Yahweh The Divine Warrior Analysis

The activity of Yahweh the Divine Warrior is dominant throughout much of the OT. This theme stands in glaring contrast to the theme of Yahweh the God of Shalom. Nevertheless, the image of God as one who participates in violent warfare against enemies of God is one of the most predominant of all biblical themes. Furthermore, noted by biblical scholars, the divine warrior theme is the foundation for Biblical unity, for it is a representation that directed not only writers of the Torah but also the leaders of the formative church who wrote later works in the New Testament. The vital component to Holy War is that Yahweh, the Celestial Soldier, led Israel into the combat and won the victory for them. The historical narratives endorse this understanding of the spirit of Holy War by repeatedly accentuating that the victory belongs to God not man. Exodus 15 acclaims Yahweh’s victory over the Egyptians; the manner of the total destruction of Jericho, described in Joshua 6, put emphasis on the concept that Yahweh accomplished the victory; and Gideon’s decisive reduction of troops …show more content…
Amid the disparages within the ideological vs historical approach to Joshua, the question arises, is one nurturing their faith and engaging in the will of God or fighting a morally complex evil in a convoluted, fearful world. The depiction of Yahweh warring against God’s adversaries is by a hair's breadth attractive to many modern-day believers. In fact, it borders on apostasy and tends to tarnish the view of a loving, caring, and forgiving God. It potentially gives consent for the acts of religious sanctification methods of attacking and killing one's enemies through "martyrdom operations" in the name of