有關戰爭的條例
1「你出去與仇敵爭戰的時候，看見馬匹、車輛，並有比你多的人民，不要怕他們，因為領你出埃及地的耶和華－你神與你同在。 2你們將要上陣的時候，祭司要到百姓面前宣告 3說：『以色列人哪，你們當聽，你們今日將要與仇敵爭戰，不要膽怯，不要懼怕戰兢，也不要因他們驚恐； 4因為耶和華－你們的神與你們同去，要為你們與仇敵爭戰，拯救你們。』 5官長也要對百姓宣告說：『誰建造房屋，尚未奉獻，他可以回家去，恐怕他陣亡，別人去奉獻。 6誰種葡萄園，尚未用所結的果子，他可以回家去，恐怕他陣亡，別人去用。 7誰聘定了妻，尚未迎娶，他可以回家去，恐怕他陣亡，別人去娶。』 8官長又要對百姓宣告說：『誰懼怕膽怯，他可以回家去，恐怕他弟兄的心消化，和他一樣。』 9官長對百姓宣告完了，就當派軍長率領他們。
10「你臨近一座城、要攻打的時候，先要對城裏的民宣告和睦的話。 11他們若以和睦的話回答你，給你開了城，城裏所有的人都要給你效勞，服事你； 12若不肯與你和好，反要與你打仗，你就要圍困那城。 13耶和華－你的神把城交付你手，你就要用刀殺盡這城的男丁。 14惟有婦女、孩子、牲畜，和城內一切的財物，你可以取為自己的掠物。耶和華－你神把你仇敵的財物賜給你，你可以吃用。 15離你甚遠的各城，不是這些國民的城，你都要這樣待他。 16但這些國民的城，耶和華－你神既賜你為業，其中凡有氣息的，一個不可存留； 17只要照耶和華－你神所吩咐的將這赫人、亞摩利人、迦南人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人都滅絕淨盡， 18免得他們教導你們學習一切可憎惡的事，就是他們向自己神所行的，以致你們得罪耶和華－你們的神。
19「你若許久圍困、攻打所要取的一座城，就不可舉斧子砍壞樹木；因為你可以吃那樹上的果子，不可砍伐。田間的樹木豈是人，叫你糟蹋嗎？ 20惟獨你所知道不是結果子的樹木可以毀壞、砍伐，用以修築營壘，攻擊那與你打仗的城，直到攻塌了。」
各位平安，我們今天讀到的是申命記第二十章，關於戰爭的原則。跟昨天關於殺人案的內容，今天的內容似乎又更嚴肅了一點。不過，當我們仔細閱讀這一段經文的時候，同樣地可以看到上帝給予的智慧和指導。我們一同來好好看看。
以色列一直都不是一個大國家 – 不論在人民數量上，或是國土大小，或是資源，以色列一直都是一個小的國家，跟歷史上有名的大帝國相比 – 從早期的埃及，亞述，波斯，巴比倫到後來的羅馬，以色列一直都是被強敵圍繞，時時刻刻處在被外族侵略的風險之下。所以到今天的以色列都是一直處在全民皆兵的情況。在以色列的歷史中，就算是最強盛的時期，也就只有大衛到索羅門兩代王而已。很多人在沒有研究聖經之前，會有一個觀點是，好像上帝一直讓以色列人去侵略外族人。但當你真正好好研究一下歷史，你就會發現以色列人只是拿下一小塊土地，一直沒有再擴張出去。
接著來講關於戰爭的原則 – 你會發現上帝在對以色列人說的一直都不是增兵，反而是按照人性的需要 – 結婚，奉獻，農作物收成，甚至害怕 – 就可以避免兵役。在一個極度需要增兵的國家，這個要求很反人性。因為這一章開宗明義就說：因為領你出埃及地的耶和華神與你們同在。為以色列爭戰的是神，今天為我們爭戰的也是神。
在這裡上帝也指名道姓地說出了一些祂要求以色列人徹底滅絕的民族。我們在了解這段經文的時候，同樣使用三個世界觀去理解。在當時，這些民族都是拜假神，有著相當惡劣風俗習慣的民族。十八節說到“免得他們教導你們學習一切可憎惡的事”。以色列人剛剛立國，如果不徹底把這些原本的惡劣文化根除，以色列就會容易墮落，去拜假神。所以神對當時以色列人的命令是相當嚴肅的。但是對於一般攻城戰時，要先發出求和的訊息，先呼求和平，如果對方不想要打仗，那麼就不需要有戰爭。但如果對方也想要打仗，那麼就只能夠打一場了。
對於聖經中所記載，血腥的場景和上帝屠城的命令，我們不需要為上帝辯護。很多的非信徒會說這些經文中記載的上帝是命令屠殺的上帝，不是慈愛的上帝。基督徒不需要特別為上帝做辯解，因為沒有人能夠審判上帝，所以我們先不要自己變成上帝的辯護律師。不過你也可以稍微了解一下，我們先把以色列的歷史放在一邊不看，看人類個民族的發展歷史，無論哪一個文明，都是充滿血腥和戰爭的。當我們換一個角度來看，就算沒有上帝的命令，人類自身依然充滿罪惡，因為人性本來就已經墮落，但幸好有上帝，在這完全黑暗的人性中照下了光芒，賜下了盼望的拯救者耶穌基督，在無比黑暗中有了光，人類有了救贖的機會。
其次，當我們去明白歷史背景和環境原因後，我們可以稍微理解一下這些命令背後的理由和動機。再來，我們最重要的是理解這些經文對今天的我們應用方法為何，我們應當如何捕捉到經文中的智慧，而不是單單按照字面去解讀和分析。
