Collateral Casualties - Are They Just?

 

One of the things I find the Bible helpful for is to provide moral clarity on situations.  This verse today does just that for me.

In war one of the things that happens is that sometimes "innocent" people get killed.  It's called collateral casualties.  There are many that think it is unjust that the "innocent" should die in that way.

Let's look at this situation from Acts.

Acts 12:5-10(NKJV)

5Peter was therefore kept in prison, but £constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 

6And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 

7Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. 

8Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” 

9So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 

10When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

OK, I think it is pretty clear that God made this happen.  Now let's look at the collateral casualties.

Acts 12:18-19(NKJV)

18Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. 

19But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

So we have some people who died specifically because of an action that God took.  Some would argue that these were just "innocent" soldiers obeying orders and doing their jobs.  Was it just that they should die as a result of God's action?

Now before we answer that question I would remind you that one of the characteristics of God is that He is a just God.  So if we say it wasn't just then aren't we accusing God of taking an unjust action?  And if so then aren't we accusing God of being a liar because He is the one who has said that He is a just God?   

So unless we believe we serve an unjust God then the only logical conclusion in my opinion is that it was just that they should die as a result of God's action. 

But how could that be just you might ask?  Again, these guards were just doing their jobs.  They were nice guys with families to support.  How in the world could it be just that they died as collateral casualties? 

While all of that may be true, the fact is that they were working for someone who was an enemy of God, Herod.  They worked for someone who was actively trying to stop the spread of the Gospel.  And what has the Bible said over and over about the enemies of God?  They will get crushed. 

So while it may be true that on an individual basis these guards may have been "good" people, it doesn't change the fact that they had chosen sides and they had not chosen God's side.  Therefore it was totally just. 

They made their bed and God made them lie in it, permanently!