WISDOM AND WEAPONS
by Richard Burkard
It could have happened in any church denomination, anywhere - someone opening fire during a service, with murderous results. In places such as Pakistan, Christians have faced it from Muslim zealots. In Rwanda several years ago, churches were used as ethnic slaughter sites. But on March 12, 2005 the place was very different - a Living Church of God service in suburban Milwaukee.
As I write this, eight people who attended the service are dead and others are wounded. A man who apparently attended LCG walked in with a gun and shot several people -- including the Pastor and his wife. I'll wait for God, time, police to determine exactly why it happened. But this article will address a related issue, one which admittedly could be touchy: whether Christians in Church of God groups should have weapons of any sort.
The First Two Amendments
"God and guns" are often mentioned in the Southern U.S. as two pillars which made the country great. (Hopefully the people who say that have those points in the correct order.) I've heard Church of God preachers at least put the freedoms related to these two hand-in-hand. They'll speak at length against the erosion of the second amendment to the Constitution - as if its collapse will mean an attack on the first amendment freedom of religion will come next.
I'd never heard of anyone carrying a gun into a COG service until the news broke from suburban Milwaukee. But I've known people to bring weapons to services, and leave them in their vehicles in the parking lot - inviting fellow gun-lovers outside to see what they had. This certainly is a thoughtful, careful and considerate approach.
But the Wisconsin case brought the Dwight Armstrong hymn O God, We Have Heard to mind, one which Churches of God sing often. It's because of the third verse: "No trust will I place in my bow to defend, nor yet on my sword for my safety depend...." If Church members are supposed to put their faith and hope in God and not man-made weapons, why even have them?
I decided to do a Bible study about weapons to settle the issue in my mind - and I pray it will help with yours.
Your Best Defense?
A point from King Solomon jumped out at me right away: "Wisdom is better than weapons of war...." (Ecc. 9:18) He also says in verse 16 it's better than strength. If we're wise in our dealings with others, the feeling that we need to depend on guns might drop sharply.
Yet we can find cases in the Old Testament where wisdom actually led to God's people carrying weapons. Consider the temple reconstruction project in Jerusalem. Nehemiah and his work crew faced such tough opposition that at one point, half the team was "equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor..... Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked." (Neh. 4:16-18)
"You are my war club"
In fact, have you stopped to consider the first time any sort of weapon is mentioned in the Bible? It's in Genesis 3:24: "....he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way of the tree of life." Who placed it there? God did, after kicking Adam and Eve out of the garden!
This verse does not say God forced them to leave at sword-tip (as opposed to gunpoint). The sword was put there as a defensive measure, similar to the crew in Nehemiah. The Old Testament priest Jehoiada took this same approach to guard a seven-year-old King Joash (I Chr. 23:8-10)
An angel also appeared carrying a sword, to stop Balaam and his amazing talking donkey: "....the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand...." (Num. 22:23, 31) Joshua had a similar experience, confronting a sword held by the "commander of the army of the Lord." (Josh. 5:13-14) This commander could have been an angel, or perhaps "the Word which became flesh" - the One who appeared later as Jesus (John 1:14).
Is it then any wonder that Moses would describe God in his farewell address to Israel as "your glorious sword"? (Deut. 33:29) Or that the prophet Jeremiah would describe God as "my war club, my weapon for
battle...."? (Jer. 51:19-20)
Dying By the Sword
Yet our Bible shows the God who brings such comparisons is not afraid to use that sword. Here we must be very sensitive - because the COG members who lost friends, brethren and loved ones near Milwaukee face potentially a long grieving process. It's only natural for them to ask why a member of their own congregation would go on such a rampage. Until Jesus returns to end all tears and crying (Rev. 21:4), we may not truly know the answers.
Without attempting to search for a deep cause of the violence or justifying what happened, we simply will quote without comment several verses where God explains why He might order or take the sword of death against a person or a nation:
+ Taking advantage of a widow or an orphan (Ex. 22:22-24).
+ Worshiping idols (Exodus 32, especially verse 27; Deut. 13:12-15).
+ Breaking God's covenant (Lev. 26:25; Deut. 28:22).
