King Solomon, Bible, ISIS

 

Ever wonder why in the Bible Old Testament the Israel warriors were so brutal inwarfare? For example, the passage that states Joab killed all the men and male children when he warred against Edom, only to be chastised when he returned by King David for not also killing all the women and female children. What does this Bible passage have to do with King Solomon and ISIS? If interested, read on.

In the past year I have written one hundred forty two blog posts to associate current news events to relate how Proverbs written three thousand years ago are still relevant today. For example, King Solomon wrote these two statements in his Ecclesiastes.

Nothing is new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

For what will the man do who is to come after the King? What men have already done. (Ecclesiastes 2:12)

This post is to relate King Solomon’s writings on wisdom to the recent barbaric act of the ISIS to the Jordanian captured pilot. The folly of men will repeat in spite of all the past war experiences, and millions of words written and taught by wise men, philosophers, saints, martyrs, and theologians.

Why did King David want to kill all the Amalekites of Edom including women and children?

In ancient times, courts only considered non-corporal matters. If someone murdered someone intentionally, the family of the murdered person or tribe would engage in what they believed was their sacred duty to avenge the murder. Male children were also killed so they would not later grow up to avenge the deaths of their fathers.

The Amalekites of Edom attacked, savaged, and murdered thousands of the weak and defenseless former Egyptian slaves in the rear columns during the Exodus.  Amalekites were nomads who lived in caves, deserts, or forests, dressed and lived like animals without any laws except for the strongest to prey on the weakest. They robbed, raped, killed, and even licked the blood of their victims if they passed through their territory.

There was no way to talk or make peace with them. They were the eternally irreconcilable enemy of Israelites. So great was their hatred, Moses, who led us slaves out of Egypt, commanded that it become the sacred and preemptive duty to kill all Amalekites as the only means to end their provocations. Four hundred years later, King David, having united Israel with a powerful army, sent his General Joab to end the terror by killing all the Amalekites of Edom and end the continuous provocations over the years.

What does King Solomon have to do with ISIS?

Nothing other than to relate his Ecclesiastes statements have proven again in history to be factual and accurate. This will keep reoccurring unless we wise up. For example, here we are now seeing, hearing, or reading in the news reports more barbaric acts of ISIS instead of Amalekites.

So what can we do to wise up?

If you consider the events I just described that happened in ancient history to the current news, I believe you will have to agree King Solomon’s Ecclesiastes statements were accurate.

King Solomon also wrote about times we all will experience in life. Specifically a time for peace and a time for war. Today’s terrorists will in time be cornered and destroyed as eventually all past despots in history have been destroyed when people get fed up.

Unfortunately, King Solomon’s writings will continue to bear out in fact over and over again until we all wise up and stop believing leaders who proclaim war is a sacred duty. In my opinion, it would be much wiser to proclaim and teach our children life is a sacred duty given us through the goodness of our Creator.

With this thought in mind, consider this King Solomon proverb of how children are affected by the acts of their parents.

If a man repays good with evil, evil in never absent from his household. (Proverb 17:13)

This verse describes one who is innately misanthropic and who has not even the elementary sense of gratitude which move a man to repay good with good. When kindness has be shown to him, he does his benefactor an injury. Such a person is his own worse enemy, for he makes his own position in society an impossible one. He communicate himself and works himself into a corner where the disease from which he suffers will rage within him until he is destroyed. Moreover, his fate is inseparable from that of his family; they are bound up together in the bundle of life and he destroys them, too. (Proverbs McKane)

Regards and goodwill blogging.