WARS OF EXTERMINATION

1. Mandate for Such Wars (Deuteronomy 7:1-6, 16; 20:16-18; 25:17-19; 1 Samuel 15:1-3) 

2. Execution of Such Wars (Numbers 31:1-2, 7, 9, 15-20; Joshua 6:1-2, 17, 20-21; Judges 1:28; 

2:1-5) 

3. A Christian Perspective (Matthew 24:6-8; 28:19-20; Romans 12:18; Ephesians 6:11-13; 

2 Timothy 2:1-4) 

Central Truth: God enables us to live victoriously over evil. 

Focus: Gain a better understanding concerning wars of extermination fought by ancient Israel, and pursue peace. 

Evangelism Emphasis: Victory over sin and evil comes by faith in Jesus Christ. 

Golden Text: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). 

INTRODUCTION 

God created the world as a place of perfect harmony. Every part of creation fulfilled its God-ordained purpose, and the first human family enjoyed a personal relationship with God. However, the entrance of evil into the world destroyed its harmony and shattered humanity’s relationship with God. Very early in Genesis, we read: “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them’” (6:5-7 NKJV). God’s response to human evil was to flood the earth as a judgment against the evil that had accumulated. 

The God of the Bible is a God full of mercy and grace, but He is also a God of justice. God knows the horrific consequences of allowing evil to go unchecked and unpunished. He has warned us that eternal punishment awaits evildoers who refuse the Gospel and who will not worship and serve Him. Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41), but everyone who refuses to serve God will also be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15). 

Throughout the Bible, we find examples of God’s judgment upon evil, including the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19), the fall of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25), the death of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), and in this lesson, the eradication of the evil Canaanite cities. To the modern mind, these acts of judgment may appear unreasonable and excessively harsh. However, each of these judgments represents God’s continual battle against evil; and each is but a foreshadowing of the eternal judgment that will come at the final resurrection, when all evil will be destroyed from the earth. 

Many people today are living relatively comfortable lives, with plentiful food, protective shelter, and a hopeful future. The ravaging effects of evil tend to pass under the radar, unnoticed by many Christians. This lesson reminds us evil is present in the world, we are in a battle against evil, and God judges evil. 

1.  MANDATE FOR SUCH WARS 

A. Conquest of Canaan (Deuteronomy 7:1-6, 16) 

1 When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; 2 And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: 3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. 4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.  

In last week’s lesson, we learned that God gave the land of Canaan to Abraham and to his descendants. In order for Abraham’s descendants to claim the land of Canaan, the native population would have to be removed. In Abraham’s time, however, the Canaanite peoples had not yet reached a level of evil that required God’s judgment. Because God is just, He would not destroy them or expel them from the land at that time. 

However, during the four hundred years that Israel lived in Egypt, the population of Canaan grew and Canaanite society became radically evil in two ways. First, the society was organized under an unjust and oppressive system of city-states. Kings, like the king of Jericho, ruled as tyrants over a small kingdom that surrounded a fortified city. Second, the religion of Canaan degenerated to the point that they even sacrificed their own children to their gods. They also practiced all kinds of occult rituals based on witchcraft and demonic activity (see Deut. 18:9-14). 

In the Book of Deuteronomy, Israel is poised to enter the Promised Land. Israel will be required to fight, but God will be fighting with them and for them. The number seven is a symbolic number of completion, and the seven nations mentioned here represent the entire system of Canaanite city-states. Eventually, the Israelites would defeat thirty-one kings in all (Josh. 12:7-24). 

God commands Israel to totally destroy the evil Canaanite peoples. The Lord knows that if the Canaanites are not destroyed, they will entice the Israelites to serve idols and to turn away from the Lord. If that should happen, the Lord’s justice would then demand that He destroy the Israelites as well as the Canaanites. 

The fact that God commands the complete destruction of the Canaanites points to two important theological conclusions. First, as stated in the lesson introduction, the destruction of the Canaanites is much more than a military campaign strategy; it is a divine judgment upon their evil. God’s judgment on Canaan is the same as His earlier judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah. Second, God’s people must never compromise with evil and idolatry. Sin is a serious matter that must be resisted at all costs. Allowing sin to remain unchallenged in our lives, our families, and the church will eventually damage our relationship with God. In fact, God is so determined to eradicate evil, He gave His own Son to suffer and die on the cross, carrying all of the world’s evil in His body (1 Peter 2:24). 

