The law concerning
Wars
588.
That those engaged in warfare shall not fear their enemies nor be
panic-stricken by them during battle (Deut. 3:22 you shall not fear them, for El YAHWEH, your
Elohim, he shall wage war with you, 7:21 you shall notbe broken before them, for El YAHWEH,
your Elohim is among you, a great and awesome Elohim. 20:3 He shall say to them, Hear O Yisrael, today
you are coming near to the battleagainst your
enemies; let your heart not be faint; do not be afraid, do not panic,
and do not be broken before them) (This
command teaches us that we are in violation of Torah if we become frighten because he
lets his mind dwell on the danger of war. Torah does not demand the impossible.
The average person will be afraid in battle, but people should try to avoid fear
by not focusing on the dangers awaiting them. Do not be afraid, do not panic
and flee from the battlefield; and do not be broken and let your fear hamper
your performance in the actual fighting. There are time in our spiritual
journey when the need to do spiritual warfare is required. Those who engage in
this type of ministry should not be timid in doing so).
598.
To anoint a special kohein (to speak to the soldiers) in a war (Deut.
20:2 it
shall be that when you draw near to war,
the Kohem shall approach and speak to the people) (This command teaches us that the only official function of this
specially designated Kohem, who was anointed in the same way as the Kohen
Gadol, was to speak to the army before battle and proclaim the commandment that
they must not lose heart, but trust in the salvation of the One for whom they
are about to fight. Today when we do such a practice, we should call on the
name of El Yahushua who is at the Right Hand of our Heavenly Father El YAHWEH).
599.
In a permissive war (as distinguished from obligatory
ones), to observe the procedure prescribed in the Torah (Deut. 20:10 when you
draw near to a city to wage war against it, you shall call out to it for peace) (This command teaches us that before Yisrael
goes to war, it must give its enemy an opportunity to make peace the war with
the Canaanities, contain no provision for peace. In this command the call for
peace applies to everyone. The only difference between the Canaanites and others
is if the peace offer is refused and a war ensues. In that case, only the male
warriors of outside nations are to be killed and the rest of the population is
spared, but the Canaanites must be exterminated).
600.
Not to keep alive any individual of the seven Canaanite
nations (Deut. 20:16 but from the cities of these people that YAHWEH your Elohem gives
you as an inheritance, you shall not allow any person to live) (This command teaches us that however we
must not permit their mode of worship to their deities would filter down into
the Hebrew lifestyle. In any war with that we fight with those who live in our
home or community, we are not permitted to offer them any terms of peace, nor
to permit them to live in the land under any circumstance. As we speak the enemy
still lives in the land they must be remove not trade land for peace).
601.
To exterminate the seven Canaanite nations from the land of Yisrael
602.
Not to destroy fruit trees (wantonly or in warfare) (Deut.
20:19-20 when you besiege a city for many days to wage war against it to
siege it, do not destroy its tree) (This command teaches us that in the midst of a chapter dealing with
warfare, which by definition is destructive, Torah demands that Hebrew people
remain conscious of the need to maintain their regard for the general welfare
and cleave to their love of goodness. If people try to remain good even during
time that call forth their basest instincts, they will try not to waste even a
mustard seed, and they will show control in destruction).
603.
To deal with a beautiful woman taken captive in war in the
manner prescribed in the Torah (Deut. 21:10-14 when you will go out to war
against your enemies, and YAHWEH your Elohim, will deliver him into your hand.
And you will capture his captivity; and you will see among the captive a woman
who is beautiful of form, and you will desire her, you may take her to yourself
for a wife. You shall bring her to the midst of your house; she shall shave her
head and let her nails grow. She shall remove the garment of her captivity from
upon her and sit in your and she shall weep for her father and her mother for a
full month; thereafter you may come to her and live with her, and she shall be
a wife to you. But it shall be that if you do not desire her, then you shall
send her on her own, but you may not sell her for money; you shall not enslave
her, because you have afflicted her ) This command teaches us that Torah provides an avenue for the
lustful soldier to satisfy his desire, so that he will cool before it cause
more harm. Torah recognizes that he may not be able to restrain himself,
therefore restriction is place on how to deal with women of war.
604.
