How are Christians to interpret Jesus’ commandment to love their enemies?

[jmt356]

How are Christians to interpret Jesus’ commandment to love their enemies?

Jesus said, “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Mat 5:44).
I would estimate that the majority of Christians, viewing Jesus’ commandment within the context of the biblical meta-narrative, in which God not only condoned but often commanded violence against Israel’s enemies, interpret Jesus’ commandment as hyperbole rather than as axiomatically literal. Accordingly, most Christians do not read Jesus’ teaching as an injunction against using violence against one’s enemies, and one thus finds many Christians in the military, for example. Such an interpretation would be consistent with Jesus’ exhortation that his apostles purchase swords (“he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one” (Luke 22:36)).
There are, however, many pacifist Christians, including Anabaptists, Mennonites and Quakers, who read Jesus’ commandment to love one’s enemy literally. On this basis, they oppose the use of violence against one’s enemy in any circumstances, including even in the defense of justice.
I would like to know how such pacifists reconcile their literal interpretation of Matthew 5:44 (“love your enemies”) with the character of God throughout the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). God regularly commands the Israelites to fight, conquer and destroy their enemies. Consider:
- Deuteronomy 20:1, which discusses the context of going “to war against your enemies,” sets the general tone for Israel’s relations with her enemies. It was one of war and destruction rather than self-sacrificial submission and love.
- The destruction of Heshbon, Bashan, Sodom, and many other nations throughout the Hebrew Scriptures serve as concrete examples of this vengeance against Israel’s enemies.
- Many of these examples can be read as examples of God’s using Israel as an agent to carry out punishment for these nations’ sins, but Jericho is also utterly destroyed by the Israelites, and the only fault I can extrapolate from the Scriptures is the fact that they inhabited in the land that God promised to the Israelites.
- The relations between Israel and their arch-enemies, the Philistines, is marked by violence rather than by self-sacrificial love. Consider, for example, when God sends His Spirit upon Samson to bring death and destruction against the Philistines (Jdg 14:19; Jdg 15:15; Jdg 16:30).
How do Christian pacifists deal with these verses (and many other instances of biblically-sanctioned violence) in literally interpreting Jesus’ commandment to “love your enemies”?

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Fortunately, God promised and gave us a New Covenant that provided the circumcision of the heart rather than the circumcision of the body.
We no longer have to kill the infidel to establish a kingdom and a people for God.
Jesus did that for us.
Now, with a New Covenant, we can be a people of peace and love the way Jesus was.
Those who want to use Luke 22:36 to justify violence do so because that is what is in their hearts.
It is far more difficult to be a man of peace.
Violent responses are the easy way out.
And the hardest thing seems to be to trust in Jesus for every thing, rather than what we want.

This thread will probably get violent and nasty and I will probably drop out, but for now, I have had my say.

 

[Willie T]

Fortunately, God promised and gave us a New Covenant that provided the circumcision of the heart rather than the circumcision of the body.
We no longer have to kill the infidel to establish a kingdom and a people for God.
Jesus did that for us.
Now, with a New Covenant, we can be a people of peace and love the way Jesus was.
Those who want to use Luke 22:36 to justify violence do so because that is what is in their hearts.
It is far more difficult to be a man of peace.
Violent responses are the easy way out.
And the hardest thing seems to be to trust in Jesus for every thing, rather than what we want.

This thread will probably get violent and nasty and I will probably drop out, but for now, I have had my say.

And a good say, it was.

 

[Willie T]

We keep forgetting (if we EVER even knew) that much of this judgment stuff against Israel came as a direct result of what they truly WANTED at Mt. Sinai... to be judged by their own righteousness.

 

[jocor]

I would like to know how such pacifists reconcile their literal interpretation of Matthew 5:44 (“love your enemies”) with the character of God throughout the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). God regularly commands the Israelites to fight, conquer and destroy their enemies. Consider:
- Deuteronomy 20:1, which discusses the context of going “to war against your enemies,” sets the general tone for Israel’s relations with her enemies. It was one of war and destruction rather than self-sacrificial submission and love.
- The destruction of Heshbon, Bashan, Sodom, and many other nations throughout the Hebrew Scriptures serve as concrete examples of this vengeance against Israel’s enemies.
- Many of these examples can be read as examples of God’s using Israel as an agent to carry out punishment for these nations’ sins, but Jericho is also utterly destroyed by the Israelites, and the only fault I can extrapolate from the Scriptures is the fact that they inhabited in the land that God promised to the Israelites.
- The relations between Israel and their arch-enemies, the Philistines, is marked by violence rather than by self-sacrificial love. Consider, for example, when God sends His Spirit upon Samson to bring death and destruction against the Philistines (Jdg 14:19; Jdg 15:15; Jdg 16:30).
How do Christian pacifists deal with these verses (and many other instances of biblically-sanctioned violence) in literally interpreting Jesus’ commandment to “love your enemies”?

