OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM IS A JUST WAR
Too often, we forget the sacrifice that others have made and are making to secure the liberties that we sometimes take for granted. Too many Americans view Memorial Day to be just another day off from work, rather than a day - at least a part of which we should reserve - to pay tribute to our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who have fought to defend freedom and liberty throughout our nation's history. Especially this year, when we have troops in harm's way around the world, patriotic Americans should make that extra effort to honor our military's devotion to duty, particularly those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Pat Tillman, for one, deserves our remembrance. A football player with the potential to earn millions of dollars, he joined the Army after 9/11 and was killed in the line of duty. Mr. Tillman let his actions speak for themselves; he did not seek publicity for himself. He simply wanted to serve his country.
Fortunately, many other young Americans share his sense of duty. Our culture may be in decay, particularly on the coasts and in our nation's most poor and affluent areas, but there are many young Americans, particularly in the so-called "red" states (like Virginia), who still possess the sense of duty and patriotism that Americans displayed in decades past. They come from places largely insulated from the aftershocks of the 1960s and for that we should be thankful. The contamination of the American spirit by Hollywood, MTV and much of the national media is often countered effectively by the examples and lessons provided by their parents, relatives, neighbors and clergy.
Four days ago in 1907, a movie legend was born named Marion Michael Morrison, better known as John Wayne. He played football at USC and held some behind-the-scenes jobs at Fox Studios, before being discovered by director John Ford, who cast "The Duke" in many epic western and war films. Exemplifying courage, respect and patriotism, John Wayne stated in the album America-Why I Love Her: "If we want to keep these freedoms, we may have to fight again. God forbid, but if we do, let's always fight to win...
Face the flag, son...and thank God it's still there."
We are into our second year of war with Iraq. TRBC youth and LU students and alumni are there right now. Last year, I was on the reincarnated Donahue Show (which died shortly thereafter) discussing this very subject.
I took the position that, theologically, this war against Iraq is a just war. Phil, of course, took the opposite position.
WHAT IS A JUST WAR?
In synopsis, generally speaking, a just war:
(1) permits a preemptive strike when imminent danger looms; (2) permits the removal of a tyrant when his history and record prove him to be guilty of ongoing war crimes; and (3) allows a nation to act unilaterally for the defense of its citizenry.
TEXT- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
Christians have struggled with with the tragedy of war for centuries. Since Adam and Eve, all good people have wrestled with war and the existence of evil.
The Bible is not silent on this subject. Many people have misused the Bible to give validity to their understandings of war. Those who are war-mongers have used the Scriptures to give credence to their tyranny. Those who are pacifists have misinterpreted Scriptures to support their stance against war of any kind. So, whom do we believe? What does the Bible say about war?
First of all, let us make one thing very clear. One of God’s primary traits is peace. God longs for all people to live in peace. That is how he created the universe. There was complete, total peace.
Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, encourages all Christians with these words:
Romans 12:18, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said,
Matthew 5:43-45, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
I. IS WAR EVER ORDAINED BY GOD?
Is there ever a time when it is right to go to war? Are there times when we are to draw our weapons and fight? Yes. Just as there are numerous references to peace in the Bible, there are numerous references to God-ordained war.
HOW DOES GOD FEEL ABOUT WAR?
One cannot read the Old Testament or the New without a distinct impression that God is somehow closely connected to war.
The trouble with some pacifists who hold up Jesus as their example have ignored the whole counsel of God.
Revelation 19:11-16, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Exodus 15:2-3, “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. 3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
1) God strengthened individuals for war.
Moses, Joshua and many of the Judges were strengthened by God for war:
Hebrews 11:32-34, “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”
2) God destroyed many armies before the Israelites.
I Chronicles 14:15, “And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle: for God is gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.”
3) God gives counsel to be wise in war.
Proverbs 20:18, “Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.”
NOTE: There is a difference between war and murder. They are two different Hebrew words.
4) The Lord sometimes incited war.
Isaiah 13:4, “The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.”
God sometimes must cause man to face the ultimate before he will wake up. War is one of those things that brings about a soberness and attentiveness to the realities of life.
Today as never before in recent history America is facing the realities of our fallen world. It is beamed into our living room every hour. It is a constant reminder of the frailty of our flesh.
Throughout the Old Testament, on many occasions, God directed the people of Israel to go to war, especially when they crossed into the Promised Land. God instructed them to completely remove the peoples of that land. Some have a hard time accepting the fact that God gave the Israelites these instructions. So, why would God give them instructions for war?
II. When is there a justified time for war?
1. A time for war is when freedom is to be defended.
Throughout the book of Judges, God calls the Israelites to go to war against the Midianites and Philistines. Why? Because these nations were trying to conquer Israel. They were called to defend themselves.
The birth of our nation involved war. The freedom our ancestors deeply felt was theirs didn’t happen without a war.
President Bush has made it very clear that we are at war to defend freedom for ourselves and the world; from worldwide terrorism and from an incredibly vicious dictator, Saddam Hussein, who has killed thousands upon thousands of his own people, was a threat to the world and who is now in our custody.
2. A time for war is to defend innocent people.
Solomon gave this advice in Proverbs 21:15 .
Proverbs 21:15, “It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.”
Justice is a joy to the godly, but it causes dismay among evildoers. We should be interested in more than peace. We should be concerned about justice as well. Peace without justice is appeasement. God is not only a God of peace, he is also the God of justice.
Micah 6:8, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
John Stewart Mills said, "A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares about more than his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free."
3. Another time for war is to stop the spread of evil.
Here is the reason for Operation Iraqi Freedom. After the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, President Bush and all of America declared war on all terrorists, everywhere.
THREE FACTS ABOUT HUMAN NATURE
· We live in a fallen world.
· Every person has sinned.
· Wherever there is sin, people hurt one another.
There must be laws to stop those who are evil. If the laws are not kept, then evil will continue to flourish. God gave us the Ten Commandments. Every good law ever written is rooted in these commandments.
You may ask, “Doesn’t the sixth commandment say, ‘Thou shalt not kill.’?” No. It says Thou shalt not commit murder. There is a difference between killing and murdering. Many times God commanded capital punishment for those who break the law.
WHEN WILL THE WORLD HAVE PEACE?
Will we ever have permanent peace? Yes. In Isaiah 2:4, Isaiah painted a beautiful picture of the peace we look forward to. The LORD will settle all international disputes permanently.
Outside the United Nations building is a sculpture of a man hammering a sword into a plow. The story of the sculpture is amazing. The bronze sculpture was created by Soviet artist, Evgeny Buchetich and presented to the United Nations in December 1959 by the Government of the USSR. On the sculpture are these words from Isaiah 2:4. Consider the time in which the sculpture was made and who made it.
Isaiah 2:4, “And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”
When the time is right, Jesus will come again. When he does, all war will end. Notice that Isaiah said God will settle international disputes. Not the United Nations. The UN was established to serve a necessary function. But only Jesus can ultimately bring world peace.
So, how should we respond during times of war? What do we do?
1. Pray.
I Timothy 2:1-2: “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 or kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”
2. Trust God.
Psalm 27:1, 3, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.”
3. Seek peace.
Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much possible (Romans 12:18 NLT).
We must do all we can to work for a peaceful solution, even if the solution involves war.
4. Support each other.
Galatians 6:2, “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”
During these times of crisis, we need to pull together and support one another. Our military personnel need our support. Their families need our support. Our President and his staff need our support. Gore, Kerry, Kennedy etc. should be ashamed of their rhetoric.
|
|
|
