Jump Start # 3129

Ecclesiastes 3:8 “A time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.”

Our verse today comes from Solomon’s “seasons of life.” There is a time for everything, he says. And, what follows is a series of couplets and opposites. Many of them we really enjoy, such as hugs, birth and love. And, many of the opposites, we dread, such as hate, war and death.

Our focus today is on the ending of today’s verse, “a time for war and a time for peace.” As I write this, the war in Ukraine is entering yet another month. I think most people thought the war would be ended by this time. The events do not headline the nightly news anymore.

There needs to be some thought put into “a time for war.” Solomon is writing generically. He doesn’t identify if the war is between nations, families, ethnic groups or simply two co-workers who can’t get along. There is a time for war and there is a time for peace. When is there a time for war? When is it appropriate to launch into battle? And, Solomon doesn’t identify what kind of war he has in mind. Physical war with soldiers? A war with words? A husband and wife who are having an argument? A mad teen who slams the door to her bedroom? Political skirmishes between candidates? Religious wars that we often call persecution?

There is a time for war. Here’s some things to help us:

First not every battle is my battle, nor should I fight in ever battle. People tend to be involved in far too many things that are not any of their business. Two co-workers who cannot get along, explodes into the entire office taking sides and people who once liked each other and got along well, now don’t. This is true in families. This is true within the church. We preachers can stick our noses in the business of other congregations and get ourselves involved in things are not our battles. Staying out is hard. But one of the best things is to let the people involved work their differences out.

Second, when you are involved, do all that you can to make peace and avoid a war with others. That’s the spirit of the New Testament. Blessed are the peacemakers, Jesus said. The Romans were told, “if possible, as far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Among the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians is peace. Listed in Peter’s characteristics of virtues are love and self control. Some like to irritate. Some like to stir things up. Some just know how to push the right buttons and they do that all day long. It’s like riding with your little brother in the back seat of the car. A touch becomes a poke, which becomes a pinch, which turns into a slap, which turns into a hit. About that time, dad has stopped the car and both get a spanking. Make peace when you can.

Third, lines must be drawn where God has established them. There are wars that need to be fought. There are battles that must take place. Standing for the integrity of Scriptures and God’s pattern for things is one such battle. There are those who want to twist Scriptures, introduce new concepts, change the way of God and reinvent what the Lord has introduced. Doctrinally, morally, culturally—there are battles taking place. To sit on the sidelines because one doesn’t like confrontations or the mess of wars is to allow the enemy to take over.

Near where I live, Corydon, Indiana, there was a battle that took place during the Civil War. It was the only battle fought in Indiana. Morgan’s Raiders came up from Kentucky into Indiana. A they approach little towns, they demanded horses, supplies and money. If they didn’t get that, they would fight and destroy the town. Every town quietly and cowardly surrendered, except my Corydon. They put up a fight. Cannons were fired. Muskets were shot. Several on both sides died. In the end, the defenders of Corydon surrendered. But the delay it caused, allowed Union troops to pursue and later capture most of Morgan’s Raiders.

Just like Morgan’s Raiders, Satan is trying to move in and take over. To surrender without a fight is to lack faith, courage and conviction.  A person needs to fight for their marriage and not let the devil destroy it. Shepherds need to fight for the truth that is to be fed to the flock. Many a pied piper has fooled people with slick messages, fancy books and stealth like motives. There is a time for war.

We sing, “Solders of Christ arise.” Will we? Will we be ready? Will we engage the enemy for what is right? I fear sometimes that we fight, but we are fighting in the wrong wars. And what we ought to be fighting, we are not. Standing on the principles or sitting on the sidelines?

There is a time for war and a time for peace. Knowing what time it is, makes all the difference.

Roger

Jump Start # 2669

Ecclesiastes 3:8 “A time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.”

The other day while mowing and listening to my “oldies” music, the song, “Turn, turn, turn,” came on by the Byrds. The words are straight from Ecclesiastes 3. It’s a great song. I doubt that the Lord got any royalty money for the words, even though they were His. While listening, our verse, was sung, “a time to love and a time to hate.”

We pretty much have the love time down. We are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Husbands are to love their wives. Loving God is the greatest commandment. We are even to love and pray for our enemies. In weddings, 1 Corinthians 13, the Biblical concept of love is read. Behind evangelism and before forgiveness is the principle of love. We hear many, many sermons on love.

But when is the time to hate? Hate is always seen as bad. In the current social unrest a lot of hatred is being expressed and demonstrated. Politicians say mean things about each other. When an angry child shouts that he hates his sibling, parents are quick to turn that around and stop that kind of talk. But, here, Solomon tells us that just as there is a time to love, there is a time to hate. Solomon not only being one of the smartest people in the Bible, endowed by wisdom from God, he was also guided by the Holy Spirit to write what he did. So, in essence, God is saying there is a time to hate.

This is one of those topics that generically is misunderstood. Like the subject of judging, we are led to believe that all judging is wrong. But, it’s not. The very passage that tells us not to judge, tells us to judge. Contextually, one comes to understand what is meant by “judge not.” Hatred is like that. You’ve likely not heard a sermon about the upside of hating. “Ten great ways to hate,” usually doesn’t make it to Sunday morning.

What is even more shocking to those who haven’t delved into the Bible much is that God hates. This seems counter to the passages that says “God is love.”

