verse 12. 2 Chronicles 13 verse 12. Look what the king says. "And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper." Now this was a war between Israel and Judah. And the King of Judah said, "Behold, God himself is with us as our captain." And of course, if you read the context, you'll find that Judah whipped the daylights out of Israel because Israel had sinned against God. But he said, "God is with us as our captain." Now, I want you to turn back in your Bible to 2 Chronicles chapter 6, because here's an interesting verse. God, as captain of his host, often sends for his armies.

God Sends, Ambushes, and Fights for His People

2 Chronicles 6:34 shows God sending people to war. 2 Chronicles 20:22 shows God setting ambushes. 1 Chronicles 5:22 says 'the war was of God.'

Look at this prayer. This is Solomon's prayer when he is dedicating the temple to God. Look in verse 34. He says, "If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name; then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause." Those sending the people out to war, someone tell me, God is. By the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name's sake, then hear thou, and he goes on. But he said that thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them. So God then, as captain, sends forth his people to war. I want you to look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 20 and verse 22. Because here's an interesting verse you will find that God is not only captain, God only sends his people to fight, but God himself often times sets ambushes for his enemies. 2 Chronicles chapter 20 verse 22.

"And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten." Why were they smitten? Because God ambushed them. God set His ambushes. He's a man of war. And if you'll turn over in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 20 while we're there, look in verse 17. I want you to see that sometimes God's people need not even fight, because God fights the battle himself. He says in verse 17, "Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you." They didn't have to fight. God discomfited them.

Fear not, nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you. They didn't have to fight. God discomfited them.

Now, I want you to turn to one last passage, 1 Chronicles 5, and look at verse 22. 1 Chronicles 5 and verse 22. I'm going to try to reconcile some of these passages for you in the following weeks, but I want you to look at this passage. 1 Chronicles 5 verse 22. "For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity." Did you hear that? And there fell down many slain. That is, many people were killed. Why? Because the war was of God. You say, "Brother Weaver, how in the world can God use war? Why would God use war?"

Applications: Just Violence and the Error of Pacifism

Weaver concludes that there is a proper, just violence grounded in God's justice. Pacifism is anti-God because it rejects the opposition of righteousness and sin, effectively endorsing evil by failing to punish it.

Well, you'll have to come back next week to find out. Now, let me make some applications. I want you to understand just from our study this morning, we can derive this principle. There is a proper and a just violence. That does not mean that all violence is right, but it does mean that there is a proper violence that is right, that is just. There is a war, there is a violence that is grounded in the principles of the justice, holiness, and the wrath of God. And when you find a violence that is grounded in the principles of the justice, and the holiness, and the wrath of God, then you find a just violence and a just war. Secondly, listen carefully, pacifism. Does everybody know what pacifism is?

That's when you won't fight. Mennonites are known for their pacifism. The Amish. Pacifism, listen carefully, pacifism is anti-God, anti-Bible, anti-Christian. Why? Because pacifism rejects the fundamental opposition of righteousness and sin. You see, pacifism teaches that the ultimate sin is violence. That's not true. The ultimate sin is not violence. Sin and wickedness and rebellion are wrong. Violence is not necessarily wrong. I've shown you because God is using violence, has used violence, and he himself has become engaged in it. There's a proper use of violence. But without a principle of righteousness, without a principle of justice, yes, it is wrong, but when righteousness and justice is there, it is to be a restraint upon evil. Now watch, if you do not have a just violence, if you do not have a just force, if you do not have a just war, then you do not have a restraint upon violence and wickedness. Thus, pacifism then elevates violence and wickedness because it refuses to punish wickedness and wrong and wicked violence. So pacifism in essence endorses evil and promotes it by failing to punish it.

Now let me go ahead and tell you this. Thirdly, I want you to understand that God does not make war upon the righteous, but he makes war upon the wicked. And that means, dear friend, you better learn to be right. You see what God does is that God will allow evil to reach a certain level. And then he judges that he punishes it. I'm not going to ask you to take time to turn there, but you remember in Genesis chapter 6 when God told Noah that the wickedness of man had come up before his face and then God sent the flood and drowned those antediluvians. And remember there in Genesis chapter 15 when God was telling Abraham that he and his seed were going to be a stranger in a strange land for 400 years? And then God even told him why.

God Wars Against the Wicked, Not the Righteous

God allows evil to reach a certain level before judging it, as in the flood and the conquest of Canaan. Believers must learn a warrior mentality that emulates God's righteous fighting.

He said because the cup of iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. And when 430 years passed, God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt. He put a sword in their hand and said, kill everyone. Why? Because the cup of iniquity had reached the proper level. God doesn't fight against the righteous. God fights against the wicked. Because God is a warrior. We need to learn a warrior's mentality. But the warrior we need to emulate is the Lord God Himself, who fights righteously and justly according to His law and His principles.

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank Thee that Thou art indeed a warrior king. We thank Thee that Thou dost indeed fight for Thy people. Does it matter how great or how numerous our enemies are? Thou art the sovereign warrior. Thou art the holy, omnipotent God, who is able to subdue all things and bring all things into subjection to thy Son and to thy people. We give thee praise today.

Study Guide

Major Themes

God as a Warrior

Summary: The central theme is that God is portrayed throughout Scripture as a warrior who fights against His enemies and for His people, challenging the notion that war is inherently sinful.

Evidence: Exodus 15:3: 'The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.' Also, the repeated use of 'Lord of hosts' (armies) and the book of Numbers as a book of war.

The Legitimacy of Biblical Fighting

Summary: Fighting and war are not inherently evil; they can be righteous when grounded in God's justice, holiness, and wrath. God engages in, commands, and teaches war.

Evidence: Deuteronomy 1:30: 'The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you.' Psalm 144:1: 'Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war.'

The Error of Pacifism

Summary: Pacifism is anti-God and anti-biblical because it rejects the fundamental opposition between righteousness and sin, and by refusing to punish evil, it effectively endorses and promotes wickedness.

Evidence: Pacifism teaches that the ultimate sin is violence. But without a just violence, there is no restraint upon wickedness. Pacifism elevates violence by failing to punish it.

God's Judgment on the Wicked

Summary: God makes war on the wicked, not the righteous. He allows evil to reach a certain level before executing judgment, as seen in the flood and the conquest of Canaan.

Evidence: Genesis 6 (the flood), Genesis 15 (the iniquity of the Amorites not yet full), and the command to destroy the Canaanites.

The Need for Scriptural Thinking

Summary: Humanism has captured the minds of Christendom, causing people to reject biblical truth as strange. Believers must re-educate themselves to think biblically about war and fighting.

Evidence: Hosea 8:12: 'I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.' The joke about logic illustrates irrational thinking.

Key Arguments

War is not inherently sinful because God is a warrior

Summary: If war were inherently evil, a holy God would not engage in it. Scripture repeatedly calls God a warrior and describes His acts of war.

Evidence: Exodus 15:3: 'The Lord is a man of war.' Deuteronomy 4:34 describes the Exodus as an act of war. God fights for Israel (Deut. 1:30, 3:22).

God commands and teaches war, proving its legitimacy

Summary: God left nations to teach Israel war (Judges 3:2), taught David's hands to war (Psalm 18:34, 144:1), and sent His people to war (2 Chron. 6:34).

