Lessons of Faith from Joshua

God Fights for You

Lesson #5 for November 1, 2025

Scriptures:Genesis 15:16; Leviticus 18:24-30; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Exodus 23:28-30; Deuteronomy 20:10,15-18; Isaiah 9:6.

1. Those who read the book of Joshua will recognize almost immediately that it raises some serious questions about divine war or holy war and God’s involvement in destroying people.

Divine War or Holy War in the Bible

2. Does God ever sanction war?

Joshua 10:42: Joshua conquered all these kings and their territory in one campaign because the Lord, Israel’s God, was fighting for Israel.—American Bible Society. (©1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation^®* [GNT] (Today’s English Version) [TEV], Second Edition,Joshua 10:42). Philadelphia: American Bible Society [abbreviated as Good News Bible-TEV or GNB-TEV].^†‡

[From the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide=BSG:] The issue of divine war in the Old Testament is challenging. God appears in the Old Testament as the sovereign Lord of the universe; therefore, everything that happens must, somehow, be related to His direct or indirect will. So, the question “How can God allow such things?” becomes inevitable. [In the prior study,] … we saw that God Himself is involved in a conflict that is far greater than any war or battle fought in human history, a battle that permeates every aspect of our lives [, i.e., the great controversy between God and Satan over the character and government of God]. We saw, too, that the events of both biblical and secular history can be fully understood only in light of this conflict.—BSG* for Sabbath Afternoon, October 25.^†‡

[From the Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide=T-BSG:] The issue of divine war in the Old Testament is perplexing. Dealing with this issue involves understanding the cosmic-conflict worldview and analyzing biblical data properly. The interpreter should consider at least four aspects when reviewing the biblical record.

First, modern readers often impose their contemporary view of war on Scripture. Religious war in the Old Testament theocracy is unique and must be interpreted accordingly.

Second, it also is necessary to understand the historical context of Canaan and its religion to grasp why its inhabitants were being expelled from the land.

Third, it never was God’s intention to obliterate the inhabitants of the land; He had better plans for them. However, because of their persistence in continuing the route of destruction, God exerted His role as Judge. His loving nature cannot allow evil to go unchecked.

Finally, when reading any problematic part of the Old Testament, it is imperative to note the trajectory of God’s intentions for His people and humanity.

War, with all its terrifying sequels, never was part of God’s plan for this world. He is working to restore everlasting peace in our world and in the universe. Yet, to do that, He needs to eliminate evil once and for all, not only in a powerful way but also in a wise way.—T-BSG* 65.^†‡

[BSG:] Reflect on God as a righteous judge who cannot be bribed nor influenced by partiality. How is a God who will not endlessly tolerate sin, oppression, the suffering of the innocent, and the exploitation of the oppressed [be] part and parcel of the gospel?—BSG* for Monday, October 27.^†‡

3. We must remember that every Canaanite who perished at that time in history will arise from the dead and meet Jesus for the first time, either at His second coming or at His third coming, and be judged fairly by God. If they were doing their best to follow what is right, God will reward them accordingly.

[T-BSG:] In his commentary on Exodus, Douglas K. Stuart offers an insightful characterization of divine war in the biblical sense. This kind of war, usually expressed by the Hebrew verb haram, or the noun herem, involves destroying human life on a large scale and sometimes property and animal life. Because of its pertinence, Stuart’s list is reproduced here with some adjustments (adapted from Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus: The New American Commentary [Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2006], vol. 2, pp. 395–397).