+ Hostility toward God (Lev. 26:27, 33) -- or "turning away"/not listening to Him (Num. 14:43/Job 36:11-12).
+ Wickedness (Job 20:5, 24-25; Psm. 17:13).
+ National unfaithfulness (Ezek. 29:23).
+ Insolent words (Hos. 7:16).
+ Sinners who don't think disaster will strike them for their sins (Amos 9:10).
When the Defense Seems Missing
Of course, some of those grieving in Wisconsin may "examine themselves" (II Cor. 13:5) and conclude they've done none of the things on that list. That conclusion itself may add to the grief - wondering why God didn't protect people living holy lives from such an unholy act.
After all, they might say, didn't God tell Israel "the sword will not pass through your country" if the country kept His commandments? (Lev. 26:6) Doesn't God's word protect men from the sword? (Job 33:14-18) Didn't God assure Israel through a prophet, "no weapon formed against you will prevail"? (Isa. 54:17) The New Bible Commentary suggests Israel here is a type of the church.
But when I reviewed that verse, I was struck by the words just before it: "'tis I who make destroyers to destroy" (Isa. 54:16, Moffatt) - or "work havoc" in the NIV. At first glance, this seems incredulous. Could our God who is defined as "love" in I John 4:8, 16 actually say through Isaiah He makes things (or even people) which can be destructive?!
The answer is yes, and it's not only mentioned there. "For this is what the Lord says about the palace of the king of Judah.... I will send destroyers against you, each man with his weapons...." (Jer. 22:6-7) Consider as well the trials of Job, when Satan stirred up raiding parties to slaughter Job's servants with a sword. This bloodbath actually had God's permission! (Job 1:12, 15, 17)
Perhaps in God's timing, it was appropriate that the United Church of God "Bible Reading Program" was in Job when the Living Church of God's horror happened. That book reminds us that occasionally, our Father allows Satan to bring trials into our lives. That's not the way it works in every case, as we saw above - but yes, it can occur.
The Root of the Problem
"In Adam all die," Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15:22. Many church denominations blame the fall of Adam and Eve for the curse of sin existing around the world. While the first recorded murder involved Cain killing his brother Abel (Gen. 4:8), the Bible intriguingly does not reveal exactly what the murder weapon was.
But there's another passage which might be worth examining, as we consider what leads to deadly violence. After King David plotted to murder Uriah to take his wife (pregnant with David's child), the prophet Nathan declared to the king's face: "You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house...." (II Sam. 12:9-10) Could this be an everlasting statement - with the "house of Israel" condemned to face violent acts since then? The house of Israel is mentioned as late in the Bible as Hebrews 8:10.
Scripture shows many cases when Israel and its tribes picked up their swords for battle. It actually began long before David was born, as Jacob/Israel used "my sword and my bow" to take land from the Amorites (Gen. 48:22). Other victorious leaders included Joshua in Exodus 17 and Moses in Numbers 31. By the time of Judah's King Amaziah, he'd organized "300,000 men ready for military service, able to handle the spear and sword." (II Chr. 25:5)
Whose Fight Is It?
But is the way God really wanted things to go? We could go back to what happened with Cain and Abel to conclude the answer is no. But consider the words of David when he came face-to-face with Goliath: "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel.... All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's...." (I Sam. 17:45-47)
I write this one week after covering a federal discrimination trial for my local blog. During closing arguments, attorneys on both sides pointed out certain witnesses and used an expression I think is unique to the U.S. South: "He has no dog in this fight."
When it comes to the fights in our lives, we should enlist the biggest "dog" of all to help us. And this brings us back to the Dwight Armstrong hymn we recalled earlier. O God, We Have Heard is based on Psalm 44:6-7. "I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you [God] give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame." We should ask God as David did in another Psalm: "Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, 'I am your salvation.'" (35:3-4)
Lest we forget: the Bible is a book about salvation - which can be spiritual in the context of the Kingdom of God, or physical for individual or nations. Hosea 1:7 offers this example: "Yet I will show love to the house of Judah, and I will save them - not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the Lord their God."
