Deuteronomy 20:20

In Deuteronomy 20 God makes provision so that any war that arises can go together with the enjoyment of the land and the blessing of God, whether for one person or in a conquest. He also gives directions to secure the presence of the power of God, and to show how Israel was to treat the enemies according to the mind of God.

When Israel besieged a city, God showed His care, even if it was only for a tree good for human food. He bound that care by His own hand on His people, even while proving that His face was set against the enemies of His glory in the world. Even there He would not allow them to act without thought where there was any food fit for human use. "Only the trees that you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down"; but God absolutely forbade cutting down those that supplied food. Such is God. He acts in time as He plans from eternity to eternity. Yet He stoops to speak to His people, and to exercise their thoughts about the smallest matters of this life.

If the lavish service of the heart or hand in worship is no waste, then the very crumbs of human food are sacred. They must not be thrown away. On one occasion He defended the spending of three hundred silver coins. On another He would not let the fragments of three loaves lie on the ground. In His eyes such fragments were sacred. They were the food of life, the herb of the field, which God had given to man for his life... It would have been waste, it would have been irreverence, to abuse in this way the food of life, which was God's gift.

In besieging a city, no fruit trees were to be cut down for use in the attack (v.19). Trees that did not bear fruit could be used for this (v.20). Fruit trees are for man's nourishment, not for judgment. So, in the Word of God there are truths for nourishing and building up. But other truths are for pulling down strongholds (2 Cor. 10:4). It is important that we use the truth for the purpose God intends, and not misuse it.

There was one exception: there must be no peace with the Canaanites. Israel did not dread them as rivals; God had doomed them to destruction because of their vile practices and the way they drew others astray... Seen as a picture, the Canaanites represent the agents of Satan, the spiritual wickedness in heavenly places — those rulers of the darkness of this world with whom we are called to wrestle now... With such there can be, and there ought to be, no terms, no compromise, no ending of the fight at any time or under any circumstances.

"Let nothing be lost" is the Master's own word to us — a word that should always be remembered. "Everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected." We should carefully guard against all reckless waste of anything that can be put to human use... Many a thing is thrown out as rubbish that might supply a welcome meal for a needy family... We may be sure that to waste any creature of God is displeasing in His sight. Let us remember that His eye is upon us.