1. In the unique landscape of ancient Israel, no professional army was permitted. The battles were fought by amateurs and volunteers, a stark contrast with the professionalized military structures in antiquity and those we are familiar with today.
2. Soldiers were not paid. They obeyed God’s commands in the covenant context and were not to fight for personal gain. In many cases, this meant they were prohibited from taking spoil or plunder.
3. Divine or holy war could be fought only for the conquest or defense of the Promised Land in that particular historical conjunction. After the conquest, any war of aggression was strictly prohibited. Israel was called to fight for the Promised Land in a specific geographic and historical context. Once they had conquered the land and consolidated their territory, the Israelites were not supposed to expand the borders of the Promised Land through war. God had not called His people to become an expansionist military empire.
4. The initiation of holy war, considered a divine act, was solely in God’s hands, carried out through His chosen prophets, such as Moses and Joshua. This underscores that war should never be a human initiative but rather a sacred duty. [How does this fit with the story of David’s conquests?]
5. God’s involvement in holy war required spiritual preparation, which included fasting, abstinence from sex, or other forms of self-denial. The ceremony of circumcision (Josh. 5:1–9) and the celebration of the Passover (Josh. 5:10–12), in the context of the covenant renewal, were part of this preparation.
6. An Israelite who violated any of these rules of holy war would become an enemy. As the violation was punishable by death, the defiant person would become a herem, namely, devoted to destruction.
7. Finally, God’s direct involvement led to decisive and rapid victories in the context of faithful holy war. Examples of this include many battles during the conquest (Josh. 6:16–21 [Jericho],Josh. 10:1–15 [the Amorites]) and occasions when Israel or Judah was defending its territory, with God’s help, from powerful invading forces (2 Sam. 5:22–25 [Philistines]). Conversely, there are negative examples in which God’s lack of involvement resulted in defeat (1 Sam. 31:1–7 [Philistines with the death of Saul and his sons]), such as when the Israelites faced the Amalekites without divine permission and were defeated near Hormah (Num. 14:39–45) or when they were defeated by the insignificant army of Ai (Josh. 7:2–4).—T-BSG* 65-66.^†‡Ω§

The Iniquity of the Canaanites and Their Religious Practices

4. In order to understand the context of holy war in the book of Joshua, we must first try to understand the condition of the Canaanites and especially their religious practices.

Leviticus 18:24-29: ²⁴ Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these acts, for that is how the pagans made themselves unclean, those pagans who lived in the land before you and whom the Lord is driving out so that you can go in. ²⁵Their actions made the land unclean, and so the Lord is punishing the land and making it reject the people who lived there…. ²⁹You know that whoever does any of these disgusting things will no longer be considered one of God’s people.—Good News Bible-TEV.*^† [Deuteronomy 18:9-14 says the same.]^‡

Ezra 9:10b-11: ^10b “We have again disobeyed the commands ¹¹that you gave us through your servants, the prophets. They told us that the land we were going to occupy was an impure land because the people who lived in it filled it from one end to the other with disgusting, filthy actions.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

5. We believe that God has foreknowledge. He already knew what was going to happen with the children of Israel. So, why did He keep working with them? Was it to show the onlooking universe the effects of sin? Was it to show Israel’s “true colors”? Or, both?

[BSG:] We need to look beyond the book of Joshua to completely understand what was meant by the iniquity of the nations inhabiting Canaan. These nations’ abhorrent practices of child sacrifice, divination, sorcery, witchcraft, necromancy, and spiritualism give us a hint (Deut. 18:9–12 [as referenced just above]).—BSG* for Sunday, October 26.^‡§

6. Later history shows that Israel did all the things that God had warned them not to do!
7. Read2 Kings 17:7-23 about the sins of the northern kingdom of Israel.

[BSG:] The discovery of the ancient Ugaritic texts (from Ras Shamra) provides more insight into the Canaanite religion and society, and they demonstrate that condemnation of this culture was not only understandable but—according to Old Testament moral standards—also justified.

The Canaanite religion was based on the belief that natural phenomena, which assured fertility, were controlled by the sexual relationships between gods and goddesses. Thus, they envisioned the sexual activity of the deities in terms of their own sexual behavior and engaged in ritual sexual practices in order to incite the gods and goddesses to do likewise. This concept resulted in the institution of “sacred” prostitution, involving both male and female prostitutes engaging in orgiastic [orgy] rites, again all as part of their own religious practices!

A nation cannot rise to a moral ground that is higher than that of the gods its people worship. As a result of such an understanding of their deities, it is no wonder the Canaanites’ religious practices included child sacrifice, which the Bible warned specifically against.

Archaeological evidence confirms that the inhabitants of Canaan regularly sacrificed their firstborn children to the gods, really demons, whom they worshiped. Little skeletons found crushed into large jars with votive [related to a vow] inscriptions testify to their degrading religion and what it meant for many of their children.

