I have been asked about what God’s word says about the war in Ukraine. In short, the war is unethical and unbiblical if for no other reason that the U.S. and NATO broke an international covenant agreement (which is illegal according to international law and unbiblical to break a covenant). When Russia volentarily disassembled the USSR, the U.S. and in February of 1990, NATO signed an agreement (with then Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev), a covenant that they would not expand NATO nations towards Russia. In return Russia handed over their German military bases to NATO control and agreed not attack NATO forces; formally disassembling the USSR. NATO broke the covenant agreement stating with President Clinton with the illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea into NATO. Crimes was a territory or a sovereign state. NATO kept expanding east until they came to Ukraine which borders Russia.
What is a COVENANT? A covenant is a relationship between two partners who make binding promises to each other and work together to reach a common goal. They’re often accompanied by oaths, signs, and ceremonies. Covenants define obligations and commitments, but they are different from a contract because they are relational and personal. Think of marriage-a husband and wife choose to enter into a formal relationship, binding themselves to one another in lifelong faithfulness and devotion. They then work as partners to reach a common goal, like building a life or raising children together. The covenant the U.S. and NATO made with Russia is no different. The war in Ukraine has nothing to do with patriotism; only misled patriotism, and for some, the prideful assertion that America is the mightiest country in the world and do what it wants.
But what about the covenant we made with Russia? What about the Abrahamic Covenant? What if God decided not to honor that covenant with Israel and us alike? God cannot break any covenant because it would mean that He lied. Because God is all perfect and always does what He says He will do perfectly, he cannot lie. The same can be said with the Davidic Covenant. Then there is the New Covenant. For generations Israel ignored the terms of the covenant with Yahweh, breaking commands and living by their own definitions of good and evil. Amidst rebellion, the Hebrew prophets spoke a new covenant, saying that God would one day fulfill all of his promises, repairing his relationship with his people and blessing the nations through them (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:22-32). Lastly, there is Jesus who gave us the Covenantal Climax that carries you and I here forward into eternity. As you can see, God takes covenants very, very seriously. In relation to modern day war in Ukraine, the use of unnecessary military force in conjunction with the the breaking of the covenant goes against God's Word at the core.
BOTTOM LINE: Did the U.S. and NATO make an agreement not to expand NATO east towards Russia? YES. Did the U.S. and NATO break that covenant agreement? YES. Did NATO continue to expand east towards Russia? YES Is NATO expansion now literally on the doorstep/border with Russia with Ukraine? YES. These are the facts. I will let you make up your own mind as to how you want to support or not support such a war. As for God’s Word, it’s clear that such destruction, death, and war were and are unless army and avoidable if NATO and the U.S. would simply have kept its word and honored the original covenant made back in 1990. Let’s go to the BIble to look further into God’s wisdom in how I believe the war in Ukraine can be justly ended.
God provides us with a parable of how an unstoppable military operation against a small city was prevented by the wisdom of one POOR but WISE MAN. The conclusion is that wisdom is preferable to strength and should be heeded. The problem in Ukraine is that Zelenskyy, their President has been accused of taking bribes from the U.S. The war in Ukraine is is wrong and there is no acception; our leaders ought to use God’s wisdom instead of man’s weapon of destruction. Let's read what Solomon says.
“14 There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. 15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. 16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.
17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good (Ecclesiastes 9:14-18)
FINAL WORDS: Wisdom is so powerful that even the quiet words of a wise and humble man are more effective than the ranting of a foolish politician, president or king, who tries to ram through his foolish will by sheer force (v.17). In conclusion, “WISDOM IS BETTER THAN WEAPONS OF WAR” (v. 18). And yet wisdom is not invulnerable; ONE SINNER can ruin MUCH GOOD wrought by wisdom. And this is my analysis of the war in Ukraine. Let's be in prayer that peace would prevail, death would stop, and a new covenant would emerge, as once a convenant is broken, it cannot be repaired. Please be in prayer daily for this.-Steven
