I understand when people—good people—say that Israel should stop the shooting; that there has been enough killing. I heard a good man the other day say that there is anger and hatred on both sides—from Hamas and Israel. I have heard also that the war is senseless; also, that the Palestinians have a right to live there in peace.
Well, I sort of understand; but I don’t think that these people quite understand Israel’s situation. Israel wants to live in peace and they have been giving the Palestinians every chance to live in peace in Israel. But the Palestinians, and especially Hamas, are a people of war and terror. They hate Israel and constantly plan to some day push them into the sea—to destroy them and claim all the land. But Israel’s land was promised to the Jews by God (Gen 12).
Ever since God gave them the land many waring nations have come against them and terrorized them—like the Philistines and the Amorites. And it is the same today. Hamas and the Palestinians (backed by Iran) have been terrorizing them with rockets; and they hide in tunnels ready to pop out with surprise attacks.
In Israel’s history, under the leadership of king David, Israel was constantly at war with their enemies. And God was in favor of it. In fact, He commanded it. War for them was absolutely necessary to keep them at peace, to keep them safe. Solomon even wrote in his book of Ecclesiastes that there is “a time for war” (Ecc. 3:8).
I think we should recognize now in this day that God has given the leaders if Israel wisdom in seeing that for them it is also “a time for war.” They know that they cannot sit back any longer to let their enemies terrorize them. They must protect themselves. They must rid themselves of all those who are hiding in every corner and in every tunnel with every intent to kill them. We have heard that it will take a good year longer to wipe them out and finish the war. I don’t know why we (US) and the rest of the world can’t back them up and support them in this war effort (or at least leave them alone. This war is a good work they are doing, and from God!
The US, Egypt, Qatar and others are pushing Israel for a two-state solution, with the Palestinians to rule in Gaza. But Israel, esp. Netanyahu says, “No! that will not bring peace to Israel.” Israel knows that the Palestinians still hate them and will continue to plan their destruction— “From the river to the sea.” Which is true!
I have heard many church people ask, “What about the Palestinian Christians?” I do sympathize with them, but they should not ever side with the Palestinian government and against Israel. The Palestinian government has declared their evil intent on Israel. If these so-called Pal. Christians are in fact true Christians, they must separate from the Pal. Authority and from the Muslim faith and seek to join the Christian church in Israel and to be under the Israeli government. In doing this they will be safe.
It is unfortunate that many nations are pushing for a Palestinian state and authority in Israel. This of course is against what Israel wants because they know that there can be no peace if that happens. And of course, we know that they are on the side of God and His promises to them, that He has promised them the land according to Genesis 13:14-17.
The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.” Genesis 13:14-17.
Still, many nations refuse to let Israel have what God has given them. Read the following article:
WSJ says plan would see gradual release of all hostages in return for Palestinian security prisoners, and full normalization for Israel and its neighbors; PMO refuses to comment
21 January 2024, 5:10 pm The US, Egypt and Qatar are pushing Israel and Hamas to accept a comprehensive plan that would end the war, see the release of hostages held in Gaza, and ultimately lead to full normalization for Israel with its neighbors and talks for the establishment of a Palestinian state, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. The plan, whose complete implementation would take 90 days, would reportedly bring all fighting to an extended halt, during which time the Palestinian terror group, in the first stage, would free all civilians. Israel would simultaneously release hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners, pull out of Gaza’s cities, allow freedom of movement in the Strip, cease drone surveillance over Gaza, and double the amount of aid entering the Hamas-controlled territory. The next stage would see Hamas release female IDF soldiers and bodies of kidnapped Israelis, as Israel releases more Palestinian prisoners. The third phase would have Israel pull back troops to the Gaza border, while Hamas frees the last hostages — soldiers and fighting-age men it considers soldiers.
Yes, Netanyahu is right. Peace can only come to Israel if Hamas is destroyed, if Gaza is demilitarized, and if the Palestinians are deradicalized. But that will be impossible—unless they give up their evil, hateful ways. So, they must turn to God; they all must turn to God. That is the only way of true peace.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week outlined three prerequisites for peace in the region following months of war with Hamas.
Netanyahu, in an opinion piece published by The Wall Street Journal on Monday, outlined the three: the destruction of Hamas, the demilitarization of Gaza, and the deradicalization of Palestinian society.
“First, Hamas, a key Iranian proxy, must be destroyed. The U.S., U.K., France, Germany, and many other countries support Israel’s intention to demolish the terror group,” Netanyahu wrote.
“Second, Gaza must be demilitarized. Israel must ensure that the territory is never again used as a base to attack it,” he added.
According to Netanyahu, this will involve creating “a temporary security zone” on Gaza’s perimeter and a border inspection system to prevent weapons smuggling. He also claimed that expecting the Palestinian Authority to demilitarize Gaza “is a pipe dream.”
“Third, Gaza will have to be deradicalized,” the prime minster continued. “Schools must teach children to cherish life rather than death, and imams must cease to preach for the murder of Jews. Palestinian civil society needs to be transformed so that its people support fighting terrorism rather than funding it.”
Netanyahu wrote that once these three goals are achieved, “Gaza can be rebuilt and the prospects of a broader peace in the Middle East will become a reality.”
