The Warrior-Priest Mindset: A Necessary Dichotomy for God’s Chosen Knights

by Drew Graffia

THE WARRIOR MINDSET Strength - The warrior’s strength is given to him and demanded of him from his heavenly Father. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. - Philippians 4:13 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. - Joshua 1:9 Discipline - The warrior needs discipline to continue in his training and to maintain control over his warrior spirit. The Lord is happy to oblige willing apprentices. Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. - 2 Chronicles 15:7 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. - Proverbs 25:28

Bravery - Bravery is a must for the warrior who will face many daunting and terrifying circumstances where he must continue forward despite his circumstances. The odds matter little when God is your defender. The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. - Proverbs 28:1 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. - 2 Timothy 1:7 Relentlessness - The warrior never quits and never surrenders. He knows his mission is only complete when his life is over and he will keep pressing towards the finish line. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. - Galatians 6:9 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer - Romans 12:12

Confidence - The warrior’s confidence comes from his heavenly Father and not from himself. Therefore, he has a never-ending supply since his God is all powerful. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. - Proverbs 3:26 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. - Isaiah 41:10 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God - 2 Corinthians 3:5 Patience - The warrior knows when to strike and when to restrain. He knows when it is best to wait and not jump into action. Consulting The Lord in prayer before decisions is a must. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him:

fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. - Psalms 37:7-9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. - Ecclesiastes 7:9

THE COUNTERFEIT WARRIOR MINDSET Bloodthirsty Barbarian (Violent) - The tainted warrior has an insatiable bloodlust and never shies away from violence even when a more peaceful option is present. The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. - Psalm 11:5 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. - Matthew 26:52 Selfish and not a Team Player - He is selfish and out for his own gain. He doesn’t work well with others but instead uses them to get ahead. Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. - Ecclesiastes 4:9

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. - Galatians 6:2 Double-minded - He is swayed by every passing opinion and not confident. He has no steady ground to stand on and his mind is torn. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed...A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. - James 1:6-8 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. - Matthew 6:24 Angry Bully - He is an overpowering, domineering bully who preys on the weak and takes the easy road over the honorable road. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou

shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD. - Leviticus 19:18 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. - 2 Timothy 1:7 Impatient / Impulsive - His anger leads to his impatience and impulsiveness. He acts instantly, driven by the flesh and not the spirit. He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. - Proverbs 25:28 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly. - Proverbs 14:29 The Tainted Champion has more in common with the Nephilim than he does with his fellow man. He is a bloodthirsty, rage-filled, loose cannon who loses his cool at ...

revenge. They take “an eye for an eye” to a whole other extreme and demand more than equal payback for any wrong done to them. The Lord will require their blood soon enough for the innocent blood they have shed (Genesis 9:5-6) and we know that our King never draws His sword in vain (Romans 13:4). These oppressors of men are hated by our King and their reign of terror finds no limits (Psalm 11:5). There’s No “I” in Team Our Lord tells us that two are better than one and that they will receive a good reward for their joint labor (Ecclesiastes 4:9). We also know that iron sharpens iron and a man sharpens his friend (Proverbs 27:17). We are all members of one body (1 Corinthians 12:20-25) however these dark warriors are an army of one. They are lovers of themselves, covetous, boaste...

cheerfully thinking “Better him than me!” (1 John 3:17). They do not care how pleasant it may be to dwell together in unity and join forces as a team (Psalm 133:1) because it would not only take the spotlight off of them but they might even for once not get their way! Oh, the thought alone might kill them! It is not good that man should be alone (Genesis 2:18) but these men are destined to live a life of loneliness save for the misled women and weak bottom feeding men that surround them unable to break free from their manipulations. They are vain and jealous men provoking others to wrath (Galatians 5:26), which they will gladly partake in as well. Strife foll...

earthly treasure their god as they live for the here and now ignoring the hereafter (1 Timothy 6:17-19). Let none of us ever give in to pride and rage lest we slowly morph into these Tainted Champions of self-de...

spirit and are like a city with broken down walls (Proverbs 25:28). Some you will find giving in to drunkenness and soon after wrath, forsaking the sound mind that The Lord offers for a clouded inebriated existence (2 Timothy 1:7). The only thing they hold onto longer than their pride is a grudge as they spew obscenities and vulgarities, disrespecting women and men alike (Ephesians 4:29). They treat women like objects and men like pawns. Those who can deal with this Dark Warrior offer nothing but a leech on his resources and horrible counsel as he sits in his throne of scorn shrouded in darkness (Psalm 1:1). He is always looking over his shoulder and always looking for an advantageous scenario to profit himself. These men have an ever-expanding, never-filled, God-sized hole in their chest that they try to fill with drugs, alcohol, and sex. They hate t...