In order to protect Israel from the harmful effects of false religion, God commanded them to destroy the Canaanite altars, idols, statues, and graven images. Israel was a “holy people unto the Lord” (Deut. 7:6), and the first of the Ten Commandments stated, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Ex. 20:3 NKJV). If any remnants of Canaanite religion remained, they would be a “snare” to Israel (Deut. 7:16). 

It has been said that the God of the Old Testament is a God of justice, but the God of the New Testament is a God of love. Such a description is untrue. Here in Deuteronomy 7, the Lord explains that He set apart Israel for Himself not because of their greatness, but because of His love. He “set his love” on them and chose them for no other reason than that He loved them (vv. 7-8). Therefore, the Canaanites must be destroyed in order to prevent them from obstructing Israel’s love for God. 

• When is marriage in opposition to God’s will (vv. 3-4)? 

B. Guidelines for Warfare (Deuteronomy 20:16-18) 

Our study of Deuteronomy 7 revealed God’s instructions for the conquest of the Promised Land; and, in chapter 20, the Lord provides further instructions regarding warfare. However, the Lord’s instructions in verses 10-14 do not relate to the conquest of Canaan. Instead, they relate to warfare against “cities which are very far off from” Canaan (v. 15). The command to totally destroy the enemy does not apply here. It applies only to the cities in the Promised Land that had come under the judgment of God. Whenever Israel fights against a city outside of Canaan, they must first present an offer of peace, which will allow the city to surrender. If they surrender, no one will be killed, and the city will become a tributary, paying taxes to Israel. 

After issuing His instructions for warfare in distant lands, the Lord reiterates His earlier orders regarding the land of Canaan. They must “utterly destroy” the cities of Canaan, so that they cannot influence Israel to practice their “abominations,” thus causing Israel to “sin against the Lord” (vv. 17-18). 

Nevertheless, the destruction of the Canaanites is a non-repeatable event. Israel is not told to destroy the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Egyptians, or any other oppressors. Therefore, the conquest of Canaan should never be used to justify any genocide. 

• How does verse 18 reflect God’s jealousy over His people? 

C. Judgment Upon the Amalekites (Deuteronomy 25:17-19; 1 Samuel 15:1-3) 

Deut. 25:19 Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it. 

The passages in Deuteronomy 7 and 20 provide insight and instruction for Israel’s warfare, but they do not make mention of specific battles. This part of the lesson moves from that general instruction to a specific battle—the destruction of the Amalekites. 

Israel first encountered the Amalekites in Exodus 17, soon after Israel had escaped from the bondage of Egypt. Without any provocation, the Amalekites attacked Israel. Apparently, they saw a large group of people traveling through the wilderness, and they thought it would be a good opportunity to take advantage of the situation. What makes the attack of the Amalekites even more evil is that they did not attack Israel directly, but they attacked from behind where the most weak and weary of the people were located. These weaker members of the caravan would be the women, the children, the sick, and the elderly. In this cowardly attack, the Amalekites “did not fear God” (Deut. 25:18 NKJV). 

When the Amalekites attacked, Moses sent Joshua and the Israelite army to fight while Moses stood on top of the mountain with his hands raised in the air, holding the rod of God in his hands (Ex. 17:9). With God’s help, the Israelites were able to defeat the Amalekites. Because of their cowardly attack, the Amalekites were placed under God’s pronouncement of judgment. The Lord promised He would “utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven” (v. 14). 

Now, in Deuteronomy 25, as the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land, the Lord reminds Moses of the judgment that had been placed upon Amalek. Therefore, Israel must not forget that after they have destroyed the Canaanites, they must also destroy the Amalekites (v. 19). 

The story of Israel’s fight against the Amalekites is continued in 1 Samuel 15, some three hundred years later, when Saul becomes Israel’s first king. Saul is visited by the prophet Samuel, who informs the king that the time has come to fulfill God’s judgment against the Amalekites. Saul is instructed, “Go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey” (1 Sam. 15:3 NKJV). 

Two Fathers Lost 

On Wednesday May 6, 1914, Mr. Shope accused his neighbor, Mr. Sanders, of stealing a hog. A fight broke out, and Mr. Sanders shot and killed Mr. Shope. Shope’s son retaliated and killed Mr. Sanders. The young Shope was sent to prison. As a result of this violence, my grandfather, Roy Sanders, who was only two years old at the time, was deprived of his father. In fact, two whole families were deprived of their fathers, and a young man spent many years in prison. The fallen nature of humanity means violence is always with us, but violence is not God’s perfect plan for us. Jesus teaches us to love one another and to forgive our enemies (Matt. 5:44).—Lee Roy Martin 

2. EXECUTION OF SUCH WARS 

A. Judgment Upon the Midianites (Numbers 31:1-20) 

1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people. 

