Look closely and you’ll see that everyone enters the city through one of eight gates. These are actually stone archways. There is a ninth gate. But it’s been walled up and no one can enter the city through it. That one’s called the Eastern Gate or, some call it the Golden Gate. According to the Prophet Ezekiel (43:1-5), the Shekinah Glory will enter Jerusalem through this Eastern Gate.
Jerusalem was given its name all the way back in the days of Abraham (c. 2,000 B.C.). The word “Jerusalem” means “The City of Peace.” Here’s the first reference in the Bible to it. Genesis 14:18 says “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.” So, the very first mention of Jerusalem in the Bible tells us who the very first king was. His name was Melchizedek. Then, sometime during the next 600 years, it was captured and held by one of the Canaanite nations. They were called the Jebusites. The Jebusites called it Jebus.
Then, in 1,400 B.C. General Joshua, captured the city and all its inhabitants. He then gave it to the tribe of Judah. But, because the army of Jebus was so powerful, the Jews let them live among the Jews in Jerusalem. Here’s what we read in Joshua 15:63. “As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.”
But Jerusalem didn’t always stay under Jewish control. Soon after Joshua died, Jerusalem changed hands. Here’s what happened in the days of the Judges. Judges 1:8 “Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.” But the people that re-built Jerusalem after the Jews destroyed it by fire were the Jebusites. They re-gained control simply because they were stronger than the Jews. That is, up until the time when David became Israel’s king.
This brings us to King David and our passage here in II Samuel. Look with me at II Samuel 5:6. II Samuel 5:6 “And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither. (7) Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David. (8) And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.
(9) So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward. (10) And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him.”
One of the great ethical questions of life and one of the great difficulties all of us have to face at some point in our Bible reading is matter of “war.” And even more difficult beyond the fact of war is the question of how the LORD could be the one Who enabled His people to defeat other nations in battle. And even more difficult than that is the matter of God training the character of His people in a time of war. And maybe even larger than that is the question of God’s teaching His people to trust Him when they went into battle.
Now I don’t presume to have all the answers to these ethical dilemmas. But I do know this. If God the Holy Spirit is the author of the Bible (and He is); and if we believe one page of the Bible, we’ve got to believe every page. If you accept the teaching that God created the world, then you’ve got to accept the fact that God sometimes did send His people into battle. He did call them to go to war.
I believe the Bible. And I also believe that I don’t know enough about life and truth to be able to stand in judgment of God. So, when it comes to the big question of “How could God lead His people into battle?” I answer this way.
One of the greatest kings to reign over the Babylonian Empire was a man named Nebuchadnezzar. God required Nebuchadnezzar to live like an animal for seven years. Finally, when his heart was sufficiently humbled, here’s what Nebuchadnezzar wrote.
Jerusalem was given its name all the way back in the days of Abraham (c. 2,000 B.C.). The word “Jerusalem” means “The City of Peace.” Here’s the first reference in the Bible to it. Genesis 14:18 says “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.” So, the very first mention of Jerusalem in the Bible tells us who the very first king was. His name was Melchizedek. Then, sometime during the next 600 years, it was captured and held by one of the Canaanite nations. They were called the Jebusites. The Jebusites called it Jebus.
Then, in 1,400 B.C. General Joshua, captured the city and all its inhabitants. He then gave it to the tribe of Judah. But, because the army of Jebus was so powerful, the Jews let them live among the Jews in Jerusalem. Here’s what we read in Joshua 15:63. “As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.”
But Jerusalem didn’t always stay under Jewish control. Soon after Joshua died, Jerusalem changed hands. Here’s what happened in the days of the Judges. Judges 1:8 “Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.” But the people that re-built Jerusalem after the Jews destroyed it by fire were the Jebusites. They re-gained control simply because they were stronger than the Jews. That is, up until the time when David became Israel’s king.
This brings us to King David and our passage here in II Samuel. Look with me at II Samuel 5:6. II Samuel 5:6 “And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither. (7) Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David. (8) And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.
(9) So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward. (10) And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him.”
One of the great ethical questions of life and one of the great difficulties all of us have to face at some point in our Bible reading is matter of “war.” And even more difficult beyond the fact of war is the question of how the LORD could be the one Who enabled His people to defeat other nations in battle. And even more difficult than that is the matter of God training the character of His people in a time of war. And maybe even larger than that is the question of God’s teaching His people to trust Him when they went into battle.
Now I don’t presume to have all the answers to these ethical dilemmas. But I do know this. If God the Holy Spirit is the author of the Bible (and He is); and if we believe one page of the Bible, we’ve got to believe every page. If you accept the teaching that God created the world, then you’ve got to accept the fact that God sometimes did send His people into battle. He did call them to go to war.
I believe the Bible. And I also believe that I don’t know enough about life and truth to be able to stand in judgment of God. So, when it comes to the big question of “How could God lead His people into battle?” I answer this way.
One of the greatest kings to reign over the Babylonian Empire was a man named Nebuchadnezzar. God required Nebuchadnezzar to live like an animal for seven years. Finally, when his heart was sufficiently humbled, here’s what Nebuchadnezzar wrote.
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