Bible Questions Answered:
“Pastor, our country is so sick and
tired of war. I hope you will print this letter to let all know, that
in our country it is not necessarily its people that rush head long
into war, but some of its leaders...”
Wilbur/ Cranston, Rhode Island U.S.A.
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
Here's an Old Testament story about two
of King David's nephews, Asahel, and Joab, and King Saul's
Commander-in-chief, Abner.
At the death of King Saul, Abner
appointed Saul's son Ishbosheth, as King, thee only one problem with
that, was the fact that The Lord had told Samuel to anoint David to
be king, before Saul's death (I Samuel 16:13).
And so it was Israel against the house
of Judah.
II Samuel 2:18-32 NLT (Death of
Asahel)
18 Joab, Abishai, and Asahel—the
three sons of Zeruiah—were among David’s forces that day. Asahel
could run like a gazelle,
19 and he began chasing Abner. He
pursued him relentlessly, not stopping for anything.
20 When Abner looked back and saw
him coming, he called out, “Is that you, Asahel?” “Yes, it is,”
he replied.
21 “Go fight someone else!”
Abner warned. “Take on one of the younger men, and strip him of his
weapons.” But Asahel kept right on chasing Abner.
22 Again Abner shouted to him, “Get
away from here! I don’t want to kill you. How could I ever face
your brother Joab again?”
23 But Asahel refused to turn back,
so Abner thrust the butt end of his spear through Asahel’s stomach,
and the spear came out through his back. He stumbled to the ground
and died there. And everyone who came by that spot stopped and stood
still when they saw Asahel lying there.
24 When Joab and Abishai found out
what had happened, they set out after Abner. The sun was just going
down as they arrived at the hill of Ammah near Giah, along the road
to the wilderness of Gibeon.
25 Abner’s troops from the tribe
of Benjamin regrouped there at the top of the hill to take a stand.
26 Abner shouted down to Joab,
“Must we always be killing each other? Don’t you realize that
bitterness is the only result? When will you call off your
men from chasing their Israelite brothers?”
27 Then Joab said, “God only
knows what would have happened if you hadn’t spoken, for we would
have chased you all night if necessary.”
28 So Joab blew the ram’s horn,
and his men stopped chasing the troops of Israel.
29 All that night Abner and his men
retreated through the Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River,
traveling all through the morning, and didn’t stop until they
arrived at Mahanaim.
30 Meanwhile, Joab and his men also
returned home. When Joab counted his casualties, he discovered that
only 19 men were missing in addition to Asahel.
31 But 360 of Abner’s men had been
killed, all from the tribe of Benjamin.
32 Joab and his men took Asahel’s
body to Bethlehem and buried him there in his father’s tomb. Then
they traveled all night and reached Hebron at daybreak.
Abner
shouted out to his enemy Joab, “Must we always be
killing each other? Don’t you realize that bitterness is the only
result?
II Samuel 2:26
KJV
Then Abner called to Joab, and
said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it
will be bitterness in the latter end?
Peace-The
Word:
Job
22:23-25 KJV
23 If thou return to The Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou
shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as
the stones of the brooks.
25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense..."
Psalm 29:11 KJV
The Lord will give strength unto His people; The Lord will
bless His people with peace.
Psalm 62:2 KJV
He only is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Defense; I
shall not be greatly moved.
Psalm 89:18 KJV
For The Lord is our defense; and The Holy One Of Israel is our
King.
Proverbs 12:20 NLT
Deceit fills hearts that are plotting evil; joy fills hearts that
are planning peace!
Isaiah 26:3,4 KJV
3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on
thee: because he trusteth in thee.
4 Trust ye in The Lord for ever: for in The Lord Jehovah is
everlasting strength:
Isaiah 48:18 KJV
O that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! then had thy peace
been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
Matthew 5:9 KJV
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children
of God.
Luke 1:78,79 KJV
(The Dayspring-Our Messiah, The Lord Jesus.)
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the Dayspring
(Dawn) from on high hath visited us,
79 To give Light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of
death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Romans 12:14-21 KJV
14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that
weep.
16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things,
but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own
conceits.
17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in
the sight of all men.
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with
all men.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place
unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith
The Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give
him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 14:19 KJV
Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and
things wherewith one may edify another.
Galatians 5:22,23 KJV
22 But the fruit of The Spirit is love, joy, peace, long
suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
James 3:17,18 KJV
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good
fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that
make peace.
Hebrews 12:14 KJV
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man
shall see The Lord:
The Wicked:
Isaiah 48:22 KJV
There is no peace, saith The Lord, unto the wicked.
Isaiah 59:8 KJV
The Way Of Peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their
goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein
shall not know peace.
Ezekiel 7:25 KJV
Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be
none.
Future Peace,
Through The Millennial Rule And Reign Of Jesus Christ:
Isaiah 2:2-4 NLT
2 In the last days, the mountain of The Lord’s house will be the
highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be
raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will
stream there to worship.
3 People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go
up to the mountain of The Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There
He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths.” For The
Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; His word will go out from
Jerusalem.
4 The Lord will mediate between nations and will settle
international disputes. They will hammer their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight
against nation, nor train for war anymore.
Isaiah 11:1-9 NLT (The Promised Messiah-The Lord Jesus
Christ.)
1 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a Shoot— yes, a
new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
2 And The Spirit Of The Lord will rest on Him— The Spirit Of
Wisdom And Understanding, The Spirit Of Counsel And Might, The Spirit
Of Knowledge And The Fear Of The Lord.
3 He will delight in obeying The Lord. He will not judge by
appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay.
4 He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the
exploited. The earth will shake at the force of His word, and one
breath from His mouth will destroy the wicked.
5 He will wear righteousness like a belt and Truth like an
undergarment.
6 In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the
leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling
will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all.
7 The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie
down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow.
8 The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra. Yes, a
little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without
harm.
9 Nothing will hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for as the
waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know
The Lord.
God's
Blessings Are To The Nations That:
Psalm 33:12 KJV
Blessed is the nation whose God is The Lord; and the people whom
He hath chosen for His own inheritance.
Psalm 34:14 KJV
Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