THE PRIEST MINDSET Holy, Pure and Consecrated - Since our God is holy, The Priest knows that he is also to be holy. The Priest knows that without holiness he will never be able to see The Lord or enter into the holiest of holies. Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. - 1 Peter 1:16 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord - Hebrews 12:14 Forgiveness - A priest is very aware of how much his Father in heaven has forgiven him his trespasses, therefore, he should be quick to forgive others, seeing the importance of the cleansing of sin and possible reconciliation. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9 Disciplined - The priest must exhibit a life

devoted to discipline. It takes discipline to keep learning scriptures and correcting oneself. He mustn’t give up or grow lazy. It also takes a submitted man to accept discipline from The Lord. Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish. - Proverbs 12:1 But I keep under my body, and

him as it is to his God. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. - Philippians 2:3 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:13 Longsuffering - The Priest must be longsuffering since he has seen, up close, Yahweh’s longsuffering for himself. Along with being in close proximity to the Father comes a closer examination of our own hearts. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering - Colossians 3:12 We are called to be priests who are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar people to praise the God who has called us out of the darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). We are made kings and priests unto

Yeshua and His Father (Revelation 1:6) to offer up our spiritual sacrifices to be accepted before our God (1 Peter 2:5). As we are a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6) made to reign on Earth in the coming age, we must lay aside all malice, guile, hypocrisies, envies and all evil speakings (1 Peter 2:1-3) so we can know that our Lord is good. For when we were rejected by humans we were also accepted by God (1 Peter 2:4). He has chosen us for this role and ordained us so that we can now bring forth fruit in our Father’s name that will remain and receive anything that we ask in His name that is according to His will (John 15:16). Now, let’s get some back story into biblical priests. The Hebrew word for priest is “kohen” or “kahan” and can be applied to “one who ministers.” It can also describe an individual who was set apart for duties relating to worship and ministering as a priest. The Greek word used for priest is “hiereus” and it means “a priest, one who offers sacrifice to a god.” In ancient times, before the office of priest was introduced, every man

THE COUNTERFEIT PRIEST MINDSET Loveless - The Counterfeit Priest may profess all day long that they are loving but their actions betray them and show otherwise. You will soon know them by their fruit. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. - 1 Corinthians 13:1 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. - 1 John 2:9 Self-Serving and Twist Scripture - They twist scripture to serve whatever need they have at the time and wield the Sword of the Spirit in a perverted way to benefit themselves. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel - Galatians 1:6

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book - Revelation 22:18-19 Never Wrong - The Counterfeit Priest will go to great lengths and do verbal gymnastics to get around being wrong. They will tell you something was wrong when you did it but when confronted they say it was different when they did it. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. - Proverbs 28:13 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23 Hypocritical Liars - They never practice what they preach and constantly lie to others and to themselves. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of

heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. - Matthew 23:13 Self-Righteous and Selfish - They embody the “holier than thou” persona and are always looking out for themselves before others. Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. - Matthew 6:1 Surrounded by other Pharisees - They are usually surrounded by other like-minded or weak people who will never call them out because of their own sin or weakness. They want to feel safe in their sin...

THE COUNTERFEIT CRUSADER MINDSET Preys on the Weak - The Counterfeit Crusader always takes the low hanging fruit as he picks on those weaker than him. He uses his power for evil instead of for good and is a leech on society. Such great potential wasted on a bully. Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. - Psalms 82:3-4 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. - 1 John 3:15 Puts on a Mask - This Counterfeit Knight never shows his true face. He is always faking it and putting on a mask to impress others or to hide his evil personality. You can never get the full picture from this man or trust anything he is putting forth for fear of it being a mask.

Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men - Isaiah 29:13 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. - Matthew 7:21-23 Quits and Complains - A constant griper and complainer, this man is driven by pride, which leads to protests when things do not go his way. Not only that, but he is the opposite of longsuffering as he gives up on nearly anything he does that gives him the slightest bit of challenge or resistance. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to

repentance. - 2 Peter 3:9 Do all things without murmurings and disputings - Philippians 2:14 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. - Ephesians 4:29 Ruled by Lust and Disrespects Women - This man has a nearly insatiable sexual appetite and has no respect for women. To him, they are objects of pleasure. His appetite for the other pleasures of the flesh follows suit, as he is driven by the flesh and stifled in spirit. But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. - Matthew 5:28 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. - Galatians 5:16 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a

father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity. Honour widows that are widows indeed. - 1 Timothy 5:1-3 Respecter of Persons - Along with wearing a mask, The Counterfeit Crusader seeks to gain favor where he can and will treat people differently based on social rank or on what he stands to gain from them. He is a user and a manipulator who can never be a real friend or ever find real love due to his detachment from human relationships. For there is no respect of persons with God. - Romans 2:11 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all...

backseat to this reckless ogre. Ironic that he ignores the one person who can actually benefit him. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. - Matthew 6:33 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will h...

