Joshua 11
King Jabin sends for an united armyverses 1-3
And it came to pass – when Jabin – king of Hazor had heard those things
that he sent to Jobab – king of Madon – to the king of Shimron
to the king of Achshaph
And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains
and of the plains south of Chinneroth – and in the valley
and in the borders of Dor on the west
and to the Canaanite on the east and on the west
and to the Amorite – and the Hittite – and the Perizzite
and the Jebusite in the mountains
and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh
Heathen army comes out to the requestverses 4-5
And they went out – they and all their hosts with them – much people
even as the sand that is on the sea shore in multitude
with horses and chariots very much
And when all these kings were met together
they came and pitched together a the waters of Merom
to fight against Israel
LORD tells Joshua not to worry about the armyverse 6
And the LORD said to Joshua – Be not afraid because of them
FOR tomorrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain
before Israel – you shall hough their horses
and burn their chariots with fire
Joshua’s army defeats King Jabin and his armyverses 7-9
So Joshua came – and all the people of war with him
against them by the waters of Merom suddenly
and they fell upon them
And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel
who smote them – and chased them into great Zidon
and to Misrephoth-maim
and to the valley of Mizpeh eastward
and they smote them
until they left none remaining
And Joshua did to them as the LORD bade him
he houghed their horses – and burnt their chariots with fire
Joshua destroys Hazorverses 10-11
And Joshua at that time turned back – and took Hazor
and smote the king thereof with the sword
for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms
And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword
utterly destroying them – there was not any left to BREATHE
and he burnt Hazor with fire
Joshua obeyed all the commands of the LORDverses 12-15
And all the cities of those kings – and all the kings of them
did Joshua take and smote them with the edge of the sword
and he utterly destroyed them
as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded
BUT as for the cities that stood still in their strength
Israel burned none of them – save Hazor only
that did Joshua burn
And all the spoil of these cites – and all the cattle
the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves
but every man they smote with the edge of the sword
until they had destroyed them
neither left they any to BREATHE
As the LORD commanded Moses HIS servant
so did Moses command Joshua – and so did Joshua
he left nothing undone of all that the LORD
commanded Moses
List of area conquered by Joshuaverses 16-20
So Joshua took all that land – the hills – all the south country
all the land of Goshen – the valley – the plain
the mountain of Israel
the valley of the same
Even from the mount Halak – that goes up to Seir
even to Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon
under mount Hermon
and all their kings he took – and smote them – and slew them
Joshua made war a long time with all those kings
There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel
save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon
all other they took in battle
FOR it was of the LORD to HARDEN their HEARTS
that they should come against Israel in battle
that he might destroy them utterly
that they might have no favor – BUT that he might destroy them
as the LORD commanded Moses
Descendents of Anakim killedverses 21-22
And at that time came Joshua – and cut off the Anakim from the mountains
from Hebron – from Debir – from Anab
from all the mountains of Judah
from all the mountains of Israel
Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities
There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel
only in Gaza – in Gath – in Ashdod their remained
Land had rest from warverse 23
So Joshua took the whole land
according to all that the LORD said to Moses
and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel
according to their divisions by their tribes
And the land RESTED from war
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 6 And the LORD said to Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for tomorrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: you shall hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire. ( 6131 “hough” [‘aqar] means to cripple, to hamstring, exterminate or to cut the tendon)
DEVOTION: The LORD always has a reason for HIS commands to HIS people. Sometimes we don’t understand the reason behind things that HE does or allows to happen in our lives. The children of Israel were given commands that they needed to obey.
Obedience was a sign of those who followed the LORD. It sounds like this is a cruel thing to do to the horses. They were commanded to hamstring the horse, so that, they could not be used for war in the future. The chariots were to be burned.
God was trying to get a point across to the Israelites. They were not to count on human or animal sources for their strength. The kings of Israel were commanded not to multiply horse. Why? God wanted them to depend on HIM ALONE for their strength.
People, who count on their own strength to do things, usually, leave God out of their lives. Once we realize that we can do NOTHING without God’s help we will stop struggling. Life is a struggle and we can only have real peace in Christ.
We are commanded to come unto HIM and HE will give us rest. We are to take our burdens to the LORD and leave them there. We are to count on HIS strength for our daily battles against the world, the flesh and the devil. We are going to suffer for the LORD in this world but HE promises victory.
The end of the chapter informs us that the children of Israel had rest from war. That was a gift from God. HE had given them victory over overwhelming odds. HE wanted them to trust HIM, rather than, anyone or anything else.
