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Question 1

David Bercot argues that God both commanded Israel to wage war and yet punished Israel for trusting in armies or alliances; what does that combination suggest about God’s intentions for His people, and how does it affect the way Christians should read Old Testament wars?

Another way to ask: If God told Israel to fight but also punished them for trusting in armies and alliances, what does that say about what God wanted for His people? How should that shape the way Christians read Old Testament war stories?

Direct Answer It suggests that even when God permitted or commanded war for Israel, He still wanted His people to depend on Him—not military strength—and that war was not His final goal for humanity. Christians, then, should read Old Testament wars as temporary, limited, and not the pattern for Jesus’ kingdom ethic.

Support from Transcript:

Bercot says God “often commanded His people…to engage in war,” yet these were not “mere earthly wars” because God gave “supernatural assistance” and sometimes “fought the entire battle…without their having to ever even lift a sword.”
He says God “specifically taught the Israelites to rely upon Him for protection” and “punished them severely when they relied upon the strength of their armies or…military alliances.”
He notes Isaiah/Micah foretold a time when people “beat their swords into plowshares…[and] train for war no more,” implying war wasn’t the endpoint.
God told David he could not build the temple: “You are a man of war…have shed blood” (1 Chr. 28:3).
Bercot compares war to Old Testament allowances (polygamy, divorce) “against His ultimate will,” later corrected by Jesus’ teaching.

Discussion Follow-ups If God sometimes used war in Israel’s history, how do we keep that from overriding Jesus’ commands to “love your enemies” and “do not resist evil”?

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