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God and Guns: The Bible's Perspective on Personal Ownership and Use of Weapons, and Related Matters

This page contains new material that has not yet been added to the main body of notes.
These notes were posted to the web page about 18 May 1999.

These notes detail what the Bible says about owning and using guns.

Deuteronomy 29:14-15
14 Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this
oath;
15 But with [him] that standeth here with us this day
before the LORD our God, and also with [him] that [is] not
here with us this day:

Deuteronomy 29:14-15
This covenant is with us also--if we follow him, he will bless, if we
forsake him, he will curse us

Deuteronomy 29:19,22-28
19 And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this
curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall
have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart,
to add drunkenness to thirst:
22 So that the generation to come of your children that
shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come
from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of
that land, and the sicknesses which the LORD hath laid upon
it;
23 [And that] the whole land thereof [is] brimstone, and
salt, [and] burning, [that] it is not sown, nor beareth, nor
any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and
Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his
anger, and in his wrath:
24 Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD
done thus unto this land? what [meaneth] the heat of this
great anger?
25 Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the
covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which he made
with them when he brought them forth out of the land of
Egypt:
26 For they went and served other gods, and worshipped
them, gods whom they knew not, and [whom] he had not given
unto them:
27 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against this
land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in
this book:
28 And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger,
and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into
another land, as [it is] this day.

Deuteronomy 29:19,22-28
The secret for our nation to prosper and be able to deal with crime and
enemies is not just to be armed, but to trust and serve God.

Deuteronomy 30:9-20
9 And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every
work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the
fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good:
for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he
rejoiced over thy fathers:
10 If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy
God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are
written in this book of the law, [and] if thou turn unto the
LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
11. For this commandment which I command thee this day, it
[is] not hidden from thee, neither [is] it far off.
12 It [is] not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who
shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we
may hear it, and do it?
13 Neither [is] it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest
say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us,
that we may hear it, and do it?
14 But the word [is] very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth,
and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
15. See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and
death and evil;
16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy
God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and
his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and
multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land
whither thou goest to possess it.
17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not
hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and
serve them;
18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely
perish, [and that] ye shall not prolong [your] days upon the
land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.
19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you,
[that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and
cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed
may live:
20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, [and] that thou
mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him:
for he [is] thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou
mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy
fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Deuteronomy 30:9-20
The key for our nation's blessing is to serve God--being armed is
secondary.

Deuteronomy 31:6
6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid
of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with
thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Deuteronomy 31:6
Our courage, strength, fearlessness, etc is not our
weapons, but in God. The Israelites were armed and somewhat experienced
in battle, but their trust was in God.

Deuteronomy 32:18,20
18 Of the Rock [that] begat thee thou art unmindful, and
hast forgotten God that formed thee.
20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see
what their end [shall be]: for they [are] a very froward
generation, children in whom [is] no faith.

Deuteronomy 32:18,20
The worst judgment--God simply withdraws his hand and we go on our merry
way to self destruction.

Deuteronomy 32:23
23 I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine
arrows upon them.

Deuteronomy 32:23
God's arrows--probably figurative, but shows personal weapons and their
use are not unclean or unholy, at least by God.

Deuteronomy 32:25
25 The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy
both the young man and the virgin, the suckling [also] with
the man of gray hairs.

Deuteronomy 32:25
Sword--inability to resist the enemy is a judgment

Deuteronomy 32:30
30 How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten
thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the
LORD had shut them up?

Deuteronomy 32:30
huh? Not sure, but we know it is a blessing for one to chase a thousand

Deuteronomy 32:41-42
41 If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold
on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and
will reward them that hate me.
42 I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword
shall devour flesh; [and that] with the blood of the slain
and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the
enemy.

Deuteronomy 32:41-42 God's weapons

Deuteronomy 33:27
27 The eternal God [is thy] refuge, and underneath [are]
the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from
before thee; and shall say, Destroy [them].

Deuteronomy 33:27
God helps people to do the destroying, as he did in the book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 33:29
29 Happy [art] thou, O Israel: who [is] like unto thee, O
people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who
[is] the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be
found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high
places.

Deuteronomy 33:29
Blessings compared to personal weapons.
Blessings to destroy the sacred places of the enemies, which could only
be done after the enemy has already been destroyed.
(juxtaposition: blessings in concert with weapons or the use of them or
the effects of using them, ie, death, slaughter, defense, etc)

Joshua 1:6-7,9,18
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people
shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware
unto their fathers to give them.
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou
mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses
my servant commanded thee: turn not from it [to] the right
hand or [to] the left, that thou mayest prosper
whithersoever thou goest.
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good
courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the
LORD thy God [is] with thee whithersoever thou goest.
18 Whosoever [he be] that doth rebel against thy
commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that
thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be
strong and of a good courage.

Joshua 1:6-7,9,18
It is good for us to be strong and courageous to fulfill God's will for
his people--being weak, afraid, and timid is no virtue.

Joshua 1:14-15
14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall
remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan;
but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty
men of valour, and help them;
15 Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as [he
hath given] you, and they also have possessed the land which
the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the
land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the
LORD'S servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the
sunrising.

Joshua 1:14-15
God gives us rest (15) but he does it by working through our hands (pass
over armed (14)) to secure the rest.

Joshua 2:24
24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath
delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the
inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.

Joshua 2:24
God delivered it into their hands--they had to do the work, including
using force, weapons, strategy, cunning.

Joshua 4:12-13
12 And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad,
and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the
children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:
13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over
before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.

Joshua 4:12-13
They passed over before the LORD as though he were the General and his
troops were passing in review. God would not stand for this if weapons
were evil.

Joshua 6:2
2 And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into
thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, [and] the mighty
men of valour.

Joshua 6:2
God gave the enemy into their hand.

Joshua 6:7-9,13
7 And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the
city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of
the LORD.
8 And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the
people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of
rams' horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the
trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed
them.
9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew with
the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, [the
priests] going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns
before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew
with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but
the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, [the priests]
going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

Joshua 6:7-9,13
They were armed and before the LORD--in his presence with weapons--it
couldn't be wrong for God's people to be armed, even while in his
presence.

Joshua 6:18-19
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.

Joshua 6:18-19
Evil objects. Apparently all the personal booty was forbidden here, but
the metal could be dedicated for holy use.

Joshua 6:21
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.

Joshua 6:21
The men did the work--God working through them

Joshua 7:1,8,12,13,15
1. But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the
accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of
Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the
accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled
against the children of Israel.
8 O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their
backs before their enemies!
12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before
their enemies, [but] turned [their] backs before their
enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with
you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves
against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel,
[There is] an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel:
thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take
away the accursed thing from among you.
15 And it shall be, [that] he that is taken with the
accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he
hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD,
and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

Joshua 7:1,8,12,13,15
Evil objects: that which is cursed by God--never did he say weapons were
cursed or evil.
Being beaten by your enemies is a judgment and, therefore, evil.

Joshua 10:11-14
11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel,
[and] were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD
cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah,
and they died: [they were] more which died with hailstones
than [they] whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD
delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and
he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon
Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the
people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. [Is] not
this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still
in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a
whole day.
14 And there was no day like that before it or after it,
that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the
LORD fought for Israel.

Joshua 10:11-14
The people killed some and God killed some--God worked through his
people to do some of the work, and he divinely and supernaturally
intervened without people partly (the stones).
Then God supernaturally intervened (sun stood still) to allow the people
to do more than they could under normal circumstances. This is yet
another example of how God works to help us, but he does it in such a
way that allows us to do as much of the work as possible, and which
leaves the results in our hands (very hard work equals great results,
mediocre results equals mediocre results, poor or no work, etc). God
could have simply killed them all, like he did the firstborn of Egypt or
that army wherein he killed them all--but he chose to do a little of
each, work through the people to kill, do some supernatural killing, and
then do something supernatural to allow Israel to kill some more.
%
This is also an example of where God directly and divinely works to
allow people to kill, at his command, no less, indicating that killing
and weapons are not against God's character, which never changes, his
will, or his holiness (and he didn't later judge them for this, as he
did those who were God's sword against Israel to punish them when they
sinned, no, this was something good, and that God approved of).