We need to thank God for the peace HE gives us through Christ. We have NOTHING to fear with HIM by our side. There are many places throughout the Word of God that tell us to fear anything that comes our way. The New Testament tells us not to fear those who can do damage to our bodies. The ONE we should fear is the ONE who can judge our soul for eternity. Those with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ have nothing to fear. Praise HIS name!!!
Ask ourselves who or what we are trusting in when we face our daily battles. If our financial world collapses, what will we do? If our personal relations fail, what will we do? If our health leaves us, what will we do?
CHALLENGE: Are we truly putting our confidence in the LORD for everything in our life?
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 15 As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses. (1697 “he left nothing undone” [dabar] means thing, matter, acts, chronicles, saying, commandment, a brief statement, word, matter, affair, or word of God)
DEVOTION: Joshua did everything the LORD told him to do. He didn’t leave anything that he was commanded to do not done. He fulfilled all the commands of the LORD.
Joshua had been given orders from Moses concerning his responsibility in the Promised Land. He went into the Promised Land with the orders he was given and did all that Moses had told him to do.
Following orders is necessary for every believer because to disobey orders means that we are sinning against the LORD. HE wants us to be obedient just as Joshua was obedient in the Old Testament.
The orders today are different than what Joshua was given. He was to destroy the nations in the land because their sin was full. In the eyes of the LORD they were sinning to the point that they didn’t deserve to continue living.
God waited for this to happen. HE gave them every opportunity to repent of their sins but they chose to worship false gods and commits sins that were so great that they were no longer able to live in the land.
Our country and the other countries of the world are going to get to the point where their sin is full in the eyes of the LORD. HE is going to send judgment in the future that will rid the world of those who will not follow HIS rules.
We don’t know when this is going to happen but the Bible tells us that it wall. We have to witness to our friends and neighbors until this day happens and then judgment is going to be given to this world.
CHALLENGE: Are we witnessing to those around us with the understanding that a day is coming when judgment will hit our world and those without Christ will spend eternity in hell?
: 20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses. (2388 “harden” [chazaq] means to make unchanging in will, opinion, or desire, conceiving as making something hard in substance, to make rigid, to bind a girdle on to someone, to harden one’s own heart, to be obstinate)
DEVOTION: We learned about the LORD hardening hearts in the land of Egypt. It was stated many times that Pharaoh’s heart was hardened against the children of Israel. He didn’t want to let them go out of the land of Egypt to worship the LORD.
It took the ten plagues to convince Pharaoh and the people of Egypt to let the children of Israel go. Even when they did let them go Pharaoh and his army followed to bring them back. It didn’t work.
Now we see that the LORD had hardened the hearts of those who live in the Promised Land to come out to fight with the children of Israel. They thought they had more individuals in their armies than the children of Israel had in their army.
In this chapter we see that the army of the enemy was as the sand of the sea in number but that meant nothing to the LORD. No human army is stronger than the LORD.
The LORD wanted the children of Israel to show no mercy because the iniquity or sin of the Amorites was full before the children of Israel arrived. They were too far gone from a human perspective to change to become a follower of the God of the Bible.
Today we find that we are fighting a battle against those who want nothing to do with the God of the Bible. They have their own religion. Some of them worship a different god but it seems most of them worship the god of self.
We need to not give up on individuals but our world is headed for a time of judgment because the majority wants nothing to do with the God of the Bible. So we have to look to the LORD for guidance regarding individuals HE wants us to reach with HIS message.
Each individual or nation that comes against the LORD today will be judged. No one will be able to have an excuse as to their rejection of the message we have to present. No nation will be able to use any excuse either when the LORD comes in judgment.
CHALLENGE: Individual hearts are hardened but we don’t know which ones they are so we should be a witness to all those the LORD leads us to witness to today.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 22 There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdad, there remained. (6062 “ Anakims” [Anaqiy] means race of giants, descendents of Anak, length of neck and stature, or men with long necks)
DEVOTION: So, there was a race of men who were giants in the Promised Land. When the children of Israel entered the land they knew about the giants because the ten spies gave a report that there were individuals, they saw that were giants and because of them they didn’t want to enter the Promised Land.
Most of us know the story of David meeting a member of this family. In fact, we know that David gathered five stones on his way to meet him. Why five stones? It is thought because Goliath had four brothers.
Today we have many individuals who are involved with basketball that are tall but none as tall as the giants in the land of Israel. I have to sons who have father –in-laws that are tall but not giants.