Evidence: Judges 3:2: 'to teach them war.' Psalm 144:1: 'which teacheth my hands to war.' 2 Chronicles 6:34: 'If thy people go out to war... by the way that thou shalt send them.'

The book of Numbers is a book of war

Summary: The book of Numbers repeatedly numbers men able to go to war and contains ordinances for war, demonstrating that war is a central biblical theme.

Evidence: Numbers 1:3: 'all that are able to go forth to war.' Numbers 31:21: 'the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses' regarding war.

God has an arsenal and uses His people as weapons

Summary: God has an armory (Jer. 50:25) and calls His people His battle axe and weapons of war (Jer. 51:20), indicating that war can be a divine instrument.

Evidence: Jeremiah 50:25: 'The Lord hath opened his armoury.' Jeremiah 51:20: 'Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war.'

Pacifism is anti-God because it fails to restrain evil

Summary: Pacifism rejects the opposition of righteousness and sin, making violence the ultimate sin. Without just force, wickedness is unrestrained, so pacifism effectively promotes evil.

Evidence: Pacifism teaches that the ultimate sin is violence. But without a just violence, there is no restraint upon wickedness. Pacifism endorses evil by failing to punish it.

God wars against the wicked, not the righteous

Summary: God's warfare is always just, targeting wickedness when it reaches a certain level. Believers must align with God's righteousness to avoid being on the receiving end of His judgment.

Evidence: Genesis 6 (flood), Genesis 15 (Amorites' iniquity), and the command to destroy the Canaanites. 'God does not make war upon the righteous, but he makes war upon the wicked.'

Scripture References

Hosea 8:12

Context: Weaver uses this verse to illustrate that God's truth often seems strange to people because of humanistic thinking.

2 Chronicles 24:24

Context: God delivered a great host of His people into the hands of a small Syrian army because they had forsaken Him, showing God fights against His own people when they sin.

2 Chronicles 25:20

Context: God delivered Amaziah into the hand of his enemies because they sought after the gods of Edom.

2 Chronicles 28:4-5, 9

Context: God delivered Judah into the hands of Syria and Israel because of their idolatry, demonstrating God as a warrior against His own people.

Luke 1:67-75

Context: Zacharias' prophecy that Christ came to deliver His people from their enemies, showing Christ as a divine warrior.

1 Samuel 1:3, 11

Context: The title 'Lord of hosts' (armies) is used in worship and prayer, emphasizing God's role as commander.

1 Samuel 4:4

Context: The ark of the covenant is associated with the Lord of hosts.

1 Samuel 15:2

Context: The Lord of hosts commands Saul to destroy the Amalekites.

1 Samuel 17:45

Context: David confronts Goliath in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel.

Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45

Context: The book of Numbers repeatedly numbers men able to go to war, showing it is a book of war.

Numbers 10:9

Context: God instructs Israel to blow trumpets when they go to war, promising to save them from their enemies.

Numbers 26:2

Context: God commands a census of all men able to go to war.

Numbers 31:3, 21

Context: Moses arms men for war against Midian to avenge the Lord; Eleazar gives the ordinance of the law for war.

Numbers 32:20, 27

Context: Men go armed before the Lord to war.

Deuteronomy 4:32-34

Context: God delivered Israel from Egypt by war, signs, and wonders.

Deuteronomy 1:30

Context: The Lord fights for Israel as He did in Egypt.

Deuteronomy 2:19-24, 36; 3:2-3, 21-22

Context: God destroys enemies and delivers them into Israel's hands, fighting for them.

Jeremiah 50:25

Context: The Lord has opened His armory and brought forth weapons of indignation.

Jeremiah 51:20

Context: God calls His people His battle axe and weapons of war to break nations and destroy kingdoms.

Judges 3:1-2

Context: God left nations to teach Israel war.

Historical References

The Exodus and the ten plagues as war against the gods of Egypt

Context: Weaver mentions that the ten plagues were God warring against the gods of Egypt, and the Exodus is described as an act of war in Deuteronomy 4:34.

The conquest of Canaan and the destruction of the Canaanites

Context: Weaver refers to God fighting against the Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites, and others, and the command to destroy them when their iniquity was full.

The flood in Noah's day as God's judgment

Context: Weaver cites Genesis 6, where God sent the flood because the wickedness of man had come up before Him.

The 400-year sojourn in Egypt and the iniquity of the Amorites

Context: Weaver references Genesis 15, where God told Abraham his descendants would be strangers in a strange land for 400 years because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full.

David's wars and God's preservation

Context: Weaver discusses David's military campaigns in 1 Chronicles 18, where God preserved him in war.

The war between Judah and Israel in 2 Chronicles 13

Context: Weaver mentions the battle where Judah defeated Israel because God was their captain.

The Amalekite destruction commanded in 1 Samuel 15

Context: God as Lord of hosts commands Saul to destroy the Amalekites for what they did to Israel.

The battle of Jericho and the captain of the Lord's host

Context: Joshua encounters the divine commander before the battle of Jericho in Joshua 5.

Important Quotes

The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.

Significance: This is the central proof text that God is a warrior, directly from Scripture.

I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

Significance: Weaver uses this to explain why biblical truth about war seems strange to modern ears.

The Lord hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation.

Significance: Shows that God has an arsenal and actively uses weapons of judgment.

Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.

Significance: David praises God for teaching him to fight, proving that fighting skill is a divine gift.

Pacifism is anti-God, anti-Bible, anti-Christian.

Significance: A strong, direct statement of Weaver's conclusion about pacifism.

There is a proper and a just violence.

Significance: Summarizes the principle that not all violence is wrong; some is grounded in God's justice.

Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon.

Significance: Shows that Israel's wars were considered the Lord's wars, recorded in a book.

Discussion Questions

How does the title 'Lord of hosts' shape our understanding of God's character and His relationship to war?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that 'hosts' means armies, and this title appears frequently in contexts of battle and worship.

In what ways does the book of Numbers challenge the common perception that the Bible is primarily about peace and love?

Context: Weaver argues that Numbers is a book of war, focused on numbering troops and giving ordinances for battle.

If God is a warrior, how should that affect our view of church discipline, family discipline, and civil justice?

Context: Weaver connects the legitimacy of fighting to the validity of discipline in various spheres, arguing that discipline is a form of fighting against wickedness.

What is the difference between just violence and unjust violence according to the principles Weaver outlines?

Context: Weaver states that just violence is grounded in the justice, holiness, and wrath of God, while unjust violence lacks that foundation.

How does pacifism, by refusing to use force, actually promote evil?

Context: Weaver argues that without just force, there is no restraint on wickedness, so pacifism effectively endorses evil.

What does it mean that 'the war was of God' (1 Chronicles 5:22), and how should that influence our thinking about modern conflicts?

Context: Weaver cites this verse to show that some wars are initiated and directed by God, raising questions about discerning God's will in warfare.

How can we cultivate a 'warrior mentality' that is biblical and not merely aggressive or violent?

Context: Weaver concludes that we need to emulate God as a warrior who fights righteously and justly according to His law.

Applications

Re-educate ourselves to think biblically about war and fighting

Summary: Believers must reject humanistic thinking and align their views on war with Scripture, recognizing that God is a warrior and that fighting can be righteous.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We're going to have to re-educate ourselves. We're going to have to learn to think scripturally and biblically.'

Prepare in advance to know when to fight

Summary: Weaver warns that if you wait until you are in a crisis to decide whether to fight, it will be too late. You must know God's rules beforehand.

Evidence: If you ever get in a pinch and you have to sit there and wonder, well, should I fight or should I not fight? It's too late. You're dead.

Recognize that discipline is a form of righteous fighting

Summary: Church discipline, family discipline, and civil justice are all means of fighting against wickedness, and denying the validity of fighting undermines these.

Evidence: When you deny the validity of fighting, you are denying the validity of church discipline, of family discipline, of civil justice.

Reject pacifism as unbiblical

Summary: Pacifism is anti-God because it fails to oppose evil with just force. Believers should not adopt a pacifist stance.

Evidence: Pacifism is anti-God, anti-Bible, anti-Christian. Pacifism in essence endorses evil and promotes it by failing to punish it.

Emulate God's righteous warrior character

Summary: Believers should learn a warrior mentality that reflects God's own character—fighting righteously and justly according to His law.

Evidence: We need to learn a warrior's mentality. But the warrior we need to emulate is the Lord God Himself, who fights righteously and justly.

Understand that God fights for His people

Summary: Believers can take comfort that God is a warrior who fights on their behalf against spiritual and physical enemies.

Evidence: We thank Thee that Thou art indeed a warrior king. We thank Thee that Thou dost indeed fight for Thy people.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T22:34:25Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T14:02:52Z

Clean Transcript

God is a Warrior

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Lord willing, today I want to begin a series, and when I say a series, I don't know how long I'm going to preach on the subject. I know at least four weeks, but I probably will preach even longer than that on this subject, because I have been thinking about it and praying about it for a good while, on the biblical doctrine of war, or when is it right to fight, or what does the Bible say about these kinds of things. Because there is so much controversy today over this. I want you to look in your Bibles, Hosea chapter 8, and just look at verse 12, and let's read this passage. Hosea 8 verse 12, God says concerning his people, he says, "I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing." And note what God says, "I've written him the great things of my law, but they're counted as a strange thing."
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Let me tell you a joke that I heard while I was gone. I'm going to tell it for two reasons. Number one, I thought it was absolutely hilarious. And number two, it's going to fit right in with what I want to explain to you by way of introduction. The man that told this joke was from New Orleans, and so he told it on two Cajuns, okay? And one of them's name was Boudreaux, and the other was Thibodeau, which are very famous names back in New Orleans. And so Thibodeau saw Boudreaux.
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He hadn't seen him in a while. He said, "Boudreaux, where in the world have you been?" He said, "Well, I've been away at college." He said, "Well, what have you been studying?" He said, "I've been studying logic." He said, "What in the world is logic?" He said, "Well, it's a form of reasoning how you arrive at deductions." And Thibodeau said, "I don't understand what you're talking about." He said, "Well, let me try to explain to you. Thibodeau, do you have a dog?" Well, he said, "Yes, I have a dog." Boudreaux said, "Well, if you have a dog, then logic tells me that you probably have a yard." Well, he said, "Yeah, man, I've got a yard." He said, "And logic either further tells me that if you've got a yard, you've probably got a fence around that yard since you live in town." "Yeah," he said, "man, I do have a fence around my yard." He said, "And logic tells me that if you've got a dog and a yard and a fence, you probably have a house on that property as well."
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He said, "Yeah, man, I've got a three bedroom house." Well, he said, "You see, the logic tells me further that if you've got a dog and a yard and a fence and a house, that you're probably married." He said, "Yeah, man, I've been married. I got a wife." He said, "You see, the logic tells me that if you're married, then you're not a homosexual." "Oh," he said, "I think I got this." He said, "Let me see if I understand this." He said, "Boudreaux, do you have a dog?" He said, "No man, I don't have a dog."
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Now, the reason I told that was to demonstrate that's exactly how most people think. They do not think rationally, logically, and let me go further, they do not even think scripturally or biblically. You see, the truth is, humanism has captured the minds and the bodies of Christendom. Our ideas, attitudes, and philosophies, even our actions, are so contrary to the Bible and truth that when we hear Bible truth, we, like these people in Hosea's time, count it as something strange. In other words, we hear God's truth, but we don't believe it. We hear God's truth, but we don't receive it. Why? Because it's strange, it's foreign, it's contrary to what we've heard, contrary to what we believe, and contrary to what we've been taught. In fact, God's truth is usually so contrary to the average person's thinking that when he hears it, he begins to think, well, what I'm hearing has to be wrong. In fact, usually you will find that most people, when they hear real Bible preaching, they think that the preacher is either just making it up or taking it out of context.
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Or they explain it and they just say, well, that's just simply his opinion. And so they simply do not want to do anything then or receive anything that's contrary to what they taught or contrary to what they believed all of their life. And the fact is, most people are willing to believe and continue to believe error rather than truth. I'm going to amply illustrate that for you today in the message that I'm going to be preaching. The message is entitled, "God is a Warrior." God is a Warrior. You see, just the very statement of that truth is strange to our ears because we do not think of God in terms of a warrior. We certainly do not think of God as a warrior God. We have been taught all of our lives that war is wrong, or that God does not approve of war, or that war is a necessary evil. Sometimes it is necessary, but it's still evil. That's what we've heard. That's what we've been taught. In fact, I have known people, adults, who refused to allow their little boys to play with guns, little clay guns.
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They refused to let them wrestle and tussle with their friends because they did not want their children to grow up and have a fighting mentality or a warrior mentality. Let me tell you something, and of course this is a different subject, but do you realize that every man is aggressive by nature? It's called dominion. OK, that's the biblical term, but that's a fact. I'm thinking of one individual right now who raised that little boy and never had never seen a gun. Didn't watch TV. And she was so protective of this little child. And one day she looked outside and he had picked up a stick and was going pow, pow, pow.
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She said, "Where he got it, I don't know. But he got it." But, you know, we've come with the idea that all fighting is wrong. Let me ask a series of questions before I begin today. Here's a question. Is it right to fight against sin? Very obviously the answer is yes. Is it right to fight against wickedness? And the answer is yes. Is it right to fight for freedom? Yes. Is it right to fight to preserve one's life? Yes. Is it right to fight to preserve the lives of other people? And the answer is yes. Is it right to fight for truth, justice, and righteousness? And the answer is yes. Now, if you come along and say, well, all fighting is wrong, then I have a question to ask you. Why does God fight? And the Bible does say that God is a warrior and that God does fight.
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You see, if one denies the validity and the morality of fighting, he not only accuses God of being immoral and wicked, but at the same time, when he denies the validity of fighting, he is denying the validity of church discipline, of family discipline, of civil justice or civil discipline, because church discipline and family discipline and civil discipline is nothing more than a means of fighting against wickedness. I mean, when you chastise your child, you don't chastise a child for being a child. You chastise a child because he's done something wicked and wrong. You don't discipline a church member just because they're human. You discipline them because they're sinful and wicked and are failing to repent. When you discipline someone for violating the law of the land, that's fighting against anarchy and rebellion. So when you make a point-blank statement that fighting is wicked or fighting is wrong, not only are you accusing God of being immoral and wicked, you're invalidating all of the discipline that we have in the land.
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Now, the truth of the matter is this. We must learn to fight, but we must learn to fight biblically in order to preserve ourselves, our church, our society, and even our nation. It may surprise you that the word war, w-a-r, milhamah in the Hebrew, occurs 313 times in the Old Testament alone.
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Now, that's not talking about the words fighting, army, armory. That's just the word war. The word war occurs 313 times in the Old Testament. The word war, polemos in the Greek, occurs 18 times in the New Testament. So very obviously there is a lot of scripture that deals with the subject of war.
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Now, when we understand that God is a warrior, it means very obviously we're going to learn to think scripturally and biblically. If we're going to be biblical in our fighting, then very obviously we've got to think the way God thinks on these subjects.
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Now, let me just first of all give you a broad overview. I want you to understand that the theme of God as a warrior is taught throughout the Bible. It's the main theme of the Bible. For instance, let me give it to you in five statements. First of all, number one, God appears as a warrior who fights for Israel against her flesh and blood enemies. That's number one. God appears as a warrior who fights for Israel against her flesh and blood enemies.
