Hunter killers

Hunter killers

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. – Romans 6:12

Romans 12:19-21

 19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD.

 20 Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”

 21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

The stuff imagined in science fiction is becoming the stuff of reality. In the futuristic movie The Terminator, Skynet is created to be a global security system. It is controlled by AI (artificial intelligence). One day it becomes a self-aware independent entity. It perceives humanity as a threat and attacks. Skynet’s goal is the destruction of the human race. The main weapons are called HK’s (Hunter Killers). They are robotic hovering attack crafts. They are constantly on the search for humans. Their mission is to seek and destroy. Far-fetched?

At the outset of artificial intelligence, researchers asserted that any thinking machines developed would be used only for good. They claim that the killer robots of The Terminator were nonsense.

Yet the 21st century has seen the development of AI weapons by the US, Russia, and China. They are designed to identify and kill human targets. UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) are pilotless and can be remotely controlled. They can hover, observe for hours, attack, and return to base virtually unseen and undetected. Drones have become widespread. Could this lead to a “Sky Net” scenario where the drones become autonomous, and act independently?

Hunter Killers have been around for thousands of years, Human HK’s that is. Their goals are to take their own revenge, get even, conquer, and destroy their enemies.

Who was the first Hunter Killer?

Genesis 4:5-8

 5 [The LORD] did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.

 6 “Why are you so angry?” the LORD asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected?”

 7 “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

 8 One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.

The next great Hunter Killer was Lamech. He was a descendent of Cain. He was exceedingly violent and given over to extreme vengeance and cruelty. He went about making public pronouncements of such.

Genesis 4:23-24

 23 One day Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; listen to me, you wives of Lamech. I have killed a man who attacked me, a young man who wounded me.”

 24 “If someone who kills Cain is punished seven times, then the one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times!”

This did not end with the flood. The next great Hunter killer was Nimrod.

Genesis 10:8-10

 8 Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, he became a mighty one on the earth.

 9 Since he was the greatest hunter in the world, his name became proverbial. People would say, “This man is like Nimrod, the greatest hunter in the world.”

 10 He built his kingdom in Babel, with the cities of Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh.

Nimrod became a, could be translated began to be or set out to be a mighty one. The Hebrew word gibbor is translated as mighty one. The term tyrant captures the intention of the original. It conveys power, violence, . . . political or ruling power, and great conqueror (TEV) or despot, (MFT) meaning a cruel ruler with absolute authority (UBS).

“Nimrod’s very name is an encapsulation of his lifestyle. His name means, ‘Let us revolt.’ He must have been a ruthless ruler who was opposed to all existing order” (James E. Smith). “The image of Nimrod in the text isn’t that of a sportsman hunting game but rather of a tyrant ruthlessly conquering men and establishing an empire” (Wiersbe).

According to rabbinic tradition, “Nimrod began to stir up the revolt against God, which resulted in the Tower of Babel’s judgment” (Fruchtenbaum). He was the ultimate Hunter Killer. He founded both Babylon and Assyria.

He was out for world domination. But the Father had a different idea. He intervened and confused the languages and scattered the nations at the Tower of Babel. Problem solved, temporarily.

REFLECT & PRAY

Leviticus 19:18 Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge.

Father when I am hurt and offended encourage me to respond with kindness and gentleness rather than anger and revenge.

INSIGHT

Sadly, every child of the King has a little bit of a Hunter Killer lurking within. It is way too easy when we are offended, hurt, disappointed, or blocked to allow anger and rage to flare up. Sin is crouching at the door of our hearts, eager to control us. It is incumbent upon us to subdue and master it.

Think for a moment. Ask yourself do you believe that the Father is a Hunter Killer. Do you think He takes pleasure in the destruction of human beings? When people do evil or disobey Him does He seek to hunt them down and destroy them? Of course not, we’d all be dead. Rather, He offers forgiveness and restoration.

Ezekiel 33:11 I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live.

Does the Father want children of the King to become Hunter Killers? Of course not. Rather than seeking revenge, we are to turn our difficulties over to the Father. He is not in the revenge business. But it is the Father’s sovereign prerogative to make things right as He sees fit.

Deuteronomy 32:35 I will take revenge; I will pay them back. In due time their feet will slip.

When children of the King seek revenge, they are usurping the Father’s authority. They are playing God.

Returning evil for evil, or good for good, is the way most people live. But children of the King must live on a higher level and return good for evil. Of course, this requires love, because our first inclination is to fight back. It also requires faith, believing that the Father can work and accomplish His will in our lives and in the lives of those who hurt us (Wiersbe).

“If you defend yourself, then the Lord can’t defend you. Leave it in His hands” (Wiersbe).

Romans 12:21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

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