The Divine Warrior's victories

Happy Independence Day!

After God had swiftly wiped out the powerful army of the Pharaoh, Moses led the people of Israel in a joyous celebration of the victory. In the victory chant, they named God as warrior. The LORD is a warrior. (Ex 15:3)

The Divine Warrior theme is threaded throughout the Old Testament. Sometimes the victory was clearly God’s alone, like at the Red Sea or Jericho’s wall. Other times, he used people. Gideon and David both had to do more than watch, but their victories clearly belonged to God as well.

There was no doubt for ancient Hebrews that God was their warrior, winning battles for them. Often he freed them from the oppression of other nations. Their independence as a nation depended on God’s divine hand.

My daughter and I just re-watched the movie The Patriot with its rich landscapes and grisly war scenes. This patriot army of farmers had shortages of most everything except their fierce dedication to freedom. They gripped the idea that their Creator had given them inalienable rights (Here’s the complete text of the Declaration of Independence). It was impossible for this mottled group to defeat – or even slow – the proud and disciplined British troops. Yet the vision of freedom, of self-government, prodded them forward. Many died so that others could live in freedom.

We enjoy that heritage today, of freedom and democracy patterned on God’s provision. The cliché must be repeated: freedom isn’t free.

But as followers of Jesus, we can cut this another way. We can celebrate the victory of the Divine Warrior, when God honored the desire of a people to be free. Might we say that our independence as a nation depends on God’s divine hand?

I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously…

Ex 15:1