Understanding the Nature of Israelite Wars

The wars waged by the Israelites under God’s command in the Old Testament were distinct from the concept of jihad in Islam. These wars served specific divine purposes, governed by direct commands from Jehovah, and were accompanied by miraculous interventions to accomplish His will. The Israelites did not initiate these wars to expand their power or influence but acted in obedience to God’s directives to carry out His judgment against deeply wicked nations.

Divine Command and Miraculous Intervention

Jehovah directly commanded Israelite wars, and their victories were not based on military might but on God’s power and intervention. For instance, in Joshua 10:11, Jehovah caused large hailstones to fall on Israel’s enemies, securing victory for His people. Similarly, Judges 5:20 recounts, “From heaven the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera.” In 1 Samuel 17:47, David declared, “For the battle is Jehovah’s, and he will give you into our hand.” These accounts highlight that Israel’s success in war depended on divine intervention, not human strategy.

In contrast, jihad in Islamic theology is a human-led effort to establish Islamic dominance. The Quran emphasizes physical struggle, often involving violence, as a central tenet of expanding Islamic rule. This is encapsulated in Surah 9:29, which commands Muslims to fight non-believers until they submit and pay tribute.

The Purpose of Israelite Wars

The wars of Israel were not acts of conquest for territorial gain or political control but were instruments of divine judgment. The nations destroyed by Israel, such as the Canaanites, were guilty of extreme moral depravity, including child sacrifice, idolatry, and sexual immorality. Leviticus 18:24-25 states, “Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean, and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.”

The destruction of these nations was an act of divine justice, as seen in Deuteronomy 9:4-6:
“Do not say in your heart, after Jehovah your God has thrust them out before you, ‘It is because of my righteousness that Jehovah has brought me in to possess this land,’ whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that Jehovah is driving them out before you.”

In contrast, Islamic jihad is primarily motivated by the expansion of Islamic rule. It is not predicated on the moral depravity of those targeted but on their refusal to accept Islam. The historical record of Islamic conquests demonstrates that the primary aim was to establish a global caliphate.

The Limited Scope of Israelite Wars

The wars commanded by Jehovah were limited in scope and time. The Israelites were tasked with conquering only the land promised to Abraham, as stated in Genesis 12:7: “To your offspring I will give this land.” King David and Solomon expanded the kingdom to its God-ordained boundaries but did not seek to conquer beyond them.

This limited scope stands in stark contrast to the expansionist nature of Islamic jihad. From the time of Muhammad, Islamic conquests spread far beyond the Arabian Peninsula, reaching as far as Spain in the west and India in the east. The intent was to bring all nations under Islamic rule, as seen in the actions of early caliphs and the Ottoman Empire.

The Misuse of Israelite Wars to Justify Jihad

Muslims who attempt to justify jihad by citing Israelite wars overlook the fundamental differences between the two. The definition of jihad, as “a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty,” reflects its inherently expansionist and coercive nature. Islamic texts and historical practice support this definition.

For example, Surah 9:5 commands: “When the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush.” Similarly, Surah 9:29 states: “Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture—[fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.”

These verses illustrate that jihad is directed at those who refuse to submit to Islam, regardless of their moral behavior.

The Christian Response to Jihad

The New Testament introduces a new paradigm for God’s people. Jesus taught his followers to love their enemies and to engage in spiritual, not physical, warfare. Matthew 5:44 records Jesus’ words: “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” The apostle Paul emphasized this in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4: “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”

Christians are not called to wage physical wars to expand God’s kingdom. Instead, they are tasked with spreading the gospel and engaging in spiritual warfare through prayer, the Word of God, and faithful living.

Conclusion

Israelite wars of Bible times cannot be used to justify Islamic jihad. The former were acts of divine judgment with limited scope and purpose, while the latter seeks to establish Islamic dominance through human effort. The Bible’s consistent message underscores the righteousness of God’s judgment and the spiritual nature of the Christian mission.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).

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