Joshua 10:19-20
19 And stay ye not, [but] pursue after your enemies, and
smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into
their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into
your hand.
20 And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of
Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great
slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest [which]
remained of them entered into fenced cities.

Joshua 10:19-20
Delivered them into their hands, but they had to work hard and had to
be diligent so they wouldn't escape. They couldn't say, hey, let's
loligag around and goof off and take our time--God gave them to us so
that means it will be a piece of cake and effortless and we can turn off
our brains, and no matter how sloppily we do it, we will succeed just as
well as if we had done our best. Not at all.

Joshua 10:25
25 And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed,
be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to
all your enemies against whom ye fight.

Joshua 10:25
God did it, but they did the work, their hands used the weapons, and
where they were not diligent, or where the circumstances just didn't
work out, they didn't succeed--because some of the enemy escaped.

Joshua 10:30,32,42
30 And the LORD delivered it also, and the king thereof,
into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of
the sword, and all the souls that [were] therein; he let
none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did
unto the king of Jericho.
32 And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel,
which took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge
of the sword, and all the souls that [were] therein,
according to all that he had done to Libnah.
42 And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at
one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.

Joshua 10:30,32,42
God put the matter in their hands--they did the work. At least half a
dozen cities are listed in Ch 10.

Joshua 11:6-8
6 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of
them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up
all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and
burn their chariots with fire.
7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him,
against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell
upon them.
8 And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who
smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto
Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and
they smote them, until they left them none remaining.

Joshua 11:6-8
6 sounds like it says God will give them to you all dead. Take a nap and
find them all dead at your feet when you awaken.
7 but Joshua has to do the killing, God gave them to him, but he had to
do the work.

Joshua 11:20
20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that
they should come against Israel in battle, that he might
destroy them utterly, [and] that they might have no favour,
but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Joshua 11:20
Sometimes God does things so we have to fight, it's not just that it's
his will, he sometimes engineers it so we have no other choice--which is
even further than saying that fighting and war are acceptable to God.
Sometimes it's required.

Joshua 22:11-14,29-32
11 And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the
children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half
tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land
of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the
children of Israel.
12 And when the children of Israel heard [of it], the
whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered
themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.
13 And the children of Israel sent unto the children of
Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of
Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of
Eleazar the priest,
14 And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince
throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one [was] an
head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of
Israel.
29 God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and
turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for
burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices,
beside the altar of the LORD our God that [is] before his
tabernacle.
30. And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the
congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which
[were] with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben
and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake,
it pleased them.
31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto
the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to
the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD
[is] among us, because ye have not committed this trespass
against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of
Israel out of the hand of the LORD.
32 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the
princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the
children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of
Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word
again.

Joshua 22:11-14,29-32
Phinehas the priest, maybe a chance he was even the high priest, he
headed up the militia/army and marched off to make things right, which
included engaging in warfare and bloodshed when necessary.

Joshua 23:1
1. And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD had
given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about,
that Joshua waxed old [and] stricken in age.

Joshua 23:1
God gave them rest from their enemies, but their job wasn't done!
Israel took the rest to mean their work was finished, but it decidedly
was not, and God punished them for not doing what he told them to do !!!
They were supposed to be on the warpath until the enemy was eradicated,
but they quit after the pressure was off them and when they were
enjoying God's rest, and the abundance of the land God had provided, and
were feeling the pressure to do other things, like till and clear the
land, ranch the animals, etc.

Joshua 23:3
3 And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done
unto all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God
[is] he that hath fought for you.

Joshua 23:3
God fought for you, but their hands did most of the work--God worked
through them to accomplish his will, and God fought by using their
hands.

Joshua 23:5
5 And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before
you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall
possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto
you.

Joshua 23:5
"God will expel them," but since they didn't do their part, God didn't
do his. We should recall all the blessings and promises of God: health,
security, provisions, help, comfort, etc and remember that these won't
always come to us if we just sit around and wait for God to do all the
work, or if we do only a token amount of work and expect God to pick up
our slack.

Joshua 23:9-10
9 For the LORD hath driven out from before you great
nations and strong: but [as for] you, no man hath been able
to stand before you unto this day.
10 One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD
your God, he [it is] that fighteth for you, as he hath
promised you.

Joshua 23:9-10
God works and we work

Joshua 23:11-13
11. Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love
the LORD your God.
12 Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the
remnant of these nations, [even] these that remain among
you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto
them, and they to you:
13 Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no
more drive out [any of] these nations from before you; but
they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in
your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from
off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.

Joshua 23:11-13
God stops helping if they not follow him--these were some of the things
they weren't supposed to do in addition to the the things they were
supposed to do, ie fight relentlessly

Joshua 24:8
8 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which
dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you:
and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their
land; and I destroyed them from before you.

Joshua 24:8
--Gave them into their hand so you could destroy them
--I destroyed them

Joshua 24:11
11 And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the
men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the
Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the
Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered
them into your hand.

Joshua 24:11
delivered into your hand

Joshua 24:12
12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out
from before you, [even] the two kings of the Amorites; [but]
not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

Joshua 24:12
God did this once

Judges 1:1-2
1. Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the
children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up
for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them?
2 And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have
delivered the land into his hand.

Judges 1:1-2
At this point they were doing, belatedly, what they were supposed to
do--wipe out the enemy--God was helping them.

Judges 1:19
19 And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out [the
inhabitants of] the mountain; but could not drive out the
inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of
iron.

Judges 1:19
Just because God is on your side doesn't mean everything will be easy,
or that you will not have to use all your resources and then some to win

Judges 1:21,27-33,2:1-3
21. And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the
Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell
with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.
27 Neither did Manasseh drive out [the inhabitants of]
Bethshean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the
inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of
Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her
towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they
put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive
them out.
29 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt
in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of
Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites
dwelt among them, and became tributaries.
31 Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho,
nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib,
nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:
32 But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the
inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.
33 Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of
Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Bethanath; but he dwelt
among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land:
nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath
became tributaries unto them.
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.

Judges 1:21,27-33,2:1-3
They didn't do what they were supposed to do! Then the next verse after
all these "they didn't do it" list is that God refused to help them any
more! This is the point where things changed from God helping them to
him not helping them. THen what they didn't do corrupted them, and God
began working against them, and it all started by not doing what they
were supposed to do.

Judges 2:13-23
13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and
Ashtaroth.
14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and
he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled
them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round
about, so that they could not any longer stand before their
enemies.
15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was
against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD
had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered
them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but
they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves
unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their
fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD;
[but] they did not so.
18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD
was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of
their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the
LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that
oppressed them and vexed them.
19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, [that]
they returned, and corrupted [themselves] more than their
fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow
down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor
from their stubborn way.
20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and
he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my
covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not
hearkened unto my voice;
21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before
them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:
22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will
keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers
did keep [it], or not.
23 Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving
them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of
Joshua.

Judges 2:13-23
The spoilers and oppressors came as a result of rejecting God. This is
the first reference in the Bible to this happening to Israel. Those who
try to be strong without God, like Libertarians, will fail.
Apparently this was happening while Joshua was still alive (v.23), and
apparently several of the things they did angered God and he wouldn't
help them destroy the enemy. And this also happened after Joshua died
(v.21).
%
I'm not sure which happened first, but both were bad--maybe they
happened simultaneously.
--They served pagan gods,
therefore God would not drive out the enemy
--They did not obey God's command to destroy the enemy,
therefore God didn't help them,
and they began to serve the gods of them.

Judges 5:15-16
15 And the princes of Issachar [were] with Deborah; even
Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the
valley. For the divisions of Reuben [there were] great
thoughts of heart.
16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the
bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben [there
were] great searchings of heart.

Judges 5:15,16
They didn't have signs from heaven any more than did Jael, but they
failed because they didn't act on what was an obvious need that they
knew they were obligated to do, not because of some sign from God, but
because it was the right thing to do.

Judges 5:17-18
17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in
ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his
breaches.
18 Zebulun and Naphtali [were] a people [that] jeoparded
their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.

