How can we reconcile Deuteronomy 20:14 with Jesus' teachings on loving enemies? Setting the Question How do we make sense of a wartime command to seize plunder—“You may enjoy the plunder of your enemies that the LORD your God has given you” (Deuteronomy 20:14)—alongside Jesus’ call to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44)? Deuteronomy 20:14—What It Actually Says “Only the women, children, livestock, and everything else in the city—all its plunder—you may take as your spoils. You may enjoy the plunder of your enemies that the LORD your God has given you.” • The verse appears in a section (vv. 10-15) regulating warfare against distant, non-Canaanite cities. • It prescribes mercy—an offer of peace first (vv. 10-12)—but also allows Israel to claim material spoils if the city refuses surrender. • The text functions as civil law for Israel’s theocratic nation, not as a standing mandate for private individuals. Why That Command Existed • Covenant justice: God acted as King over Israel, judging nations that had filled up their iniquity (Genesis 15:16). • Protection: Spoils supported Israel’s fledgling economy in a hostile land (Deuteronomy 6:10-12). • Restraint: The law limited vengeance, channeling war conduct under divine authority rather than human impulse. Jesus’ Teaching on Enemies “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” (Luke 6:27) “If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matthew 5:39) Jesus speaks to kingdom citizens under the New Covenant, focusing on personal, ethical relationships rather than national warfare. One God, One Story—How They Fit Together • Distinct roles – Old-Covenant Israel: a nation wielding the sword by God’s direct command (Romans 13:4 affirms God can delegate that authority). – New-Covenant believers: an international body called to gospel witness, not conquest (John 18:36). • Progressive revelation – The Law revealed God’s justice; the Gospel unveils His consummate mercy (John 1:17). – Both unite at the cross, where divine wrath and love meet (Romans 3:25-26). • Personal vs. judicial ethics – Deuteronomy 20 addresses state-sanctioned warfare. – Matthew 5 addresses personal conduct. – Scripture consistently separates private vengeance (forbidden, Romans 12:19) from God-ordained justice (permitted, Romans 13:1-4). Timeless Principles We Can Draw • God alone defines righteous warfare; humans may not unilaterally claim divine sanction. • Believers today engage in spiritual, not physical, conquest (2 Corinthians 10:4). • Enemy-love is the universal Christian ethic; we imitate Christ’s self-giving even when wronged (1 Peter 2:23). • We trust God’s final judgment to balance every account (Revelation 19:11-16). Practical Takeaways • In conflicts—family, workplace, cultural—we choose sacrificial love, not retaliation. • We support just governance while refusing personal vengeance. • We rest in God’s sovereign justice, confident He remains consistent from Deuteronomy to the Sermon on the Mount. |
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