Many commentaries use them as an example of us facing large obstacles in our Christian life. There can be some besetting sins in our life that we inherit from our family. Each family has a besetting sin that members who are believers have to overcome to grow in their relationship to the LORD.
The besetting sin of the family of Abraham was lying. The besetting sin of the family of David was sex. The besetting sin of your family can be gossip or any of the other sins found in the Word of God.
God wants us to face any giant in our life with HIS help. We can’t defeat them alone. We have to ask HIM for extra strength when we are fighting the giants in our life.
Thinking that we don’t have a giant we are fighting is just us fooling ourselves. The ultimate giant we are all fighting is our enemy the devil. We need to whole armor of God to fight against his fiery darts each day.
CHALLENGE: Joshua knew that there were giants in the land but that didn’t cause him to fear. They should not cause us to fear either.
: 23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war. (8252 “rested” [shaqat] means to be peaceful, quiet, to be in a state of rest from conflict, to cause to be quiet, to make tranquil, grant relief, or to maintain a quiet attitude)
DEVOTION: The LORD was with the army of Israel. Joshua obeyed the commands of the LORD regarding each battle. He was to face the enemy without fear because he could depend on the LORD.
Moses had shown Joshua how to lead. Under the leadership of Moses Joshua saw the LORD defeat armies that were much larger than their own. He knew the power of the LORD. He depended on it each time he went into battle.
Now the Promised Land was ready to be divided because they had defeated enough of the people of the land to make it easier for each tribe to inherit a section of the land and defeat those who were there with the power of the LORD. The only requirement was their obedience. It was a big requirement because without obedience the heathen nations would win. Without obedience the people would spare some of the people who would lead them into worship of false gods.
God wanted them to only worship HIM.
So the land is said to have rest from war. That is a great statement. If a nation could have “rest” from war they could spend their time building a nation that honors and glorifies the LORD. That is what the LORD wanted to happen with the nation of Israel.
We know that it didn’t happen because of their disobedience to the commands of the LORD. HE wanted the children of Israel to rid the land of the people that were in it because HE knew that HIS people seem to find it easier to worship a false god than to obey the one TRUE God.
The same is true today. We need to make sure that we know that we are in a real battle with the forces of evil in our local church. We need to be a witness for HIM in a world that wants to have us change to fit into their thoughts regarding worship. Compromise was a problem for the children of Israel and it is a problem for us today.
CHALLENGE: If we are to have genuine rest, we need to depend on the LORD to give it to us without compromise.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Moses servant of the LORDverses 12, 15, 20
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant-keeping Personal)verses 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 15, 20, 23
LORD commandedverse 15
LORD hardened their heartsverse 20
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Jabin – king of Hazorverses 1, 10
Jobab – king of Madonverse 1
King of Shimronverse 1
King of Achshaphverse 1
Canaanitesverse 3
Amoritesverse 3
Hittiteverse 3
Perizziteverse 3
Jebusiteverse 3
Hiviteverse 3
Army as mush as the sand on the sea shoreverse 4
Battle at waters of Meromverse 5
Zidonverse 8
Misrephoth-maimverse 8
Valley of Mizpehverse 8
None remaining
City of Hazor taken and burnedverses 10, 11
Land of Goshenverse 16
Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon = peaceverse 19
Anakimsverses 21, 22
Gaza still had Anakims (Gath and Ashdod)verse 22
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Hard heartverse 20
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Be not afraidverse 6
Deliver enemyverses 6, 8
Servantverses 12, 15
Spoilsverse 14
Inheritanceverses 22, 23
Restverse 23
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Israelverses 5, 6, 8, 16, 19, 20, 22
Joshuaverses 6, 9-23
Smote the king of Hazor
Burnt Hazor
Took spoils
Moses – servant of the LORDverses 12, 15, 20, 23
Children of Israelverses 14, 19, 22
Land restedverse 23
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
18 Though the style of the narrative creates the impression of a lightning-quick campaign, our author does not conceal the fact that it really took “a long time.” (In Exod 23:29–30, it is clearly stated that the takeover of the land would a be slow process over a period of many years.) Undoubtedly the Conquest involved many battles that are not mentioned. (Madvig, D. H. (1992). Joshua. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 311). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
