Is God a warrior? (part 2)
(continued from the previous post here)
Fourth, as nosotros motility from the uk to the render from exile, the prophet Zechariah reinforces this perspective. Many people know the verse from Zechariah 4.6: 'Not by might, nor by power, just by my Spirit' says the Lord. But what is not always realised is that the re-institution of security for the nations, and the reconstitution of worship, were both serious political issues facing existent political and war machine threats from the surrounding nations. And we often neglect to notice the full proverb in the poesy:
'Not by might nor past power, just by my Spirit,' says Yahweh of Hosts.
The title by which God describes himself draws precisely on that military imagery—God is Yahweh leader of Israel's armies (the meaning of 'hosts'). So the phrase is an emphatic denial of the military reality: God could draw on the power of military machine might, but what is needed will be achieved by the ability of God'south Spirit.
This trajectory makes powerful sense when we look at the ministry of Jesus. In Matthew'south business relationship of Jesus' arrest in Gethsemane (Matt 26.47–56), we see a stark dissimilarity betwixt the way of military conflict and Jesus' ain approach. Those who come to abort him come 'armed with swords and clubs' and Jesus presents himself and peaceful, willing and open up. Jesus' failure to lead an armed rebellion can be seen (in homo terms) as the reason for Judas' betrayal.
Note that this is not just a singular approach, but one which 'fulfils the Scriptures' (Matt 26.56) and 'fulfils the prophets' (Matt 26.56). Equally elsewhere in Matthew, this is non about elementary fulfilment of a predictive poetry, just Jesus taking up Israel'due south story and completing information technology, in obedience to God's will where previously his people failed to keep organized religion. This is where the contrast with Islam is striking. Equally the great scholar of Islam, Kenneth Cragg, highlighted, the climax of Muhammed'southward life was the military conquest of Mecca. But the climax of Jesus' life was to submit to his enemies and not resist the violence that was done to him.
In commenting on his 2012 book,Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cantankerous the Road? Brian Mclaren argues:
I think Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Atheists, and Christians have a choice – do they follow leaders who lead them into combat, conflict, domination, elimination, isolation, and so on … or do they follow leaders who pb them into contact, understanding, reconciliation, collaboration, and sharing of gifts?
For those of us who believe Jesus is the ultimate Word of God, and that his words are the well-nigh important words in the world for us, Jesus is clearly in the latter category.
Sixthly, this vision is completed in the final book of the Bible, one not usually associated with pacifism. This is not the identify to address the question of the violence of Revelation's imagery, simply three features support this trajectory from the other Scripture. Beginning, in Rev 11.xviii, in one of the several summary apprehension of The End, the 24 elders proclaim that 'the fourth dimension has come…for destroying the destroyers of the globe.' In other words, the ecology damage of warfare and misuse of the earth will come to an end. Secondly, in the central affiliate of the volume (theologically), Jesus' victory over Satan is depicted:
'At present accept come the conservancy and the ability
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them earlier our God solar day and night,
has been hurled down.
They triumphed over him
past the blood of the Lamb.' (Rev 12.10–eleven)
Merely this victory has been delegated to Michael in the preceding section—though at that place is clearly conflict in the struggle, information technology is not between equals, and indeed is portrayed equally though this struggle is beneath God, since his ability is and so much more the power of Satan.
And at the very end of the book, the 'kings of the earth', who appear upward till now to accept been opposed to the people of God, and followed the beast (Rev vi.fifteen, Rev 17.2, Rev 18.three, Rev 19.nineteen) finally bring their glory into the New Jerusalem (Rev 21.24). Somehow or other, the lamb who was slain has not simply won the victory; he has destroy the disharmonize and the contest and reconciled even the enemies of God to him. If 'the lamb wins' it is not just within the competition—it is a victory over the very idea of contest.
What does all this mean in do for united states of america? I don't recollect quite adds upwards to an argument for pacifism (though many respectable people accept made that case). But it does mean:
First, that God is willing to be involved in our disharmonize. He does not stand up aloof and await for us to develop our theology and get it all correct; he is prepared to go his hands dirty and take sides. But beware, though, that nosotros are not ever as right as we recollect, and God's consistent record is that he takes the side of the downtrodden and the oppressed.
Secondly, even as God is involved in conflict, he is working to transform conflict—to open up our eyes so that we see it differently, and have a fresh perspective on it.
Thirdly, his goal is to bring the whole world to the betoken where conflict is no more. 'Reconciliation' is one of the powerful metaphors for what God has achieved in Christ, and a powerful model for our role in the world.
This was textile prepared for a sermon on Sunday 22nd June at St Nic's Nottingham, and you tin can listen to the sermon on the church building website.
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