In the early morning hours of September 26, 1983, Soviet Lieutenant Stanislav Petrov received an alarm. Computers indicated the U.S. had launched five nuclear-armed missiles at Russian targets. The missiles would reach Russia in under twenty minutes—there was no time to waste. Petrov was to telephone the high command and immediately Soviet leadership would respond, probably by launching two dozen nuclear warheads at American targets and NATO targets across Europe. The U.S. would see the missiles coming and launch many, many more. In under an hour hundreds of millions would be dead and many millions more would die from radiation poisoning in the days that followed.
But Petrov hesitated. Something did not feel right. Why would the U.S. launch only five missiles? Petrov knew Soviet intel had long ago determined a U.S. first strike would include far more than five missiles. In addition, the computer system involved was new. Petrov did not trust it. But his duty was to report the alarm. Instead, he began double-checking. Within a matter of minutes, he was able to determine it was a false alarm. Today people say that by preventing an all-out nuclear war, Petrov may have saved more lives than anyone in history.[1]
There is a similar story in the book of Joshua. When the nation of Israel began settling the Promised Land, ten and a half tribes would live east of the Jordan River, and two and a half tribes chose to remain west of the Jordan. When the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh moved into their lands west of the river, they erected an altar to serve as a sign that they were still part of Israel, in spite of being west of the Jordan.
The other tribes misunderstood, thinking the altar was for sacrifices—an egregious violation of God’s law and one likely to bring God’s wrath on all twelve tribes. Consequently, the tribes east of the Jordan assembled their soldiers and prepared for war. But first they sent a group to negotiate. Phinehas, son of the priest, and ten princes from the ten tribes approached the leaders of the western tribes:
“What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that ye have built yourselves an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the Lord?” Joshua 22:16.
The western tribes then explained they built the altar to ensure that the ten tribes east of the Jordan would not claim on some future date that those west of the Jordan were not a part of Israel. They built an altar not to perform their own sacrifices, “but that it may be a witness between us and you, and our generations after us … not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices, but it is a witness between us. God forbid that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn this day from following the Lord, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the Lord our God that is before his tabernacle” Joshua 22:27-29.
How did Phinehas and the tribal leaders respond? They made peace. Cooler heads prevailed.
“And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them … and the thing pleased the children of Israel” Joshua 22:30,33.
Our books and movies glorify furious warriors, men swinging bloody swords in all directions. And some wars are must be fought: men like Hitler and Hirohito must be stopped.
But the real heroes in this world are those who can prevent war.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God” Matthew 5:9.
I want to be called a son of God.
Sometimes it is better to prevent a war than to win one.
God, make us peacemakers. Calm our passions. Make us sober-minded people who hear all sides before we render judgment.
ΑΩ
[1] https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/18/551792129/stanislav-petrov-the-man-who-saved-the-world-dies-at-77
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