Israel

          Before I begin this article, please know I will be true to the promise I made to the Lord before I ever began this blog.  Even if tempted, I will not write about and/or discuss politics.  As I sit to write about God’s chosen people and country, that task will be very difficult.  The flesh in me wants to cross the line and attack – and be political.  But I’m praying and asking the Lord for self-control and restraint.  I will stick to the matter at hand.  And what’s most important – the spiritual element. 

          God called me to “write for Him”.  So, I will attempt to tackle the subject of Israel without delving into politics. 

          My heart is heavy and grieved as the war in Israel rages on.  It’s like a bad dream.  But yet, I know that the words of the Bible, especially the book of Revelation, are being fulfilled right before our very eyes.

          Why should a believer in Jesus Christ care about this conflict?  And why should we, as followers of Jesus, support Israel?  Why should the USA back and side with Israel?

          The answer to all of these questions goes all the way back to Abraham in the Bible.  God told Abram back in Genesis 12 that He would make Abram the father of a great nation.  Abram longed for a son, an heir.  God promised Abram that his offspring would be like the sand on the seashore, too many to count.  And God told Abram to look up to the heavens as his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky.  Abram’s name was changed to Abraham, as Sarai’s was changed to Sarah.  After 25 years of waiting, God fulfilled his promised.  He gave these two leaders a son, Isaac.  And to Isaac, he brought forth Jacob.  And from Jacob, there were 12 sons (and one daughter).  And through this line the Son of God and the Savior of the World was born.  Jesus came through the line of Jacob and Abraham. 

          Jesus was a Jew; he was an Israelite.  Throughout the Old Testament especially, but even in the New, we read how the Israelites are God’s “chosen people”.  God tells us in the book of Zechariah 2:8 (and other books of the Bible) that the people of Israel are the “apple of His eye”.  We see this truth revealed more and more with specific key scriptures, but also through the history of this great nation.  As the Israelites battled the Philistines, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Ninevites or whoever, God was on their side.  If the Israelites turned to God and faithfully obeyed and worshiped Him, God would help them be victorious!  If not, they were defeated.  It was an unmistakable pattern throughout the Old Testament.  There’s no doubt in my mind that God will give Israel victory in this instance as well.

          In addition, God tells Abraham from the beginning that HE is GIVING the land to him and his descendants.  “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you.”  There’s no grey area here.  As with most promises in the Bible, God’s Word is timeless.  I believe with all my heart that this statement from Jehovah God, the Ruler of the Universe, was not just meant for the people of Abraham’s day. That verse also applies to our modern day.  Therefore, it settles the question of who should be occupying the Gaza strip, as well as other parcels of land.  God GAVE it to the Jews!  That decision was His.

          But in addition to that, it’s a stark reminder that God made the promise to Abraham and his descendants.  Just that promise alone underscores the fact that the Jews/Israelis should possess the land and occupy it.

          However, we’re leaving out an important piece of the puzzle.  What about the Palestinians?  Where did they come from?  Where are they supposed to live?

          Just as the Israelites are descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as well as Jesus, the Palestinians’ lineage can also be traced back to Abraham.  God promised a baby to Abraham and Sarah.  But if you remember correctly, Sarah got impatient.  She didn’t wait on God’s timing.  The faithful wife of Abraham took matters into her own hands – thinking as we all do at times, that God needed help. She concocted her own plan.  Since she wasn’t giving Abraham the promised heir, she thought it only made sense for her servant, Hagar, to have sex with Abraham.  She persuaded and convinced Abraham that it must be part of God’s plan for him to sleep with Hagar.  He followed his wife’s lead and apparently didn’t consult Jehovah God.  Abraham and Hagar had relations and bore Ishmael.  Abram and Sarai thought that Ishmael was the “chosen heir” until God relayed to Abram that he and Sarai would conceive the promised child.  Imagine their surprise!  The fact that Abraham and Sarah had a child at 100 years old and 90 years old respectively is truly a miracle only God could perform!   Poor Ishmael had to be stunned and full of emotions at age 13.  He went from being the “promised child” to basically being kicked out.