Going back in time, we rejoin the Israelites in Numbers 31 as they have come to the end of their journey through the wilderness. The Lord has advised Moses that he will not be able to enter the Promised Land, but before he relinquishes his leadership to Joshua, he must perform one final act. He must gather Israel’s army and execute judgment upon the Midianites.

The Midianites, incited by the sorcerer Balaam, had deceived Israel and led them into idolatry and sexual immorality (ch. 25). Israel’s sin angered God, and He sent a plague among the people that killed 24,000 of them. However, God was angry not only at Israel but also at Balaam and the Midianites, who had provoked the Israelites to sin. Therefore, the Lord commanded Moses, “Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them” (v. 17 NIV). 

Perhaps only a few days later, in chapter 31, the Lord commands Moses to gather an army of 12,000 men, 1,000 men from each of the twelve tribes of Israel (v. 4). This Israelite army is to carry out the Lord’s vengeance upon Midian (v. 3). As in the other battles that we have studied, the purpose of this battle is to execute God’s judgment upon evil. In order to demonstrate further that the battle is the work of the Lord, the priest Phinehas is to accompany the army and carry with him “the holy instruments” and trumpets (v. 6). The holy instruments are articles from the sanctuary that represented the presence of God on the battlefield. The emphasis of this passage is that the battle is God’s battle that accomplishes God’s justice. 

After the battle, the Israelites burn the Midianite cities and capture the Midianite women, their children, their livestock, and all of their belongings (vv. 9-10). Moses, however, is angry with the officers and captains of the army because they have captured and brought with them all of the Midianite women, including those women who had committed sexual immorality earlier with the Israelite men (vv. 14-16). Their immoral and idolatrous actions had caused the deadly plague which the Lord sent to judge Israel. Moses commands that all of the male children be killed and that all of the women be killed except for those who are virgins. 

God Despises Evil 

If you think God condones sin, think again. If you think God approves of those who engage in wizardry, horoscopes, child abuse, adultery, or any other sin, you are profoundly mistaken. God takes all sin seriously. He doesn’t make any distinctions when He says in Psalm 34:16, “The face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (NIV). 

B. The Battle of Jericho (Joshua 6:1-2, 15-21) 

18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. 20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. 

Israel’s most famous battle is probably the battle of Jericho. The defeat and utter destruction of Jericho is a clear example of the kind of warfare God commanded in Deuteronomy 7. Jericho was the first city the Israelites defeated on their way to conquering the Promised Land. Several elements of the Jericho story bear witness to the fact that the battle against Jericho was God’s battle. 

First, the Lord declares to Joshua, “I have given Jericho into your hand” (Josh. 6:2 NKJV). Second, the strange procedure of marching around the city for seven days, and then, on the seventh day, blowing the trumpets and shouting, demonstrates this is not a normal battle (vv. 15-16). Third, the Israelites do not scale the city walls or try to break down the city gates. It is God who causes the walls to fall down flat, thus making a way for Israel’s army to enter the city unchallenged. Fourth, everything in the city of Jericho is declared to be the Lord’s property (v. 19). The Israelites are sternly warned not to take anything for themselves (v. 18). Everything in Jericho is to be devoted to the Lord. 

Just as God had commanded in Deuteronomy 7, the Israelites destroyed the city of Jericho and everything that was within it (Josh. 6:21), with the divinely sanctioned exception of Rahab and her family (v. 17). We learn later that Achan had taken something for himself, which brought this man and his family under the same judgment as Jericho, and they were executed for his sin (7:1, 18-26). 

• Why did the Lord permit one woman and her family to survive the destruction of Jericho (Josh. 6:22-25)? 

C. Israel’s Failure to Fight God’s Battles (Judges 1:28; 2:1-5) 

1:28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out. 

2:1 And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. 2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? 3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. 

Earlier in this lesson, we learned that Israel was commanded to “make no covenant” with the Canaanites; instead, they were to “utterly destroy” them (Deut. 7:2). After Joshua died, however, the Israelites drifted away from God’s command. They failed to destroy the Canaanites, choosing rather to make them pay tribute money (taxes) (Judges 1:28). Eventually, the Israelites even intermarried with the Canaanites (3:6), a brash violation of God’s command (Deut. 7:3). 

