When we read the Old Testament, we see that warfare was very important for the Israelites. Warfare was not something Israel did because of its own demands and desires. It was a divine command. Already in the Old Testament we see that the goals of war were not restricted to the protection of the people or to the conquest of land and wealth. Warfare was also a spiritual issue. The Lord used the Israelites to judge the pagan nations of Palestine for their idolatry and abominations. He also wanted to remove the pagan nations so that the land He had chosen for Himself, Israel, would be free from idolatry and other forms of contamination. Apart from driving out pagan peoples from the land, the Israelites also had to remove their ‘sacred poles’ and other objects of idolatry and magic, in order to remove the spiritual pollution.

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