• Proverbs 6 identifies a list of things that God hates
• Psalms 5:5 says that God hates those who do iniquity

A time to hate? When is it ever a time to hate?

First, hatred is an emotion and a reaction. It is never an excuse to harm someone or to break laws. We can never hide behind, “A time to hate,” as a justification for being cruel, unkind or hurtful to others. One passage does not eliminate another passage. A time to hate doesn’t give reason to ignore the golden rule or to love your enemies. Hatred expressed in offensive and bad language isn’t right. Hatred that leads to hurting someone isn’t right. With some, hatred is a green light to do criminal activity, be ugly and out shout everyone else. A time to hate isn’t a time to close the rest of the Bible.

Second, God’s level of things will never be ours. God forgives much greater than we ever can. God loves greater than we can. And, God’s hatred is much different than ours. The anger of God is seen throughout the Bible. The casting of Adam and Eve out of the garden, the worldwide flood, sending worms to arrogant Herod, the instant death of Nadab, Abihu, Ananias and Sapphira all illustrate the anger and wrath of God. The justice of God justifies these things. We are not God and we are not to take the law into our own hands. God established the government as a means to punish evildoers.

Third, hatred can blind us and destroy us. Some people can be eaten up with hatred and refuse to reason or listen to others. Their hatred drives them to be prejudicial, evil and even mean towards those they do not like. In anger, people have said things that they wish they never did. Anger has hurt many innocent people. It is nearly impossible to be filled with hatred and not be an angry person. That unchecked anger invites the devil into our hearts to take us places that are not kind, wholesome or good. And, once hatred has settled within us, it is hard to get rid of it. Some are living in hatred all of their lives. And, that hatred makes them miserable. I’ve met a few brethren through the years that allowed hatred to dominate their thinking. They were a mess. They were trouble in the church and in their homes. Not much good came from hateful hearts.

Fourth, having put all of these prequalifies on hatred, when if ever, is the time to hate? Can I ever hate and still be right with God? Does hate even belong within the heart of a child of God? Great questions to consider. Here is my short list that I came up with:

• First, I ought to hate when I disappoint God, let others down and choose sin. We tend to think of hatred as outward and directed toward others. But, a positive way to use this negative is to look within. We ought to hate doing wrong. We ought to hate hurting others. For some of us, the way we grew up, we have a little Pharisee within us that wants to be judgmental towards others. One ought to hate that about his own heart. And, this hatred of doing wrong should lead us to forgive others and to seek to walk with the Lord more. A time to hate? Every time you and I do wrong.

• Second, I ought to hate when people abuse the God I love. God’s name is holy and sacred. When people blaspheme that name, use that name in vain, and use it as causally as air, giving no thought to the Lord, that ought to disturb me. It ought to bother me. I cannot like on Facebook any message that trashes God’s divine name. Saying, “My God,” or, “Oh, my God,” is not wrong if one is truly thinking about the Lord. But when someone doesn’t know what to say, and they just say that as nothing, that ought to bother me. If someone was trash talking my sweet wife, they’d get a truckload of trouble from me. You don’t do that. She means too much to me. Shouldn’t we feel the same about the God we love and follow? Someone starts abusing God’s name, I’ll correct them, or I’ll leave the conversation. I will not act as if I approve or if there is nothing wrong with that. There is.

• Third, I hate every false way. The Psalmist expressed that. We ought to as well. Sin is not ok, whether it’s done by us, a family member or seen in the movies. Sin mocks God’s holy word. I cannot be happy about couples who are living together unmarried. That’s wrong. I cannot be happy about people getting divorced just because they don’t like each other anymore. That’s wrong. I cannot be happy about wrong. Some misuse their position in universities or sports or Hollywood or politics to mock and ridicule God. I cannot be afraid of them nor approve of that. In this current season of national politics, I’m hearing brethren say, “abortion isn’t the only issue.” That’s right. But, abortion is an issue. Abortion is legalized murder. I cannot overlook that. I cannot say the other matters are more important. Current culture wants to legalize drugs, especially marijuana. I cannot support that. Nothing godly, righteous or good will come from that. It leads to cancer faster than cigarettes do. It is addictive. It does not strengthen families, marriages or souls. Now, what I do when I hate false ways is important. Hating one wrong does not give me the permission to do wrong. I hate abortion. That does not give me the right to bomb abortion clinics or hunt down doctors that preform abortions and harm them. One wrong does not justify another wrong. I do not like abusive police who use their badge to do what they want. But, in disliking abusive police, I do not and can not throw a brick through a store window in protest or spit in another policeman’s eye. Not all police are abusive. Not all police are bad. Hating the bad does not give me the right to be bad.

There is a time to hate. How you express it says much. Our power is not in tearing down things physically, but in arguments of truth. Jesus reminded His disciples to turn the cheek when they have been struck. He ordered Peter to put away the sword when He was arrested. The world hates. It hates goodness. It hates truth. It hates Jesus. We will be hated because of the name of Jesus. While on the cross Jesus uttered no threats. Rather, He forgave His crucifiers. His hatred of sin took Him to the cross.

In these turbulent times, it is easy to become what we don’t like in others. There is a time to hate. Know when that time is and know just how to do that and remain holy, righteous and godly. Those qualities go together when manifested properly.

Roger