Mars is the god of war. To be courageous in battle is to win great glory from Mars and from those loyal to him. Saints are the heroes of a religion. Successful warriors are the saints of Olympianity. Alexander 3rd of Macedon is such a hero. He is called “the Great” because he waged victorious battle against everyone from Greece to India . Movies are still made about him.
If we read the Old Testament, however, we find that Yahweh reveals a different point of view. Although there certainly are battles being fought by Israelites against their enemies, Yahweh does his best to limit the human glory associated with them. For example, in the Book of Judges, Gideon wants to launch 32,000 soldiers against the Midianites. Yahweh whittles that number down to 300 so that everyone will know that their victory is his gift. They’ll also know that Yahweh is completely free in relation to Mars the god of war.
Copyright © 2012 by Steven Farsaci.
All rights reserved. Fair use encouraged.
All rights reserved. Fair use encouraged.