From Jesus Forward
We've focused a lot on the Old Testament so far, but what about the New Testament? Did the arrival of Jesus on Earth change the way believers should think about weapons?
At the final meal with His disciples before the crucifixion, Jesus gives a curious instruction: "If you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one." (Lk. 22:36) It happened the disciples had a couple of swords on hand, and Jesus said two were enough (v. 38). It's never explained why they would carry swords, especially into a Passover meal -- perhaps to kill the lamb served at dinner, although a priest would have been the proper person to do that.
One commentary claims the disciples misunderstood what Jesus was saying, since "the way of Jesus.... was not the way of the sword, but of love." (New Bible Commentary: Revised, 1970 edition, p. 921) But hold on here -- didn't Jesus say, "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword" -- even within families? (Mt. 10:34-36) Doesn't John see visions in the book of Revelation, in which a two-edged sword comes out of Jesus's mouth and kills entire nations? (e.g. Rev. 1:16; 2:16; 19:15, 21)
The answer to this riddle lies partly in the fact that God has a time and a place for all these traits. King Solomon saw it when he wrote: "a time to kill and a time to heal... a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." (Ecc. 3:3, 8) We'll look more closely later at how Jesus will use a sword at His second coming.
The sword of Matthew 10 can be considered symbolic, as Jesus killed no one physically when He was on Earth. The parallel account of Luke 12:51 puts it this way: "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division." The Contemporary English Version of Matthew 10:34 says He came to bring trouble -- and the Pharisees of the time certainly considered the Lord a troublemaker, challenging their religious example and style of leadership.
The only people to brandish weapons around Jesus came at the time of His arrest -- and the Bible indicates He never had one. When one of the disciples' two swords chopped off the ear of a Jewish high priest, Jesus healed him (Lk. 22:49-51). He then went on to ridicule a bit, wondering why so many would come to capture Him with swords and clubs.
What the Apostles Taught
Jesus also made a famous statement at this point: "all who draw the sword will die by the sword." (Mt. 26:52) The comment may have been so haunting and striking to the apostle John that it's practically repeated in Revelation 13:10. But does that mean the New Testament apostles adopted a completely anti-weapon position? The writings of Paul show that's not the case.
"For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.... he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." (Rom. 13:3-4) Some activists today actually suggest law officers should be unarmed, but Paul saw a need for them to have weapons for necessary moments.
The early church knew all about what weapons could do. A sword executed the apostle James (Acts 12:1-2). Paul was locked in a prison with sword-carrying guards (16:27). But when it came to the apostles themselves carrying weapons, Paul had something quite different in mind. "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world ["not carnal," says the KJV] On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." (II Cor. 10:4)
What sort of unusual weapon is this? Paul seems to use another letter to answer that question: "....the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Eph. 6:17) The writer of Hebrews (perhaps Paul) describes how powerful that word-weapon is. "Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Heb. 4:12)
The Overlooked Arsenal
Since we're on the subject of figurative weapons, there's one device almost every human being has - and if we're not careful, we can use it to do a lot of unplanned harmful damage. Can you guess what that weapon is?
"They sharpen their tongues like swords, and aim their words like deadly arrows," David wrote about wicked people in Psalm 64:3-4. "They shoot from ambush at the innocent man; they shoot at him suddenly, without fear."
The words we use can hurt others in a variety of ways. You can deceive others into believing you're peaceful when you're really not (Psm. 55:21). You could speak falsely against your neighbors (Prv. 25:18), or hurt them with personal insults (26:18-19). You could even lead someone into adultery through "sexy language." (5:3-4)
Another psalm leaves little doubt God takes the words we say seriously, even if we don't. "What will he do to you, and what more besides, O deceitful tongue? He will punish you with a warrior's sharp arrows...." (Psm. 120:3-4)
Weapons of Tomorrow?
Whether we look at certain scriptures literally or poetically, the Bible is clear concerning end-time events - God has weapons, and He plans to use them. We've already noted the section of Revelation where a sword will come from Jesus's mouth at His second coming. Sadly, there are prophecies indicating Israel will face a "sword of the Lord" even before this.
