The Lord is a Man of War

Wait, I thought we served a loving God!  How can this be?  Is there a contradiction here?

As I've written many times, the Bible is a book of balance.  In the Bible God (the Lord) is described both as a loving God and as a man of war.  Can He be both?  Let's take a look.

Exodus 15:3(NKJV)

3    The Lord is a man of war;     The Lord is His name.

Here God as Lord is described as a man of war.  This is just one of many places where we see God described in terms of a warrior. 

Some might say "Well yes, but that's the God of the OT.  It's really Jesus that's all about peace."  Oh really?

Exodus 15:6-7(NKJV)

6    “Your right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power;      Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces.

7    And in the greatness of Your excellence     You have overthrown those who rose against You;     You sent forth Your wrath;     It consumed them like stubble.

Who is God's right hand?  That's right, it's Jesus.  Well wait a minute.  I thought Jesus is all about love.  But here it says He "dashed the enemy in pieces".  If Jesus is all about love, how can He have enemies?

Exodus 15:21(NKJV)

21And Miriam answered them:      “Sing to the Lord,     For He has triumphed gloriously!     The horse and its rider     He has thrown into the sea!”

Here it speaks of God winning.  Not just winning but winning gloriously.  This indicates winners and losers doesn't it?  It's not just documenting that God has killed His enemies, it is celebrating it!  That doesn't seem too loving does it?

Zephaniah 1:14-17(NKJV)

14    The great day of the Lord is near;      It is near and hastens quickly.     The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter;     There the mighty men shall cry out.

15    That day is a day of wrath,     A day of trouble and distress,     A day of devastation and desolation,     A day of darkness and gloominess,     A day of clouds and thick darkness,

16    A day of trumpet and alarm     Against the fortified cities     And against the high towers.

17    “I will bring distress upon men,      And they shall walk like blind men,     Because they have sinned against the Lord;     Their blood shall be poured out like dust,     And their flesh like refuse.”

I thought the Day of the Lord was supposed to be a joyous occasion.  Yet here it says it will be a day of wrath.  Again, what gives?  How can this be?

Well let's think about Zephaniah for a minute.  The Day of the Lord is going to be a very joyous event for whom?  Us Christians.  Then how could it be a day of wrath, trouble, distress, etc?  Did you ever stop to think what the Day of the Lord is going to be like for those who rejected Jesus?  Talk about a great big "Oh Crap" moment!

Folks, God and Jesus are all about love.  God loved us enough to create us.  God loved us enough to sacrifice His own Son so that we could have eternal life.  Jesus loved us enough to put Himself through that.  God loved us enough to offer that eternal life to each and every person who wants it.  All they have to do is accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.  And God loved us enough that He gave us free will. Each and every person is free to choose whether to believe God or not.

Go back and read the verses above.  Who is all of this wrath, destruction, and war aimed at?  The enemies of God.  And who are the enemies of God?  Only those who have chosen that role by rejecting Jesus Christ.  When someone rejects Christ, they're aren't just saying "no thank you, I don't choose to believe that".  They are rejecting the greatest sacrifice God has ever made for us.  They have chosen sides.  Now God will always take them back if they choose to accept Jesus but if the Day of the Lord comes and they are still on the wrong side, look out!

So have you chosen sides yet?  If not why not choose Jesus right now.  Just simply ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life and start to enjoy all of the love that God and Jesus have to offer!