11:18–20. The period of the Conquest lasted a long time. Victory did not come easily or quickly; it rarely does. Yet in all the military confrontations only one city, Gibeon, sought peace. The rest were taken in battle, God having hardened their hearts (cf. comments on Ex. 4:21; 8:15) to fight Israel so that they might be destroyed. The Canaanites’ day of grace was gone. They had sinned against the light of God’s revelation in nature (Ps. 19:1; Rom. 1:18–20), in conscience (Rom. 2:14–16), and in His recent miraculous works at the Red (Reed) Sea, the Jordan River, and Jericho. Now the sovereign God confirmed the hearts of these unrepentant people in their stubborn unbelief before judging them. (Campbell, D. K. (1985). Joshua. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 354). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The “long time” of verse 18 is about seven years. Israel’s failure at Kadesh Barnea (Deut. 2:14), at which time Caleb was forty years old (Josh. 14:7) to their crossing of the Jordan was thirty-eight years. He was eighty-five when the Conquest was over (v. 10), which means that at least seven years had been devoted to the campaign. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Strong (p. 118). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
11:18 war a long time. The conquest took approximately 7 years—ca. 1405–1398 b.c. (cf. 14:10). Only Gibeon submitted without a fight (v. 19). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Jos 11:18). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 18. Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.] For, though the account of the conquest of them is put together, and lies in a small compass, yet those victories were not obtained at once, or in a few days, as were those of the five kings, and others, related in the preceding chapter, but were the work of some years; Josephus says five years, but the common notion of the Jews is, that Joshua was seven years in subduing the land of Canaanc; our Bishop Usher thinks it was done in six years; and it may be concluded that it was about six or seven years ere this work was completely finished. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 225). London: Mathews and Leigh)
v. 18. “A long time,”—about six years from the entrance into Canaan,—for Caleb declares, (chap. 14:7, 10), that he was forty years old when he went to spy out the land, and that he is now, at the division of the land, eighty-five; thus leaving an interval of forty-five years from the time of his going out as a spy. Of these forty-five, thirty-nine had passed before the crossing of the Jordan, thus leaving six years occupied in the conquest of Canaan. (Davies, J. (1871). Notes on Joshua (p. 33). London; Liverpool: George Philip & Son.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
An effort by the U.S. Army to be more inclusive of transgender women will have the consequence of essentially forcing women to shower with individuals who claim to be female but who are still biologically male.
According to LifeSiteNews.com, the new policy is part of the Pentagon’s new “transgender inclusion” agenda.
Many conservatives have pushed back against the policy, but they haven’t been able to gain the support they would like since President Trump and the current administration has sent mixed signals regarding their stance on LGBT issues.
The transgender policy is outlined in “Vignette 4.4” of the “Soldier/Unit Training” manual under “barracks, bathrooms, and showers.”
“Understand that you may encounter individuals in barracks, bathrooms, or shower facilities with physical characteristics of the opposite sex despite having the same gender marker in DEERS,” says “Vignette 4.4.”
“Vignette 4.5 continues: “All Soldiers should be respectful of the privacy and modesty concerns of others. However, transgender Soldiers are not required or expected to modify or adjust their behavior based on the fact that they do not ‘match’ other Soldiers.”
In addition to speaking out against this policy, some conservatives have spoken out against the Army employing transgender individuals who have undergone a sex change surgery.
Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MS), chairwoman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation, has called the Obama-era transgender military policy “ill-conceived.”
Harzler noted the long process of recovery necessary after a sex change surgery, and stated, “It makes no sense to purposely recruit individuals who cannot serve,” she said, adding that individuals needing much more minor medical attention such as those who have asthma or a sleepwalking issue are denied entry into the Armed Forces.
Fox News conservative commentator Tucker Carlson also condemned the policy:
“You know this is a political sop to an interest group that the administration was afraid of. Nobody called them on it, because everyone was too embarrassed and didn’t want to be called a bigot or something,” said Carlson.
Revelation 19
John describes Jesus’ return to the earth as the conquering King.
INSIGHT
Apocalypse: “The revelation of a violent struggle in which evil will be destroyed” (Webster’s Dictionary). The second coming of Christ will be the apocalypse fulfilled. While the symbolism of the language in Revelation makes it difficult to ascertain exactly how events will unfold, it is clear that when Jesus returns again, it will be to confront evil and destroy it. The heavens will split and Jesus will descend upon the armies of the earth which have gathered in opposition to His return. In contrast to His past role as Savior of man, He will now come as King of creation. Whereas once He made Himself subject to men, now all men will become subject to Him. History will end and eternity will begin.
(Quiet Walk)
WHO DO WE SIN AGAINST?
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight. Psalm 51:4
Step number three when a man comes under conviction is that he realizes and confesses that all this is done against God and before God. “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight.”