Yahweh knows the hearts and actions of all His creatures. He alone can make just decisions regarding terminating lives. He alone has the authority to bring destruction upon people because of their sins. Israel was merely the instrument Yahweh used to bring judgment upon their enemies. They were destroyed because of their abominable sins. Consider:

Lev 18:24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
Lev 18:25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.
Lev 18:26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:
Lev 18:27 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)
Lev 18:28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.
Lev 18:29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.
Lev 18:30 Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am YHWH your God.

Lev 20:23 And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

Deu 18:12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto YHWH: and because of these abominations YHWH thy God doth drive them out from before thee.​

New Covenant believers are to literally love our enemies and pray for them, not kill them. We can never know whether or not Yahweh will have mercy on them and turn their hearts to Him and His Son. Thankfully the early believers did not interpret Yeshua's words as "hyperbole" and kill their enemy Saul of Tarsus. Thankfully, Nate Saint, Jim Elloit, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, and Roger Youderian did not defend themselves against the Auca tribe when they were attacked and killed. It was through their deaths that that tribe was converted, including those who murdered the missionaries.

 

[Deborah13]

Yahweh knows the hearts and actions of all His creatures. He alone can make just decisions regarding terminating lives. He alone has the authority to bring destruction upon people because of their sins. Israel was merely the instrument Yahweh used to bring judgment upon their enemies. They were destroyed because of their abominable sins. Consider:

Lev 18:24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
Lev 18:25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.
Lev 18:26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:
Lev 18:27 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)
Lev 18:28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.
Lev 18:29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.
Lev 18:30 Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am YHWH your God.

Lev 20:23 And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

Deu 18:12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto YHWH: and because of these abominations YHWH thy God doth drive them out from before thee.​

New Covenant believers are to literally love our enemies and pray for them, not kill them. We can never know whether or not Yahweh will have mercy on them and turn their hearts to Him and His Son. Thankfully the early believers did not interpret Yeshua's words as "hyperbole" and kill their enemy Saul of Tarsus. Thankfully, Nate Saint, Jim Elloit, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, and Roger Youderian did not defend themselves against the Auca tribe when they were attacked and killed. It was through their deaths that that tribe was converted, including those who murdered the missionaries.

You may know where to find this scripture in the Tanach/OT but I can't remember. Somewhere it talks about God sending emissary type people to those nations who needed to move because God was giving that land to the nation of Israel. If they complied they were not attacked. Also anyone who wanted to stay they could but they had to obey the laws of the nation of Israel while in that nation. We have to remember that we are not told everything outright. Sometimes what appears to be little things are really big things.
When I look at the State of Israel today, I see that they are applying this principle. They warn about the places they are going to strike so that all the people can leave the area.
They are not trying to take lives that is not their goal when they do these strikes on buildings where weaponry etc. is kept. They try to save lives, those of their people and the Palestinians.
They are not wrong in fighting back but just as many other things in life it is in how one goes about it and what is the intent.
I am lately becoming aware of how both Christians and Jews are being blessed by the forming of the State of Israel. Such as the availability to the Gospel of Matthew written in Hebrew and in archeology finds. But that's another topic.

 

[jocor]

You may know where to find this scripture in the Tanach/OT but I can't remember. Somewhere it talks about God sending emissary type people to those nations who needed to move because God was giving that land to the nation of Israel. If they complied they were not attacked. Also anyone who wanted to stay they could but they had to obey the laws of the nation of Israel while in that nation.