THE KNIGHT MINDSET

Warrior Traits Valor and Courage - The Knight must be a person of valor who is filled with courage. It is easy to lose heart when you follow your own way and the enemy never stops his war for your soul. You must not lose sight of the King and the courage He bestows upon you. Cowardice is a sin and the Knights in Yahweh’s army are anything but cowardly. And the angel of The Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. - Judges 6:12 Wait on The Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on The Lord. - Psalms 27:14 Perseverance and Resilience - NEVER SURRENDER! Burn the ships and push forward at all times. You are to run the race in such a way as to win the prize of seeing your Father’s face. In all trials and tribulations, it is tempting to

give up or to throw in the towel but Jesus never once quit. He is our standard and He stopped at nothing to complete His life’s sacrificial mission to save us from bondage to death. You must have the hardiness of a seasoned war veteran and the perseverance of the King. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us; - 2 Timothy 2:12 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. - Galatians 6:9 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. - Proverbs 24:10 Defender and Protector of the Weak - Any true knight knows it is his duty to defend the weak and protect those in need. Whether it be a damsel in distress or a burning building of orphans, the knight must always be ready to lay his life down to save others if need be. One of the greatest commandments is to love thy

neighbor as thyself and we are to esteem others higher than ourselves. The Knight is given strength by God to fulfill the role of defender and protector. But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. - 1 Timothy 5:8 And he answering said, Thou shalt love The Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. - Luke 10:27 Heroic Calling - Every Knight of Yahweh has a divine calling on his life that he or she must never neglect. Their lives are not their own and were bought with a price. The Knight offers his ...

I therefore, the prisoner of The Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called - Ephesians 4:1 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall - 2 Peter 1:10 Also I heard the voice of The Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. - Isaiah 6:8 Dragon Slayer - A staple of every heroic knight is his innate drive to slay dragons. Yeshua is the ultimate dragon slayer and we are made in His glorious image to walk out His will. We are born into this world already enemies of the dragon and will grow strong and be trained in how to make war against the darkness. The quest of the knight is to destroy the dragon’s forces until the King calls our life back to Himself. Only then will this phase of the mission be complete.

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. - Genesis 3:15 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. - James 4:7 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. - Ephesians 5:11

Priest Traits Faith and the Fear of God - Faith is the primary trait of The Knight. It is the trust and fear of his Father that defines him. Faith is what separates him from all other warriors and the fear of the God of the Bible is what separates him from all other priests. For as many hours as he spends fighting for God, he spends even more sitting at His feet praying and reflecting on His goodness. Prayer is the communication from human to the divine and it goes without saying that this too is a defining trait of this man/woman of God. This is the very heart of The Warrior-Priest. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. - Hebrews 11:1 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. - Romans 10:17 Pray without ceasing. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. - Jeremiah 33:3 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. - Hebrews 11:6 The fear of The Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. - Proverbs 1:7 The fear of The Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. - Proverbs 8:13 Sacrifice and Humility - We are called to be humble servants of the Most High. If The Knight finds himself in a position of leadership he does well because he is a servant before he is a leader. He leads by example and never becoming puffed up because he knows that his strength and position is not of himself but of his Father in heaven. There is no room for pride when your

gifts are from above. He is willing to give it all away and even his own life if that is what his King demands. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. - Romans 12:1 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. - James 4:6 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself sha...

commands of his Father. He does what is right and rights what is wrong. When he does engage in matters of justice, he has a balance of mercy. He is merciful as his Father is merciful and has open ears for those who have fallen on hard times. He uses wisdom to find the perfect balance between justice and mercy because he knows the King values both. Thus speaketh The Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother - Zechariah 7:9 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth The Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? - Micah 6:8 Be ye ther...

honor who honors all around him. He holds himself to a heavenly standard and is constantly maintaining his purity like the kindling of a precious flame on a cold night. He refrains from the lust of the flesh and all other sins that threaten to taint his honor. He knows the importance of being pure so one day he can stand before the King as a clean vessel awaiting use. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. - 1 Peter 2:17 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. - 2 Timothy 2:21 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. - Matthew 5...