The top of the news is the war in Israel. It seems that all nations are against what Israel is doing. I think the main reason why so many Palestinians are being killed is because Hamas is not letting them out and hiding behind them. It’s a shame. But most Palestinians, even those who are not tied to Hamas, are also against Israel. They have been trained from a child to hate the Jews.
I think the war is going well, and I wish the US and all other nations would let Israel alone and let them fight their own war. I know that if Trump were the Pres. He would support them in whatever they would want and also aid them.
I am most disappointed in the elite colleges like Harvard who aren’t doing one thing to put down the antisemitism and marches. They are getting a very bad reputation as being very liberal and anti-Jewish. Sad!
Both Biden and Trump are on the hot seat. Biden could be impeached for his criminal history—I hope. It’s a different story for Trump. He is wrongly judged for so many things. The New York AG is making it her amusement to get rid of Trump. I guess she is trying to build up her own image and popularity with the people. Sad.
Prophetic Horizons
In just the last few years Russia, Turkey and Iran are coming together and making plans to war together against Israel. This is exactly what the Bible says will happen in the last days (read Ezek. 38, 39). This latest Israel/Hamas war is also prophetic, because it is bringing out so much animosity against Israel. It is shocking to me how many are declaring their hatred against the Jews. It is Satanic. He is working hard to eliminate the Jews. But that won’t happen.
My Reading
I just finished reading about William Tyndale. What a brilliant and dedicated servant of God. Now I’m reading about Eric Liddell, a champion Olympic runner and a missionary to China (from 1923 to 1945). He was such a humble man. He ran for the Lord and used his running fame as a platform to evangelize the lost. He really cared nothing for his own fame; he did everything for the glory of God.
This and That
I’ve been feeling sickly—trying to exercise more and eat better. I didn’t feel like going to church, but I still wanted to and so I did. And it helped me. The fellowship with believers always lifts me up. Church is so necessary for these times (Heb. 10:24-25).
It’s rather warm here is MN—in the 40’s! and no snow. Very odd for Mn.
As the entire world knows, there is extreme hatred between the Arabs (those who descended from Ishmael) and the Israelis (those who descended from Isaac). And it seems that it is more on the side of the Arabs. Why is that and where does it come from? We will trace it to its source.
From Genesis 16:1-15, we have the account of when Sarah was unable to bare children and what she did.
16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.”
Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.
When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”
6 “Your servant is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.
7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.
9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count.”
11 The angel of the Lord also said to her:
“You are now with child
and you will have a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
for the Lord has heard of your misery.
12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward all his brothers.”
13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.
15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
From what we know of those times, when this problem of infertility occurred, it was acceptable to use a slave girl to bring a child into the world. However, we have to question the faith of Abraham, because, as we see in the previous chapter, God told him that His covenant with him would come through his own offspring (Gen. 15:5). Verse five tells us that Abraham believed the Lord, but apparently his belief was not perfect.
Anyway, as it happened, when the salve girl, Hagar became pregnant, she began to despise Sarah, and then Sarah turned on Abraham. So what happened? What caused this anger and hatred in the family? Well, we can only speculate, but apparently, Hagar felt used and hated the situation she was put in; and Sarah also was probably bitter at Hagar and also angry at Abraham.
Then years later, when Isaac was born, and then at his weaning celebration day (when he was about 3 years old) there was an incident that really caused friction. Sarah saw Ishmael laughing at (or possibly mocking) little Isaac, and she became enraged and demanded that Abraham get rid of Hagar and her son. For Sarah was jealous for her son Isaac—saying that Ishmael will never share in the inheritance with her son Isaac (Gen. 21:9-10).
And so, we see that there was real friction and hatred in that early family. And it wasn’t so much with Ishmael and Isaac; it was more between Hagar and Sarah. But over the years, that same hatred has been passed down. And we see that same contention and hatred today.
This hatred is explained to us in Galatians 4:28-31. The entire family problem is a picture of good and evil, or of the flesh and the Spirit. The slave girl Hagar and Ishmael represents the flesh and Isaac (the promised one) represents the Spirit and freedom in Christ.
Now this is a very hard situation, because we must not think that all Arabs are evil and sinful. No. God loves them the same as anyone. For God so loved the whole world and gave His Son for each of us—if we would only believe in Him. All have an equal chance to be saved and to come into His kingdom.
Some Arabs have believed in Christ and have found freedom. But most have not. And the leaders of some of those countries, such as Hamas, are very evil, like Isis. And they are stirring up hatred against Israel and also against Christians. And Satan in now using them to do his evil work.
And so, we see illustrated for us the two kingdoms: the kingdom of Satan in the Palestinians, and the kingdom of God in Israel. (But this is just an illustration or a picture of the kingdoms; we know that there are saved and unsaved people in both Arab countries as well as in Israel.)
So what should we do in our present situation? Well, as far as the Palestinians go, they need to go! The land was given to Israel alone. Hamas and all the Palestinians as a whole represent evil. They need to go! But if any individuals or families can demonstrate that they want peace, they should be allowed to come and live in Israel (under Israeli law). I hope and pray that this will be possible.
We as believers should pray for all people—Arabs and Israelites, Jews and Gentiles, to be saved and to come into His kingdom of peace and freedom.
Stephen Nielsen 