Judges 5:17-18
Militia
This sounds like the American Revolution--many did not help when the
need was obvious--the states not close to the conflict didn't send men
or money; Washington was continuously under-manned, under-funded,
under-armed, and under-supplied.

Judges 3:9-10
9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the
LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who
delivered them, [even] Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's
younger brother.
10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged
Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered
Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his
hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.

Judges 3:9-10
The spirit of the LORD came upon him. Wonder what they would say in
certain charismatic churches if someone became "in the spirit" and ran
out to attack some criminal or fight against ungodliness.
9 God's answer to their prayer was to send a person to rescue them from
the evil oppressors. By no means were they all repentant. Maybe even
Othniel was praying and God answered his prayer by sending him! Like if
we pray for our country, God might send us to fight against the evil.

Judges 5:23
23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye
bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to
the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the
mighty.

Judges 5:23
Militia
Those who don't help when there's a need are under God's judgment--see
above on Am Revo (5:17-18)

Judges 3:15
15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD,
the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a
Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of
Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

Judges 3:15
When they prayed and repented in their hearts, but not all of them as in
our country, we pray but by no means is everyone repentant, then God
sends a person or persons to do his work of rescuing his people either
completely or only in part, to lighten the load somewhat, a little
grace.
%
I guess Ehud had no respect for the laws that contravened God's laws, or
for the man who contravened them.

Judges 3:26-30
26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond
the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.
27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a
trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of
Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before
them.
28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD
hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And
they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan
toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand
men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not
a man.
30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel.
And the land had rest fourscore years.

Judges 3:26-30 Militia
He had to have previously organized, planned, and armed the people--all
against the law of the Moabites--but not against God's law. Just like
the evil tyrants who have passed laws that contravene our law (Const)
and God's law, we have no duty to obey them.

Judges 4:14
14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this [is] the day
in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is
not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from
mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

Judges 4:14
A question we might expect to hear from some Christians is: "What would
Jesus do?" or "Would Jesus fight and carry a weapon and kill people?
After all, he said his kingdom was not of this world." True, when he was
on earth he had little to do with fighting, and only some things
involved weapons. But when he returns, he will use the greatest weapon
ever (from his mouth) and he will kill and slaughter people, telling us
it is not against his character, but it was against the PURPOSE he came
to fulfill. Furthermore, we can see that, while he may not have done
that sort of thing while he was on earth, he had no problem at all
calling his people to do such things, as in this verse and many others.
Plus, he has personally done these things many times in the OT, or he
sent angels to do it, etc.

Judges 7:23-25
23. And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out
of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and
pursued after the Midianites.
24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount
Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take
before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all
the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took
the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.
25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and
Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they
slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and
brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other
side Jordan.

Judges 7:23-25 (or it might be I Sam, though I doubt it)
Even though he didn't use them in the initial attack, he called them up
for the mop up--they were standing by and ready, partly because they had
just been mustered, and partly because they were always ready in case
they were called up or invaded, etc.

Judges 10:1,3
1. And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola
the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he
dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.
3 And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel
twenty and two years.

Judges 10:1,3
Various people stood up at different times to defend their nation AND to
turn them to the right way.

Judges 14:4
4 But his father and his mother knew not that it [was] of
the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the
Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion
over Israel.

Judges 14:4
God was looking for an excuse to defeat his and his peoples' enemies, we
should be ready and willing to do the same, perhaps he will use us for
some respite for our nation, even if it's only to begin to deliver us, r
to give us a little help.

Judges 14:19
19 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went
down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took
their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which
expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went
up to his father's house.

Judges 14:19
The spirit of the LORD led him to kill and destroy--God's character not
opposed to killing, this was not a governmentally directed action but
an individual one.

Judges 15:11-12
11 Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the
rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the
Philistines [are] rulers over us? what [is] this [that] thou
hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto
me, so have I done unto them.
12 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee,
that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines.
And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not
fall upon me yourselves.

Judges 15:11-12
These are those who submit to the unrighteous and fight against anyone
who tries to throw off the oppressors.

Judges 15:13
13 And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind
thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we
will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords,
and brought him up from the rock.

Judges 15:13
They work for the enemy, even though they are our brethren, they are at
least as great an obstacle as the enemy themselves.

Judges 15:14-15
14 [And] when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted
against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon
him, and the cords that [were] upon his arms became as flax
that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his
hands.
15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his
hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.

Judges 15:14-15
Again, God directly enabled him to kill and destroy, and it was for the
purpose of helping the nation and freeing them from the oppressive
tyrants whose laws contradicted God's laws.

Judges 16:28-30
28 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD,
remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee,
only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the
Philistines for my two eyes.
29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon
which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the
one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And
he bowed himself with [all his] might; and the house fell
upon the lords, and upon all the people that [were] therein.
So the dead which he slew at his death were more than [they]
which he slew in his life.

Judges 16:28-30
Another example of where God divinely helps a person kill others.

Judges 18:22
22 [And] when they were a good way from the house of
Micah, the men that [were] in the houses near to Micah's
house were gathered together, and overtook the children of
Dan.

Judges 18:22
A small militia or group of minutemen, rallied in a very short time,
unable to overcome the 600 Danites, which is probably good.

Judges 20:35
35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the
children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day
twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew
the sword.

Judges 20:35
God used people to kill and destroy.

1 Samuel 2:9
9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked
shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man
prevail.

I Samuel 2:9
Victory depends on God, not strength, although you have to balance that
with preparing, etc.

1 Samuel 7:10
10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the
Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD
thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the
Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten
before Israel.

I Samuel 7:10
The LORD divinely helped Israel slaughter the enemy, but the Israelites
did the actual pursuing and killing.

1 Samuel 7:13
13. So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more
into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was
against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

I Samuel 7:13
Because of a righteous leader, God helped Israel defeat their enemies
and keep them at bay: when a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even
his enemies to be at peace with him. Maybe because they are all dead.

I Samuel 7:14
14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from
Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath;
and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands
of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and
the Amorites.

I Samuel 7:14
The people did the work, God helped them.

1 Samuel 17:28-29
28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto
the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he
said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou
left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride,
and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down
that thou mightest see the battle.
29 And David said, What have I now done? [Is there] not a
cause?

I Samuel 17:28-29
Like Christians who chew out other Christians for standing against evil,
and especially who physically resist or fight against evil.

1 Samuel 13:20-22
20 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to
sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe,
and his mattock.
21 Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the
coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to
sharpen the goads.
22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was
neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the
people that [were] with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and
with Jonathan his son was there found.

I Samuel 13:20-22
They had to use home made or home adapted weapons. Pass the Anarchist
Cookbook!

1 Samuel 14:48
48 And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and
delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them.

I Samuel 14:48
Saul took care of this one, it was probably too big a problem for small
militia groups to handle.

1 Samuel 15:32-33
32. Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king
of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And
Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
33 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women
childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And
Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

I Samuel 15:32-33
A man of God, before the LORD, hacked a fellow to death. If killing were
always unholy, God would not have told Saul to kill the Amalekites in
the first place, and secondly, he wouldn't have wanted Samuel to kill
Agag.

1 Samuel 17:39
39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he
assayed to go; for he had not proved [it]. And David said
unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved
[them]. And David put them off him.

I Samuel 17:39
If we are going to fight, we must use what we are good with. THis means
we need to be good with something, meaning we need to have it ahead of
time and practice with it.

1 Samuel 17:45
45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me
with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I
come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of
the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

I Samuel 17:45
David had faith that God was going to help him. Goliath had stood up
against Israel, and Israel was God's nation. David had no revelation of
God's help, but he had skill, experience, and most of all, faith in God.
We similarly can stand in faith for God's people and for our nation,
even though we have no special revelation to so so, because God expects
us to, and because he will help his people.

1 Samuel 21:8
8 And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here
under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought
my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business
required haste.

I Samuel 21:8
Also, apparently it was not uncommon for the priest to have weapons at
hand in or near the temple. David didn't have cows about it.

1 Samuel 22:2
2 And every one [that was] in distress, and every one that
[was] in debt, and every one [that was] discontented,
gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over
them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

I Samuel 22:2
They formed a militia.