the mouth of the Warrior-Priest. His “yes” and his “no” are as ironclad as his armor and he is one of the few men on earth that can be trusted and taken at his word. He walks in integrity and keeps all perverse things far removed from his speech. Lying lips are abomination to The Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight. - Proverbs 12:22 Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of The Lord, but also in the sight of men. - 2 Corinthians 8:21 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. - Proverbs 19:1 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them. - Proverbs 11:3 This is the new ...

to now apply these traits directly to your life. All of these traits we have gleaned from the Holy Word of God and now you must choose to walk this quest out every single day. Of course, you will fail at times and you may even find yourself to be the counterfeit version of these heroes from time to time; however, it is not too late. While there is still breath in your lungs there is still time to repent and walk in the way of The Warrior-Priest. We serve a King who is worthy of this task. This side of eternity is just the beginning and only God knows what awaits us in the next realm. Remember that we must walk in both sides of The Warrior-Priest just as Yeshua walked in both sides of The Lion and The Lamb. You cannot remove the persevering, heroic, and brave strength of the warrior from the patient, longsuffering, merciful heart of the priest. This is t...

Self Defense vs. Revenge When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace - Luke 11:21 A Knight of Yahweh is called to deliver the poor and needy from the hand of the wicked (Psalm 82:4) and rescue the captives condemned to death (Proverbs 24:11). The Lord expects us to fight. He trains our hands for battle and strengthens our arms to draw a bronze bow. I will start off by saying our greatest commandment involves the loving of others so whenever possible, this should be our main objective. However, sometimes our enemies do not allow for us to sit back and do nothing and that is where we began our discussion. Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. - Psalm 144:1 If He expects us to fight then we must fight by His rules. Jesus even told His disciples to sell their cloak and buy a sword if they didn’t already have

one when they were to go out and preach the gospel. That doesn’t sound like the hippie messiah being preached by the feel-good church now does it? Let’s take a closer look. And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough. And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. - Luke 22:35-39 (emphasis added) This is a fallen world and unfortunately death has reared its ugly head. We live in a dangerous place

and mean sharks eat cute little seals every day. Then the cycle repeats. However, not every situation calls for action and we see an example of this when Peter drew his sword to stop the men from taking Jesus into custody. The Lord stopped him because Peter was unknowingly using violence and trying to stop a plan that was ordained by The Lord (Matthew 26:2). Jesus told him that if you live by the sword you die by the sword. Self-defense is not an excuse to live a violent life. It is important to use good discernment to make sure any decision we make is in line with our Father’s will. Never forget that life is precious and we are all made in the image of God. The fact of the matter is that we will encounter trouble in our times and The Lord wants us to be prepared. Moses told his people to arm themselves for war against the Midianites in Numbers 31:3. Luke 11:21 an...

strong man guarding them. Isaiah 49:24 asks “who can snatch the plunder from the hands of a warrior”. The list goes on and on but one example that I hold very highly is the commands that came straight from Father God Himself. In Exodus 22:2-3 God was giving laws to Moses so he could take them back to His people and show them how to live. This is what He said: If a thief is caught in the act of breaking in, and he is beaten to death, no one is guilty of bloodshed. But if this happens after sunrise, there is guilt of bloodshed. A thief must make full restitution. If he is unable, he is to be sold because of his theft. - Exodus 22:2-3 HCSB (emphasis added) God Himself said that if a thief is caught breaking at night and he is beaten to death no one is guilty of bloodshed! This is proof rig...

shows us is that if it were day time then there would, in fact, be bloodguilt. What this shows is that Yahweh understands the scary and uncertain situations the darkness can add to a life or death situation. If it were day time it is assumed that it would be easier to manage and an element of secrecy would be eliminated for being able to see the culprit and the crime clearly. You would then be able to identify the thief and alert the law enforcement in your area. I have had some friends interpret this verse to instead mean you are allowed to defend yourself but if you find the thief after the fact or away from your house then you are not able to kill them without guilt. I agree that we are not to avenge the theft after the fact because it would no longer fall under self-defense but rather under revenge. However, I do think that there is something to be said about the verse ment...

to delve deeper into this verse and decide for yourself. The verse then moves on to say if the thief was caught alive, he would have to pay in full or work off the amount he stole through servitude. This shows that God is not only merciful but also just. This is another hidden dichotomy of our Lord. The mercy to forgive His children of all their sin and the justice to never let the unrepentant wicked go unpunished. He is merciful to forgive the repentant and just to punish the wicked...He is Yahweh Elohim. After the flood we see Yahweh telling Noah and a small group of people, “whoever sheds the blood of a man, by man shall His blood be shed” (Genesis 9:6). Yahweh instituted the death penalty for murder among other crimes; however, the same is not to be said for killing in a wartime setting. This applies to the individual and to the g...

