Reflections on Deuteronomy 20

Deuteronomy 20 (Contemporary English Version)

1. If you have to go to war, you may find yourselves facing an enemy army that is bigger than yours and that has horses and chariots. But don't be afraid! The LORD your God rescued you from Egypt, and he will help you fight.
   
2. Before you march into battle, a priest will go to the front of the army
   
3. and say, "Soldiers of Israel, listen to me! Today when you go into battle, don't be afraid of the enemy, and when you see them, don't panic.
   
4. The LORD your God will fight alongside you and help you win the battle."
   
5. Then the tribal officials will say to the troops: If any of you have built a new house, but haven't yet moved in, you may go home. It isn't right for you to die in battle and for somebody else to live in your new house.
   
6. If any of you have planted a vineyard but haven't had your first grape harvest, you may go home. It isn't right for you to die in battle and for somebody else to enjoy your grapes.
   
7. If any of you are engaged to be married, you may go back home and get married. It isn't right for you to die in battle and for somebody else to marry the woman you are engaged to.
   
8. Finally, if any of you are afraid, you may go home. We don't want you to discourage the other soldiers.
   
9. When the officials are finished giving these orders, they will appoint officers to be in command of the army.
   
10. Before you attack a town that is far from your land, offer peace to the people who live there. If they surrender and open their town gates, they will become your slaves. But if they reject your offer of peace and try to fight, surround their town and attack. Then, after the LORD helps you capture it, kill all the men. Take the women and children as slaves and keep the livestock and everything else of value.
    
11. (SEE 20:10)
    
12. (SEE 20:10)
    
13. (SEE 20:10)
    
14. (SEE 20:10)
    
15. (SEE 20:10)
    
16. Whenever you capture towns in the land the LORD your God is giving you, be sure to kill all the people and animals.
    
17. He has commanded you to completely wipe out the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
    
18. If you allow them to live, they will persuade you to worship their disgusting gods, and you will be unfaithful to the LORD.
    
19. When you are attacking a town, don't chop down its fruit trees, not even if you have had the town surrounded for a long time. Fruit trees aren't your enemies, and they produce food that you can eat, so don't cut them down.
    
20. You may need wood to make ladders and towers to help you get over the walls and capture the town. But use only trees that you know are not fruit trees.
    

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    Moses' instructions to Israel given in chapter 20 relate to warfare into which they were about to enter. Though no distinction is made between war they entered without consulting God and that they entered at God's leading, this assumes to be war they entered at God's leading. In such cases they should enter war with the confidence that God was with them and they had no need to be afraid. Even if the opposing army was larger than theirs and had horses and chariots, they should not fear them. The Lord who fought for them was mightier than any army that they would encounter.
    
    To help keep their focus on God as their strength, the priest would address the army before battle quoting from scripture these words: "Listen, Israel: Today you are about to engage in battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, alarmed, or terrified because of them. For the LORD your God is the One who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." (20:3-4) After the priest spoke, the officers would address the army and state the exeptions for which soldiers were released from battle and could return home. These included those who had built a new house, had planted a new vineyard, were newly married, and were afraid. Though these may seem to be rather insignificant reasons for military exemption we have to remember that victory was not dependent on the strength of Israel's army but on God. Going to war need not take precedence over everything. Once the army was prepared spiritually for battle and the men sent home who were exempt from battle, the army commanders were appointed.
    
    Next, Moses gave instructions regarding how to engage various cities.  There were two main categories of cities: those within the boundaries of Canaan and those outside it but within the territory God had promised Abraham. Those cities within Canaan were to be annihilated. Simply attack and destroy them. Their ways were too detestable to allow their survival and the possible influence of their ways upon the Israelites that could result. As for the cities outside Canaan, they were to approach them with an offer of peace. It was an offer with conditions, though. The conditions were that the people would become their vassals providing labor for them and serving them. These people did not offer the same risk of influencing Israel away from her God. If a city did not accept the offer of peace, then Israel was to lay siege to it killing all the males and taking the women, children, animals, and all else as plunder.
    
    As long as Israel trusted God and followed His instructions for their warfare, she didn't have to wonder if she would be victorious in war. The outcome in all instances was a foregone conclusion.