1 Samuel 22:13
13 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against
me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him
bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that
he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

I Samuel 22:13
Not quite gun control, but it is a case where an evil man is very
displeased that a good man has acquired a weapon--he wanted him to
remain unarmed so it would be easier to kill him (presumably) and so
David could not ambush him, which he says David wants to do "to lie in
wait." Wonder what the gov't wants to do to us, since it so badly wants
us disarmed?

1 Samuel 22:17
17 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about
him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their
hand also [is] with David, and because they knew when he
fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the
king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests
of the LORD.

I Samuel 22:17
Obey the law.
Disobeyed the law (word) of the king to keep the law (word) of God.

1 Samuel 23:4-5
4 Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD
answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will
deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the
Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them
with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of
Keilah.

I Samuel 23:4-5 Militia
This was an anti-gov't militia of sorts, the debtors, those on the
king's wanted list, etc joined here, and they took kingly unauthorized
military actions, but God commanded them to do this and blessed their
efforts. If it were ungodly to do this, God wouldn't have blessed them.

1 Samuel 25:7-8,15-16,21
7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy
shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was
there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in
Carmel.
8 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore
let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in
a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine
hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
15 But the men [were] very good unto us, and we were not
hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were
conversant with them, when we were in the fields:
16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the
while we were with them keeping the sheep.
21 Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that
this [fellow] hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was
missed of all that [pertained] unto him: and he hath
requited me evil for good.

I Samuel 25:7-8,15-16,21 Militia
According to several people, including Ravi Zacharais, I heard on the
radio that it was a custom for groups of men to provide security to
people like Nabal and his animals and servants, and then for the owner
to pay them for the protection from the many wild animals, bands of
robbers, and criminals, but Nabal refused to do his reasonably expected
and customary duty.

1 Samuel 30:8,23
8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue
after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered
him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake [them], and
without fail recover [all].
23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with
that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us,
and delivered the company that came against us into our
hand.

I Samuel 30:8,23 Militia, Divine help
God supernaturally helped David fight and win. Remember, this was an
unauthorized, illegal militia group, personally armed, and yet God had
no qualms helping them.

2 Samuel 1:12,14-16
12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for
Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the
LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen
by the sword.
14 And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to
stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?
15 And David called one of the young men, and said, Go
near, [and] fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.
16 And David said unto him, Thy blood [be] upon thy head;
for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have
slain the LORD'S anointed.

2 Samuel 1:12,14-16
A case of individually meted justice without the oversight of the gov't.

2 Samuel 2:18
18. And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and
Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel [was as] light of foot as a
wild roe.

2 Samuel 2:18
By the hand of David I will save Israel from their enemies--God works
through his people to accomplish his will.

2 Samuel 3:33-34
33 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner
as a fool dieth?
34 Thy hands [were] not bound, nor thy feet put into
fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, [so] fellest
thou. And all the people wept again over him.

2 Samuel 3:33-34
A fool will not defend himself. He will have the opportunity to fight
but will not.

2 Samuel 10:12
12 Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our
people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that
which seemeth him good.

2 Samuel 10:12
No special revelation, just doing the right thing.

2 Samuel 22:3
3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: [he is] my
shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my
refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

2 Samuel 22:3
Obviously it is not just violence, it is violence that would destroy
him, as in, thou savest me from being harmed.

2 Samuel 22:40
40 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them
that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.

2 Samuel 22:40
God enabled him to do 36-38--the same God who gave him "gentleness" and
"the shield of thy salvation" also game him "strength to battle" to
subdue those that rose up against him. Note, this is defensive: he acted
after they rose up against him.

2 Samuel 22:43
43 Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth,
I did stamp them as the mire of the street, [and] did spread
them abroad.

2 Samuel 22:43
This was not gentle warfare. He annihilated the enemy.

2 Samuel 22:49
49 And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also
hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against
me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

2 Samuel 22:49
Again the violent man is the one who seeks to harm David, and do evil,
because David is very violent (38, 41,43) and yet that is not what
"violence" refers to, more likely it is harm of the just and righteous
and those who trust God.

2 Samuel 23:6-8
6 But [the sons] of Belial [shall be] all of them as
thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:
7 But the man [that] shall touch them must be fenced with
iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly
burned with fire in the [same] place.
8. These [be] the names of the mighty men whom David had:
The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the
captains; the same [was] Adino the Eznite: [he lift up his
spear] against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.

2 Samuel 23:6-8
The only way to deal with the wicked is with weapons! Nothing else will
work, because they will hurt anyone who is not armed.

2 Samuel 23:17
17 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should
do this: [is not this] the blood of the men that went in
jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it.
These things did these three mighty men.

2 Samuel 23:17
David would not partake of innocent blood. Obviously there is a
difference between innocent and guilty blood--David was judged in
shedding blood only in the instance of Uriah--all the rest God helped
him do and blessed him in it. The only caveat is that God wouldn't let
him build the temple because he had shed so much blood, but even in that
instance, David drew up the plans, and gathered and prepared most of the
materials for it, plus the site.
%%%
The wicked vs the innocent, guilty blood vs innocent blood--there is a
difference.

2 Samuel 24:2,4
2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which
[was] with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel,
from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I
may know the number of the people.
4 Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab,
and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the
captains of the host went out from the presence of the king,
to number the people of Israel.

2 Samuel 24:2,4
This was the official army that conducted the census, obviously it is
different from the people they counted.
%%%
The armed populace--militia--as distinct from the people they counted.

1 Kings 8:33-34,37-40
33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the
enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn
again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make
supplication unto thee in this house:
34 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy
people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou
gavest unto their fathers.
37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence,
blasting, mildew, locust, [or] if there be caterpiller; if
their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities;
whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness [there be];
38 What prayer and supplication soever be [made] by any
man, [or] by all thy people Israel, which shall know every
man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands
toward this house:
39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and
forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his
ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, [even] thou only,
knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)
40 That they may fear thee all the days that they live in
the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.

1 Kings 8:33-34,37-40
38 by the nation, or by 1 person
%
They lose battles and wars because they reject God.

1 Kings 18:40
40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal;
let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah
brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

1 Kings 18:40 Law breaking, individual taking lethal action
It was illegal, but it was God's law. This is an instance of one
individual killing without authorization from gov't, but in accordance
with God's Word.

1 Kings 20:42
42 And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou
hast let go out of [thy] hand a man whom I appointed to
utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life,
and thy people for his people.

1 Kings 20:42
If we do not kill when it is time, God will punish us. There is a time
to kill.

1 Kings 21:7,9-10,14
7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern
the kingdom of Israel? arise, [and] eat bread, and let thine
heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the
Jezreelite.
9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast,
and set Naboth on high among the people:
10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear
witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and
the king. And [then] carry him out, and stone him, that he
may die.
14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned,
and is dead.

1 Kings 21:7,9-10,14
The wicked murder the righteous and the just.

2 Kings 5:1
1. Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria,
was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by
him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a
mighty man in valour, [but he was] a leper.

2 Kings 5:1
God did it using a man. The man did all the visible work.

2 Kings 6:14,24,7:6-7,15-17
14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a
great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city
about.
24. And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of
Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged
Samaria.
6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a
noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, [even] the noise
of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king
of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites,
and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.
7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left
their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the
camp as it [was], and fled for their life.
15 And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the
way [was] full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians
had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned,
and told the king.
16 And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the
Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was [sold] for a shekel,
and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the
word of the LORD.
17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned
to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon
him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said,
who spake when the king came down to him.

2 Kings 6:14,24,7:6-7,15-17
They also left most if not all of their weapons, probably, since while
they were running, they dropped vessels and clothing while running,
meaning that's what they were carrying, instead of swords and spears and
bows. They likely didn't stop top pick up their weapons, because if they
had stopped for anything at all, it would have been fir their horses so
they could make a faster escape, but perhaps the horses were unsaddled,
and so they ran with whatever was in their hands--their supper
dishes--and left behind their weapons in their tents. Also, the horses
were still tied and at least some of the horses were chariot horses,
because in the previous battle Syria used chariots (6:14), and no reason
why they wouldn't again. This means the heavy weapons, like tanks and
jet fighters today, chariots, were also left for the common people. And
it was the ordinary people who spoiled all these things: food, money,
clothes, weapons. V.16 The people spoiled their tents. The militia was
augmented, because the people obtained many weapons, including tanks and
other non-bearable weapons, and the king didn't have a cow about it.
v.17 Obviously the king had no control whatsoever over the people at
this point. Also, all the people did the spoiling.