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Now, I don't have to take the time to go through the scripture and show you that. Everybody knows how God fought against the gods of Egypt. He fought against the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, the Jebusites, and all of those other items in the Bible. So very obviously, God is a warrior and God fought for Israel against her flesh and blood enemies. Number two, when Israel rebelled and sinned against God, God the warrior fought against Israel. Let me show you that in the Bible very quickly.
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Turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to 2 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles chapter 24. Number of passages, I'll just show you about three of them. Look in 2nd Chronicles chapter 24 and verse 24. Watch what the Bible says. 2nd Chronicles 24 verse 24: "For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash." Now notice, if you would please, God brought a very small handful of Syrians into the land, and God delivered a very great host of his people into their hands. Why? Because the people had sinned against God. Look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles 25 and verse 20. 2 Chronicles 25 verse 20. The Bible says, "But Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom." So here God is fighting against his people because of their sin and their rebellion.
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Look in 2 Chronicles 28 at verses 4 and 5. "He sacrificed also and burned incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of the captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter." Look in verse 9. "But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the Lord God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven." Note now God is fighting in this passage against Judah. So you're going to find, number one, that God fought against Israel's flesh and blood enemies. But number two, when Israel, either the southern tribe, Judah, or the northern ten tribes sinned against God, God always fought against his people.
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Thirdly, the Old Testament ends with the prophets looking forward and proclaiming the advent of a powerful, divine warrior. Thirdly, the Old Testament ends with the prophets looking forward, looking into the future and proclaiming the advent of a powerful divine warrior. Then number four, Christ came as a warrior to deliver his people from sin, Satan, death, and their lesser enemies as well. Christ came as a divine warrior to deliver his people from sin, Satan, death, and their lesser enemies.
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Look very quickly in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter one. Let me just show you what Zacharias says. Zacharias was the father of John the Baptist, and look at verse 67. He's prophesying, and note what he says. Luke chapter 1, verse 67: "And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life."
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Now this passage deals with the first coming of Christ. So Christ came as a warrior to deliver us from sin, Satan, and death. I could refer you to Hebrews chapter 2 and show you that as well, but also from our lesser enemies. And then number 5, Christ will return a second time as a divine warrior who will judge and destroy both the human and the spiritual enemies of God. So Christ will return a second time as a divine warrior who will judge and destroy the human and spiritual enemies of God.
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Now that's just simply an overview in the Bible of God as a warrior. Now, the entire Bible is developed around the theme of God as the divine warrior. In fact, one of the names of God that is given over and over in Scripture is the Lord God of hosts, H-O-S-T-S. When you read, and I'm going to show you some of the passages in just a moment, whenever you read about the Lord God of hosts, you ought to understand the word literally means the Lord God of the armies.
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That is, both of heaven and earth. Look in your Bibles, if you would please, to 1 Samuel 1. 1 Samuel 1, and look at verse 3. In fact, I may come back and develop a whole message just around this name of God. But I want you to see how many times it occurs, and I'm just going to show you several of them. But I want you to also note the context in which this occurs. Look in 1 Samuel chapter 1 and verse 3.
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"And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there." But note, he went to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts, that is, the God of the armies. Look in verse 11. Here's Hannah praying, "And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid." So she's praying to the God of the armies. Look in 1 Samuel chapter 4 and verse 4. 1 Samuel 4 and verse 4. "So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims." Note, the Lord of hosts. Look in your Bibles, the 1st Samuel chapter 15 and verse 2. Here in this passage, God is sending Saul on a mission. 1st Samuel chapter 15 verse 2. And that mission, of course, is to destroy all of the Amalekites.
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"Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt." Note, thus saith the Lord of the armies. I remember what Amalek did.
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Now, Saul, I want you to go and to wipe him out. Now, if you will turn to one other passage, 1 Samuel chapter 17, and look at verse 45. Very obviously, here is the story of David fighting Goliath and look at what David says in verse 45. "Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts." Watch it.
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The God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. So now he explains who the Lord God of hosts is: he is the God of the armies of Israel.
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Now, let me tell you something that I find fascinating. Do you realize that there is an entire book in the Bible that is dedicated to war? Now, most of you, when you think of the entire book that is dedicated to war, you're probably thinking about the book of Joshua. But that's wrong. See, Joshua has an awful lot of war in it. But the book that I'm thinking about is the book of Numbers. I want you to turn, if you would please, to the book of Numbers, and let me show you something.
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I get so tickled at people because I don't know how to say it. Sometimes I want to say ignorance, and sometimes I want to say stupidity. But whichever it is, I still get tickled because I have heard preachers say concerning their efforts to get humongous crowds any way that they can get them that will God is interested in numbers even have a book about the Bible. That's Boudreaux and Thibodeau once again, you see. But I want you to know that the Book of Numbers has to deal with war because it has to deal with numbering the army. Look in your Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter 1.
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Let me just go through this very quickly. I'm not going to show you all of it, but a number of passages. Look in Numbers 1, verse 3. "From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies." What is the book of Numbers about? It's a book of numbering the men who are able to fight. Look in verse 20. "And the children of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war." Look at verse 22. "Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war."
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Look at verse 24. "Of the children of Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war." Verse 26, "Of the children of Judah, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war." Skip down to verse 28, the latter part, "Of the children of Issachar, all that were able to go forth to war." Skip down to verse 30, "Of the children of Zebulun, all that were able to go forth to war." Look in verse 32, "Of the children of Joseph, namely, of Ephraim, all that were able to go forth to war." Look in verse 34, "Of the children of Manasseh, the last part, all that were able to go forth to war." Look in verse 36, "Of the children of Benjamin, the latter part, all that were able to go forth to war."
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Verse 38, "Of the children of Dan, all that were able to go forth to war." Verse 40, "Of the children of Asher, all that were able to go forth to war." Verse 42, "Of the children of Naphtali, all that were able to go forth to war." Verse 45, "So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel." Note if you look over and over, God says here is the number of all that were able to go forth to war. Now look in your Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter 10, and note verse 9. Numbers 10, verse 9. Watch this, it's a book of war, look what God says. "And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies." Now I'm going to be teaching on this a little bit later, but note if you would what God says.
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If you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresses you, then God says, you blow the trumpet. There's an order in which God gives, and you shall be saved from your enemies. Look in your Bibles to the book of Numbers chapter 26. I'm just skipping through this just to show you how this book is a book of war. Doesn't matter where you look, Numbers chapter 26.
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And note, if you would please, verse 2. God says, "Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers' house, all that are able to go to war in Israel." Look at Numbers chapter 31 and verse 3. Numbers 31 verse 3. "And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian." Boy, that's a powerful verse. Avenge the Lord. In other words, you execute the Lord's wrath against the Midianites. I'm not going to take the time to read verses 4 through 53, but all of this is how they're selecting the men to go out to fight. So they were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for the war. But I do want you to look at verse 21. Look at verse 21. "And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses."
