Why Is the Old Testament So Violent?

In Defense of Christian Nonviolence - Part Six

Admittedly, the Old Testament is incredibly violent. What’s more, God was often the one commanding his people to participate in that violence. Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, and even Elijah participated in bloodshed. So, if God approved of violence in the Old Testament, what changed? That, to me, is the most important question of this entire series on Christian nonviolence.

A Symptom, Not a Solution

People often talk about violence as if it is a solution (or a potential solution) to our problems. They think of it as one way of getting rid of evil in the world. However, I believe the Bible trains us to see human violence as a symptom of evil in the world, not a solution to evil in the world.

When we read about the violence in the Old Testament, we are not supposed to say, “Violence is good when done by good people, but bad when done by bad people.” We are supposed to say, “It is bad when people kill people.” Please notice, I am NOT saying it is always a sin when people kill people. I am simply saying it is bad. After all, don’t we call war, “a necessary evil”? In using this phrase, aren’t we admitting it is evil, bad, regrettable, or unfortunate when human beings engage in violence against one another?

Furthermore, as I said in a previous post, violence is a vicious cycle. Killing leads to more killing. As Jesus said, “All who draw the sword will die by the sword.”¹ Unfortunately, prior to the coming of Jesus, this cycle is all humanity knew: fear, resentment, hostility, conflict, and war. Though Israel had special God-given laws to mitigate violence and minimize bloodshed, she was still trapped in this cycle along with all the other nations.

When God commanded Israel to participate in armed combat, I don’t believe he was showing approval for humans killing other humans; he was making a concession for those who were trapped in this vicious cycle. So, I don’t read the Old Testament and think violence is sometimes a good solution to our problems. I read it and think violence is a lamentable situation from which humans are longing to be saved.

The Already, Not Yet Kingdom

There is a phrase that can help us make sense of the New Testament’s teaching on the kingdom, “Already, but not yet.” In other words, there is a sense in which these promises of God are already a present reality:

• the kingdom of God

• the age to come

• the resurrection

• eternal life

• honor and glory

Christians have died and been buried with Jesus in baptism.² When we come up out of the water, we are being resurrected into the age to come. We are stepping out of the water as a Spirit-filled piece of the new creation.³

Of course, there is still the “not yet” aspect as well. We recognize that the world, like the field in Jesus’ Matthew 13 parable, is filled with both “people of the kingdom” and “people of the evil one.” In other words, two kingdoms exist simultaneously. You could even say two realities or two “ages” coexist. In the world, there are people who still belong to this world, to this age of sin and death. However, there are also people who have been born again into the new kingdom. These people, Christians, live in a new reality, a new age. These two realities will continue to run parallel to one another until Jesus comes. When he comes, only the kingdom of God will remain.

What does this have to do with violence? Everything! Isaiah promised that the Messiah would cause God’s people to “…beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”⁴ He also promised there would be unprecedented peace and the earth would “be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.”⁵ There is a sense in which this is already true and a sense in which it is not yet.

I believe nearly every word Jesus spoke to his followers should be seen as him saying, “By faith, you must live as if the promised kingdom of God is already a present reality…because it is about to be.” This is the Good News about the kingdom. We can step into kingdom life, even before it fully arrives.

John the Baptist

Since beginning this series on Christian nonviolence, one of the most common objections has been, “What about the soldiers who were told, ‘Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.’”⁶ This is in the New Testament, people argue, doesn’t this prove it is okay for Christians to use violence? I addressed this a bit in a previous post, but hopefully my response will now make more sense.

John was preaching to people who were still trapped in the cycle of violence. John could not rescue them from that cycle of death. That was not his role. He could not bring about the kingdom of God, the age to come, or resurrection to eternal life. Because he could not take away their fear of death, he could not tell them to put away their sword. All John could do was prepare them for the Messiah by teaching them to repent and be baptized.

John was a great prophet and teacher. There is much we can learn from him. However, he did not preach during the age of the Messiah’s reign. He preached in preparation of the Messiah’s arrival, but he did not live to see the day when death was defeated by Jesus. Surely, this is at least part of what Jesus meant when he said, “The one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than [John].”⁷ People living after Resurrection Sunday have something John never had during his life.

However, this is not just about John. And it’s not about “Old Testament” versus “New Testament,” as if it were just a matter of old rules and new rules. It’s about the fact that now the Son of God reigns as King over the whole world. No longer is sin and death in charge. No longer are we trapped in a cycle of violence. Jesus has rescued us and we can boldly proclaim, “I don’t participate in that anymore!”

No Fear of Death

Generally speaking, good people are prepared to kill not because they like killing, but because they fear death. I understand that fear and I don’t blame people. Of course, most of us are afraid of death, and of course, most of us are prepared to do anything to save our lives and the lives of others. Nothing in the world could be more natural or understandable.

However, although it is natural, the writer of Hebrews says this fear of death is a form of slavery. The devil keeps people in bondage to the fear of death. However, by his own death, Jesus broke the power of the devil and set us free from from that slavery. Now, we no longer have to fear death!⁸

Imagine how unstoppable Christians can be if we genuinely had no fear of death. We would be free to love our enemies without worrying they might think we are weak. We could give them food to eat, water to drink, turn the other cheek when slapped, and bless when cursed. In other words, if we didn’t fear death, we could actually follow the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. We would truly be free.

Don’t get me wrong, Christians are still supposed to hate death. Death is an enemy and an unwelcome intruder in God’s good creation. We should not be in a hurry to die. We aren’t looking to be martyrs, but we have no reason to fear death. Jesus has freed us from that fear.

Conclusion

Jesus said, “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”⁹ Read those words one more time. Jesus said that trying to save, preserve, or protect your life will result in losing it.

There is really only one way for us to preserve our lives. We must surrender our mortal life to Jesus in baptism, accepting the very real possibility that true discipleship could get us killed. When we are raised up from the water, we must see ourselves as part of the first fruit of the new creation. The peace and joy of the age to come should be present in our individual lives, our families, and our congregations. Even if wicked and violent people harass and kill us, Jesus will raise us on the last day and we will live forever.

This is the only way to save or defend our lives, active faith in Jesus.

The alternative is to continue living in the cycle of violence…as if Jesus was not reigning, as if he had not defeated death, as if we had not been delivered into the kingdom, and as if everything was the same as it was before. I have tried not to be overly dogmatic in this series, but I do believe we have to choose: Will we live as if nothing has changed from before the time of Christ, or will we live as if the Messiah really has defeated death and established his kingdom of eternal peace?

I love you and God loves you,

Wes McAdams

1. Matthew 26:52, NIV.

2. See Romans 6:1-14.

3. See 2 Corinthians 5:17.

4. Isaiah 2:4, NIV.

5. Isaiah 11:9, NIV.

6. Luke 3:14, NIV.

7. Luke 7:28, NIV.

8. Paraphrased from Hebrews 2:14-15.

9. Luke 9:24, NIV.