I happen to be blogging tonight on the evening of yet another terrorist attack upon France, this time in Nice on Bastille Day (July 14, 2016). Even though the pictures and video from the breaking news hit us with a fresh shock, I am reminded that the rituals of warfare in all its forms are not a modern invention; as the Bible illustrates, fighting is ancient.
"The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had valiant warriors, who carried sword and shield, and drew the bow, expert in war, forty-four thousand seven hundred sixty, ready for service" (vs. 18). As we read through the Old Testament, we find passage after passage describing epic battles and wars. People groups fought against other tribes, each seeking supremacy, or revenge, or greater territory. Even genocide and ethnic cleansing was practiced. The tale of humanity, even in a place where we might expect to be scrubbed and sanitized, like God's Word, reveals a bloody history.
Our only hope to escape such evil is also through blood - the blood of Jesus Christ, shed for us on the cross.
No comments:
Post a Comment