19 When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees people, that you should besiege them?
There are right ways to wage war and there are wrong ways. As Israel is given instructions on how to conquer the land, they are taught to not wage a scorched earth war. They are going to live in the land after they purge the land of its inhabitants. It would make no sense to destroy the fruit trees in the process. Often times in war actions are taken out of vengeance or spite. That is one of the realities of war that often gets ignored. Israel is told not to do those things. They are not to destroy the productive capability of the land. They would only be hurting themselves. So what does this have to do with us? If you are mad at someone, don’t spread the truth in such a way that they will be hurt in the process. Don’t tell all their relatives about their addiction to porn. Don’t post pictures of their affair partner on Facebook and call them bad names. Don’t burn their clothes out of revenge, or flatten all their tires so they can’t go to work. In the end you are hurting yourself and the possibility of reconciliation. If you poison the water you might have to end up drinking it.
The Arnold Journey 