“Surely,” says someone, “that must be wrong. David ought to have said, ‘Against Bathsheba, against Uriah, against men who were killed in that battle, against Israel and my people have I sinned.’ But he says, ‘Against thee, thee only….’” Ah, David is quite right! He does not deny that he has sinned against the others, but here he is going a step further. He realizes that his actions are not simply actions in and of themselves. He sees that they not only affect and involve other people, but their real essence is that he has sinned against God
Now that is the essential difference between remorse and repentance. A man who suffers remorse is one who realizes he has done wrong, but he has not repented until he realizes that he has sinned against God.
Why should he feel that? Let me try to answer the question in the following manner. Sin, you see, means a violation of what God has made and of what God intended man to be. Let me put it, in a preliminary fashion, in this form: When a man sins, he is not only doing certain things himself that he should not do; he is sinning against human nature, he is letting it down. He is sinning, therefore, against humanity, and because of that he is sinning against God who made man. God made man perfect, and God intended man to live that perfect life. He gave him the possibility of doing so, and when a man sins he lets God down. “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned.” I have violated what God intended man to be. I am twisting and perverting God’s creation. Every time I sin, I violate God’s holy law.
A Thought to Ponder: I have violated what God intended man to be.
(From Out of the Depths, pp. 28-29, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Keeping and Avoiding
“O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called.” (1 Timothy 6:20)
Note that there are contained here both positive and negative charges. Timothy, Paul’s son in the faith, is instructed to keep certain things and avoid others. The word “keep” is a military word that might better be translated “guard.” The word “avoid” implies more than merely refraining from contact. It has to do, instead, with actively and deliberately turning away from something.
Timothy is to guard that which has been committed into his care—by inference, something quite valuable—the complete gospel of Jesus Christ. “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost” (2 Timothy 1:13-14).
Paul knew, however, that in order to guard the truth, Timothy must actively avoid the false, and lists three specific potential pitfalls. The first is profane babbling, i.e., any of those conversations and arguments that are of a worldly, ungodly, unclean nature. Next, he is to avoid vain, empty, hollow arguments. Elsewhere, Paul teaches “shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness” (2 Timothy 2:16).
Lastly, he is to avoid the opposing arguments of false science, or knowledge. Human wisdom found to be contrary to the wisdom of God may be called knowledge by some, but if so, it is “falsely so called.” Even “some professing [Christians] have erred concerning the faith” (1 Timothy 6:21).
Paul closes with the benediction “Grace be with thee.” May we all enjoy God’s grace as we attempt to keep the true, avoid the false, and discern the difference.
(JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
The Hungarian Parliament authorized a Constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The amendment also has implications for Hungary’s adoption laws, as gay couples will now be prohibited from adopting children, The Christian Post reports.
The measure, which passed in Parliament by a vote of 134-45, is the 9th amendment to the Fundamental Laws of Hungary. It amends Section L, Paragraph 1 of the Fundamental Laws to read “Hungary protects the institution of marriage as the association between a man and a woman and the family as the basis for the survival of a nation. The foundation of the family is marriage and the parent-child relationship. The mother is a woman, the father is a man.”
Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga, who was largely responsible for the amendment coming before the Parliament, told Reuters that “The main rule is that only married couples can adopt a child, that is, a man and woman who are married.”
Varga also authored the justification section of the Bill. In it, he said that “The Fundamental Law of Hungary is a living framework that expresses the will of the nation, the form in which we want to live.” He also wrote that “The ‘modern’ set of ideas that make all traditional values, including the two sexes, relative is a growing concern.”
Amnesty International Hungary lamented the passage of the 9th amendment, especially in light of an early measure that defined gender as “biological sex based on primary sex characteristics and chromosomes.” Amnesty Hungary’s Director, David Vig, said that “These discriminatory, homophobic and transphobic new laws – rushed through under the cover of the coronavirus pandemic – are just the latest attack on LGBTQ people by Hungarian authorities.”
Hungarian authorities see the matter differently. Instead, they argue there is an attack on “natural laws of the forms and content of human communities.”
In addition, the justification section argued that there is a “constant threat” to the concepts arising from the order of creation that harmonizes with them and ensure the survival of communities, and, in some cases, the attempt to formulate them with content contrary to the original raises doubts as to whether the interests, rights and well-being of future generations can be protected along the lines of the values of the Fundamental Law.”
The amendment makes Hungary the first European nation to include a definition of the family in its Constitution. (Christian Headlines)
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