Is Jihad in the Bible?

Jihad is an Arabic word that means struggle. In many circles, it refers to the allowance to fight and conquer those who do not follow the Islamic path. In the Old Testament, many wars, as well as the conquering and destruction of other peoples, occurred that seem to be similar. Is Jihad today like the Old Testament? Let’s analyze some differences between judgments in the Old Testament and Islamic Jihad.

What is Jihad?

Jihad has two primary meanings in Arabic: struggle and holy war. I do not debate that all people have struggles; as believers, we also struggle to oppose the things that oppose God. The Arabic Bible uses this word in a few passages (1 Peter 4:18, 1 Timothy 6:12, and 2 Timothy 4:7).^[1] https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/post/did-you-know-that-jihad-is-in-the-bible—this blog references these ideas. A personal struggle is not what I am comparing the Old Testament with. Any discussion on this level avoids the issues before us.

The Jihad I am contrasting is found in Surah 9, called “Repent,” in which the unbelievers are to repent, and followers of their religion are to fight against them (repeated at least nine times) and slay them (Surah 9:5 and 9:111). This chapter alone makes Jihad a common challenge and obligation for those who follow the Quran. How they follow this and promote it is well known worldwide by extreme groups and moderate ones.

Contrasting Jihad and the Bible

The first significant contrast between the Old Testament and Islamic Jihad is the scope of the idea. Nowhere in the Old Testament does God’s judgment on a nation become a universal mandate like what is found in Surah 9. The books of Joshua and Judges show a specific period when the “wars” occurred for a particular purpose. The Bible does not promote war or conquering other people today.

Example of Difference

A vital example of this can be seen in the Gaza area. In Amos 1: 6 we see:

Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Gaza,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they carried into exile a whole people
    to deliver them up to Edom.

The text implies a judgment on them when they captured large groups of people and sold them. This most likely refers to the treaty of friendship they broke with the region, much like Tyre (Amos 1:9).  This judgment occurred near the time of Amos. Yet, we see no such continuation for them in the New Testament.

On the contrary, in Acts 8:26-40, we see Philip sent to the road heading to Gaza. There, he speaks to an Ethiopian. The past judgment ended, even for Ethiopia, where their judgments are now finished, leading to salvation for their people (see Isaiah 18-23 and Zephaniah 2:12). Instead of being carried off and sold, their area is now used to spread the gospel inviting other people into God’s Kingdom. Philip continues to preach the gospel in Azotus (Ashdod today). At that time, the gospel spread, and churches started in the first century till today. Proof of an early church is seen in the Ashdod church of Georgian mosaics that date from the 5^th century. ^[2]https://www.patternsofevidence.com/2024/02/23/unique-christian-mosaic-found-in-ashdod-israel/ Even today, orthodox churches remain in the area – often a sign of the long gospel history.

Jihad Universality vs. Particularity in Judgment

Secondly, the Old Testament “wars” purpose was to execute God’s judgment on certain people. Genesis 15:16 mentions the fullness of sin that the Amorites and Canaanites committed. God waited centuries till their judgment. So, it would take 400 more years for their judgment. Then Leviticus 18:24-25 explains why this judgment will take place, giving meaning to what he will do. We see here that God’s judgment on nations is particular to a specific situation, not universal.

In the New Testament, God’s program consists of the gospel coming to all peoples and nations. Even the Old Testament hints at this in Psalm 67, where God’s plan includes the nations:

May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
² that your way may be known on earth,
    your saving power among all nations.
³ Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!

⁴ Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you judge the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
⁵ Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you! (ESV)

God’s Avoidance of Randomness

God does not judge without meaning. In each situation in the Old Testament, there is a long history in which those people dishonored God and violently killed other people. Often, their cruelty was well known, like the Assyrian empire.^[3]https://www.ushistory.org/civ/4d.asp Saul was told to go against the Amalekites, who, about 400 years before, attacked God’s people coming out of Egypt (Deut. 25:17-19). God waited 400 years for them to turn away from their violent methods, and now his mercy had ended. Often, humanity cannot fathom why God does what he does.

God is not random in his judgment; he also provides mercy to those under his judgment. Mercy is pivotal in his actions, and we see God redeeming Rahab despite her city being under judgment (Joshua 6:16-17). Throughout the Old Testament, God laces the events with mercy and reveals the future Messiah and king who will redeem those who have faith.

The genealogy of Jesus found in Matthew chapter one shows God’s mercy for the nations. He included Rahab and Ruth in the line, both from nations under judgment (Joshua 6 and Amos 2). Then we see the wife of Uriah the Hittite (Exodus 23) giving birth through Solomon. The Hittite nation was previously under judgment. God’s actions demonstrate his calculable mercy to redeem the nations.

Love the World – Not Condemn it

Another key difference is that there was a specific judgment for a particular group at a specific time. That judgment does not continue today for those people or in our lifetime. They reaped what they sowed, but what is God’s plan for each nation today? Will they follow him or not?

Finally, the purpose of the Old Testament shows the need for a Savior who did not come to judge the world but to save the world (John 3:17-18). The Lord Jesus tells us to love one another and to love our enemies. We don’t conquer others; we share God’s love. We don’t enforce God’s judgment; we implement and spread His love.

I love hearing from some Persians when they testify why they became believers in Christ. One man’s friend told him about the love of Christ and God’s kindness, which contrasted with the idea of killing and opposing enemies. He said, “I saw the love of other believers and that Jesus said to love our enemies, not kill them.” This made the difference for him coming to faith.

Testimony of God’s Love

I recall another testimony from a lady from Gilan, Iran. She said, “Nothing happened before when I prayed to Imam Reza Shrine (in Mashhad). I thought he was a servant of God, but nothing happened. Then I understood that he promoted war and could not help me. I realized that he even died in jihad. Now, in Christ, I realize we have a living God who is Love. What need do we have of these others who are in a grave?”

Middle Eastern Perspective

The Middle East theologian Imad Shehadeh contrasted the Old Testament conquest and judgment with the following:

1. It is limited to one time, not all times.
2. It is limited to one land, not all lands. It judges sin to fulfill prophecy, not to adhere to a religion.
3. It shows God’s holiness, not his power. Its goal is to bless the whole earth, not subdue it. It is God fighting for his people, not the people fighting for God.
4. It is according to God’s trustworthy nature, not according to a capricious nature.
5. It prefigures God finally absorbing the deserved judgment and wrath on all nations in Christ’s death on the cross. Judgment deserved became judgment absorbed.^[4]https://biblicalmissiology.org/blog/2011/10/10/book-review-allah-a-christian-response-by-miroslav-volf/

In the Old Testament, we can see that God prepared his people for the Savior and exercised his sovereign power over the nations. He raises nations and also takes them down. All nations will face his sovereign hand, which may mean a time of tolerance, blessing, or judgment—no nation is exempt from accountability.

As believers in Jesus, let’s not confuse similar settings, God’s purpose, and character with comparable but quite different scenarios. God is Love, and anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love (1 John 4:8).

God is never random. Let’s not confuse Jihad with God’s judgment in the Old Testament. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ changes how we apply violent passages in the Old Testament. Christ absorbed judgment with his sacrificial love at the cross. As believers, we have a responsibility to share God’s love, not enforce His judgment.