Deu 20:10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.
Deu 20:11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.
Deu 20:12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:
Deu 20:13 And when YHWH thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:
Deu 20:14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
Deu 20:15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
Deu 20:16 But of the cities of these people, which YHWH thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
Deu 20:17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as YHWH thy God hath commanded thee:
Deu 20:18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against YHWH your God.​

The nations within the promised land were to be totally annihilated. The surrounding nations could be spared if they sought peace.

When I look at the State of Israel today, I see that they are applying this principle. They warn about the places they are going to strike so that all the people can leave the area.
They are not trying to take lives that is not their goal when they do these strikes on buildings where weaponry etc. is kept. They try to save lives, those of their people and the Palestinians.
They are not wrong in fighting back but just as many other things in life it is in how one goes about it and what is the intent.

Yahweh has not commanded modern Israel to destroy their enemies. They are trying to protect themselves as best they can without causing WW III to start. They are not believers in Messiah Yeshua and do not follow his teaching to "love your enemies". Actually, had Israel obeyed Yahweh in the beginning by totally destroying those seven nations in the land, they would not have these enemies to be a constant snare and thorn in their flesh.

Psa 106:34 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom YHWH commanded them:
Psa 106:35 But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.
Psa 106:36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
Psa 106:37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
Psa 106:38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
Psa 106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
Psa 106:40 Therefore was the wrath of YHWH kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
Psa 106:41 And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.
Psa 106:42 Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.

​

 

[Deborah13]

Deu 20:10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.
Deu 20:11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.
Deu 20:12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:
Deu 20:13 And when YHWH thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:
Deu 20:14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
Deu 20:15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
Deu 20:16 But of the cities of these people, which YHWH thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
Deu 20:17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as YHWH thy God hath commanded thee:
Deu 20:18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against YHWH your God.​

The nations within the promised land were to be totally annihilated. The surrounding nations could be spared if they sought peace.



Yahweh has not commanded modern Israel to destroy their enemies. They are trying to protect themselves as best they can without causing WW III to start. They are not believers in Messiah Yeshua and do not follow his teaching to "love your enemies". Actually, had Israel obeyed Yahweh in the beginning by totally destroying those seven nations in the land, they would not have these enemies to be a constant snare and thorn in their flesh.

Psa 106:34 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom YHWH commanded them:
Psa 106:35 But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.
Psa 106:36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
Psa 106:37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
Psa 106:38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
Psa 106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
Psa 106:40 Therefore was the wrath of YHWH kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
Psa 106:41 And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.
Psa 106:42 Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.

​

Thanks for straightening me out on the Deut. scriptures. For some reason in my memory I was lumping both groups of people together. :neutral
My point about the State of Israel was 'thou shall not kill'. But I see what you are saying about them being careful not to makes things worse, like a WW3.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Deu 20:10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.
Deu 20:11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.
Deu 20:12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:
Deu 20:13 And when YHWH thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:
Deu 20:14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
Deu 20:15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
Deu 20:16 But of the cities of these people, which YHWH thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
Deu 20:17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as YHWH thy God hath commanded thee:
Deu 20:18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against YHWH your God.​

The nations within the promised land were to be totally annihilated. The surrounding nations could be spared if they sought peace.



Yahweh has not commanded modern Israel to destroy their enemies. They are trying to protect themselves as best they can without causing WW III to start. They are not believers in Messiah Yeshua and do not follow his teaching to "love your enemies". Actually, had Israel obeyed Yahweh in the beginning by totally destroying those seven nations in the land, they would not have these enemies to be a constant snare and thorn in their flesh.

Psa 106:34 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom YHWH commanded them:
Psa 106:35 But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.
Psa 106:36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
Psa 106:37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
Psa 106:38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
Psa 106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
Psa 106:40 Therefore was the wrath of YHWH kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
Psa 106:41 And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.
Psa 106:42 Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.

​

How about taking this back to the OP and talk about Jesus.
(Edited, ToS 2.4, Rudeness. Obadiah)

 

[jocor]

How about taking this back to the OP and talk about Jesus.
(Edited, ToS 2.4, Rudeness. Obadiah)

We were addressing the OP in which jmt356 asked how pacifists deal with the OT accounts of killing their enemies.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

We were addressing the OP in which jmt356 asked how pacifists deal with the OT accounts of killing their enemies.