  This disobedience cost Abraham much also, just as Adam’s disobedience did in the Garden of Eden.  Eventually, Sarah became so envious of Hagar, as well as Ishmael.  I’m sure Abraham’s heart broke as he had to send Hagar and Ishmael away. 

Despite Abram’s and Sarai’s disobedience, God still blessed Ishmael.  In fact, his descendants were great. In Genesis 16, the account reads almost like a modern-day soap opera.  When Hagar fled from Sarai because of her cruel treatment, an angel came to Hagar and encouraged her.  But Hagar also learned the following about her unborn son from the angel.  “He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him.”  I can’t imagine Hagar’s emotions at this news.  No mother would want to hear this horrible news about the child she was carrying!

          Anyway, the consequences of that union between Abraham and Hagar were major!!  When we disobey God and don’t wait on His timing and/or do things His way, there’s always a steep price to pay.  This scenario was no different.  We’re still seeing the results of this rebellion today!

There would be enmity between Ishmael and Isaac from here on out.  Thus, we have the conflict between the descendants of Ishmael (the Palestinians) and the descendants of Israel (formerly known as Jacob).  But God made it abundantly clear who was to inherit the land.

          Consequently, that’s one reason why there is war.  But as believers and followers of Jesus, we should also remember that Jesus, the Son of God, who is the Savior of the world, is a descendant in the line of Jacob (whose name was later changed to Israel).  This fact alone tells us much about how God loves the Israelites.  The rest of us are just grafted into his amazing plan of redemption and grace.

          How should we pray?  Here are a few specifics I’m praying based on what I just wrote:

• That God would grant Israel victory in this war, and He would do it in such a stark and incredible way that it would cause the entire world to see His Hand in it.  And in the process, the Jewish people would realize that Jesus IS the promised Messiah…and they need Him as their Savior.  May they cry out to Jehovah God for his help!
• That the Palestinians, and even Hamas and Hezbollah, would realize their need for God.  God would thwart their brutality, violence and efforts at every turn.  In recent months, I’ve heard of Muslims from around the world coming to know Jesus through dreams and other means.
• I’m praying for Prime Minister Netanyahu, as well as military leaders for them to have That God would give Israel great victory!!  He would do so in a way that wisdom from God…to cry out to Him.
• May the 200+ hostages escape, be released and not injured or hurt further.  May God rescue each one.  Let’s remember to pray for family members.  I heard an Israeli mother interviewed the other night on the news.  Hamas militants stormed her kibutz (Jewish word for house/village) and took her husband, older son (approximately 20 something) who was injured in the attack and her 11-year old son.  They are some of the hostages Hamas is holding.  This poor woman can’t eat or sleep. Norman heard from a reliable source that Hamas cut the bottoms of the feet of many hostages so they could not get away.  The brutality is stark!
• May Israel have savvy and strategy that only God could supply; that God would grant them protection and wisdom to get into the tunnels and fight Hamas.
• That antisemitism would be squashed especially here in the United States but around the world as well.  When I hear and see news stories of demonstrations and protests, it only reminds me that Satan is trying to ramp up his attacks.  He hates anything and anyone God loves.
• That the US would stand with Israel and not wane in its support.  The book Eye to Eye:  Facing the Consequences of Diving Israel is based on the verse I mentioned earlier, Genesis 12:3.  The promise God gave to Abraham is NOT outdated.  It still stands.  William Koenig, the author of Eye to Eye chronicles tragedies, natural disasters and numerous horrific occurences when the US didn’t stand with Israel and the disastrous results.  It’s stunning that so many years later, God is still showing us He is faithful and a promise keeper.  But it’s a clear and stark reminder of who we need to stand with and be praying for.

I’m anxious to hear your comments.