WAR PART 2

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SHEEP IN THE WORD MINISTRIES Rev. Robert C. Lewis
Glendale Baptist Church Houston,
Texas quicknotes.org 2001
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WAR

• PART 2

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OVERVIEW

• TYRANNY
• WAR AGAINST TYRANNY
• ASSASSINATION, SABOTAGE, GUERRILLA WARFARE, AND
  ARMED REVOLT
• PRINCIPLES TO REMEMBER

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TYRANNY

• a tyrant is a person who has usurped authority
  that does not belong to him

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a government is evil and tyrannical when it
consistently punishes the righteous and protects
and rewards the wicked
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tyranny is never accepted as a legitimate form
of government by God (it contradicts his
character)tyranny may, however, be permitted
by God
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tyranny always usurps a divinely ordained
governmentbut is often used by God as a rod of
discipline for apostate nations
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tyranny oppresses people, is not ordained by
God, and should be overthrown whenever possible
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two governments may exist at the same timean
illegitimate tyranny in power and a divinely
appointed government in exile
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the use of force to resist and overthrow
tyranny is always justfor example, Athaliah
murdered her grandchildren and usurped the throne
of Judah, but was overthrown (captured and
executed without trial) because the throne
rightly belonged to Joash (2 Kings 11121)her
overthrow was not treason but justice (cf. 1114)
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WAR AGAINST TYRANNY

• a just war can be waged in self-defense or
  aggressively against tyrannyincluding state
  sponsored terrorism

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the first recorded just war is Abrahams battle
with Chedorlaomer(Genesis 14117)
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(1) this battle was initiated by Abram from his
sense of justice, not by God,(2) he was not
defending himself, since he was not attacked by
Chedorlaomer, but was fighting against tyranny
(Genesis 144, 14),
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(3) we find no condemnation in the Bible of his
use of force against Chedorlaomer,(4) his
action received Gods approval when he was
blessed by Melchizedek (Genesis 141820 Hebrews
713)
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CONCLUSIONS

• (1)
• A first strike against tyrants can be just and
  righteous,
• (2)
• God approves of wars that protect the innocent
  from aggressors,

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(3)Abrams use of force to free his people from
enslavement and tyranny justifies all other wars
fought for the same reason,
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(4)It is just to use force when necessary to
free captive nations from tyranny(France in
WWII Soviet invasion of Afghanistan Kuwait in
the Gulf War),
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(5)Abraham was still a gentile, so this was not
a Holy War initiated by the LORD (cf. Genesis
175)
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ASSASSINATION, SABOTAGE, GUERRILLA WARFARE, AND
ARMED REVOLT

• assassination of foreign leaders is a
  legitimate weapon of war in the Old Testament

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our ban on foreign assassinations is an
executive order made in 1976 by President Gerald
Ford and can be set aside without congressional
approval
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freedom fighters in the Book of Judges used
force to destroy tyrannynamely, assassinations
(Ehud, Judges 31525 Jael, 41722 cf. 49
52427 Samson, 162330), sabotage (Samson,
141920 cf. 144, 15 15619),and open
revolt by armed resistance (Deborah and Barak,
4124 Gideon, 71821)
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these freedom fighters (judges) are heroes of
the faith and are examples to follow in the New
Testament (Hebrews 113234)
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the people endured oppression and waited until
there was a reasonable hope of victory before
they rose up in arms
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on occasion they were unable to revolt due to
the presence of superior forces or a lack of
weapons(1 Samuel 131922)
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peace was restored only after repentance and
military victory(Judges 311, 30 531 828 1
Samuel 7314)
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PRINCIPLES TO REMEMBER

• war will continue in spite of mans efforts for
  peace (Daniel 926 Joel 3916 Matthew 2467)
  until the Millennial Kingdom (Isaiah 24 Hosea
  218 Micah 43)

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there is a time for war, that is,
circumstances that justify war (Ecclesiastes 38)
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God may train military leaders for waras he
trained David (2 Samuel 2235 Psalm 1834
1441)
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prayer is the most powerful weapon of war(2
Kings 68231 Chronicles 518222 Chronicles
63435 14813 20130 322023)
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SHEEP IN THE WORD MINISTRIES Rev. Robert C. Lewis
Glendale Baptist Church Houston,
Texas quicknotes.org 2001