Topical Bible: War: Often Attended by Cruelty

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War, as depicted in the Bible, is frequently associated with acts of cruelty and violence. The Scriptures provide numerous accounts where the brutality of war is evident, reflecting the fallen nature of humanity and the severe consequences of sin.

Old Testament Accounts

The Old Testament is replete with narratives of war, many of which highlight the cruelty that often accompanies such conflicts. In the conquest of Canaan, the Israelites were commanded to destroy entire cities, leaving no survivors. In Deuteronomy 20:16-17 , God instructs the Israelites, "However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes. You must completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you."

The siege of Jericho is another example where the cruelty of war is evident. Joshua 6:21 states, "At the edge of the sword they devoted to destruction everything in the city—man and woman, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys." This total destruction underscores the harsh realities of war during biblical times.

The account of King Saul and the Amalekites further illustrates the cruelty associated with war. In 1 Samuel 15:3 , God commands Saul, "Now go and strike down the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys." Saul's failure to fully carry out this command led to his rejection as king, highlighting the seriousness with which these acts of war were regarded.

Prophetic Warnings and Lamentations

The prophets often spoke against the cruelty of war, warning of divine judgment upon nations that engaged in such brutality. The prophet Amos condemned the atrocities committed by various nations, including the Ammonites, who "ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their territory" (Amos 1:13). Such acts of cruelty were not only condemned but also foretold as reasons for impending judgment.

The Book of Lamentations provides a poignant reflection on the aftermath of war and the suffering it brings. Lamentations 2:21 laments, "Young and old lie together in the dust of the streets; my young men and maidens have fallen by the sword. You have slain them in the day of Your anger; You have slaughtered them without compassion." This vivid imagery captures the devastating impact of war on a community, emphasizing the cruelty and loss that accompany it.

New Testament Perspective

While the New Testament does not focus on war to the same extent as the Old Testament, it acknowledges the presence of conflict and the cruelty that can arise from human sinfulness. Jesus, in His teachings, emphasized peace and reconciliation, urging His followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them (Matthew 5:44). This call to peace stands in stark contrast to the cruelty often seen in war.

The Apostle Paul also addressed the spiritual warfare faced by believers, urging them to "put on the full armor of God" (Ephesians 6:11) to stand against the forces of evil. While this metaphorical language speaks to spiritual battles, it underscores the reality of conflict and the need for divine strength to overcome the cruelty inherent in such struggles.

Conclusion

The Bible's portrayal of war, with its attendant cruelty, serves as a sobering reminder of the destructive power of sin and the need for divine intervention and guidance. Through the narratives of war and the prophetic warnings, Scripture calls believers to seek peace and justice, reflecting the character of God in a world marred by conflict.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 18:21
Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Lamentations 5:11-14
They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Attitude of Men of the Present Day to War.
... "Often, too, there have been attempts to suppress dueling ... between different races
and peoples, but war too, in ... has taken hitherto has been attended by bloodshed ...
/.../tolstoy/the kingdom of god is within you/chapter vi attitude of men.htm

The Invasion of Greece and the Battle of Marathon.
... Hippias of Athens."His barbarous cruelty."Hippias among ... and, in the course of the
war, the combined ... were continually taking place, attended, often, by the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter xi the invasion of.htm

The Holy War,
... extortion, treason, contention, discord, tyranny, and cruelty; with spoiling ... which
was even until by a war it was ... secure, he said, and said it often, O Mansoul! ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the holy war.htm

Cambyses.
... The father was prudent, cautious, wise, and often generous and forbearing. ... This
exasperated Cambyses in his turn, and the war went on, attended by the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter i cambyses.htm

The Church as She Should Be
... to be with power; and if it were attended with manifest ... Too often we preach it with
a coward's voice ... pitcher, and the flaming torches, and the old war cry, "The ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the church as she should.htm

The First Crusade (Ad 1095-1099)
... Clermont, AD 1095, where such vast numbers attended that most ... forth the reasons for
the holy war, and invited ... Minor, the Crusaders had to fight often, and to ...
/.../chapter ix the first crusade.htm

Parental Duties Considered and Urged.
... unexperienced creature who is entering on the war of life ... If attended as every serious
person may attend it ... be wholly without effect, and hath often the happiest ...
/.../sermon xxii parental duties considered.htm

Trophies of Grace
... acknowledgment of Adjutant Lee's kindness, he attended the memorial ... her that came
out in "The War Cry,"' he ... Bronchitis and asthma often keep him a prisoner and ...
/.../carpenter/the angel adjutant of twice born men/xii trophies of grace.htm

An unconscionable time a-dying
... seizing their general's hand, these old, war-worn exiles ... with some reasonable fulness,
to have often resisted the ... farther side, and must be attended to with a ...
/.../stevenson/a christmas sermon/an unconscionable time a-dying.htm

Innocent the Third (Ad 1198-1216)
... which were regarded as sport, but very often ended in sad ... ways of speech; they thought
all war and all ... of the clergy, and, although they attended the services ...
/.../chapter xiii innocent the third.htm