What the Old Testament (Bible) Says About Violence and Terrorism

Root of Violence:

Genesis 4:1 Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD." 2 Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. 4 Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; 5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, " Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 " If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." 8 Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

First Time the Word “Violence” is Used:

Genesis 6:11 Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with *violence. 12 God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. 13 Then God said to Noah, The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with *violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.

· Hebrew: *chamas; a prim. root; to treat violently or wrong: do violence, done violence, drop off, exposed, injures, violently treated, wrong.

Terror used by God as a tool:

Jacob Moves to Bethel

· Genesis 35:5 As they journeyed, there was a great terror upon the cities which were around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

Israel’s Conquest of the Land

· Ex 23:20 Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. 21 Be on your guard before him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him. 22 But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. 23 For My angel will go before you and bring you in to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will completely destroy them. 24 You shall not worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their deeds; but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their sacred pillars in pieces. 25 But you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst. 26 There shall be no one miscarrying or barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. 27 I will send My terror ahead of you, and throw into confusion all the people among whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. 28 I will send hornets ahead of you so that they will drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before you. 29 I will not drive them out before you in a single year, that the land may not become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. 30 I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land. 31 I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River Euphrates; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you. 32 You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. 33 They shall not live in your land, because they will make you sin against Me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.

Old Testament Verses

Exhortations against violence

· Psalm 11: 4 The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. 5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates. 6 Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. 7 For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face.

· Jeremiah 22: 3 ‘Thus says the LORD, Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you men will indeed perform this thing, then kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting in David’s place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, even the king himself and his servants and his people. 5 But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself, declares the LORD, that this house will become a desolation.’ 6 For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: You are like Gilead to Me, Like the summit of Lebanon; Yet most assuredly I will make you like a wilderness, Like cities which are not inhabited. 7 For I will set apart destroyers against you, each with his weapons; and they will cut down your choicest cedars And throw them on the fire. 8 Many nations will pass by this city; and they will say to one another, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this great city?’ 9 Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.’

Violence Associated With The Wicked

· Proverbs 13:2 From the fruit of a man’s mouth he enjoys good, But the desire of the treacherous is violence.

· Proverbs 24:1 Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them; 2 For their minds devise violence, And their lips talk of trouble.

Violence Cause For Judgment

· Psalm 140:11 May a slanderer not be established in the earth; May evil hunt the violent man speedily. 12 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted and justice for the poor. 13 Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name; The upright will dwell in Your presence.

· Habakkuk 2:12 Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed And founds a town with violence!

Violence: Penalties of Disobedience

· Leviticus 26:14 ‘But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, 15 if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, 16 I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption and fever that will waste away the eyes and cause the soul to pine away; also, you will sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies will eat it up. 17 ‘I will set My face against you so that you will be struck down before your enemies; and those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you. 18 ‘If also after these things you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. 19 ‘I will also break down your pride of power; I will also make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze. 20 ‘your strength will be spent uselessly, for your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit. 21 ‘If then, you act with hostility against Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will increase the plague on you seven times according to your sins. 22 ‘I will let loose among you the beasts of the field, which will bereave you of your children and destroy your cattle and reduce your number so that your roads lie deserted. 23 ‘and if by these things you are not turned to Me, but act with hostility against Me, 24 then I will act with hostility against you; and I, even I, will strike you seven times for your sins. 25 ‘I will also bring upon you a sword which will execute vengeance for the covenant; and when you gather together into your cities, I will send pestilence among you, so that you shall be delivered into enemy hands. 26 ‘when I break your staff of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread 1in rationed amounts, so that you will beat and not be satisfied. 27 ‘Yet if in spite of this you do not obey Me, but act with hostility against Me, 28 then I will act with wrathful hostility against you, and I, even I, will punish you seven times for your sins. 29 ‘Further, you will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters you will eat. 30 ‘I then will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and heap your remains on the remains of your idols, for My soul shall abhor you. 31 ‘I will lay waste your cities as well and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your soothing aromas. 32 ‘I will make the land desolate so that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled over it. 33 ‘You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste. 34 ‘then the land will 1enjoy its sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies’ land; then the land will rest and 1enjoy its sabbaths. 35 ‘All the days of its desolation it will observe the rest which it did not observe on your sabbaths, while you were living on it. 36 ‘As for those of you who may be left, I will also bring weakness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. And the sound of a driven leaf will chase them, and even when no one is pursuing they will flee 1as though from the sword, and they will fall. 37 ‘they will therefore stumble over each other as if running from the sword, although no one is pursuing; and you will have no strength 1to stand up before your enemies. 38 ‘But you will perish among the nations, and your enemies’ land will consume you. 39 ‘So those of you who may be left will rot away because of their iniquity in the lands of your enemies; and also because of the iniquities of their forefathers they will rot away with them. 40 ‘If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me, I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, 42 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land.

Vengeance is The Lord’s

· Deuteronomy 32:34 … ‘Is it not laid up in store with Me, Sealed up in My treasuries? 35 ‘Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them.’ 36 For the LORD will vindicate His people, And will have compassion on His servants, …

· Isaiah 35:4 Say to those with anxious heart, "Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you."

Conclusion

Root cause of violence is sin
Terror will be enacted upon a disobedient people.
Scripture has exhortations against violence.
Violence is associated with the wicked.
Violence is a cause for judgment.
Violence can be a penalty of disobedience
Vengeance is The Lord’s.

Although there are Old Testament passages that clearly show God ordering His people to use the sword against His (and Israel’s enemies)… it was for a temporary provisional purpose.

World dominance and the spread of the Old Covenant were never in God’s plan for Israel as a nation.

There are examples of God’s people using vengeance, violence, and terror to accomplish their own desires. Sometimes they paid the price for disobedience immediately and other times God withheld quick judgment.

Many times God used the surrounding unbelieving nations to discipline His people. This would have a humbling effect upon Israel and they would turn to the Lord in humble obedience.

The Prophets spoke of a Messiah to come that would take away the root cause of violence and terror. He is sometimes portrayed as a conquering King who removes all His enemies. Other times He is portrayed as a suffering servant and Shepard who lays His life down for His sheep.

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; 2 To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.