Because of their refusal to drive out the Canaanites, the Lord sends His angel to rebuke the Israelites and call them to repentance (Judg. 2:1). The Israelites’ failure to obey the voice of the Lord is their fundamental and underlying error. Israel had vowed eagerly to obey the Lord (Josh. 24:24), but now their vows are broken. The crucial point of Judges 2:1-3 is that while the Lord has been faithful to His covenant with the Israelites, they have been unfaithful to Him. 

After they hear the angel’s message of judgment, the Israelites show signs of repentance by weeping and offering sacrifices. The name of the place is then called Bochim, which in Hebrew means “weepers” (v. 5). Israel had entered the Promised Land with shouts of victory, but their disobedience had brought them to a place of sorrow and regret. 

• How would the Israelites’ disobedience to God cause them great trouble (v. 3)? 

3. A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE  

A. A Turbulent World (Matthew 24:6-8) 

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.  

God’s ultimate plan for humanity is a world of peace and harmony, in which “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isa. 2:4 NKJV). Nevertheless, Jesus tells us that until He returns and establishes His kingdom, the world will experience one war after another. Violence will be an ongoing part of the modern world. 

The warfare of the Church, however, is different from the warfare of the world. It is even different from the warfare of Israel in the Old Testament. On the one hand, the wars of this age are caused by pride, greed, animosity, envy, and fear. On the other hand, the wars of Israel were intended solely to protect the Promised Land. Israel's destruction of the Canaanites was a onetime, non-repeatable event. Israel was never commanded to attack or destroy any other nation. After taking possession of the Promised Land, Israel's battles were defensive, in protection of the land God had given to them. 

• Why are the troubles in our world called “birth pains” (v. 8 NLT)? 

B. The Church’s Mission (Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 12:18) 

Matt. 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.  

Romans 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 

We must remember God’s promise to Abraham included the provision that in Abraham, all the world would be blessed (Gen. 12:3). Therefore, the salvation of Abraham will eventually bring salvation to the entire world (through Christ). At the end, all of the kingdoms of the world will come under the rulership of Jesus Christ. “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ” (Rev. 11:15 NKJV). 

Until then, the work of the Church is to “teach all nations” (Matt. 28:19), leading them to saving faith in Christ. The word teach means “to make disciples.” These disciples will make more disciples, and the kingdom of God continues to grow. 

Not only are we as Christians charged to “teach,” but we are also to “live peaceably” with others (Rom. 12:18). God used Israel to punish the evil of the Canaanites, but then He instructed them to live in peace with their neighbors. It was never Israel’s role (and it is not our role) to punish the world’s evil. In this present age, God is at work punishing evil (Rom. 1:18-32); and, at the last judgment, He will judge evil finally. The presence of believers in the world should witness to the peace and harmony that God desires for the world. In this present age, the Lord’s word for the believer is, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matt. 5:9). 

Converting, Not Killing 

The battle for the world is not a physical, fleshly battle. “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal” (2 Cor. 10:4). The kingdom of God is not accomplished through killing the enemy, but by converting them. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight” (John 18:36 NKJV). 

C. Necessity of Spiritual Warfare (Ephesians 6:11-13; 2 Timothy 2:1-4) 

Eph. 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

Believers do not battle against “flesh and blood;” that is, we do not engage in physical warfare against evildoers. However, we engage in spiritual warfare for the Kingdom, fighting “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12 NIV). In the combat against the forces of evil, we must engage in both defensive and offensive battle. The armor of God (v. 11) protects us against the attacks of the enemy, and the Word of God and prayer are our offensive weapons (vv. 17-18). 

As we engage in spiritual warfare, our strength comes from the “grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:1). The apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (v. 3). The word hardness refers to the sufferings that a soldier must endure. If we are to be good soldiers of the Cross, we must be willing to deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow Jesus (Matt. 16:24). 

• How are you engaging in spiritual warfare? 

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT 

We are in a battle. Our “adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NASB). We are called to resist the devil. However, our resistance is not of the same order as the conflicts in the world. Our conflict is spiritual, not physical. Nevertheless, results of our battle have eternal consequences for ourselves, our families, our churches, and the world. With Paul, we say, “Fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12). 

Daily Devotions  

M.  The Lord as Warrior (Exodus 15:1-10) 

T.  The War Was of God (1 Chronicles 5:18-22) 

W.  God Makes Wars Cease (Psalm 46:1-11) 

T.  War Between Good and Evil (Romans 7:18-25) 

F.  The Christian’s Warfare (2 Corinthians 10:1-6) 

S.  Christ, the Mighty Warrior (Revelation 19:11-16) 

 *Adopted from the Evangelical Sunday School Lesson Commentary 2020-2021