1 Kings 14:9-10,14-16
9 But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for
thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images,
to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:
10 Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of
Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth
against the wall, [and] him that is shut up and left in
Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of
Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.
14 Moreover the LORD shall raise him up a king over
Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day:
but what? even now.
15 For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in
the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good
land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them
beyond the river, because they have made their groves,
provoking the LORD to anger.
16 And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of
Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.

1 Kings 14:9-10,14-16
Why Jeroboam will be killed--he was very evil

1 Kings 15:27-29
27 And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar,
conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon,
which [belonged] to the Philistines; for Nadab and all
Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.
28 Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha
slay him, and reigned in his stead.
29 And it came to pass, when he reigned, [that] he smote
all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that
breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the
saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the
Shilonite:

1 Kings 15:27-29
Baasha killed him and all his offspring as prophesied, for Jereboam's
sin. This was God's doing.

1 Kings 16:7
7 And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of
Hanani came the word of the LORD against Baasha, and against
his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of
the LORD, in provoking him to anger with the work of his
hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he
killed him.

1 Kings 16:7
God was mad because he killed Jereboam Huh? Wonder why. Since there were
several assassinations God approved of. I would guess it was for the
following--the assassination was justified because Jereboam was an evil
man, and killing him stopped him from doing further evil, and put a man
in his place who would do righteously. However, once this man who
resigned failed to be any better than the man he killed, the
justification for the assassination was lost, and then God implicated
him for the killing.

1 Kings 16:8,10-13,16,18,19
8 In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began
Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two
years.
10 And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the
twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in
his stead.
11 And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as
he sat on his throne, [that] he slew all the house of
Baasha: he left him not one that pisseth against a wall,
neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends.
12 Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha,
according to the word of the LORD, which he spake against
Baasha by Jehu the prophet,
13 For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his
son, by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to
sin, in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their
vanities.
16 And the people [that were] encamped heard say, Zimri
hath conspired, and hath also slain the king: wherefore all
Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel
that day in the camp.
18 And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was
taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house, and
burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died,
19 For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight
of the LORD, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his
sin which he did, to make Israel to sin.

1 Kings 16:8,10-13,16,18,19
Here's an example of an assassination where we know God it done but he
really didn't say whether or not he blessed the doer, although we can
see he was killed without any help from God.

2 Kings 9:7-9
7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that
I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the
blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of
Jezebel.
8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut
off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him
that is shut up and left in Israel:
9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of
Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the
son of Ahijah:

2 Kings 9:7-9
God will seek vengeance by using a person to do his work. All this work
of God will be done by a man.
%%%
double assassination
breaking the law to keep God's higher law and word
touching God's anointed
God working through a man to kill, with his full blessings on the man
(not a later judgment, like he did to the Syrians or whoever when he
used them to punish Israel)
2 Kings 9:14,16
Jerhoram (Joram) King of Israel, Ahaziah king of Judah
%
2 Kings 9:23-24
assassinates Jehoram,
%
2 Kings 9:25-26
fulfills God's judgment against house of Ahab without any judgment upon
himself
%
2 Kings 9:27
assassination of Ahaziah
%
2 Kings 9:36-37
this again was the word of God that was fulfilled by a man

2 Kings 9:31-33
31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, [Had]
Zimri peace, who slew his master?
32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who
[is] on my side? who? And there looked out to him two [or]
three eunuchs.
33 And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down:
and [some] of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on
the horses: and he trode her under foot.

2 Kings 9:31-33
Jezebel's servants rebelled against their master, broke the law of
the king, and killed her, or at least had a hand in it.
%
had peace like Zimri? not all are bad?

2 Kings 9:31
31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, [Had]
Zimri peace, who slew his master?

2 Kings 9:31
A perfect example (Jezebel) of those who say we should not fight against
evil rulers because God will judge us for it--you are in good company:
Jezebel's! It is the wicked and evil who use the example of Zimri to
prove that they should not fight against evil rulers and even
assassinate them, because God will not bless it. God blessed all these
assassinations of these wicked rulers.

2 Kings 10:6-8,10-11,13-14,17,21,25
6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying,
If ye [be] mine, and [if] ye will hearken unto my voice,
take ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to
me to Jezreel by to morrow this time. Now the king's sons,
[being] seventy persons, [were] with the great men of the
city, which brought them up.
7 And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that
they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put
their heads in baskets, and sent him [them] to Jezreel.
8 And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They
have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay
ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until
the morning.
10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing
of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the
house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done [that] which he spake
by his servant Elijah.
11 So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in
Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his
priests, until he left him none remaining.
13 Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah,
and said, Who [are] ye? And they answered, We [are] the
brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children
of the king and the children of the queen.
14 And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive,
and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, [even] two
and forty men; neither left he any of them.
17 And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained
unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according
to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.
21 And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the
worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left
that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the
house of Baal was full from one end to another.
25 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of
offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and
to the captains, Go in, [and] slay them; let none come
forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and
the guard and the captains cast [them] out, and went to the
city of the house of Baal.

2 Kings 10:6-8,10-11,13-14,17,21,25
He killed them all, and with God's blessing. In this instance, he
received specific directions from God that he was supposed to wipe out
Ahab's house (2Ki 9:7), unlike some cases where the person was acting on
general principles, instead of specific instructions.

2 Kings 10:30
30 And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done
well in executing [that which is] right in mine eyes, [and]
hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that [was]
in mine heart, thy children of the fourth [generation] shall
sit on the throne of Israel.

2 Kings 10:30
This is the crowning note--that God blessed him for his bloody work,
instead of judging the judger as he did of the nations that were God's
punishing tools for Israel's sins. Unfortunately, Jehu sinned and ruined
it all.

2 Kings 11:15
15 But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the
hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have
her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her
kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be
slain in the house of the LORD.

2 Kings 11:15
Another assassination--commanded by God's holy priest: "kill with the
sword" was the command.
Giving that order was the same as doing it himself. If God's priest can
do it and still remain holy (not counting the uncleanness brought on by
touching a dead body, etc), it must not be an unclean or evil thing to
do, if done properly.

2 Kings 13:3
3 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel,
and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria,
and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all [their]
days.

2 Kings 13:3
Their defeats in battle were because of God's anger for their sins.

2 Kings 13:4-7
4 And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened
unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the
king of Syria oppressed them.
5 (And the LORD gave Israel a saviour, so that they went
out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of
Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.
6 Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the
house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, [but] walked
therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.)
7 Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty
horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for
the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like
the dust by threshing.

2 Kings 13:4-7 gun control example
4-5 The king prayed and God heard and sent someone to deliver them
6 but they kept on sinning
7 their oppressor disarmed them to a large extent
they were allowed only a relatively small quantity of soldiers and
weapons, the enemy destroyed the rest. This is kinda like today, they
want to be sure we don't have too many weapons or ammo (ie, an
"arsenal") and they want to be sure there aren't too many militias, to
successfully resist their oppression. Since to a large extent the
individual citizens were also the militia, it is likely that the Syrians
disarmed the people to a large extent also (which might explain where
all the weapons went that the Israelites were continuously having to
procure, unless there was a high breakage rate for them), however, I
think that these kings further down the line tended to have bigger
standing armies than they were supposed to have.
4-7 Tells me that if we seek God he may help us even if there is still
sin in the nation. We don't have to be sinless before we can ask God for
deliverance. However, the deliverance in this case wasn't complete.
Also, we don't have to have a perfect nation before we can act as the
saviors, to fight for our country (besides that, it is a sin if we don't
defend those we are commanded to defend, and that brings more
judgment!). As always, though, we have to realize God may or may not
grand us victory, or only a partial victory, or we may not live to see
the results, and they results may be short-lived, if at all.
7 It doesn't say the Syrians continued to enforce their arms
embargo/disarmament, however, they destroyed many weapons before the
deliverance from the Syrians, and apparently it was a significant enough
reduction to merit mentioning.