"This is what the Lord says: I am against you. I will draw my sword from its scabbard and cut off from you both te righteous and the wicked.... Then all people will know that I the Lord have drawn my sword from its scabbard; it will not return again." (Ezek. 21:3-5) Another portion of Ezekiel's prophecy mentions "deadly and destructive arrows of famine" sent by God (5:16; see also Lk. 21:24).
One section of Joel almost taunts the world's armed forces to try to take on the returning Christ. "Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears." And why does God want them to gather in the valley of Jehoshaphat? "....For there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side.... so great is their wickedness!" (Joel 3:8-13)
What will happen after this spectacular intervention from heaven? From a 21st-century perspective, we might call it gun control. "In that day I will make a covenant for them.... Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety." (Hos. 2:18) The converted plowshares and pruning hooks will be beaten back into their original purposes, away from being weapons of battle (Isa. 2:4/Mic. 4:3). In fact, the world's weapons will be put to a quite unusual productive use: "For seven years they will use them for fuel" - burned up! (Ezek. 39:9-10)
"Come and see the works of the Lord," many will say then. "He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire." (Psm. 46:8-9)
Conclusions
In the days after the Wisconsin shooting spree, some LCG members said Satan seized on the gunman's depression (and possible mental illness), entering into him and causing the disaster. Their Biblical evidence could be I Samuel 18-19, were King Saul twice tried to kill future King David with a spear. But wait a second - where was the real origin of these actions? "The evil spirit from God came upon Saul...." (I Sam. 18:10 and 19:9, KJV) Three other Bible translations we checked put it much the same way!
All believers in Christ understand God to be a God that is good, not evil (Mt. 19:17 and III John 11, for example). So how could "evil spirits" be from God? Based on the Biblical evidence, the best answer we can provide is that Satan is permitted to bring evil to accomplish something for God's purpose. Please note in Saul's case, he came to realize "the Lord was with David" (I Sam. 18:28) - even though God allowed an evil spirit to enter the king, and attempt to murder David.
Events such as this can put the faith of a believer at a crossroads. I've read reports of some Milwaukee members quitting the Living Church of God in the wake of the carnage. But I would hope they don't quit believing in God completely. May they consider Paul's probing questions to the Romans: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" (Rom. 8:35)
= = = FINAL SECTION UPDATED 3/30/05 = = =
While there's no scripture to show Jesus carried a weapon while he walked the earth, we've shown He'll come again with His own sort of armed force. But Christ will do this in righteousness and justice, to put an end to deadly weapons once and for all (Rev. 19:11).
So if Jesus didn't have weapons then, but He'll bring some from heaven soon, should believers possess weapons now? A legendary group of missionaries carried at least one gun with them in Ecuador in 1956 - yet they chose not to use it when savages attacked and slaughtered them (Word of Life Today broadcast, 3/11/05). They made a conscious decision to put the love of God first, even if it meant martyrdom. It was the approach of the four Jewish boys in the book of Daniel, and of Stephen in Acts 7.
On the other hand, one United Church of God Pastor recommended in the wake of the Milwaukee shootings his congregation try to "take out" a gunman - coming after him or her with chairs during reloading, or even throwing things to cause a distraction. "If you're going to go, go on your terms," he said, citing the example of Todd Beamer and other men aboard a hijacked jet on September 11, 2001. It's an approach with backing from Phineas and his spear attacking a sinful couple in Numbers 25 -- but really none from the New Testament.
In the end, it's a matter of personal choice. I choose to have no weapons, and put my primary trust in God -- a God whose Word says with His refuge, "You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day.... 'Because he loves me,' says the Lord, 'I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.'" (Psm. 91:4-5, 14)
We've admittedly discovered this might not be a blanket promise of protection - that God might allow Satan to bring death and destruction at times. Yet we must not throw away our faith at such scary moments. Rather we should say as Paul said: "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Phil. 1:21) Those who are slain for being believers must wait for God's time of judgment and vengeance (Rev. 6:9-11) - but after being "faithful, even to the point of death," Jesus promises to coronate His followers with "the crown of life" (Rev. 2:10) -- with no more weapons to ever take that away.
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© 2005 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.