BIBLICAL CONCEPT OF PACIFISM VS HUMAN
WARFARE: AN APPRISE FOR THE NIGER
DELTA ECONOMIC STRUGGLE
Bernard O. Itebiye, Ph.D.
Adam Igbudu Christian Institute, Emevor,
(Affiliated to the University of Port-Harcourt)
Nigeria
Abstract
This paper is a critical discourse of the Biblical perspective on the issue of Pacifism versus Human
Warfare. The analyses employed Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework. Data gathered both
from the primary and secondary sources were analyzed through the hermeneutical, descriptive and
analytical methods. The findings of the paper are that the Old Testament champions the cause of peace
and justice; recognizes that the use of force and war are inherently dangerous and defiling; but is
conscious of the fact that there is no peace where justice is ignored. The paper is of the view that the
Biblical concept of Peace and Justice can be applied in most contemporary human issues and the Niger
Delta Economic Struggle. In the light of these, the paper concludes that to achieve the desired peace,
anchored on the Old Testament ideas of peace and justices, there is the need for the Niger Delta people
to apply the non-violent pacifist response to convict the consciences of the political leaders until
justice is done.
Key Words Used: Justice, Pacifism, Peace, Bible, Warfare,
Niger-Delta.
Introduction:
Peace has been described as a state of harmony, characterized by lack
of violent conflict and absence of hostility (Wikipedia 2012). But, as Shehu
& Imam-Tamim (2013) rightly observed, the term peace is, like many other
concept in life, susceptible to different meanings. Galtung (1990: 291) sees
peace as “a political condition that ensures justice and social stability
through formal and informal institutions, practices and norms.” In other
words, peace is not just a state of tranquility or serenity, the normal, non-
warring condition of a nation or group of nations, nor a state of mutual
harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations (Hornby,
2000) but must include the existence of what Shehu & Imam-Tamim
(2013:60) referred to as “healthy or newly healed interpersonal relationship,
prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the establishment of
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equality, and a working political order that serves the true interest of all”.
This peace, to all intents and purposes is what the Niger Delta region of
Nigeria need most to prosper.
The Old Testament Concept ofPeace
Isaiah 2:2-4 declares that “The LORD will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into
ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up
sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (NIV). This
glorious vision of peace is found in two places in the Old Testament (there is
a repetition in Micah 4:1-3). Isaiah 11: 6-9 paints a symbolic picture of the
harmonious coexistence of those who are enemies by nature:
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the
goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child
will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie
down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will
play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into
the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy
mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as
the waters cover the sea (NIV).
Even if one regards as unlikely the theory that the animals were
symbols of specific nations in the ancient world (Rad, 1962), it is still clear
that the vision speaks of peace that extends beyond the animal world into the
arena of politics and human relations (Snaith, 1964). This same vision of
peace also enjoys emphasis in the Old Testament by its repetition in Isaiah
65:25.
Zechariah 9:9-10 describes a vision of a victorious king who rides,
not on a war horse, but on a donkey, an ancient symbol that implies a desire
to rule with gentleness in the promotion of peace. “Rejoice greatly, O
Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to
you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a
colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the
war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will
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proclaim peace to the nations”(NIV). Therefore we can say Peace is a
central concern of the Old Testament.
There is no Peace without Justice in the Old Testament
Peace(ׁשלֹום ָ ) in the Old Testament is closely associated with the
establishment of justice()צֶדֶ ק. We see this in each of the visions of peace
cited above. In Isaiah 2:2-4 (Mic 4:1-3), the desired peace comes in the wake
of the LORD rendering judgment and justice among the nations. “He will
judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many” peoples. The
vision of peace in Isaiah 11:6-9 is preceded by a description of the ruler who
will usher in this age of peace (ׁשלֹום ָ )(verses 3-4). He will delight in the fear
of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by
what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice ( )צֶ דֶ קhe will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will
strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will
slay the wicked. The idyllic peace envisioned in verses 6-9 comes in the
wake of the wicked being slain in the course of establishing justice and
righteousness (verse 4). The same is true for the king of peace in Zechariah
9:9-10. The ruler who comes in the proclamation of peace is, in verse 9,
described as “righteous” (NIV) or “just” (KJV), and verse 8 describes the
removal of evil oppressors.