2 Kings 16:2-5,8-9
2 Twenty years old [was] Ahaz when he began to reign, and
reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not [that which
was] right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his
father.
3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea,
and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the
abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from
before the children of Israel.
4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places,
and on the hills, and under every green tree.
5. Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king
of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged
Ahaz, but could not overcome [him].
8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the
house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house,
and sent [it for] a present to the king of Assyria.
9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king
of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and
carried [the people of] it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.

2 Kings 16:2-5,8-9
Here is an amazing account of how this very evil king was not defeated
in battle, for one very simple reason: God had not purposed to destroy
him, and therefore the determining factor in his defeat or victory was
how well he had prepared in advance to withstand a seige, how strong the
fortifications were, etc. It was a matter of better using the natural
laws, physics, natural forces, strategy, etc.
%
The point of all this is that God doesn't always divinely intervene or
determine the outcome: sometimes, perhaps even most of the time he lets
things play out without divine intervention, according to the physical
laws he set up (cause-effect, reap-sow, etc). He does this even in the
lives of believers, and that is why we must be prepared on the physical
level to meet challenges with sufficient physical resistance to overcome
them.
%
We build our houses following this philosophy. We ensure they can
withstand wind, rain, hail, thieves, etc, and we don't expect God to
keep out the wind if we don't build the house properly. We don't build a
house along the banks of the river and expect him to keep the house and
us from washing away if the river rises or the dam breaks. We don't go
to the coast and expect God to keep hurricanes from damaging houses not
sufficiently strong to withstand them. If we do, God won't protect the
house, because if he did, you could go to the coast after a hurricane
and all the Christian's homes would still be standing (without even the
smell of smoke on their garments), but that's not how it works. The best
built ones are left standing--the physical laws apply equally to the
just and the unjust (rain). There are an infinite number of things we do
following this philosophy--that we must live within the natural laws God
set up, or we will suffer the natural consequences if we don't:
clothing, food, construction, work, etc.

2 Kings 18:11-12
11 And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto
Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor [by] the river
of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:
12 Because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their
God, but transgressed his covenant, [and] all that Moses the
servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear [them],
nor do [them].

2 Kings 18:11-12
Defeat in battle because of rejecting God.
Godliness must be part of resistance--without it, you will probably
fail, especially if the oppressor is sent from God because of sin--even
if there is just the natural consequence of sin, he will be very hard to
defeat, because sin that is set in the heart of many is impossible to
remove, and sin's followers are a bad lot.

2 Kings 18:25
25 Am I now come up without the LORD against this place to
destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land,
and destroy it.

2 Kings 18:25
Ah, but this captain was part of God's judgment, right? But God blessed
and encouraged his resistance _precisely_ because he was a godly man!!
Perhaps if we are godly, we have his blessings and help in resisting
evil, and if God intends to bring judgment in spite of us, we will die
like the other good kings who died fighting against evil.

2 Kings 23:32-33
32 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the
LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.
33 And Pharaohnechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the
land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and
put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver,
and a talent of gold.

2 Kings 23:32-33
Evil brings about captivity, servitude, tribute (loss of money), because
God fights against the evil and brings these conditions on them: evil
captors foreign to their national law (foreigners or evil native kings,
in our case Clinton, an evil man who has no regard for our national
laws, ie, Constitution).

2 Kings 24:1
1. In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and
Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and
rebelled against him.

2 Kings 24:1
Yet another captivity because of sin--not just because of insufficient
weaponry or soldiers or poor tactics--no quantities of these would have
helped, because God purposed to defeat them because of their
sins--repentance was what they needed first, and then their weaponry
might have done them some good. We cannot rely only on strength for
victory: we must have God fighting for us, and not just that he isn't
against us, he must be actively for us, and we can ensure that partly by
being right with him.

2 Kings 24:2-3
2 And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and
bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands
of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to
destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he
spake by his servants the prophets.
3 Surely at the commandment of the LORD came [this] upon
Judah, to remove [them] out of his sight, for the sins of
Manasseh, according to all that he did;

2 Kings 24:2-3
These evil bands (rogue militias? troops of robbers? why didn't they
call for the outlawing of militias, since some of them were bad? Maybe
because the only way to deal with evil militias is to counter them with
good ones, and in any event, is does no good for the good people to see
that there are evil people around, and so the good people all surrender
their guns to the police for destruction in hopes that somehow magically
the evil people will also disarm and maybe even be nice) came because of
sin--not just because of natural events.

2 Kings 24:14
14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes,
and all the mighty men of valour, [even] ten thousand
captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained,
save the poorest sort of the people of the land.

2 Kings 24:14 Gun Control
Doubtlessly many of the smiths were weapon smiths--here is yet another
example of gun control--the manufacturers and repairers of weapons were
removed by an evil captor, probably to further subjugate and keep
subjugated the nation, and to put anyway of any use to work for the evil
captor instead of their own nation (like the feds do).

2 Kings 25:19
19 And out of the city he took an officer that was set
over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the
king's presence, which were found in the city, and the
principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of
the land, and threescore men of the people of the land [that
were] found in the city:

2 Kings 25:19
He killed off anyone who had any relation to resistance--to call up the
militia, to be in charge of the military, anyone who was aligned with
the gov't or with the religion of Israel was killed. He was making sure
there was no organization (like the feds squash any organized
resistance, and fear this much more than individuals) or national
identity that was contrary to his oppression, no resistance whatsoever,
nothing and no one to whom anyone could turn who did not want to serve
him (he declared them all cults, I suppose)--there was not resistance
left of any kind.

1 Chronicles 4:38-43
38 These mentioned by [their] names [were] princes in
their families: and the house of their fathers increased
greatly.
39 And they went to the entrance of Gedor, [even] unto the
east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.
40 And they found fat pasture and good, and the land [was]
wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for [they] of Ham had dwelt
there of old.
41 And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah
king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the habitations
that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this
day, and dwelt in their rooms: because [there was] pasture
there for their flocks.
42 And [some] of them, [even] of the sons of Simeon, five
hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their captains
Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of
Ishi.
43 And they smote the rest of the Amalekites that were
escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.

1 Chronicles 4:38-43
(or was this with 2Ki 24:14) gun control, militia--the military and the
people distinguished by 2 different ones in charge of each
%
Various private armies fighting and taking land without the king
interfering

1 Chronicles 5:10
10 And in the days of Saul they made war with the
Hagarites, who fell by their hand: and they dwelt in their
tents throughout all the east [land] of Gilead.

1 Chronicles 5:10 militia
more private action

1 Chronicles 5:19
19 And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, and
Nephish, and Nodab.

1 Chronicles 5:19
They did this on their own, perhaps as part of claiming the promised
land and taking their portion of it, nevertheless, this was a private
army

1 Chronicles 7:2,4,5,7,9,11,40
2 And the sons of Tola; Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel,
and Jahmai, and Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father's
house, [to wit], of Tola: [they were] valiant men of might
in their generations; whose number [was] in the days of
David two and twenty thousand and six hundred.
4 And with them, by their generations, after the house of
their fathers, [were] bands of soldiers for war, six and
thirty thousand [men]: for they had many wives and sons.
5 And their brethren among all the families of Issachar
[were] valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their
genealogies fourscore and seven thousand.
7 And the sons of Bela; Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and
Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of the house of [their]
fathers, mighty men of valour; and were reckoned by their
genealogies twenty and two thousand and thirty and four.
9 And the number of them, after their genealogy by their
generations, heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men
of valour, [was] twenty thousand and two hundred.
11 All these the sons of Jediael, by the heads of their
fathers, mighty men of valour, [were] seventeen thousand and
two hundred [soldiers], fit to go out for war [and] battle.
40 All these [were] the children of Asher, heads of
[their] father's house, choice [and] mighty men of valour,
chief of the princes. And the number throughout the
genealogy of them that were apt to the war [and] to battle
[was] twenty and six thousand men.

1 Chronicles 7:2,4,5,7,9,11,40
The census was based on who could fight--it was both common place highly
important that as many men as possible be adept for war, because the
defense of the nation, tribe, family, and individual was secured by the
strength and training of the men

1 Chronicles 7:21
21 And Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and
Elead, whom the men of Gath [that were] born in [that] land
slew, because they came down to take away their cattle.

