Holy War

Part 1

I want to suggest something that many of us might find hard to accept. That is the proposition that we, as Christians in the 21st Century, must fight a Holy War. I know that everything in modern society and culture would speak against this proposition, but if Christians are to be a peculiar people we must think contrary to popular culture and be willing to suffer the rejection and wrath of “the world”.

Actually, whether we know it or not, like it or not, we find ourselves already engaged in a Holy War. Most people just do not realize it or do not want to admit it. Each day is a personal struggle to remain holy unto God and apart from the world. That is, however, only one half of the Holy War of which I speak.

One major problem I believe we face, as believers today, is the common concept of a Holy War. A Holy War is generally seen as a negative thing. We immediately think of The Crusades, in which bloodthirsty men committed atrocities in the name of religion. Let me be clear, that is not the type of Holy War I am speaking of. I am not even sure that the "Crusades" were as much about evil intent as is portrayed in retrospect today.

The misconception begins with the common interpretation of the word holy. To most of us, especially Christians, the word holy denotes purity, or sinless-ness. Although it should lead to this, this is not what the term holy really denotes in most cases. In the Old Testament God spoke to His people of setting things and persons apart for His purpose. There were two types of setting apart. The first term comes from the ancient Aramaic word, Qadosh. Qadosh or holiness denotes a setting apart for a special blessing. There is another word, Charem, which also means to set apart or separate, but for another special purpose. That purpose was utter destruction. Charem would be more accurately translated as Taboo, and therefore, forbidden in today’s vernacular. God’s Qadosh (chosen for blessing) people were to avoid the Charem (taboo) person or thing. The person, or thing which came into contact with the Charem thing, and did not utterly destroy it, became Charem by that contact and/or association. In other words, one becomes either especially blessed by the people and things we associated with, or we became taboo by the same right.

In the Old Testament many things were set apart by and for God. Some for good purpose, and some for seemingly not so good purpose. Look, for example, at the cities in the land of Canaan, which the Israelites were to occupy. The land was considered special and holy but God designated certain cities, and everything in them, as Taboo. They were Charem (taboo) and, therefore, set apart for destruction. Every man, woman, and child, every living and inanimate thing was to be destroyed. In the one example where someone (Achan) disobeyed this rule, God’s wrath came upon the entire nation until the guilty party, and his entire family, were also destroyed. Achan had become one with the forbidden thing and was now himself set apart for destruction. We may have a hard time understanding or accepting this, and an even harder time explaining the concept, but it is how it was. On the other hand, the people of Israel were God’s holy (set apart for good purpose) people. They were set apart for blessing and protection, not destruction. Was this because they were sinless, or pure? No, that is clear in example after example. Deuteronomy 9 gives us the most clear and concise picture of this.

When the scripture says, be ye holy as He is holy, does it mean to be sinless as He is sinless, or does it rather denote a separateness or uniqueness. As in, be ye separate and uniquely among people as our God is unique among gods. No, I am not saying that trying to live a sinless life is wrong or not to be sought after, I am just saying that holiness is something else. When we speak of a holy God most of us think of the absence of sin, but God is most often speaking of His uniqueness and what makes Him distinct from all other gods men may worship. He is the One and unique God above all others. The absence of sin is just part of His character, as large a part as that may be.

When God, in the Old Testament, told His people to utterly destroy entire cities, including the people, animals, etc., He indicated that they were sanctified or set apart, and dedicated unto Him and for His purpose as well, but for a different purpose than the Israelites. For this reason no one was allowed to touch or appropriate what was set apart as God’s. This went two ways. No one was allowed to touch either the taboo or the holy thing without God’s clear instructions. Either would generally result in death.

Christians and Jews share in being God’s holy or Qadosh people. That means that we are set apart in some unique and special way, belonging to God. As such He expects us to act as a special people, and as such He also offers us His blessing and protection.

In today’s world there seems to be a constant cry for acceptance and/or tolerance. Everything is to be accepted, and tolerated, except the desire and need to be different, special and/or unique. The two concepts of tolerance and holiness are, however, at war with each other. Tolerance and acceptance cannot coexist with the idea separation and consecration. There is a basic conflict and there must, therefore, be a war between these concepts. This is the war of holiness or a Holy war.

It all comes down to "If My People......" and it is all about His people; and us living as that holy, special and set apart people of God.
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In Part 2 I want to discuss the focus of our Holy war