Biblical and Islamic Holy War : A Comparative Study

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2 Biblical and Islamic Holy War : A Comparative Study Wave Nunnally, PhD Evangel University Assemblies of God Theological Seminary Center for Holy Lands Studies

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5 I. Purposes of Cherem (the technical biblical Hebrew term that is typically used to refer to biblical Holy War versus Purposes of Jihad (the technical Arabic term used to refer to Holy War in the Quran)

6 Purposes of Jihad: 1) Subjection 2) Forced conversion 3) Geographical expansion of Islamic rule

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8 Purposes of Cherem: 1) Judgment 2) removal of temptations to idolatry

9 II. Prediction of Destruction of Canaanite Culture: Then in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete (Gen 15:16; comp. to 12:3[!], said with nations other than the Amorites in mind).

10 III. Witnesses against Canaanite Culture: --Melchizedek --Abraham --Job? --Isaac --Jacob --Baalam --prototype of judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah

11 IV. Reason for Cherem (Deut 9:4-5) 4 Do not say in your heart when the LORD your God has driven them out before you, Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is dispossessing them before you.

12 It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God is driving them out before you, in order to confirm the oath which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Deut 9:4-5).

13 V. Israelites NOT Exempt (Lev 18:24-30) 24 Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled. 25 For the land has become defiled, therefore I have visited its punishment upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants.

14 26 But as for you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not do any of these abominations, neither the native, nor the alien who sojourns among you 27 (for the men of the land who have been before you have done all these abominations, and the land has become defiled)

15 28 so that the land may not spew you out, should you defile it, as it has spewed out the nation which has been before you. 29 For whoever does any of these abominations, those persons who do so shall be cut off from among their people. 30 Thus you are to keep My charge, that you do not practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves with them; I am the LORD your God (Lev 18:24-30).

16 VI. Emphasis by Repetition: Israelites also Subject to Cherem You shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it and all that is in it and its cattle with the edge of the sword (Deut 13:15). Note: this is in reference to an apostate ISRAELITE city!!!!! So all enticements to apostasy or defilement are to be removed, whether from without or from within.

17 VII. Rules of Engagement (Deut 7:1-6, 16) 1 When the LORD your God shall bring you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and shall clear away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you

18 2 and when the LORD your God shall deliver them before you, and you shall defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them. 3 Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons

19 4 For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and He will quickly destroy you. 5 But thus you shall do to them: you shall tear down their altars, and smash their sacred pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with fire

20 6 For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.. 16 And you shall consume all the peoples whom the LORD your God will deliver to you; your eye shall not pity them, neither shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you (Deut 7:1-6, 16).

21 VIII. Specific Examples of Cherem Carried Out: *So we captured all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, women and children of every city. We left no survivor (Deut 2:34). And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women and children of every city (Deut 3:6).

22 *But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the LORD your God has commanded you (Deut 20:17). *And they utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword (Josh 6:21).

23 For Joshua did not withdraw his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai (Josh 8:26). Now Joshua captured Makkedah on that day, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword; he utterly destroyed it and every person who was in it. He left no survivor. Thus he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho (Josh 10:28).

24 And they captured it [the city of Eglon] on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword; and he utterly destroyed that day every person who was in it, according to all that he had done to Lachish (Josh 10:35).

25 And they captured it and struck it and its king and all its cities and all the persons who were in it with the edge of the sword. He left no survivor, according to all that he had done to Eglon. And he utterly destroyed it and every person who was in it (Josh 10:37).

26 And he captured it and its king and all its cities, and they struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed every person who was in it. He left no survivor. Just as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had also done to Libnah and its king (Josh 10:39).

27 Thus Joshua struck all the land, the hill country and the Negev and the lowland and the slopes and all their kings. He left no survivor, but he utterly destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded (Josh 10:40). And they struck every person who was in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them; there was no one left who breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire (Josh 11:11).

28 And Joshua captured all the cities of these kings, and all their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them; just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded (Josh 11:12). For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, just as the LORD had commanded Moses (Josh 11:20).

29 IX. Ethnic Scope of Holy War 1) Ethnic Scope of Cherem: the seven nations of the Amorites 2) Ethnic Scope of Jihad: all ethnicities

30 1 When the LORD your God shall bring you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and shall clear away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you, 2 and when the LORD your God shall deliver them before you, and you shall defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them (Deut 7:1-2).

31 Note: the closest and most perennial enemies of God s people the Philistines, Phoenicians (religio-cultural warfare), Arameans (= Syrians in some English translations), Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites are NOT included in this list!

32 TO BE CONTINUED..

33 Does the Bible Teach Eternal Security? Enrichment 13.4(Fall, 2008) ( 122_Eternal_Security.cfm) First Place Award, Evangelical Press Association, Biblical Exposition category

34 Ezekiel 18:25 "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

35 Ezekiel 18: "When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die. 27 "Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life. 28 "Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

36 Ezekiel 18: "When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die. 27 "Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life. 28 "Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

37 Ezekiel 18: "Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord God. "Therefore, repent and live."

38 Romans 9: You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?" 20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? 21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use?

39 Romans 9: What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory

40 Romans 9: even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. 25 As He says also in Hosea, "I will call those who were not My people, 'My people,' And her who was not beloved, 'beloved.'" 26 "And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, 'you are not My people,' There they shall be called sons of the living God."