The eradication of the Canaanites, then, was not an afterthought, something that emerged in the wake of God’s decision to give the land of Canaan to the Israelites. The inhabitants of Canaan were granted a time of probation, a time of additional mercy during which they had the opportunity to discover God and His character through the witness of the patriarchs living among them. They had the chance, but obviously they squandered it and continued in their horrific practices until the Lord finally had to put a stop to them.—BSG* for Sunday, October 26.^†‡

[From the writings of Ellen G. White=EGW:] Probation for the Nations—God is slow to anger. He gave the wicked nations a time of probation that they might become acquainted with Him and His character. According to the light given was their condemnation for refusing to receive the light and choosing their own ways rather than God’s ways. God gave the reason why He did not at once dispossess the Canaanites. The iniquity of the Amorites was not full. Through their iniquity they were gradually bringing themselves to the point where God’s forbearance could no longer be exercised and they would be exterminated. Until the point was reached and their iniquity was full, the vengeance of God would be delayed. All nations had a period of probation. Those who made void God’s law would advance from one degree of wickedness to another. Children would inherit the rebellious spirit of their parents and do worse than their fathers before them until God’s wrath would fall upon them. The punishment was not less because deferred (Manuscript 58, 1900).—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary,* vol. 2, 1005.6.^†‡ [https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p91.142&index=0]^‡

The Supreme Judge: God (Yahweh)

8. Even in his day, Abraham believed that God must do what is right. (Genesis 18:25) There are many passages in Scripture that talk about God’s holiness, righteousness, and justice.

[BSG:] The holiness of God’s character means that He cannot tolerate sin. He is patient. However, sin must reap its final consequence, which is death (Rom. 6:23). Yahweh [sic] declared war against sin, regardless of where it was found, whether in Israel or among the Canaanites. Israel was not sanctified through participating in holy wars any more than other nations were (Deut. 9:4, 5; Deut. 12:29, 30), even when they became the means of Yahweh’s [sic] judgment against His chosen nation. Different from other ancient Near Eastern people, the Israelites experienced the reversal of holy war when God did not fight for them but against them, allowing their enemies to oppress them (compare with Joshua 7 [Ai vs. Jericho in Judges 2&3]).—BSG* for Monday.^†‡§

9. God hates sin because He knows what it does to His children!

Deuteronomy 9:4-5: ⁴ “After the Lord your God has driven them out for you, do not say to yourselves that he brought you in to possess this land because you deserved it. No, the Lord is going to drive these people out for you because they are wicked. ⁵It is not because you are good and do what is right that the Lord is letting you take their land. He will drive them out because they are wicked and because he intends to keep the promise that he made to your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”—GNB-TEV.*^†

10. Proof of what God had said about the corrupting influences of those pagan religions is seen in what happened many years later to Israel and Judah!

2 Chronicles 33:9: Manasseh led the people of Judah to commit even greater sins than those committed by the nations whom the Lord had driven out of the land as his people advanced.—Good News Bible-TEV.*^†

11. Why were the Israelites so attracted to those pagan, fertility-cult religions? Was there any evidence that they improved fertility in their animals? Or, in their crops?

The Good News About “God’s Wrath”

12. See the handout on Theox.org: God’s Wrath/Anger in the Book of Judges and Other Books: https://www.theox.org/images/uploads/bbk/KHart_BTGG_PDF_Gnrl_Gods_Wrath_or_Anger_16.pdf

[T-BSG:] Divine war is a concrete manifestation of God’s wrath, not only toward the Canaanites and other nations but also toward His own people in biblical times. The observations above may explain the nature of divine war, but they do not explain how to harmonize these apparent contradictory dimensions of God’s personality: love and anger. In fact, God’s wrath is not a popular topic today. The famous Protestant theologian C. H. Dodd considered the wrath of God to be “an archaic phrase.”—Dodd, The Epistle of Paul to the Romans: The Moffatt New Testament Commentary (New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1932), p. 20. Despite being a less popular topic today, God’s wrath cannot be overlooked, as it is mentioned 580 times in the Old Testament and 100 times in the New Testament. Divine wrath is rooted in four immutable aspects of God’s character.—T-BSG* 67.^†‡§

[T-BSG:] First, God is holy. Israel is called to be holy because the Lord is holy (Lev. 11:44). Throughout the book of Isaiah, God is referred to as the “Holy One of Israel” 27 times (seeIsa. 1:4,Isa. 60:14). The angels declare “Holy, holy, holy” (Rev. 4:8,Isa. 6:3) in God’s presence. His holiness sets Him apart from sinful human beings, who cannot even endure a glimpse of His physical presence without falling as if dead on the ground (Dan. 10:8, 9; Rev. 1:17). God’s holiness is incompatible with evil, which is why He abhors sin, based on this intrinsic aspect of His nature. In his dialogue with God, the prophet Habakkuk exclaims: “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness” (Hab. 1:13, NKJV).—T-BSG* 67.^†‡§