1 Chronicles 7:21 militia
an example of the need for warrior/men

1 Chronicles 8:40
40 And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour,
archers, and had many sons, and sons' sons, an hundred and
fifty. All these [are] of the sons of Benjamin.

1 Chronicles 8:40 militia
Saul taught the people archery, these fellows were related to him, from
the same tribe. Somehow there's probably a connection--Saul taught them,
they all learned it together, then Saul taught Israel, they taught him,
who knows. In any event, this is most likely grass roots training and
arming, and these weapons and ideas were spread, and when Saul becomes
king, he establishes it throughout Israel.

1 Chronicles 9:1
1. So all Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and, behold,
they [were] written in the book of the kings of Israel and
Judah, [who] were carried away to Babylon for their
transgression.

1 Chronicles 9:1
Defeat and captivity were because of sin--the weapons failed because God
was against them. That doesn't mean certain people didn't fight
successfully, but it means the nation as a whole was defeated.

1 Chronicles 10:11-12
11 And when all Jabeshgilead heard all that the
Philistines had done to Saul,
12 They arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body
of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to
Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and
fasted seven days.

1 Chronicles 10:11-12
Likely a privately orchestrated effort carried out by the militia
members--ie, all the men fit for war (which, by the way was the census
method) obviously it had nothing to do with the king, since he was dead,
and it doesn't say it was done by the king's garrison, etc.

1 Chronicles 11:6
6 And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first
shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went
first up, and was chief.

1 Chronicles 11:6
append.
David announced the mission, and whoever had sufficient men and arms in
their private armies could take a shot at it in hopes of gaining the
reward. This is one way these militias helped the king. They also
probably were made official garrisons, and given pay, etc to become full
time employees in the official army. I would suppose Joab's men also
were promoted by Joab after he was promoted.

1 Chronicles 11:11
11 And this [is] the number of the mighty men whom David
had; Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he
lifted up his spear against three hundred slain [by him] at
one time.

1 Chronicles 11:11
append.
It was honorable to be a warrior and to defeat and kill the enemy and to
help your nation and people, and defend property.

1 Chronicles 12:15
15 These [are] they that went over Jordan in the first
month, when it had overflown all his banks; and they put to
flight all [them] of the valleys, [both] toward the east,
and toward the west.

1 Chronicles 12:15
They (v15) had proven themselves. They joined David while he was hiding
from Saul.

1 Chronicles 12:16,18,19
16 And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to
the hold unto David.
18 Then the spirit came upon Amasai, [who was] chief of
the captains, [and he said], Thine [are we], David, and on
thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace [be] unto thee,
and peace [be] to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee.
Then David received them, and made them captains of the
band.
19 And there fell [some] of Manasseh to David, when he
came with the Philistines against Saul to battle: but they
helped them not: for the lords of the Philistines upon
advisement sent him away, saying, He will fall to his master
Saul to [the jeopardy of] our heads.

1 Chronicles 12:16,18,19
19 Captains of Manesseh--their tribal military. The band--ie, militia
group.
19 fell to him when he was with the Philistines.
%
band--war word

1 Chronicles 12:23-38
23. And these [are] the numbers of the bands [that were]
ready armed to the war, [and] came to David to Hebron, to
turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of
the LORD.
24 The children of Judah that bare shield and spear [were]
six thousand and eight hundred, ready armed to the war.
25 Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valour for the
war, seven thousand and one hundred.
26 Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred.
27 And Jehoiada [was] the leader of the Aaronites, and
with him [were] three thousand and seven hundred;
28 And Zadok, a young man mighty of valour, and of his
father's house twenty and two captains.
29 And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul,
three thousand: for hitherto the greatest part of them had
kept the ward of the house of Saul.
30 And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and
eight hundred, mighty men of valour, famous throughout the
house of their fathers.
31 And of the half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand,
which were expressed by name, to come and make David king.
32 And of the children of Issachar, [which were men] that
had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to
do; the heads of them [were] two hundred; and all their
brethren [were] at their commandment.
33 Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in
war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which
could keep rank: [they were] not of double heart.
34 And of Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them with
shield and spear thirty and seven thousand.
35 And of the Danites expert in war twenty and eight
thousand and six hundred.
36 And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in
war, forty thousand.
37 And on the other side of Jordan, of the Reubenites, and
the Gadites, and of the half tribe of Manasseh, with all
manner of instruments of war for the battle, an hundred and
twenty thousand.
38 All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a
perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel:
and all the rest also of Israel [were] of one heart to make
David king.

1 Chronicles 12:23-38
23 A listing of the "bands," armed and trained groups, that came to make
David king.
33 (1) they were experts, probably meaning well-trained and probably
experienced, (2) They were experts with all weapons of war (which means
they had both the weapons and the training prior to coming to the king)
(3) They were trained well in group tactics and maneuvers (4) they were
single minded in their mission and purpose (ie, they had been
indoctrinated in the proper ideology, (they read the constitution and
swore to defend it from all enemies foreign and domestic, eh?)),
dedicated to the cause of liberty and safety.

1 Chronicles 16:11
11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face
continually.

I Chronicles 16:11
Knowing David, "Strength" very likely includes strength for battle
%
strength--war word

1 Chronicles 18:3,4,7,11
3 And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as
he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates.
4 And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven
thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also
houghed all the chariot [horses], but reserved of them an
hundred chariots.
7 And David took the shields of gold that were on the
servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
11 Them also king David dedicated unto the LORD, with the
silver and the gold that he brought from all [these]
nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of
Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.

I Chronicles 18:3,4,7,11
This was how some weapons were obtained: from all these different
nations they took spoil, they also took weapons, as noted with the
chariots, and many others that were not listed.

1 Chronicles 17:10-12
10 And since the time that I commanded judges [to be] over
my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies.
Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an
house.
11 And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired
that thou must go [to be] with thy fathers, that I will
raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons;
and I will establish his kingdom.
12 He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his
throne for ever.

I Chronicles 17:10-12
he used the best strategy available to him

1 Chronicles 19:13
13 Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves
valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and
let the LORD do [that which is] good in his sight.

I Chronicles 19:13
This is precisely the philosophy we follow: we fight because it is the
right thing to do, not because we have some special word from God.

1 Chronicles 26:26-27
26 Which Shelomith and his brethren [were] over all the
treasures of the dedicated things, which David the king, and
the chief fathers, the captains over thousands and hundreds,
and the captains of the host, had dedicated.
27 Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to
maintain the house of the LORD.

I Chronicles 26:26-27
Dedicated some spoils to God, obviously other items such as weapons were
also taken

1 Chronicles 26:32
32 And his brethren, men of valour, [were] two thousand
and seven hundred chief fathers, whom king David made rulers
over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of
Manasseh, for every matter pertaining to God, and affairs of
the king.

I Chronicles 26:32 warriors some of whom also served God

1 Chronicles 27:5-6,34
5 The third captain of the host for the third month [was]
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, a chief priest: and in his
course [were] twenty and four thousand.
6 This [is that] Benaiah, [who was] mighty [among] the
thirty, and above the thirty: and in his course [was]
Ammizabad his son.
34 And after Ahithophel [was] Jehoiada the son of Benaiah,
and Abiathar: and the general of the king's army [was] Joab.

I Chronicles 27:5-6,34
(his son?) a chief priest who is also one of the top ranked mighty men
in David's highest ranking warriors, who did mighty deeds--1 Chr 11:22-25

1 Chronicles 21:12
12 Either three years' famine; or three months to be
destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine
enemies overtaketh [thee]; or else three days the sword of
the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of
the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now
therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to
him that sent me.

I Chronicles 21:12
Destruction from the enemy and the inability to successfully defend the
nation was one of the choices of punishment David was offered.

1 Chronicles 22:8-9,18-19
8 But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast
shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt
not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much
blood upon the earth in my sight.
9 Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man
of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round
about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace
and quietness unto Israel in his days.
18 [Is] not the LORD your God with you? and hath he [not]
given you rest on every side? for he hath given the
inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is
subdued before the LORD, and before his people.
19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your
God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD
God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the
holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to
the name of the LORD.