(Edit, ToS 2.4, Rudenessand false accusations. Obadiah)

 

[jocor]

(Removed, response to deleted post. Obadiah)

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

(Removed, response to deleted post. Obadiah)

 

[jocor]

(Removed, response to deleted post. Obadiah)

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

(Removed, response to deleted post. Obadiah)

 

[Kathi]

Fortunately, God promised and gave us a New Covenant that provided the circumcision of the heart rather than the circumcision of the body.
We no longer have to kill the infidel to establish a kingdom and a people for God.
Jesus did that for us.
Now, with a New Covenant, we can be a people of peace and love the way Jesus was.
Those who want to use Luke 22:36 to justify violence do so because that is what is in their hearts.
It is far more difficult to be a man of peace.
Violent responses are the easy way out.
And the hardest thing seems to be to trust in Jesus for every thing, rather than what we want.

This thread will probably get violent and nasty and I will probably drop out, but for now, I have had my say.

True words Rollo.I agree.

 

[jonahmano]

Deu 20:10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.
Deu 20:11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.
Deu 20:12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:
Deu 20:13 And when YHWH thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:
Deu 20:14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
Deu 20:15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
Deu 20:16 But of the cities of these people, which YHWH thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
Deu 20:17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as YHWH thy God hath commanded thee:
Deu 20:18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against YHWH your God.​

The nations within the promised land were to be totally annihilated. The surrounding nations could be spared if they sought peace.



Yahweh has not commanded modern Israel to destroy their enemies. They are trying to protect themselves as best they can without causing WW III to start. They are not believers in Messiah Yeshua and do not follow his teaching to "love your enemies". Actually, had Israel obeyed Yahweh in the beginning by totally destroying those seven nations in the land, they would not have these enemies to be a constant snare and thorn in their flesh.

Psa 106:34 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom YHWH commanded them:
Psa 106:35 But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.
Psa 106:36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
Psa 106:37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
Psa 106:38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
Psa 106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
Psa 106:40 Therefore was the wrath of YHWH kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
Psa 106:41 And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.
Psa 106:42 Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.

​

Very nicely put.

 

[Butch5]

How are Christians to interpret Jesus’ commandment to love their enemies?

Jesus said, “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Mat 5:44).
I would estimate that the majority of Christians, viewing Jesus’ commandment within the context of the biblical meta-narrative, in which God not only condoned but often commanded violence against Israel’s enemies, interpret Jesus’ commandment as hyperbole rather than as axiomatically literal. Accordingly, most Christians do not read Jesus’ teaching as an injunction against using violence against one’s enemies, and one thus finds many Christians in the military, for example. Such an interpretation would be consistent with Jesus’ exhortation that his apostles purchase swords (“he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one” (Luke 22:36)).
There are, however, many pacifist Christians, including Anabaptists, Mennonites and Quakers, who read Jesus’ commandment to love one’s enemy literally. On this basis, they oppose the use of violence against one’s enemy in any circumstances, including even in the defense of justice.
I would like to know how such pacifists reconcile their literal interpretation of Matthew 5:44 (“love your enemies”) with the character of God throughout the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). God regularly commands the Israelites to fight, conquer and destroy their enemies. Consider:
- Deuteronomy 20:1, which discusses the context of going “to war against your enemies,” sets the general tone for Israel’s relations with her enemies. It was one of war and destruction rather than self-sacrificial submission and love.
- The destruction of Heshbon, Bashan, Sodom, and many other nations throughout the Hebrew Scriptures serve as concrete examples of this vengeance against Israel’s enemies.
- Many of these examples can be read as examples of God’s using Israel as an agent to carry out punishment for these nations’ sins, but Jericho is also utterly destroyed by the Israelites, and the only fault I can extrapolate from the Scriptures is the fact that they inhabited in the land that God promised to the Israelites.
- The relations between Israel and their arch-enemies, the Philistines, is marked by violence rather than by self-sacrificial love. Consider, for example, when God sends His Spirit upon Samson to bring death and destruction against the Philistines (Jdg 14:19; Jdg 15:15; Jdg 16:30).
How do Christian pacifists deal with these verses (and many other instances of biblically-sanctioned violence) in literally interpreting Jesus’ commandment to “love your enemies”?

The commands given to Israel were to rule a nation, the commands given by Christ were to rule the individual. In order for Israel to exist as a nation there had to be some form of Justice. Christ calls the Christian to mercy. I believe I've answered your question in a paper I've written on this subject called, "Should Christians Use Violence."