Leviticus 11:44: I am the Lord your God, and you must keep yourselves holy, because I am holy.—Good News Bible-TEV.* [Did they do this?]^‡

Isaiah 1:4: You are doomed, you sinful nation, you corrupt and evil people! Your sins drag you down! You have rejected the Lord, the holy God of Israel, and have turned your backs on him.—Good News Bible-TEV.* [See alsoIsaiah 60:14.]^‡

Revelation 4:8: Each one of the four living creatures had six wings, and they were covered with eyes, inside and out. Day and night they never stop singing:

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, [God is holy in contrast to Satan!]

who was, who is, and who is to come.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*^‡ [See alsoIsaiah 6:3.]^‡

Daniel 10:8-9: ⁸ I was left there alone, watching this amazing vision. I had no strength left, and my face was so changed that no one could have recognized me. ⁹When I heard his voice, I fell to the ground unconscious and lay there face downwards.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

Revelation 1:17: When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. He placed his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the first and the last.”—Good News Bible-TEV.* [This is the same Jesus that John had followed!]^‡

Habakkuk 1:13: But how can you stand these treacherous, evil men? Your eyes are too holy to look at evil, and you cannot stand the sight of people doing wrong. So why are you silent while they destroy people who are more righteous than they are?—Good News Bible-TEV.*

13. God is holy; He is also righteous.

[T-BSG:] Second, God is righteous. David affirms: “For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright” (Ps. 11:7, NKJV). Even in the human sphere, we hope justice is served.—T-BSG* 67.^†‡§

[T-BSG:] It is interesting to see how people rightly demand justice when faced with injustice at the human level, but struggle with the idea of God, as the ultimate Judge, administering justice by condemning evil and those who embrace it. In the vivid image of the souls of the martyrs under the altar, they cry out, “ ‘How long, holy and true Lord, will you not judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?’ ” (Rev. 6:10, LEB).—T-BSG* 67-68.^†‡§

Revelation 6:10: They shouted in a loud voice, “Almighty Lord, holy and true! How long will it be until you judge the people on earth and punish them for killing us?”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

[T-BSG:] They expect justice, for God is just.—T-BSG* 68.^†‡

14. God created humans with free will, the ability to accept or reject God’s love.

[T-BSG:] Third, God creates beings with free will. God did not program His creatures to love and obey Him. Precisely for this reason, they can make bad choices that go against His holy will and trigger bad consequences. This prerogative is evident in the concept of the covenant, which implies an agreement between two parts. Reflecting on this aspect of the covenant, Joshua testifies to Israel, “ ‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord’ ” (Josh. 24:15, NKJV).—T-BSG* 68.^†‡§ [Read all of Joshua 24.]^‡

[T-BSG:] Finally, God is love. Some may find it puzzling how God’s wrath can reveal His love. In essence, God is also love (1 John 4:8). He declares His love to Israel in compassionate terms: “ ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love’ ” (Jer. 31:3, NKJV). Indifference, not wrath, is the opposite of love. Thus, an indifferent God can be worthy of fear but never devotion. He is anything but apathetic. In human terms, parents hate, and react accordingly to, what makes their children suffer. Why would we expect less from God?—T-BSG* 68.^†‡§

1 John 4:8: Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.—GNB-TEV.*

Jeremiah 31:3: “I appeared to them from far away. People of Israel, I have always loved you, so I continue to show you my constant love.”—GNB-TEV.*

15. So, God’s wrath is not like the dictionary definition of wrath.

[T-BSG:] Of course, a perfect God does not experience wrath as we do. In a mysterious sense, His wrath is perfect and holy. Such a mystery is present at the cross of Jesus, where love and anger, mercy and judgment, and life and death are powerfully intertwined. The outpouring of the Divine wrath is genuine and concrete. Still, for those who trust in Christ, humbly surrendering all self-confidence and pride at the foot of His cross, there is no reason for fear because “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18, NKJV).—T-BSG* 68.^‡§

Was It To Be Annihilation of the Canaanites? Or, Dispossession?

