Love Your Enemy?

[windbreeze]

In the Holy Bible, in old testament, i learned wisdom telling to love, forgive and pray for your enemy. But i read that God helped Israelis be victorious in battles against their enemies. Now this is contradicting to the wisdom that i learned.

If God teaches us to live in peace, why would he allow wars between Israelis and their enemies?

 

[Mediakira]

The whole idea that God was teaching. Is that with God you can be victorious in anything. Even in battle. There are situations that cannot be helped. Like, all those people who was drafted into war many times in "World Wars". Many people was forced to go into battle. What if someone is decided to be pure evil in this battle. And doesn't care to change in any aspects of his life. Would you have him kill you? What is this person is your burglar in your house? There is times when it's right to choose.

But the whole understanding of loving your enemy. Every person in the world has been scarred emotionally from events that happened that was bad. Being kind to them is like taking a thorn out of a beast's paw. And that person may be your friend for life. But by all rights. In God's law, no one is allowed to judge, because it's only God's decision of what needs to done, and love conquers all.

 

[hedrick]

You'll find that Christians have a range of viewpoints on this. First, most Christians think that there are situations under which war is OK, but generally they are defensive situations. While we are supposed to care about our enemies, we may still recognize if they are doing harm to others, and may be called on the restrain them. In some situations there may be no alternative to killing them. Hence Christians still have police and courts. Within the limits of what is possible, we should do our best to care for them and help them become better people and be reconciled with them.

However some of the wars in the OT were not defensive, and would not meet Christian criteria for an acceptable war. There are several answers:

* It may have been an exceptional situation. If God tells us that something is an exception to his rule we have to believe him. During the OT period there were prophets that could tell the nation what God wanted.
* Israel hadn't yet developed to the place where they could fully understand God, so the only way he could protect their growing relationship with him was for them to defeat those who rejected God.
* Israel was wrong. God didn't want them to conduct aggressive wars.

I think most Christians hold one of the first two positions. I hold the third. I don't think God's standards change that much from OT to NT, but I do think that in parts of the OT period, Israel still understood God as a tribal war God, even though the prophets talked of Israel as a light to the Gentiles.

 

[Emmy]

Dear windbreeze. The Old Testament is a History of Israel and their Prophets. God was establishing His Kingdom, and they were surrounded by Heathen-Tribes and their cruel gods. They were always fighting and killing. In time Jesus came and showed us God, as God really is: Our loving Heavenly Father. And Jesus told us to love our enemy. In fact, Jesus gave us 2 Commandments, ( they contain all what God gave us in His 10 Commandments) 1) Love God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds. 2) Love our neighbour as ourselves. Then Jesus gives us this important fact: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. God is Love, windbreeze, and God wants loving children/sons and daughters. Everything we say, or do, should be from Love and Compassion . I say this with love. Greetings from Emmy, sister in Christ.

 

[razeontherock]

To add to what Hedrick said, Jews also teach that that Israel was wrong for taking part in aggressive wars.

There is a whole nother angle to this, which is Spiritual understanding. All the places, together with the names as well as the history paint a picture of what it means to live a "victorious Christian life." IOW, how to take up our own Cross daily, and to follow Him. At this level of understanding, the Bible not only begins to make sense but it becomes both relevant and applicable!