I Chronicles 22:8-9,18-19 reap and sow
The interesting thing is that Solomon could not have had peace if David
had not defeated so many enemies. What a nation saves it reaps down the
road, even several generations down--both benefits and problems. If
David had shirked his duty, Solomon would have had to be the fighter,
and maybe would have lost the nation.

1 Chronicles 26:5-6
5 Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peulthai the
eighth: for God blessed him.
6 Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons born, that ruled
throughout the house of their father: for they [were] mighty
men of valour.

I Chronicles 26:5-6
These fellows were Levites, and get they were men of valor--ie,
warriors, and this was a blessing from God.

2 Chronicles 14:7
7 Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities,
and make about [them] walls, and towers, gates, and bars,
[while] the land [is] yet before us; because we have sought
the LORD our God, we have sought [him], and he hath given us
rest on every side. So they built and prospered.

2 Chronicles 14:7
It a blessing of God to be able to build up defenses

2 Chronicles 14:8
8 And Asa had an army [of men] that bare targets and
spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of
Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and
fourscore thousand: all these [were] mighty men of valour.

2 Chronicles 14:8 Militia
These came from each tribe because each tribe had its own defense forces.

2 Chronicles 14:11-15
11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD,
[it is] nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or
with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for
we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this
multitude. O LORD, thou [art] our God; let not man prevail
against thee.
12 So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before
Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.
13 And Asa and the people that [were] with him pursued
them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that
they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed
before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away
very much spoil.
14 And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for
the fear of the LORD came upon them: and they spoiled all
the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.
15 They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away
sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 14:11-15
11 "we rest on thee" the basis for the song used by the missionaries
going to the Auca Indians, Jim Elliot--and this is a military prayer
which God answered, BTW, several of those missionaries had guns but
didn't use them.
13 "and before his host" --the men were God's warriors, the Army of God,
doing His work, or work of weapons, warfare, slaughter, and destruction
to save their nation, their families, their lands, and their lives.

2 Chronicles 6:24-25,28-30,36-39
24 And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the
enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall
return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication
before thee in this house;
25 Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of
thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which
thou gavest to them and to their fathers.
28 If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence,
if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers;
if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land;
whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness [there be]:
29 [Then] what prayer [or] what supplication soever shall
be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every
one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall
spread forth his hands in this house:
30 Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and
forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his
ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the
hearts of the children of men:)
36 If they sin against thee, (for [there is] no man which
sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them
over before [their] enemies, and they carry them away
captives unto a land far off or near;
37 Yet [if] they bethink themselves in the land whither
they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the
land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have
done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;
38 If they return to thee with all their heart and with
all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they
have carried them captives, and pray toward their land,
which thou gavest unto their fathers, and [toward] the city
which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have
built for thy name:
39 Then hear thou from the heavens, [even] from thy
dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and
maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have
sinned against thee.

2 Chronicles 6:24-25,28-30,36-39
defeat in battle is because of sin, sometimes, in which case, repentance
must be part of regaining the upper hand over the enemy
28-30 grief brings repentance
36-39 this is the third time he mentions it--it must be important!

2 Chronicles 8:3-6
3 And Solomon went to Hamathzobah, and prevailed against
it.
4 And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store
cities, which he built in Hamath.
5 Also he built Bethhoron the upper, and Bethhoron the
nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;
6 And Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had,
and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen,
and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in
Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.

2 Chronicles 8:3-6
Even though he was a man of peace and they had quiet in the land, he
still saw some action and built up militarily--actually he violated
scripture in multiplying horses to himself, etc.

2 Chronicles 9:25
25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and
chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in
the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 9:25
He built too large a standing army--he was to rely more on God first and
then the militia (Deut 17:16)

2 Chronicles 12:1
1. And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the
kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of
the LORD, and all Israel with him.

2 Chronicles 12:1
This is the great danger of being very strong (he had fortified
everything (v.5-12)), you trust in yourself and your might instead of
trusting God and using your might for his glory.

2 Chronicles 15:1-2
1. And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:
2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye
me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD [is] with you,
while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found
of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

2 Chronicles 15:1-2
This is a double confirmation that God blessed the war--and that...
victory depends on righteousness towards God more than might.

2 Chronicles 12:7-8
7 And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the
word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled
themselves; [therefore] I will not destroy them, but I will
grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be
poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
8 Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may
know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the
countries.

2 Chronicles 12:7-8
"some deliverance"--repentance doesn't automatically bring instant
liberation--probably not all of them repented anyway.

2 Chronicles 15:3-6
3 Now for a long season Israel [hath been] without the
true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
4 But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD
God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.
5 And in those times [there was] no peace to him that went
out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations [were]
upon all the inhabitants of the countries.
6 And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city:
for God did vex them with all adversity.

2 Chronicles 15:3-6 militia
"city of city" cities with armed and trained militias

2 Chronicles 15:7
7 Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak:
for your work shall be rewarded.

2 Chronicles 15:7 reap/sow
you'll have what you work for

2 Chronicles 15:19
19 And there was no [more] war unto the five and thirtieth
year of the reign of Asa.

2 Chronicles 15:19
There was no war for several reasons:
--many of their enemies had been destroyed, including Israel
(benefits of previous work was being reaped)
--God blessed them by quieting their enemies

2 Chronicles 16:8
8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with
very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst
rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand.

2 Chronicles 16:8
"Delivered them into thine hand" God works using us--whatever work we
do, we gain the rewards of it--whatever we don't do, we , we don't
receive the rewards of it

2 Chronicles 16:9
9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the
whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of [them]
whose heart [is] perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done
foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

2 Chronicles 16:9 Weapons and warfare not unclean or unholy
Your heart can be perfect toward God even while engaged in warfare and
slaughter and weaponscraft

2 Chronicles 17:16
16 And next him [was] Amasiah the son of Zichri, who
willingly offered himself unto the LORD; and with him two
hundred thousand mighty men of valour.

2 Chronicles 17:16
it is possible to offer yourself to God in the capacity of a warrior

2 Chronicles 21:12-17
12. And there came a writing to him from Elijah the
prophet, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of David thy
father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of
Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of
Judah,
13 But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and
hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a
whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and
also hast slain thy brethren of thy father's house, [which
were] better than thyself:
14 Behold, with a great plague will the LORD smite thy
people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods:
15 And thou [shalt have] great sickness by disease of thy
bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness
day by day.
16 Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit
of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that [were] near
the Ethiopians:
17 And they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and
carried away all the substance that was found in the king's
house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was
never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his
sons.

2 Chronicles 21:12-17
The evil kill and fight against the good, especially when in power

2 Chronicles 21:16-17
16 Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit
of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that [were] near
the Ethiopians:
17 And they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and
carried away all the substance that was found in the king's
house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was
never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his
sons.

2 Chronicles 21:16-17
The evil ruler brings damage and destruction to the entire nation,
including those who are not evil, and when God judges the nation for the
evil ruler, many suffer who are innocent. This is one reason why we must
keep the wicked and wicked laws out of power, and this is also an
indirect and passive way to defend the innocent

2 Chronicles 21:17
17 And they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and
carried away all the substance that was found in the king's
house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was
never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his
sons.

2 Chronicles 21:17
The walls being torn down left the inhabitants vulnerable to criminals,
invading groups, wild animals, etc. Gun control of sorts.

2 Chronicles 20:12
12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no
might against this great company that cometh against us;
neither know we what to do: but our eyes [are] upon thee.

2 Chronicles 20:12
The militiaman's prayer against the feds

2 Chronicles 20:25
25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away
the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both
riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they
stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry
away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it
was so much.

2 Chronicles 20:25
Source of $ and weapons

2 Chronicles 20:37
37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied
against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined
thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And
the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to
Tarshish.

2 Chronicles 20:37
Another injunction against helping the evil, add to the one where
"shouldest thou help the ungodly or love them that hate God? therefore
is wrath upon thee," also include with Obadiah 1:10-15

2 Chronicles 23:7
7 And the Levites shall compass the king round about,
every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever [else]
cometh into the house, he sh