Not to sell a beautiful woman, (taken captive in war)
(Deut. 21:14 But it shall be that if you do not desire her, then you shall send
her on her own, but you may not sell her for money; you shall not enslave her,
because you have afflicted her) (This
command teaches us that If he sees a woman among the enemy and desire her, he
cannot use her, after which he cannot sells her. If the Hebrew captor has the
hope for change of heart, he may set her free, if she chooses to go back to her
idol-worship. Since her conversion had been coerced only so that he could take
her as a wife, the conversion is not valid if union did not take place. If,
however, she had converted of her own free will or if she like this new Hebrew
way of life, even if he find displeasure in her he cannot sell her, she is a
Hebrew with the same right and privilege).
605.
Not to degrade a beautiful woman (taken captive in war) to
the condition of a bondwoman (Deut. 21:14 But it shall be that if you do not
desire her, then you shall send her on her own, but you may not sell her for
money; you shall not enslave her, because you have afflicted herd) (This command teaches us that because you
have afflicted her, the Hebrew has caused this woman to suffer, whether by
forcing her to live with him when she was first captured or by forcing her to
endure the ordeal described above. Therefore, if he is not marrying her, he
should let her go free, and has no right to impinge on her freedom in any way).
606.
Not to offer peace to the Ammonites and the Moabites before waging war
on them, as should be done to other nations (Deut. 23:7 you shall not seek their
peace or their welfare, all your days, forever) (This command teaches us that You shall not seek there peace or
welfare. Yisrael had been forbidden to conquer the ancestral inheritance of
these two descendants of Lot , but if a war
were to occur, the chosen people were now freed from the general obligation to
offer peace or to show any special mercy to the belligerents. Therefore Moses
used yet another opportunity to assure Yisrael that they could feel secure in
the future because YAHWEH loves them).
607.
That anyone who is unclean shall not enter the Camp of the Levites
(Deut. 23:11 if
there will be among you a man who will not be among you a man who will not be
clean because of a nocturnal occurrence, he shall go outside the camp; he shall
not enter the midst of the camp) This command teaches
us that The Hebrew army encampment must be a far cry from that of any other
nations. Whereas other armies triumph by force of numbers and arms, Yisrael’s
success is in the Hand of YAHWEH, and therefore its army’s most potent weapon
is its righteous behavior.
608.
To have a place outside the camp for sanitary purposes (Deut. 23:13 You shall have a place
outside the camp, and to it you shall go out) (This
command teaches us that this is especially so in time of danger, when Satan
goes on the offensive in condemning improper conduct. Therefore sins that YAHWEH
might overlook in ordinary times become significant during wartime or other
crises. Even those in the army who have shed blood, must immerse themselves in
a mikveh by day and wait until evening).
609.
To keep that place sanitary (Deut. 23:14-15 you shall have a shovel in addition to your
weapons, and it will be that when you sit outside, you shall dig with it; you shall not go back and cover your
excrement. For El YAHWEH, your Elohim, walks in the midst of your camp to
rescue you and to deliver your enemies before you; so your camp shall be holy,
so that He will not see a shameful thing among you and turn away from behind
you) (This command teaches us that we must always
keep our encampment holy, because Hebrew mind should always be engaged in the Torah).
610.
Always to remember what Amalek did (Deut. 25:17 remember the Amalek did to you, on the way,
when you were leaving Egypt
611.
That the evil done to us by Amalek shall not be forgotten (Deut. 25:19 It shall be that when
El YAHWEH, Your Elohim, gives you rest from all your enemies all around, in the
Land that El YAHWEH, your Elohim, gives you as an inheritance to possess it,
you shall wipe out the memory of amalek from under the heaven, you shall not
forget). This command teaches us that the memory of
Amalek those who hate Yisrael should be remembered. When this portion is read
on the Sabbath just before Purim. We are to remember what the enemies of
Yisrael have done. As believer we need to remember that we have an enemy of our
soul, if we keep this in mind we will be as all good solder be ever on guard
against the enemy.
612.
To destroy the seed of Amalek (Deut. 25:19 your Elohim, gives you
as an inheritance to possess it, you shall wipe out the memory of amalek from
under the heaven, you shall not forget. This
command teaches us to destroy the seed of Amalek, those who attack the spiritually
weak, the spiritually faint and the spiritual exhausted. They do not attack the
strong in front, but the weak who struggle at the rear. The Amalekite are a
form of people, we recognize them by their actions.
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