而對比今天，我們要除去的不再是其他民族的人，而是屬世界的一些錯誤價值 – 在羅馬書二章保羅說了很多 – 故意不認識神的人，裝滿各樣不義，邪惡，貪婪，惡毒，滿心嫉妒，兇殺，爭競，詭詐，毒恨… 這一切是我們今天屬靈的敵人，務要 “徹底滅絕”，因為每一個劣習都有可能帶領我們去信靠世界，偏離真道。但是我們也要明白，敵人是 “錯誤的價值觀”而非 “人”。耶穌來世上，因為祂恨惡的是 “罪性“，而是愛“罪人“ 。某些基督徒會有偏差的看法，總是把非基督徒當成敵人，把一切不信神的人都當成 “外邦人”。其實，在我們蒙恩典之前，我們不都是罪人？基督徒也不過就是 “知道認罪的罪人”，而未信者是“還不知認罪的罪人”。
所以，在這段經文中，真正的敵人，上帝有交代清楚，而今天的基督徒，也要搞清楚，我們要有理性去分辨誰才是敵人。錯誤的觀念是沒有形體的，所以我們經常會給這些觀念貼上一張臉 – 結果，變成我們與人為敵了。經文的正確理解和應用，會對我們如何過日常生活，以及如何建立一個愛人卻有原則的教會有相當重大的影響。
最後，也明白，完美的國度不在地上而是天上，願我們都能夠穿上神賜下的全副軍裝，每天帶著愛和禱告去打屬靈的仗。感謝各位的聆聽，明天我們繼續分享關於懸案的解決方式。
Going to War
When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.
When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army.
He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them.
For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”
The officers shall say to the army: “Has anyone built a new house and not yet begun to live in it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may begin to live in it.
Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else enjoy it.
Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else marry her.”
Then the officers shall add, “Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.”
When the officers have finished speaking to the army, they shall appoint commanders over it.
When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace.
If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you.
If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city.
When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it.
As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies.
This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.
However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes.
Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you.
Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God.
When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees people, that you should besiege them?
However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls.