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Now it may surprise you, and I'm going to preach on it and teach on it a little bit later, but do you realize there was an ordinance for war? God says, here are my rules for warfare. And Eleazar is going to lay down the ordinances of booty and everything that is there. Then look in Numbers chapter 32 at verse 20. Numbers 32 verse 20. "And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war." Now note that phrase, "armed before the Lord to war." Then look in verse 27, Numbers 32 verse 27. "But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord saith." I'm going to develop that thought a little bit later. But I want you to note that these men went over armed before the Lord.
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Now, let me ask a question. Is God a warrior? And the answer is yes. There's not only a whole book in the Bible dedicated to war, but I want you to understand that the way God delivered Israel out of Egypt was by means of war. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 4. Deuteronomy chapter 4. If I took the time today to show you the ten plagues, I would want you to understand that each of those plagues was aimed at one of the gods of Egypt. Literally, what you had in those ten plagues was God warring or fighting against the gods of Egypt. But look in your Bible Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 32 and let's begin and let me show you how God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt. Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 32.
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"For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?" So Moses wrote and said it was an act of war on God's part against Egypt and against those false gods when God delivered Israel out of the land. Now, if war and fighting are inherently sinful, that is, if war and fighting are morally wicked and wrong in themselves, question, would God ever engage in such practices?
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And the answer is no. So very obviously, war is not evil in and of itself. Fighting is not evil in and of itself. What does that mean? That means we're going to have to re-educate ourselves. We're going to have to learn to think scripturally and biblically. Listen, there are hard times coming in our country. You say, "Brother Weaver, why in the world are you preaching this?"
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Let me tell you something. If you ever get in a pinch and if you ever get in a corner and you have to sit there and wonder, well, should I fight or should I not fight? It's too late. You're dead. You better know what God says about the subject before that time ever comes. You better have your mind made up. You better say, I know what the Bible says, I know what God's rules are and therefore I'm going to obey God. You see, it's not wrong to fight for the right reasons. It is not wrong even to war for the right reasons. Let me show you how that God himself fights.
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Look in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 1. Let's begin there with verse 30, Deuteronomy chapter 1 and verse 30. Deuteronomy 1 and verse 30. Let's look very carefully at these passages.
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Now, if fighting is inherently wicked, if fighting is morally wrong, I want you to explain these passages for me. Deuteronomy chapter 1 verse 30, "The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes." Now who's going to do the fighting? It's God who's going to do the fighting. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 2 beginning there with verse 19, Deuteronomy 2 verse 19.
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"And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession. (That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the Lord destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead: as he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day.)" Now, twice the Bible has said in this passage that God has destroyed a people. Look in verse 24.
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"Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle." God said, you find him. Look if you would in verse 36. "From Aroer, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us: the Lord our God delivered all unto us." Note it is God who is fighting. Look in chapter 3, beginning there with verse 2. "And the Lord said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon." Did you hear that? "So the Lord our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people: and we smote him until none was left to him remaining."
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You don't want genocide. You don't want wiping out a people. And it was God who was delivering Og and his people into the hands of the children of Israel. Look, if you would, in verse 21 and 22 of the same chapter. "And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the Lord do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest. Ye shall not fear them: for the Lord your God he shall fight for you."
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Now, if fighting is inherently wrong, if war is inherently wicked, explain to me how God can be a warrior and God can be a fighter. Very obviously, they are not inherently wicked in and of themselves. All fighting is not wrong. All war is not wrong. Now granted, there are times that fighting is wicked and wrong. There are times that wars are wicked and wrong. But just because some wars and some fights are wicked and wrong does not mean that all wars are wicked and wrong. I want to show you even further, since God is a warrior, that God even has his own arsenal. You know, every warrior has his weapons. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 50. I want you to know that God has an entire armory. God has an arsenal.
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And he'll never take a license from Janet Reno to have his arsenal either. OK? Watch this. Jeremiah chapter 50 and look at verse 25. Jeremiah 50. Look what the Scripture says. "The Lord hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord God of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans."
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Now note the first part. "The Lord hath opened his armoury." You know what an armory is? That's why we call them the National Guard armories. That's where the weapons are stored. The Lord God had opened his armory and had brought forth the weapons of his indignation. Look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 51, verse 20. I'll probably come back to this verse later on in this study. But look what God told his people. He says, "Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war."
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"For with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms." Now how's that grab you? God says, "For thou art my battle axe and my weapons of war." Isn't that interesting? We, the people of God, are to be God's battle axe and God's weapons of war. So very obviously, then, fighting in and of itself is not wicked. Wars in and of themselves are not wicked. Otherwise, if they were, God certainly would not be a warrior. But the Bible says that God is a warrior.
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Now let me ask another question. If fighting and war were inherently wicked and evil, not only why would God be a warrior, question, why would God also teach others to fight? You say, "Well, Weaver, God doesn't teach people to fight." Oh, yes, I can show you. Look in your Bibles, if you would please, first of all, to the book of Judges, chapter 3. Judges, chapter 3. And let's look at verse 2. Let's find out. In fact, let's read verses 1 and 2. Let's find out why God allowed some of these Canaanites to be left into the land. Judges, chapter 3, beginning with verse 1.
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"Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof." God said, I left some enemies in here just to teach you how to fight, just to teach you about war. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 18. Psalm 18, verse 34. Psalm 18, verse 34. Look what David says. David says, "He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms." Who was it that taught David how to fight? David said, God taught me how to fight. God taught my hands to war, so much so that a bow of steel is broken in my arms. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 144, beginning there with verse 1, and let's read 1 and 2. Psalm 144. You will also find this exact same truth taught in 2 Samuel 22 and verse 35.
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But look in Psalm 144. David says in verse 1, "Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: my goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me." So David says, "Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight." So very obviously, if fighting and wars were inherently evil and wicked in and of themselves, then God would not be a warrior, nor would God be teaching other people to fight as well.
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I want you to turn in your Bibles to First Chronicles, chapter 18, and let me show you another truth. You see, if war and fighting are inherently wicked, here's another question. Why would God preserve those who were engaged in such practices? Notice, if you would, in 1 Chronicles chapter 18. 1 Chronicles 18, and let's begin with verse 6. "Then David put garrisons in Syria-damascus; and the Syrians became David's servants, and brought gifts. Thus the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went." Now we should note that this is in the context of war. It's in the context of fighting. Thus the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went. Skip down to verse 13. "And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became David's servants. Thus the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went." What's God doing? God is providentially protecting and preserving David as he fights.
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By the way, I want you to know that's the only reason anyone ever comes out alive from any war, is God's providential preservation and protection. I remember when I was in service, we went out to what they called a fire fight. It was at night. There was a 12-man squad. And back then, the weapon was a BAR, a Browning Automatic Rifle. And some of you men who've been in service know what I'm talking about. You had 12 men. The man on each end had a BAR.
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And the others just usually had M1's or something similar to that. But every one of them had a field of fire and those fields of fire crossed. So that means if I'm sitting here, my field of fire would be from Chester to Ed. If Don was over here, his would be maybe from Chester to Ed this way or whatever. In other words, all the fires crisscross. Every fifth bullet was a tracer. Every fifth one. That means for every, every fifth bullet had a red streak. That meant for every red streak you saw, there were four bullets that you didn't see. When they put on that field of fire for all these new recruits, and I was one of them, all you could see was a solid sheet of red.