I believe a key to this is in the prophecy of Isaiah where God indicated that things would change when Christ came.

 

[jmt356]

Thank you all for these very helpful posts.

jocor, you said that modern Jews “are not believers in Messiah Yeshua and do not follow his teaching to ‘love your enemies.’” Can’t this teaching also be found in the Old Testament as well?
You also said, “had Israel obeyed Yahweh in the beginning by totally destroying those seven nations in the land, they would not have these enemies to be a constant snare and thorn in their flesh.” Are you saying that had the Israelites destroyed the seven nations, they never would have been exiled and thus never would have found the Palestinians living in their land when they returned to it in 1948?
Finally, is this a correct history of the people of Israel and summary of the reasoning behind your conclusion;
- Abram is called from Ur to settle in the promised land (Canaan).
- Abram’s descendants Isaac and Jacob (Israel) are multiplied in the land.
- Joseph (Jacob’s son) is sold into slavery in Egypt.
- Famine strikes the land and the rest of the Israelites migrate to Egypt. They are eventually enslaved in Egypt, where they remain for 400 years.
- God delivers the Israelites out of Egypt and after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, brings them back to the promised land. The Israelites destroy the people of Heshbon (Deu 2), Bashan (Deu 3), Amalek (1Sa 15), the Midianites (Num 25) and the Canaanites in Jericho (all who were within it, with the exception of Rahab and her family) (Jos 6).
- God also instructs the Israelites to “conquer and utterly destroy” (Deu 7:2) seven nations “greater and mightier than” Israel (“the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites”) (Deu 7:1) to prevent the Israelites from engaging in the idolatry of their foes and to prevent the nations from teaching the Israelites “to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God” (Deu 20:18).
- Israel did not obey God’s command to destroy the seven nations (Psa 106:34), but were mingled among them, learned their works (Psa 106:35) and served their idols, which were a snare to them (Psa 106:36). They sacrificed their children unto demons (Psa 106:37) and shed innocent blood in their sacrifices to the idols of Canaan, polluting the land with blood (Psa 106:38). Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His people (Psa 106:40) and He gave them into the hand of the heathen and they that hated them ruled over them (Psa 106:41). Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand (Psa 106:42).
- Israel was subsequently divided into the Northern Kingdom (Samaria), which was conquered by the Assyrians, and the Southern Kingdom (Judah), which was conquered by the Babylonians, who held the Israelites captive and exiled them.
- Israel has since been occupied by various foreign powers, including the Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire and the British Mandate of Palestine.
- In 1948, the British Mandate of Palestine came to an end and the modern State of Israel was founded. The Twelve Tribes of Israel were able to reunite in Israel for the first time since the Babylonian Exile.
- The history of modern Israel is marked by constant wars between the Jews and the Arabs, including the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the 1956 Suez War, the 1967 Six-Day War, the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the 1987 First Intifada, the 2000 Second Intifada (Al-Aqsa Intifada), the 2008 First Gaza War (Operation Cast Lead), the 2012 Second Gaza War (Operation Pillar of Defense), the 2014 Third Gaza War (Operation Protective Edge).
- The argument can be made that had the Israelites heeded God’s call to “utterly destroy” (Deu 7:2) the seven nations, then the Israelites would not have learned their works (Psa 106:35), served their idols (Psa 106:36), sacrificed their children unto demons (Psa 106:37) and kindled the wrath of God (Psa 106:40), who in turn never would have gave them into the hand of the heathen (Psa 106:41) and under the subjection of their enemies (Psa 106:42). The Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom (Samaria) and the Babylonian conquest of the Southern Kingdom (Judah) would never have occurred. Had the Israelites utterly destroyed the seven nations, they would have possessed the land, would not have been exiled and would not have found the Palestinians living there when they returned in 1948. All of the Arab-Israeli Wars since 1948 would have thus been obviated.

 

[Malachi]

Had the Israelites utterly destroyed the seven nations, they would have possessed the land, would not have been exiled and would not have found the Palestinians living there when they returned in 1948. All of the Arab-Israeli Wars since 1948 would have thus been obviated.

That is essentially correct, provided they did not become idolatrous even though they had full possession. (Edited. A&T Guidelines: "Subsequent opposing responses should include references to supportive scripture..." Obadiah)