construction of the walls. What did Nehemiah do? Sit on his hands and love his neighbor as they killed his builders? Nope! He posted guards and told the builders to start bringing their swords to work (Nehemiah 4:16-18). They had building materials in one hand and a sword in the other and guess what...the walls got built! There are some cases in scripture where believers of Yahweh are martyred or killed for their faith. This is shown when Yahweh has specifically put that calling on a man or woman’s life and is by no means the norm. Unless Father is calling you to be a martyr within a shadow of a doubt then you are to protect those around you and even yourself. Now before we go any further it’s time to address some seemingly inconsistent things in the Word. Now we know there are no contradictions in the Bible but many have trouble justifying a God who in the book of Joshua tel...

we do with this? Research, that’s what! Let us lay the first foundation before we start our study. God can do whatever He wants with any of His vessels whether it be destroying them or lifting them up. It is not up to the pot to question the doings of the potter. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 2 Timothy 2:20 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? - Romans 9:21 Once we lay that groundwork, we can get into who Joshua was destroying. Many of the people Joshua was told to destroy were from known clans of GIANTS! Amorites, Canaanites, Anakites, and many other giant clans were all running r...

of Adam and the bloodlines of the Nephilim. For more on this whole topic, I recommend checking out the work of guys like Michael Heiser, Derek Gilbert, Steve Quayle, L.A. Marzulli, and Gary Wayne to name a few. That is a discussion for another book. So, God can do what He chooses with His creation and the purpose of Joshua’s conquest was to wipe out the last remaining Nephilim clans and those who have interbred and allied themselves with them. Great! Now we get to the word study. When Yahweh said “thou shalt not kill” the word He used for “kill” was “ratsach”. This word “ratsach” is never used in conjunction with war. It is used to describe murder and usually in an unlawful way resulting in bloodguilt before God. Yahweh is very clear that we are not to shed innocent blood which would be a great disrespect. We would be d...

every detail about the time where you took a life. It is nasty business even in cases of self-defense and this is why these distinctions can be so important. Ratzah / Ratsach - Never used in conjunction with war. Phonetic Spelling: (raw-tsakh’) Definition: to murder, slay When Yahweh was telling His people to fight in war and slay their enemies, He used the word “harag”. “Harag” means killing or slaying and it’s usually used when talking about war. So “thou shalt not kill” is different from killing in war times. Thou shalt not murder would be closer to the Hebrew meaning. Harag Phonetic Spelling: (haw-rag’) Definition: to kill, slay War is not murder. God wo...

legitimate selfdefense and from our look into Exodus we saw that a man defended his home and did not incur bloodguilt. That pretty much settles the case in my mind and if anyone tries to tell you that you cannot defend you or your family from intruders or would-be murderers you can tell them “Thanks, but no thanks! I wouldn’t want to be considered less than an unbeliever in the Kingdom of God!” But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. - 1 Timothy 5:8 Now since you have all made it this far in our noble quest, I shall grant you a bonus word! “Cherem/Kherem” was term that God used at times when telling Joshua to clear out the giant clans or other groups of particul...

Cherem/Kherem Phonetic Spelling: (khay’-rem) Definition: devoted ...

Revenge We are now beginning to understand the Code of Chivalry The Lord has given us for battle and self-defense, a code of ethics if you will. We know that He forbids murder, He allows self-defense, and wants us to protect the weak. He tells Peter to not “live by the sword” or lead a lifestyle of violence. What are some of the other “battle ethics” He gives us? I can tell you one more thing He strictly forbids. Revenge. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. - Romans 12:19 Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work. - Proverbs 24:29 God hates us taking revenge. Revenge, much like pride, elevates us to the place of supreme judge and jury. It assumes that we know what is best and

how to dole out what one may deserve. This is usurping the position of our Father who is Himself the supreme judge. We have a very limited view of situations but God has a bird’s eye view. He sees and knows all and not only that but He is the only one who is morally capable of judging someone’s fate. Only a perfect God can make a perfect moral code to judge by. Do not try to take His place. You will one day have to give an account for all your actions so the sooner you deal with these issues the better (Matthew 16:27). Revenge not only facilitates pride but it also goes against loving our neighbor. Self-defense would be protecting one’s self or others to fend off an attacker whereas revenge would be not stopping at the point of self-defense. It would be taking things further. When we do this, we are going out of the boundaries The Lord has set for our self-defense. Jesus told His people a greater commandment than the one they had previously heard when He said, “an eye for an eye” is to be replaced with “turning the other cheek.” Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye