As we have wandered through the desert with Israel during our study of Deuteronomy we have seen how God was showing them the way to be a model nation.
God gave them the structure He wanted them to use for worship.
He gave them the structure He wanted them to use for government.
God gave them the structure He wanted them to use for military might.
Chapter 20 was all about how Israel should go to war and who they should go to war with and how they should go about specific wars. Foreign nations were given a protocol of peace first. If they cooperated with the nation; they were allowed to live peacefully among them and to go on with their lives after the new nation took over. This was true only if they agreed. If they did not; a war would pursue and the nation who won would take the plunder in the end.
DESTROY THE SEVEN CANAANITE NATIONS
The one exception to this protocol of peace with Israel were the seven Canaanite nations.
God had already judged them and found them guilty. They were incorrigibly wicked. God saw that they would never change or conform to His best ways to live; and they would only corrupt and desecrate His people in the process.
So God commanded that they be wiped off the map. Some people call this genocide; but genocide is where people do not have a choice. These people were given the choice to live God’s way for hundreds of years before this commandment was made; and instead all they did was to continue to corrupt God’s people with their abominations. For Israel to become a Holy Nation and a pattern to all other nations; this had to end.
THE ANCIENT PRACTICE TO BURN OUT CITIES
Often, in ancient wars, when one nation destroyed another they would even burn out the cities and lands that the enemies had inhabited. They would use up all the wood from their trees to build sieges to penetrate the walled cities of their enemies.
I love the way the Word of God describes God’s feelings about burning up the trees in Deuteronomy 20:19-21: When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees people, that you should besiege them? However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls.
ARE THE TREES PEOPLE?
I love how the scriptures say: “Are the trees people that you should besiege them?”
The trees are innocent. They have committed no crimes; it is the people living in the land that commit crimes.
It is like God is saying; why should you destroy the life-giving part of the land just because the people there were incorrigibly wicked?
Don’t destroy the fruit trees; they are good for food! Leave them there for the future of the new people who settle in the city. Trees cannot be your enemies; only wicked people qualify as enemies.
THE USE OF TREES IN WORSHIP
I’ve seen so many people become disturbed with different uses of trees in worship to God (like Christmas trees) over the years.
It isn’t the trees that bother God, it is the pagan practices that the pagan people do with them that bothers God.
A while back I did a whole study on how God feels about trees. I wrote a whole article about my findings from the scriptures and you can read it here if you wish: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/truth-about-christmas-trees/. So many feel strongly opposed to my thoughts that I hope I do not lose a lot of good friends here. I only ask that you consider the facts that I bring up.
Paganism is definitely wrong! We must always be quick to realize that pagan practices performed by people with pagan intentions are not pleasing to God and that He detests such things. He detested the paganism of the Canaanites so much that He declared that they should be completely wiped off the map forever.
However; every use of a tree isn’t always a pagan practice.
I THINK THAT I SHALL NEVER SEE A THING AS LOVELY AS A TREE
There are many good uses for trees; and God has enjoyed and shared His creation of trees with His people since the beginning in The Garden of Eden.
I only bring this subject up because it was part of our scriptures in the study of Deuteronomy; but also to help us keep a proper balance and perspective with regard to part of God’s creation.
It is always important to realize that pagan practices originate from the intentions of one’s heart. If one is participating in a false religion that dishonors God; it is wrong and that is definitely a pagan practice. It all depends on the intent of the worshiper’s heart.
BRINGING JUSTICE TO THE LAND
Next week we will talk about some laws that were created to bring justice to unjust places and situations in those times of murder being committed in a community when the crime is never solved.
Who should be punished if a murder is committed and the real murderer is never found? How will the victim obtain justice?
God is a just God.
He even considers these situations and makes provision for justice to be served.
We will discuss this topic next Thursday.
Be blessed!