Furthermore, in the messianic description of the prince of “peace” in
Isaiah 9:6-7, Peace is inextricably linked to justice and righteousness:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government
will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of
his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on
David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
In other words, there is no peace where justice is ignored.
Instances of Divine Justice through Human Warfare in the
Old Testament
There is abundant evidence to show that injustice often goes
unpunished on earth for a long period of time. The suffering of the innocent
and the prosperity of the unjust on earth is a central theme of the Old
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Testament. But though the wheels of God’s justice often move slowly in the
Old Testament, it is clear that they are moving. And the turning of these
divine wheels of justice is very often depicted in terms of human forces.
Thus, in Exodus 32:26-28, divine anger is executed through human beings
(Levites) wielding the sword against their fellow Israelites. Moses said:
“Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him.
Then he said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says:
‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp
from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and
neighbor.’” The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three
thousand of the people died.
The military conquest and occupation of Canaan is portrayed in
Deuteronomy 9:5 as an expression of divine judgment against the
Canaanites. “It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that
you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the
wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before
you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob”.
Similarly, according to Micah 1:6, Israel’s injustice is punished by
God through the military destruction of Samaria, Israel’s capital city. This
“divine” destruction was executed through the human agency of Assyria (2
Kings 17:22-24). The earthly nation of Assyria is also described as the
instrument of God’s anger against His own people in Isaiah 10:5. A similar
understanding stands behind the report heard by Habakkuk concerning
Babylon or Chaldea (Hab 1:6). War or military defeat, is regularly
understood in the Old Testament as an expression of God’s judgment against
a people who have been unjust and unrighteous (e.g. Judge 2:14f.). It is
therefore not surprising to find Old Testament descriptions of the LORD as a
Soldier or Warrior – “The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name” (Ex
15:3). “The LORD will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will
stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph
over his enemies” (Isa 42:13).
A faithful believer in God could therefore understand himself as an
agent of God’s justice. The taking up of arms in the name of such justice was
therefore assumed as justifiable and necessary. For example, in Nehemiah
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4:14, 21, Nehemiah described how he stood up and said to the nobles, the
officials and the rest of the people “Don't be afraid of them. Remember the
Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and
your daughters, your wives and your homes… So we continued the work
with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars
came out.
It is this same understanding of human force in the service of God’s
justice that underlies the prayer in Psalm 144:1. “Praise be to the LORD my
Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.”(NIV).
Human warfare is inherently dangerous and defiling
The Bible, however, is not naive. It is not only God’s justice that is
executed through the exercise of human force and warfare. The Old
Testament warns that human injustice and cruelty are also expressed by the
same agency. Thus, the passage which describes Assyria as God’s instrument
(Isa 10:5) also rebukes her for going beyond the intentions and purposes of
God (Isa 10:7). 2 Samuel 21:2 implies that King Saul killed the Gibeonites
out of “zeal for Israel and Judah”. However, Saul’s act of zeal involved
bloodshed and, in verse 1, is portrayed clearly as incurring God’s wrath.
Human force is not only inherently dangerous, it is also inherently
“defiling”. This is probably the reason why Numbers 31:50 speaks of the
soldiers needing to seek atonement. There is no obvious injustice or evil
associated with the soldiers or warriors in Numbers 31. Instead, their act of
war is explicitly described as being in the service of “the Lord’s judgment on
Midian” (verse 3). The war they fought is, according to the biblical narrator,
a war sanctioned by God (verse 7). Yet, in the aftermath of this successful
campaign in the name of God’s justice, the officers and soldiers are
considered “unclean” for a week (verse 19) and require “atonement before
the LORD” (verse 50). Atonement is needed even though the war was
sanctioned by God. Why is this so? Wong (2004: 62) believes that“These
purification rules reminded Israel that the death of one’s fellow men was a
catastrophic disruption of God’s creation, even though in some cases it was
the Creator himself who demanded the execution of the sinner.”
