Deuteronomy 20

CHAPTER 20THEME: Laws regulating warfareThis Book of Deuteronomy is a very practical book. It touches life where we live it today. Although these laws were given to Israel, there are certain basic principles here which would contribute to the happiness and the welfare of mankind if they were incorporated into the laws of modern nations. I’m convinced that the men who originally drew up our constitution were men who were Bible-oriented. The problem today is that we have a society made up of people who are entirely ignorant of the Bible, and lawmakers who are actually stupid as far as the Word of God is concerned. The blunders they make in their policies are enough to cause us to weep and howlall because they are so far from God and not following Him at all.

This Book of Deuteronomy covers problems which Washington has been trying to solve in its own way. Our lawmakers have been wrestling with these problems for years. They have dealt with the problem of our young men for service in the armed forces. They are troubled to know what should be the conditions on which a man should serve or not serve. Israel had these same problems. God put down certain very basic rules that would prevent a man from going to war. Very candidly, I am of the opinion that if our government had paid attention to God’s Law relative to this, we wouldn’t be in the mess we are in today.

Deuteronomy 20:1

Here was something that was important for Israel, and I believe it is important for us today. We see little mottos which read, “Make love, not war.” That may sound good, but like so many little mottos, it is absolutely meaningless. Because we are living in a sinful world where the heart of man is desperately wicked, there are times to make war. There are times when we need to protect ourselves. There are wars in which God is on one side. Frankly, the important question any nation should considerand certainly a so-called civilized and Christian nationis whether this is a war that God is in. If He isn’t in it, then we shouldn’t be in it either.

Deuteronomy 20:2

This is something that is very important in warfare. Make sure that you are on God’s side. God commanded them to war against these nations and promised that He would be with them. Now God puts down four conditions, or four excuses, which would keep a man from going to battle.

Deuteronomy 20:5

If a man has built a new home and has not had the opportunity to live in it, he was not to go into battle. Why not? Because his heart, naturally, would be in that new home. He had set his heart and his affection on it. He wanted to live in that new home, and he is to be given the opportunity to live in it.

Deuteronomy 20:6

These people were agrarian; they were farmers. Here is a man who has just gotten started in business; he had just planted a vineyard. Because he hasn’t had the opportunity to eat a grape off it yet, he is not to go to battle. His heart is in his vineyard; his interest is there. He is to stay until he gets to eat of it, until he gets established. Otherwise he might be killed in battle, and another man would reap the fruit of his labors. This is quite interesting, is it not?

Deuteronomy 20:7

Here is a young man who is engaged to a girl and he gets drafted. He is not to be taken. He is in love with that girl, he wants to marry her. Let him stay home, and let him marry the girl. That is where his heart is, and he is not to go to battle. Now here is the fourth excuse:

Deuteronomy 20:8

There might be a man who very frankly says, “I am a coward. I am afraid to fight, and I don’t want to fight.” So here are four good reasons for a man not to go to war. I could not have used the first three reasons, but that last one I could have used. If a man was afraid, faint-hearted, fearful, he was not to go. I believe I would have turned and gone home. This law was applied to Gideon’s army. You may remember that Gideon started out with quite an army32,000 men who rallied to him to free their nation from the oppression of the Midianites who had actually impoverished them. Then the Lord told him he had too many soldiers, and that whoever was fearful and afraid could go home! When that word went out, 22,000 men picked up their gear and went home! Then God told Gideon that he still had too many men. How were they separated?

They came to a stream and some of the men got down on all fours to drink. There were others who lapped up the water like a dog and were all set to go. They were eager to get to the enemy and get the job done. They wanted to free and save their nation. So they were the ones who went to battle, and the others were sent home. In America we have had problems with our young men dodging the draft and burning their draft cards. I have great sympathy with many of these young men, but I wish instead of trying to blame the government and blame everybody else, they would just come out and say they are afraid to go fight. That is a good reason. That would have kept me out of the battle, I can assure you of that. I don’t mind admitting I’m a coward. For example, because I had to work my way through high school and college, and support my mother, I could never have proven that I was a good enough football player to earn a scholarship.

But I played a little and enjoyed it. I remember how I felt just before that kickoff. When the whistle was blownI played the backfieldstanding way back there, my knees would buckle. There were times when I’d actually go down on one knee, I was so scared. But the minute I got the ball and I was hit, from then on I was all right. But I would never have made it in combat on the battlefield, I can assure you! God says here that He wants His people to know two things before they go to war. First of all, they must be on His side. They must be fighting for what is right and know that God is with them. Secondly, they must be enthusiastic about it. There is a time when one should fight for his country, and there is a place for the flag and for patriotism. The way things are carried out by our politicians actually encourages this motley mob who burn their draft cards. But the way God does it is very wise. He had a marvelous arrangement for His people, even in time of war.

Deuteronomy 20:10

Here is another great principle which is laid down. You may remember that General Douglas MacArthur did not believe in fighting a war which we did not intend to win. This kind of compromise is the curse of our nation today, and we do it with a phony piousness. This has pervaded our churches, and today it is in our government. We pretend to be the great big wonderful brother. MacArthur warned, in his day, not to fight a land war in Asia. But if we fight in a war, we are to fight to winthat is the purpose of it. And that is exactly what God says. We have no business to fight a war unless we are fighting to win it. God has put down some very good principles here, friends, but today we have departed far from them.