[BSG:] CompareExodus 23:28–30;Exodus 33:2; Exodus 34:11; Numbers 33:52; andDeuteronomy 7:20 withExodus 34:13; Deuteronomy 7:5; Deuteronomy 9:3; Deuteronomy 12:2, 3; andDeuteronomy 31:3, 4. What do these texts reveal about the purpose of the conquest and the extent of the destruction?—BSG* for Tuesday, October 28.^‡

Deuteronomy 12:2-3: ² “In the land that you are taking, destroy all the places where the people worship their gods on high mountains, on hills, and under green trees. ³Tear down their altars and smash their sacred stone pillars to pieces. Burn their symbols of the goddess Asherah and chop down their idols, so that they will never again be worshiped at those places.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*^†

Deuteronomy 31:3-4: ³ “The Lord your God himself will go before you and destroy the nations living there, so that you can occupy their land; and Joshua will be your leader, as the Lord has said. ⁴The Lord will destroy those people, just as he defeated Sihon and Og, kings of the Amorites, and destroyed their country.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*^†

[BSG:] God’s original purpose [plan] for the Canaanites was not annihilation but, instead, dispossession. An examination of the passages that describe the way Israel had to be involved in the battles of the conquest used terms that speak about the dispossession, ejection, and dissipation carried out against the inhabitants of the Promised Land. The second group of terms that express destruction and have Israel as the subject of the action refer mostly to inanimate objects, such as articles of pagan worship and objects devoted to destruction. Evidently, the places of pagan worship and the altars constituted the main centers of the Canaanite religion.—BSG* for Tuesday.^†‡

[BSG:] Holy war is mainly oriented toward Canaan’s corrupt culture and society. In order to avoid contamination, Israel had to destroy all the elements that were propagating corruption. However, all the inhabitants of Canaan, and those who, on an individual basis, recognized God’s sovereignty prior to the conquest, or even during the conquest, were able to escape through immigration (Josh. 2:9–14; compare withJudg. 1:24–26). The only part of the Canaanite population doomed to destruction were those who withdrew into the fortified cities, obstinately continued to rebel against God’s plan for the Israelites, and hardened their hearts (Josh. 11:19, 20).—BSG* for Tuesday, October 28.^†‡§

[BSG:] However, this does raise a question: If the initial purpose of conquering Canaan was to drive out the inhabitants of the land and not to annihilate them, why did the Israelites have to kill so many people?

Analysis of the biblical texts related to the conquest of Canaan revealed that the original intent of the conquest implied the dissipation of the Canaanite population. However, the majority of the Canaanites, like the pharaoh of Egypt, hardened their hearts and, as such, became one with the culture to such an extent that the destruction of their culture meant they had to be destroyed, as well.—BSG* for Tuesday, October 28.^†‡

Free Will (Free Choice)

[BSG:] The Hebrew text uses a unique term to describe the destruction of people in war: cḥerem. This term refers to what is “banned,” “damned,” or “dedicated to annihilation.” Most of the time, it designates complete and irrevocable placement of people, animals, or inanimate objects in God’s exclusive domain, which in warfare involved, in most cases, their destruction. The concept and practice of cḥerem as a total eradication of a people in war needs to be understood in the light of Yahweh’s [sic] conflict with the cosmic forces of evil, where His character and reputation are at stake.

Again, since the emergence of sin in the world, there is no neutrality: one is either on God’s side or against Him. One side leads to life, eternal life, and the other to death, eternal death.

The practice of total destruction describes God’s righteous judgment against sin and evil. God uniquely delegated the execution of part of His judgment to His chosen nation, ancient Israel. The devotion to destruction was under His tight theocratic control, limited to a certain period of history, the conquest, and to a well-defined geographical area, ancient Canaan. As we saw … [earlier in this] study, those who came under the ban of destruction consistently rebelled against God’s purposes and defied them, never repenting either. Therefore, God’s decision to destroy them was neither arbitrary nor nationalistic.