Hello everyone,
Today we read from Deuteronomy chapter 20, which discusses the principles of war. Compared to yesterday's discussion on murder, today's content seems a bit more serious. However, as we carefully examine this passage of scripture, we can still see the wisdom and guidance that God provides. Let's delve into it together.
Israel has never been a large nation - whether in terms of population, land size, or resources, Israel has always been a small country compared to the famous empires in history - from early Egypt, Assyria, Persia, Babylon to later Rome, Israel has always been surrounded by powerful enemies, constantly at risk of invasion by foreign powers. So even today, Israel remains in a state of universal military service. Throughout Israel's history, even during its most prosperous periods, there were only two generations of kings, from David to Solomon. Many people, before studying the Bible, might have the view that God always commanded the Israelites to invade other nations. But when you truly study history, you'll discover that the Israelites only took a small piece of land and never expanded further.
Next, let's talk about the principles of war - you'll find that God has consistently not called for an increase in troops for the Israelites, but instead has considered human needs - marriage, dedication, crop harvests, and even fear - as reasons to avoid military service. In a country where an increase in troops is desperately needed, this requirement goes against human nature. Because this chapter begins by stating: "For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." It is God who fights for Israel, just as He fights for us today.
Here, God also specifically names some nations that He commands the Israelites to completely destroy. When understanding this passage of scripture, we also use three perspectives to comprehend it. At that time, these nations were all worshipers of false gods with extremely wicked customs. Verse 18 states, "Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods." Israel had just established itself as a nation, and if these wicked cultural practices were not completely eradicated, Israel would easily fall into idolatry. Therefore, God's command to the Israelites at that time was very serious. But for regular sieges, there was a call to first offer peace, to seek peace, and if the other party did not want to fight, then there was no need for war. But if the other party wanted to fight, then there was no choice but to engage in battle.
Regarding the bloody scenes recorded in the Bible and the commandments of God to slaughter cities, we do not need to defend God. Many non-believers may say that the God described in these scriptures is a God who commands slaughter, not a loving God. Christians do not need to defend God, because no one can judge God, so we should not become lawyers defending God ourselves. However, you can also understand that if we put aside Israel's history and look at the development history of human civilizations, no matter which civilization, it is full of bloodshed and war. When we change our perspective, even without God's command, human nature itself is sinful because human nature is already fallen. But fortunately, there is God, who shines light in this complete darkness of human nature, and gives us the hope of salvation through Jesus Christ, providing light in the midst of darkness and redemption for humanity.
Furthermore, when we understand the historical background and environmental reasons, we can slightly comprehend the reasons and motivations behind these commandments. Then, the most important thing for us is to understand how these scriptures apply to us today, how we can capture the wisdom in the scriptures, rather than interpreting and analyzing them literally.
In contrast to today, what we need to eliminate are no longer people from other nations, but rather some erroneous worldly values - in Romans chapter 2, Paul talks about many intentionally ignorant people who are filled with all kinds of unrighteousness, evil, greed, and depravity, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice... All of these are our spiritual enemies that must be "completely destroyed", because every vice could lead us to trust in the world and deviate from the true path. But we also need to understand that the enemy is "wrong values" rather than "people." Jesus came into the world, not because He hated "sinners", but because He loved "sinners". Some Christians may have a skewed view, always seeing non-Christians as enemies, seeing all those who do not believe in God as "gentiles". In fact, before we received grace, weren't we all sinners? Christians are just "sinners who know they are sinners", while non-believers are "sinners who do not yet know they are sinners".
Therefore, in this passage of scripture, the real enemy is clearly defined by God, and as Christians today, we must also understand who our enemies are. Wrong ideas have no form, so we often give these ideas a face - as a result, we become enemies with others. The correct understanding and application of scripture will have a significant impact on how we live our daily lives and how we build a loving yet principled church.
Finally, let us understand that the perfect kingdom is not on earth but in heaven. May we all be able to put on the full armor that God has given us and fight the spiritual battles every day with love and prayer. Thank you all for listening, and tomorrow we will continue to share about how to solve mysteries.