it’s taken me a while to put the Israel conflict in perspective. After several days of wall-to-wall media coverage, my mind and the world’s is saturated in its horror and utterly dismayed by the coverage it’s received in full color and disgusting reality of barbarism beyond belief. And the prospect that hostages, if they’re still alive, have already been tortured, probably starved, and suffering intolerable conditions for five days already, s alarming as the world waits, and they wait for attempts to rescue them alive.
I read the Old Testament stories of God sending triumph to the Jewish people over their adversaries, of 20,000 people being killed in a day more times than I can count. War against the Jews is not new. In fact, the Jews were told to take the land by destroying all the -ites who held it: the Amorites, the Hitties, and all the rest. They were not to intermarry. They were to show no mercy.
In this latest conflict, when they now vow to destroy the Hamas element living among the Palestinians, they have vowed to utterly destroy the enemy, whatever the cost. While in the Old Testament there were miracles and interventions by God, few today would perhaps recognize a miracle if they every saw one. But, nonetheless, we, on the other side of the Cross, pray for such a miraculous conclusion to this. While we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we understand the stark reality that a great deal more hardship is to come when the real battle begins.
We look to the book of Revelation to understand that the ultimate Armageddon will take place in this very real estate, this part of the world. It is not by chance that the pale horse and the red horse represent signs of coming war, with famine, earthquakes, utter horror and intense fighting. But, again, this side of the cross, we understand that to mean there will be wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, storms, famine, disease, all that Satan can throw against humanity, but that Jesus Christ will bring the victory and reign over a new earth and a new heaven. We know who wins the ultimate battle.
Nations who defy the Lord Almighty are predictably to fail. That, with what we are witnessing in our own country the last few years, predicts our fate. Our leaders have failed to rule according to God’s laws, and we as a nation are paying for it dearly, and will be among the nations of the world who have done the same. It is just a matter of time.
The faithful who pray righteously will gather one day in perfect peace. Those who reject God’s plan for salvation are doomed and face the very real damnation for eternity.
May these words of Psalm 146 comfort us today and until the great day of the Lord is upon us. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them–the Lord who remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free. The Lord gives sight to the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down. The Lord loves the righteous.
May those who pray unite behind the Jews who defend their homeland as they were told to do, and who are willing to sacrifice for its safety. May God bless those who mourn and give them peace. May the Lord comfort those whose hearts are broken. May strong beliefs in God’s mercy be foremost in our hearts. And, indeed, pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Shalom.
I recognize this post may be taken down. Therefore, it is only on my blog. Shalom and praised be the name of Jesus.
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