Topical Bible: War: Records often Kept of

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the biblical narrative, war is a recurring theme, and the recording of wars and battles is a significant aspect of the historical accounts found in the Scriptures. These records serve not only as historical documentation but also as theological reflections on God's involvement in the affairs of nations and His sovereignty over human history.

Old Testament Records

The Old Testament contains numerous accounts of wars involving the Israelites and surrounding nations. These records often include detailed descriptions of battles, strategies, outcomes, and the divine interventions that influenced the course of events. The purpose of these records is multifaceted, serving as a testament to God's power, a reminder of His promises, and a warning against disobedience.

1. The Book of the Wars of the LORD: One of the earliest references to a record of wars is found in Numbers 21:14, which mentions "the Book of the Wars of the LORD." Although the book itself is not extant, it is cited as a source for the events described in the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites.

2. Joshua's Conquests: The Book of Joshua provides a detailed account of the conquest of Canaan, listing the cities and kings defeated by the Israelites. Joshua 12:9-24 enumerates the thirty-one kings conquered, emphasizing the fulfillment of God's promise to give the land to the descendants of Abraham.

3. David's Military Campaigns: King David's reign is marked by numerous military victories, which are meticulously recorded in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. These records highlight David's role as a warrior king and God's favor upon him. For instance, 2 Samuel 8:6 states, "The LORD gave David victory wherever he went."

4. Chronicles of the Kings: The books of Kings and Chronicles frequently refer to other historical records, such as "the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel" and "the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah," which presumably contained detailed accounts of the wars and reigns of the monarchs.

New Testament Context

While the New Testament does not focus on physical warfare in the same manner as the Old Testament, it does address spiritual warfare and the Christian's struggle against spiritual forces. The Apostle Paul, for example, uses military imagery to describe the believer's spiritual battle, as seen in Ephesians 6:11-17, where he instructs believers to "put on the full armor of God."

Theological Implications

The records of war in the Bible are not merely historical accounts; they carry profound theological implications. They demonstrate God's justice, His protection of His people, and His ultimate control over the rise and fall of nations. The victories and defeats experienced by Israel are often portrayed as direct consequences of their faithfulness or unfaithfulness to God's covenant.

Moreover, these records serve as a reminder of the spiritual battles that believers face and the assurance of victory through faith in God. The biblical narrative consistently points to the ultimate triumph of God's kingdom, where peace will prevail, and war will be no more, as prophesied in Isaiah 2:4: "They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation, nor will they train anymore for war."

In summary, the records of war in the Bible are integral to understanding the historical and spiritual journey of God's people, reflecting both the temporal and eternal dimensions of God's redemptive plan.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Numbers 21:14
Why it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Conversations.
... to possess their wealth, but they very often are by ... the toils, privations, and hardships
of war, so that he ... real or imaginary, which Xenophon records, he gives ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter xi conversations.htm

Answer to Objections: Signal Instances of Prayer
... the night in prayer to God." John records a prayer ... We know that often fugitives from
God's commands who have ... is practised by him who does not war according to ...
/.../origen/origen on prayer/chapter viii answer to objections .htm

The Holy War,
... so far as by the best and most authentic records I can ... to him; which was even until
by a war it was ... to make them secure, he said, and said it often, O Mansoul! ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the holy war.htm

That Rome Made Its Founder Romulus a God Because it Loved Him; but ...
... among the gods is concerned, history only records that this ... whom death is not only
necessary, but often even desirable ... of Cicero, who tell us that no war is to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 6 that rome made its.htm

Ancestry, Birth, Education, Environment: 1513(?)-1546
... as he deemed important, cautiously records the death ... not miserable cottars, charged
daily to war and slay ... an age when "notaires" were often professional forgers ...
/.../lang/john knox and the reformation/chapter i ancestry birth education.htm

Herodotus and Xenophon.
... they fulfill this function, that, while the records of all ... themselves this pleasure,
and who see that often, in the ... His plan was to make war upon and dethrone ...
/.../abbott/cyrus the great/chapter i herodotus and xenophon.htm

Art Thou a King?
... private conversation in this section, which he alone records. ... So the 'ecclesiastical
authority' has often said to ... of a would-be leader in a war of independence ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/art thou a king.htm

Third Commandment
... writer said that when the accusing angel, who records men's words ... I was in the army
during the war, and heard ... Men often ask: "How can I keep from swearing?" I ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/third commandment.htm

Mormonites, or the Church of the Latter-Day Saints.
... wars with the Lamanites, and were often driven before ... will yet lay down their weapons
of war, and be ... Moroni finished compiling and abridging the records of his ...
/.../hayward/the book of religions/mormonites or the church of.htm

King Herod's Enrollment
... the Jews preserved their family records and pedigrees ... dangerous and likely to rouse
war and disturbance ... avoided, during which traveling was often difficult, and ...
/.../ramsay/was christ born in bethlehem/chapter 9 king herods enrollment.htm