C.S Lewis, Isis, and the Police: A Biblical Defense for Self-Defense (Part 2)

 DAVID

"...David's two wives had also been taken captive..." 1 Samuel 30:5

In this scenario, the wives and children of David's men and David's two wives had been taken, along with possessions.  David strengthened himself in the Lord and did indeed inquire of the Lord.  Yet what I see again in this situation is that wives, children, relatives, and possessions had been taken.  Abram had "trained men," and David also had a significant number of trained men or seasoned warriors with him.  Five kings were responsible for the captivity of Abram's relatives, while a band of raiders was responsible for the captivity of David's wives and the wives and children of his men.  In other words, these scenarios with Abram and David didn't directly involve wartime scenarios for Abram and David but instead involved scenarios where family members and possessions were taken captive.  This is even more explicit in my final example with Nehemiah.

NEHEMIAH

"...I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with swords, spears, and bows."  Nehemiah 4:13, italics mine.

"Don't be afraid of them.  Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives, and your homes."  Nehemiah 4:14, italics mine.

These to me are some of the most striking passages in terms of biblical self-defense.  Notice that these are not soldiers or warriors or armies, but families--armed families.  I see these biblical prerequisites for self-defense in the mind of Nehemiah, which also seems to be implied in the situations with Abram and David:

1. Focused faith in the Lord who empowers righteous/lawful self-defense:  "Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome..."

2. Courage:  "Don't be afraid of them."  (God consistently commands strength and courage.)

3. Being armed (as a minimum) or trained/able to defend yourself.  (Abram's trained men, David's mighty men, the swords, spears, and bows given by Nehemiah.)

4.  A righteous cause:  "Fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes..."  Notice who is primarily being addressed by Nehemiah, notice who is fighting, and whom they are fighting for-"your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes"--fathers and husbands are doing the fighting.  Though of course sons and daughters and wives have the potential to fight, they are not the ones being called upon to fight.  It is the husbands and fathers being called upon to fight for sons and daughters, wives, and homes.

Again, these are families, fighting as families, for families and homes.  Not warriors, or soldiers, or armies.  

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