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And I remember thinking, "Oh, Lord, how will anybody ever get through that?" And yet men crawl through that through war after war. Miraculously. Why? Only because God preserved them. That's what the Bible says about David. God was preserving David, whithersoever he went. And in the context, it's dealing with fighting.
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Now, let me just try to bring to a head this message on God is a warrior and then make some applications. He said, "Brother Weaver, I'm still not convinced." Well, let me show you. Turning your Bible first of all to the book of Numbers chapter 21, the book of Numbers chapter 21. If these two main passages cannot show you the truth, you're not going to believe it if I showed you forty million passages. Look in the book of Numbers chapter 21 and note verse 14. Numbers 21 verse 14. "Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon." What? Did you know that all of those wars in the Old Testament that were fought on the direction of God are referred to as the wars of the Lord? The wars of the Lord. Numbers 21, verse 14, "Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord, what he did." So all of those wars that Israel engaged in at the direction and the quest of God, it was referred to as the wars of the Lord.
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They're God's wars. God initiated them. God brought them to an end. If that passage is not sufficient, I want you to look back in your Bibles to the book of Exodus, chapter 15, and verse 3. And certainly I saved this passage until now. Exodus, chapter 15. In fact, let's begin reading it with verse 1. Exodus, chapter 15, verse 1. Watch carefully, "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name." Did you see that? The Lord, that is, Jehovah, Yahweh, is a man of war. Jehovah is his name.
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Now, let me just show you. Since God is a man of war, I want you to understand that he is always captain of his hosts. Look in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Joshua. Joshua chapter 5 to begin with. You remember the people are about to fight against Jericho. Their first real battle. Look in Joshua 5 verse 13. "And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand."
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Now, that would get your attention, wouldn't it? That's kind of like you stepping out of this building, and there's a fellow pointing a .357 Magnum at your head. I mean, you'd do a little double-take. Well, he sees this man with a sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua walks up to him, and look what he asks. He asks, "Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?" Well, that's a logical question.
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Are you for me or against me? That's what I want to know. Somebody points a pistol my way. Are you one of me or are you one of them? I want to know. Look what the answer comes. "And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so." What did God tell Joshua? Joshua, I came to direct.
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I'm the head of this army. I'm the captain. I'll tell you what to do. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to 2 Chronicles chapter 13 and verse 12. 2 Chronicles 13 verse 12. Look what the king says. "And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper." Now this was a war between Israel and Judah. And the King of Judah said, "Behold, God himself is with us as our captain." And of course, if you read the context, you'll find that Judah whipped the daylights out of Israel because Israel had sinned against God. But he said, "God is with us as our captain." Now, I want you to turn back in your Bible to 2 Chronicles chapter 6, because here's an interesting verse. God, as captain of his host, often sends for his armies.
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Look at this prayer. This is Solomon's prayer when he is dedicating the temple to God. Look in verse 34. He says, "If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name; then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause." Those sending the people out to war, someone tell me, God is. By the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name's sake, then hear thou, and he goes on. But he said that thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them. So God then, as captain, sends forth his people to war. I want you to look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 20 and verse 22. Because here's an interesting verse you will find that God is not only captain, God only sends his people to fight, but God himself often times sets ambushes for his enemies. 2 Chronicles chapter 20 verse 22.
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"And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten." Why were they smitten? Because God ambushed them. God set His ambushes. He's a man of war. And if you'll turn over in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 20 while we're there, look in verse 17. I want you to see that sometimes God's people need not even fight, because God fights the battle himself. He says in verse 17, "Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you." They didn't have to fight. God discomfited them.
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Fear not, nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you. They didn't have to fight. God discomfited them.
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Now, I want you to turn to one last passage, 1 Chronicles 5, and look at verse 22. 1 Chronicles 5 and verse 22. I'm going to try to reconcile some of these passages for you in the following weeks, but I want you to look at this passage. 1 Chronicles 5 verse 22. "For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity." Did you hear that? And there fell down many slain. That is, many people were killed. Why? Because the war was of God. You say, "Brother Weaver, how in the world can God use war? Why would God use war?"
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Well, you'll have to come back next week to find out. Now, let me make some applications. I want you to understand just from our study this morning, we can derive this principle. There is a proper and a just violence. That does not mean that all violence is right, but it does mean that there is a proper violence that is right, that is just. There is a war, there is a violence that is grounded in the principles of the justice, holiness, and the wrath of God. And when you find a violence that is grounded in the principles of the justice, and the holiness, and the wrath of God, then you find a just violence and a just war. Secondly, listen carefully, pacifism. Does everybody know what pacifism is?
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That's when you won't fight. Mennonites are known for their pacifism. The Amish. Pacifism, listen carefully, pacifism is anti-God, anti-Bible, anti-Christian. Why? Because pacifism rejects the fundamental opposition of righteousness and sin. You see, pacifism teaches that the ultimate sin is violence. That's not true. The ultimate sin is not violence. Sin and wickedness and rebellion are wrong. Violence is not necessarily wrong. I've shown you because God is using violence, has used violence, and he himself has become engaged in it. There's a proper use of violence. But without a principle of righteousness, without a principle of justice, yes, it is wrong, but when righteousness and justice is there, it is to be a restraint upon evil. Now watch, if you do not have a just violence, if you do not have a just force, if you do not have a just war, then you do not have a restraint upon violence and wickedness. Thus, pacifism then elevates violence and wickedness because it refuses to punish wickedness and wrong and wicked violence. So pacifism in essence endorses evil and promotes it by failing to punish it.
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Now let me go ahead and tell you this. Thirdly, I want you to understand that God does not make war upon the righteous, but he makes war upon the wicked. And that means, dear friend, you better learn to be right. You see what God does is that God will allow evil to reach a certain level. And then he judges that he punishes it. I'm not going to ask you to take time to turn there, but you remember in Genesis chapter 6 when God told Noah that the wickedness of man had come up before his face and then God sent the flood and drowned those antediluvians. And remember there in Genesis chapter 15 when God was telling Abraham that he and his seed were going to be a stranger in a strange land for 400 years? And then God even told him why.
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He said because the cup of iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. And when 430 years passed, God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt. He put a sword in their hand and said, kill everyone. Why? Because the cup of iniquity had reached the proper level. God doesn't fight against the righteous. God fights against the wicked. Because God is a warrior. We need to learn a warrior's mentality. But the warrior we need to emulate is the Lord God Himself, who fights righteously and justly according to His law and His principles.
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Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank Thee that Thou art indeed a warrior king. We thank Thee that Thou dost indeed fight for Thy people. Does it matter how great or how numerous our enemies are? Thou art the sovereign warrior. Thou art the holy, omnipotent God, who is able to subdue all things and bring all things into subjection to thy Son and to thy people. We give thee praise today.
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Instruct us, illuminate us, encourage us. In the name of Christ we pray. Amen. This program was produced by Dominion Ministry. For more information about Pastor Weaver's sermons, you may contact Dominion Ministry by mail at 7400 Abercorn, that's A-B-E-R-C-O-R-N, Street, Suite 705, P-M-B 175, Savannah, Georgia, 31406. Or give us a call at 912-... You can also visit our website at www.dominionministry.com.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T22:34:25Z

God is a Warrior

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver introduces a series on the biblical doctrine of war, arguing that God is a warrior and that fighting is not inherently sinful. He demonstrates from Scripture that God fights for His people, against His enemies, and even against His own people when they sin. The message challenges pacifism and humanistic thinking, urging believers to adopt a biblical, warrior mentality grounded in God's justice and righteousness.

Introduction: The Need for Biblical Thinking on War

Scripture Reading — Hosea 8:12

"I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing."

And note what God says,

Scripture Reading — Hosea 8:12

"I've written him the great things of my law, but they're counted as a strange thing."

The Pervasiveness of the Warrior Theme in Scripture

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 24:24

"For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash."

Look in 2 Chronicles 28 at verses 4 and 5.

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 25:20

"He sacrificed also and burned incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of the captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter."

Scripture Reading — Luke 1:67-75

"And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life."

God as the Lord of Hosts (Armies)

The name 'Lord of hosts' means 'Lord of the armies.' Weaver cites multiple passages from 1 Samuel showing this title in contexts of worship, prayer, and battle, emphasizing God's role as commander.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 1:3, 11

"And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there."

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 1:3, 11

"So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims."

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 17:45

"Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt."

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 17:45

"Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts."

Watch it. The God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. So now he explains who the Lord God of hosts is: he is the God of the armies of Israel.

The Book of Numbers: A Book of War

Weaver argues that the book of Numbers is dedicated to war, as it repeatedly numbers men able to go to war and includes ordinances for warfare. He reads numerous verses to support this.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45

"From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies."

What is the book of Numbers about? It's a book of numbering the men who are able to fight. Look in verse 20.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45

"And the children of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war."

Look at verse 22.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45

"Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war."

Verse 38,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45

"Of the children of Dan, all that were able to go forth to war."

Verse 40,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45

"Of the children of Asher, all that were able to go forth to war."

Verse 42,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45

"Of the children of Naphtali, all that were able to go forth to war."

Verse 45,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45

"So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel."

Scripture Reading — Numbers 26:2

"Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers' house, all that are able to go to war in Israel."

Scripture Reading — Numbers 31:3, 21

Now it may surprise you, and I'm going to preach on it and teach on it a little bit later, but do you realize there was an ordinance for war? God says, here are my rules for warfare. And Eleazar is going to lay down the ordinances of booty and everything that is there. Then look in Numbers chapter 32 at verse 20. Numbers 32 verse 20. "And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war." Now note that phrase, "armed before the Lord to war." Then look in verse 27, Numbers 32 verse 27. "But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord saith." I'm going to develop that thought a little bit later. But I want you to note that these men went over armed before the Lord.

God's Deliverance of Israel as an Act of War

Deuteronomy 4:34 describes the Exodus as God taking a nation by war. Weaver argues that if war were inherently sinful, God would not engage in it.

God Fights for His People

Weaver cites Deuteronomy 1:30, 3:22, and other passages where God explicitly fights for Israel, demonstrating that fighting is not inherently wrong.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 2:19-24, 36; 3:2-3, 21-22

"And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession. (That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the Lord destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead: as he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day.)"

Now, twice the Bible has said in this passage that God has destroyed a people. Look in verse 24.

God's Arsenal and His People as Weapons

God has an armory (Jeremiah 50:25) and calls His people His battle axe and weapons of war (Jeremiah 51:20), further proving that war can be righteous.

And he'll never take a license from Janet Reno to have his arsenal either. OK? Watch this. Jeremiah chapter 50 and look at verse 25. Jeremiah 50. Look what the Scripture says.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 50:25

"The Lord hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord God of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans."

God Teaches His People to Fight

Judges 3:2 says God left nations to teach Israel war. Psalm 18:34 and 144:1 say God teaches hands to war. If fighting were evil, God would not teach it.

God Preserves Warriors and Directs Wars

God Sends, Ambushes, and Fights for His People

2 Chronicles 6:34 shows God sending people to war. 2 Chronicles 20:22 shows God setting ambushes. 1 Chronicles 5:22 says 'the war was of God.'

Fear not, nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you. They didn't have to fight. God discomfited them.

Applications: Just Violence and the Error of Pacifism

God Wars Against the Wicked, Not the Righteous

God allows evil to reach a certain level before judging it, as in the flood and the conquest of Canaan. Believers must learn a warrior mentality that emulates God's righteous fighting.

God is a Warrior

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	127111022192
Subject	Church Government
Course	Church Order: Discipline, Enemies, and Institutional Faithfulness
Genre	Sermon
Date	1996-10-27
Dictation Name
Book	Book 039: Church Order and Worship - Volume 1 — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	69

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Need for Biblical Thinking on War: Weaver introduces the series on the biblical doctrine of war, noting the controversy and the need to think scripturally rather than being influenced by humanism. He uses Hosea 8:12 to show that God's truth often seems strange to modern ears.
The Pervasiveness of the Warrior Theme in Scripture: Weaver provides a broad overview of the warrior theme: God fights for Israel, against Israel when they sin, the prophets foretell a divine warrior, Christ came as a warrior, and Christ will return as a warrior.
God as the Lord of Hosts (Armies): The name 'Lord of hosts' means 'Lord of the armies.' Weaver cites multiple passages from 1 Samuel showing this title in contexts of worship, prayer, and battle, emphasizing God's role as commander.
The Book of Numbers: A Book of War: Weaver argues that the book of Numbers is dedicated to war, as it repeatedly numbers men able to go to war and includes ordinances for warfare. He reads numerous verses to support this.
God's Deliverance of Israel as an Act of War: Deuteronomy 4:34 describes the Exodus as God taking a nation by war. Weaver argues that if war were inherently sinful, God would not engage in it.
God Fights for His People: Weaver cites Deuteronomy 1:30, 3:22, and other passages where God explicitly fights for Israel, demonstrating that fighting is not inherently wrong.
God's Arsenal and His People as Weapons: God has an armory (Jeremiah 50:25) and calls His people His battle axe and weapons of war (Jeremiah 51:20), further proving that war can be righteous.
God Teaches His People to Fight: Judges 3:2 says God left nations to teach Israel war. Psalm 18:34 and 144:1 say God teaches hands to war. If fighting were evil, God would not teach it.
God Preserves Warriors and Directs Wars: 1 Chronicles 18 shows God preserving David in war. Numbers 21:14 mentions 'the book of the wars of the Lord.' Exodus 15:3 declares 'The Lord is a man of war.' God is captain of His host (Joshua 5:13-15).
God Sends, Ambushes, and Fights for His People: 2 Chronicles 6:34 shows God sending people to war. 2 Chronicles 20:22 shows God setting ambushes. 1 Chronicles 5:22 says 'the war was of God.'
Applications: Just Violence and the Error of Pacifism: Weaver concludes that there is a proper, just violence grounded in God's justice. Pacifism is anti-God because it rejects the opposition of righteousness and sin, effectively endorsing evil by failing to punish it.
God Wars Against the Wicked, Not the Righteous: God allows evil to reach a certain level before judging it, as in the flood and the conquest of Canaan. Believers must learn a warrior mentality that emulates God's righteous fighting.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

War is not inherently sinful because God is a warrior

If war were inherently evil, a holy God would not engage in it. Scripture repeatedly calls God a warrior and describes His acts of war.

