by Leon Gork

Created on: January 28, 2007   Last Updated: October 10, 2010

"We are free because we live under civil laws." - Charles de Secondat Montesquieu

Montesquieu said this in the 18th century. I believe that it lies at the base of an inquiry into the reason why countries go to war. Obviously the Bible considers living under God's laws so important that the nation living in God's country, Canaan, will encounter war if they don't obey His laws.

Lev 26:14 " 'But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands'
17 I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you."

I regard the Bible as paradigmatic of other nations. Like God the rulers of most countries that have gone to war have said, basically the same thing. Just as nations are God's instruments so every ruler sees them as instruments.

Hitler saw his racist laws as so important that he tried to protect them and force the German people to be obedient to them by going to war against nations that opposed such laws. The nations of the world were instruments to show the greatness of German racial purity. Germany's defeat is considered as proof that laws of German racial purity are wrong and will not bring happiness and prosperity to a nation that applies them.

America sees the laws of a democratic society as important enough to warrant going to war against a country opposed to democracy. Chaos in Iraq proves that American democracy is the way to a happy and prosperous life in America.

By telling us that God uses war to enforce obedience to His laws in His country the Bible is teaching that the ruler of every country does this. It's the job of each country to decide which laws it's going to force its citizens to obey. The question is whether the laws they choose to enforce make for happiness and prosperity for those who are obedient to them.

Germany chose laws of racism and decided to force its people to obey these laws, America decides to force its people to apply democracy, and the Bible tries to force God's laws on the people living in the Land of Israel, Islam and Christianity try to force the whole world to be obedient to its laws and so on.

The laws in each country might be different but the method of forcing obedience to them is always the same, namely war. Countries go to war to force their own citizens to be obedient to the laws which the leaders of the country believe will bring the most happiness and prosperity to its citizens.

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