In the same vein, Numbers 31 expresses genuine ambivalence
concerning the ethics of war. Wong (2004) observes that the cause could
beholy as the war is ritualized, but the killing defiles. Thus as one enters war
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ritually one must exit with separation, cleansing, and sacrifices of atonement.
The same ambivalence and inherent “uncleanness” of warfare in the Old
Testament may be discerned in the example of King David. This ruler, “a
man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam 13:14), was also a man of many wars.
David fought and won many battles in God’s name and there is no indication
that these wars were unjust or against the will of God. Yet, the reason he is
disqualified from building a temple for God is twice attributed to his having
shed blood in battles. But this “word of the LORD came to me: ‘You have
shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house
for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight’”
(1 Chron 22:8). “But God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my
Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood’ ” (1 Chron 28:3).
The Old Testament, therefore, knows that human warfare is dangerous
because it is often an expression of human cruelty and injustice. Even when
it is undertaken in harmony with God’s purposes, human warfare and
bloodshed “defiles”.
Peace or Pacifism
The Bible champions the cause of peace and justice. It longs for the
day when the world “will beat their swords into ploughshares and their
spears into pruning hooks”, when “nation will not take up sword against
nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (Isa 2:4; Mic 4:3). The Bible
glorifies a God “who makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks
the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire” (Ps 46:9).
How might the danger and defilement of warfare be guarded against?
In the words of Wong (2004:64) “Pacifism and the rejection of human
warfare is one obvious option.” As we have seen, the total renunciation of
human warfare and weaponry is a central part of the Old Testament vision of
peace and justice (cf. Isa 2:4; Mic 4:3). However, this pacifist stance has to
be evaluated in the light of each particular circumstance. Are peace and
justice best served and best promoted by the renunciation of human force and
human warfare? If so, then such renunciation is faithful to the Old Testament
vision of peace. But on other occasions, it may be judged that pacifism
allows the increase of injustice and evil to advance. In this situation, the
renunciation of human force may be questioned. There is no peace if
injustice thrives. The Old Testament vision is peace, not pacifism.
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This does not, however, mean that the Old Testament gives
preference to war over pacifism. The non-violent pacifist response is,
therefore, the best way to halt the escalation of violence and convict the
consciences of leaders in power. An example of this in the Old Testament is
Elisha’s counsel of restraint that led towards peace and reconciliation in 2
Kings 8:21- 23.
Conclusion/suggested solutions
Conclusively, therefore, the Bible offers these two approaches in
countering injustice and warfare
Firstly, the attitude and fervent prayer of the Psalmist in Psalm 139
might serve as a paradigm. The Psalmist asks God to search his heart and to
test his motives. He believes that his hatred of the enemies is justified. He
believes that they are enemies of God’s justice. “They speak of you with evil
intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate
you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but
hatred for them; I count them my enemies” (verses 20-22). But the psalmist
has a healthy suspicion of his own assessment of the enemy. He, therefore,
begins and concludes by asking God to search his heart and to test his
understanding. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know
my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in
the way everlasting” (verses 23-24). He subjects what he believes to be his
justified anger to the searching light of God’s wisdom and knowledge. Every
leader (national, tribal, youth, group, etc) who has the unenviable task of
deciding between war and pacifism (non violent means) should do the same.
Therefore, the Old Testament warns that human warfare often promotes, not
divine justice, but human injustice. In other words, the Niger Delta poeple
should act in such a manner that they are not perceived as fighting one
injustice with another.
Secondly, how might the Old Testament teaching on the defiling
nature of warfare help us in addressing the complex contemporary problems?
Let us suppose that a healthy suspicion of one’s own understanding has been
scrutinized under the light of God’s searching Spirit, and let us suppose that
we are still convinced that human warfare is a necessary action in the
promotion of peace and justice. If human warfare is inherently defiling, then
the adoption of it is inherently evil. There is no place for warfare and
bloodshed in God’s vision of heaven on earth.
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Therefore, if war is deemed necessary, it should be understood as a
necessary evil. If we engage in war in the Niger Delta struggle, we are
engaging in evil which is defiling and that too is injustice. The non-violent
pacifist response is still the best way to convict the consciences of our
leaders until justice is done in the Niger Delta Region.
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