Exodus 15:3: 'The Lord is a man of war.' Deuteronomy 4:34 describes the Exodus as an act of war. God fights for Israel (Deut. 1:30, 3:22).

God commands and teaches war, proving its legitimacy

God left nations to teach Israel war (Judges 3:2), taught David's hands to war (Psalm 18:34, 144:1), and sent His people to war (2 Chron. 6:34).

Judges 3:2: 'to teach them war.' Psalm 144:1: 'which teacheth my hands to war.' 2 Chronicles 6:34: 'If thy people go out to war... by the way that thou shalt send them.'

The book of Numbers is a book of war

The book of Numbers repeatedly numbers men able to go to war and contains ordinances for war, demonstrating that war is a central biblical theme.

Numbers 1:3: 'all that are able to go forth to war.' Numbers 31:21: 'the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses' regarding war.

God has an arsenal and uses His people as weapons

God has an armory (Jer. 50:25) and calls His people His battle axe and weapons of war (Jer. 51:20), indicating that war can be a divine instrument.

Jeremiah 50:25: 'The Lord hath opened his armoury.' Jeremiah 51:20: 'Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war.'

Pacifism is anti-God because it fails to restrain evil

Pacifism rejects the opposition of righteousness and sin, making violence the ultimate sin. Without just force, wickedness is unrestrained, so pacifism effectively promotes evil.

Pacifism teaches that the ultimate sin is violence. But without a just violence, there is no restraint upon wickedness. Pacifism endorses evil by failing to punish it.

God wars against the wicked, not the righteous

God's warfare is always just, targeting wickedness when it reaches a certain level. Believers must align with God's righteousness to avoid being on the receiving end of His judgment.

Genesis 6 (flood), Genesis 15 (Amorites' iniquity), and the command to destroy the Canaanites. 'God does not make war upon the righteous, but he makes war upon the wicked.'

Scripture References

Hosea 8:12: Weaver uses this verse to illustrate that God's truth often seems strange to people because of humanistic thinking.
2 Chronicles 24:24: God delivered a great host of His people into the hands of a small Syrian army because they had forsaken Him, showing God fights against His own people when they sin.
2 Chronicles 25:20: God delivered Amaziah into the hand of his enemies because they sought after the gods of Edom.
2 Chronicles 28:4-5, 9: God delivered Judah into the hands of Syria and Israel because of their idolatry, demonstrating God as a warrior against His own people.
Luke 1:67-75: Zacharias' prophecy that Christ came to deliver His people from their enemies, showing Christ as a divine warrior.
1 Samuel 1:3, 11: The title 'Lord of hosts' (armies) is used in worship and prayer, emphasizing God's role as commander.
1 Samuel 4:4: The ark of the covenant is associated with the Lord of hosts.
1 Samuel 15:2: The Lord of hosts commands Saul to destroy the Amalekites.
1 Samuel 17:45: David confronts Goliath in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel.
Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45: The book of Numbers repeatedly numbers men able to go to war, showing it is a book of war.
Numbers 10:9: God instructs Israel to blow trumpets when they go to war, promising to save them from their enemies.
Numbers 26:2: God commands a census of all men able to go to war.
Numbers 31:3, 21: Moses arms men for war against Midian to avenge the Lord; Eleazar gives the ordinance of the law for war.
Numbers 32:20, 27: Men go armed before the Lord to war.
Deuteronomy 4:32-34: God delivered Israel from Egypt by war, signs, and wonders.
Deuteronomy 1:30: The Lord fights for Israel as He did in Egypt.
Deuteronomy 2:19-24, 36; 3:2-3, 21-22: God destroys enemies and delivers them into Israel's hands, fighting for them.
Jeremiah 50:25: The Lord has opened His armory and brought forth weapons of indignation.
Jeremiah 51:20: God calls His people His battle axe and weapons of war to break nations and destroy kingdoms.
Judges 3:1-2: God left nations to teach Israel war.

Historical References

The Exodus and the ten plagues as war against the gods of Egypt: Weaver mentions that the ten plagues were God warring against the gods of Egypt, and the Exodus is described as an act of war in Deuteronomy 4:34.
The conquest of Canaan and the destruction of the Canaanites: Weaver refers to God fighting against the Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites, and others, and the command to destroy them when their iniquity was full.
The flood in Noah's day as God's judgment: Weaver cites Genesis 6, where God sent the flood because the wickedness of man had come up before Him.
The 400-year sojourn in Egypt and the iniquity of the Amorites: Weaver references Genesis 15, where God told Abraham his descendants would be strangers in a strange land for 400 years because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full.
David's wars and God's preservation: Weaver discusses David's military campaigns in 1 Chronicles 18, where God preserved him in war.
The war between Judah and Israel in 2 Chronicles 13: Weaver mentions the battle where Judah defeated Israel because God was their captain.
The Amalekite destruction commanded in 1 Samuel 15: God as Lord of hosts commands Saul to destroy the Amalekites for what they did to Israel.
The battle of Jericho and the captain of the Lord's host: Joshua encounters the divine commander before the battle of Jericho in Joshua 5.

Important Quotes

The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.

This is the central proof text that God is a warrior, directly from Scripture.

I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

Weaver uses this to explain why biblical truth about war seems strange to modern ears.

The Lord hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation.

Shows that God has an arsenal and actively uses weapons of judgment.

Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.

David praises God for teaching him to fight, proving that fighting skill is a divine gift.

Pacifism is anti-God, anti-Bible, anti-Christian.

A strong, direct statement of Weaver's conclusion about pacifism.

There is a proper and a just violence.

Summarizes the principle that not all violence is wrong; some is grounded in God's justice.

Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon.

Shows that Israel's wars were considered the Lord's wars, recorded in a book.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does the title 'Lord of hosts' shape our understanding of God's character and His relationship to war?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that 'hosts' means armies, and this title appears frequently in contexts of battle and worship.

[Question]

In what ways does the book of Numbers challenge the common perception that the Bible is primarily about peace and love?

[Context]

Weaver argues that Numbers is a book of war, focused on numbering troops and giving ordinances for battle.

[Question]

If God is a warrior, how should that affect our view of church discipline, family discipline, and civil justice?

[Context]

Weaver connects the legitimacy of fighting to the validity of discipline in various spheres, arguing that discipline is a form of fighting against wickedness.

[Question]

What is the difference between just violence and unjust violence according to the principles Weaver outlines?

[Context]

Weaver states that just violence is grounded in the justice, holiness, and wrath of God, while unjust violence lacks that foundation.

[Question]

How does pacifism, by refusing to use force, actually promote evil?

[Context]

Weaver argues that without just force, there is no restraint on wickedness, so pacifism effectively endorses evil.

[Question]

What does it mean that 'the war was of God' (1 Chronicles 5:22), and how should that influence our thinking about modern conflicts?

[Context]

Weaver cites this verse to show that some wars are initiated and directed by God, raising questions about discerning God's will in warfare.

[Question]

How can we cultivate a 'warrior mentality' that is biblical and not merely aggressive or violent?

[Context]

Weaver concludes that we need to emulate God as a warrior who fights righteously and justly according to His law.

Applications

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