Moreover, Israel would expect the same treatment if they decided to adopt the same lifestyle as the Canaanites (compare with Deuteronomy 13). Even if it seems as though the groups situated on either side of the divine war are pre-defined (the Israelites are to inherit the land and the Canaanites are to be destroyed), there is the possibility to move from one side to the other, as we will see in the cases of Rahab, Achan, and the Gibeonites.—BSG* for Wednesday, October 29.^†‡§

[BSG:] People were not arbitrarily given protection or placed under a ban. [They had a choice to make!] Those who benefited from a relationship with Yahweh [sic] could lose their privileged status through rebellion, and those under the ban could submit to the authority of Yahweh [sic] and live.

What are the spiritual implications of the Canaanites’ defiance of God for our context today? That is, what are the consequences of our free choices for us personally?—BSG* for Wednesday, October 29.^†‡

16. There was a very specific reason why God felt that it was necessary to eliminate the inhabitants of Canaan before His people moved in.

Deuteronomy 20:10,15-18: ¹⁰ “When you go to attack a city, first give its people a chance to surrender…. ¹⁵That is how you are to deal with those cities that are far away from the land you will settle in.

¹⁶ “But when you capture cities in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, kill everyone. ¹⁷Completely destroy all the people: the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as the Lord ordered you to do. ¹⁸Kill them, so that they will not make you sin against the Lord by teaching you to do all the disgusting things that they do in the worship of their gods.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*^†

Yahweh, God, The Prince of Peace

17. It is important for us to remember that God’s ultimate goal is not war, but peace. God, the Prince of Peace, will preside over a universe that is at perfect peace.
18. Both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, the Bible repeatedly describes Jesus as a Person of peace.

Isaiah 9:6: A child is born to us!

A son is given to us!

And he will be our ruler.

He will be called, “Wonderful Counselor,”

“Mighty God,” “Eternal Father,”

“Prince of Peace.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

19. The Bible also describes our future home as a place of beauty and peace.

[BSG:] Although the main focus of this … lesson has constituted the divinely commanded and assisted wars of the Old Testament, we need to mention the presence of another equally significant theme of the Old Testament’s prophetic writings: the future vision of the peaceful Messianic era. The Messiah is depicted as the “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). He will usher in a kingdom dominated by peace, where the lion and the lamb will graze together (Isa. 11:1–8), in which there will be no destruction or hurt (Isa. 11:9), and where peace will rule (Isa. 60:17) and flow like a river (Isa. 66:12).—BSG* for Thursday.^†‡§

Isaiah 11:4-5: ⁴ He [God] will judge the poor fairly

and defend the rights of the helpless.

At his command the people will be punished,

and evil persons will die.

⁵He will rule his people with justice and integrity.—Good News Bible-TEV.*^†‡

20. Not every story in the Old Testament is about war. Read the story of Elisha and the Syrian army (below). What insights does this story provide into the deeper purposes of God for His people and humanity? Carefully study the Bible on this incident.

2 Kings 6:16-23: ¹⁶ “Don’t be afraid,” Elisha answered. “We have more on our side than they have on theirs.” ¹⁷Then he prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord answered his prayer, and Elisha’s servant looked up and saw the hillside covered with horses and chariots of fire all round Elisha….

[After God temporarily blinded their enemies, Elisha told the king of Israel:]

²² “No,” he answered. “Not even soldiers you had captured in combat would you put to death. Give them something to eat and drink, and let them return to their king.” ²³So the king of Israel provided a great feast for them; and after they had eaten and drunk, he sent them back to the king of Syria. From then on the Syrians stopped raiding the land of Israel.—GNB-TEV.*^†‡

[BSG:] Consider the story of the feeding of the Syrian army at the initiative of Elisha. Instead of massacring them (2 Kings 6:22), he showcased to them the supreme ideal, peace, which has always been God’s desire for His people…. As much as God is involved in a cosmic conflict that also has affected our planet, the final goal of redemption is not a perpetual conflict or even an eternal subjugation of the enemy in a state of slavery but, instead, everlasting peace. As violence breeds violence (Matt. 26:52), peace engenders peace. The story concludes by stating that the “Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel” (2 Kings 6:23, ESV).—BSG* for Thursday, October 30.^‡§

21. These details should help us to remember that understanding a story is possible only if we understand the full context.

©2025, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged. *Electronic version. ^†Bold type is added. ^‡Brackets and content in brackets are added. ^ΩBrackets and the content in brackets within the paragraph are in the Bible study guide or source. ^§Italic type is in the source.

Last Modified: September 17, 2025                                                                                   Email: Info@theox.org