“And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.” (Genesis 13:14-15)
My purpose for what I write on this website is to share what I have learned about the Word of God with those who read it so that, prayerfully, it might help others to come to know the Lord Jesus or perhaps help them along in the walk they already have with Him. It is of absolutely no interest to me whatsoever to promote a political agenda or to endorse any particular political party or position. I would urge people to search the Scriptures and apply Biblical principles in deciding on political affairs of any sort.
But the matter at hand in our study of the Book of Genesis is as relevant as today’s headlines and as contemporary as tomorrow’s evening news. It has become a heated political issue, but in all reality it is a Biblical issue. I am referring to what has become known as the “Middle East Crisis”, the controversy over who has the right to control the land of Palestine.
At one time, there was a general consensus among most Westerners that Israel had the right to exist and to defend herself from her enemies. In recent years, in the name of “political correctness”, many Americans and Europeans have begun to harbor sympathy for the terrorist organizations that seek to tear Israel apart and to utterly annihilate the Jewish race. Some of these people even claim to be Bible-believing Christians. But the Bible is not mute about this subject and a careful study of Scripture leads to no other possible conclusion than the fact that Israel has been deeded the land of Palestine by God Almighty.
This is the crucial point that must be understood: God is the One Who has decreed that Israel should have this land, not man. God promised the land to Abraham and his descendants and later confirmed this promise to Isaac (Genesis 26:3-4). There is absolutely no question that God declared that the descendants of Abraham through Isaac, that is the Jewish race, would inherit the land. No human power, not even the government of the nation of Israel itself, has been given the authority to transfer ownership to anyone else.
“And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee:” (Genesis 12:3)
Many world leaders, including United States Presidents such as Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, have taken it upon themselves to act as “mediators” in the Middle East Crisis and, in the interest of “peace” and “diplomacy”, have attempted to wield their influence to carve out huge parcels of the nation of Israel and give them to be governed by Palestinian Arabs. Nearly every proposed re-distribution of the land involves severing the holy city of Jerusalem in half. It is no exaggeration to say that to attempt to dissect the land of Palestine and cede portions of it to the control of someone other than Israel is nothing less than to stand in direct defiance against God Almighty! It is dangerous ground to stand on.
It is very unfortunate that wars and murderous acts of terrorism are being acted out as the struggle for control of this region continues. I recognize that there are many Arabs in Palestine who simply want to live in peace with their Jewish neighbors, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. There is no reason why they should not be allowed to do so. But to set up a separate government, to cede control of the land to a foreign power, or to divide the city of Jerusalem is to disregard a Divine mandate. Those who fight against the nation of Israel for control over her lands are standing in contempt of the God of Heaven.
For those who believe the Bible, there is but one position to take in this matter. God is not finished with Israel and He still has a program in effect concerning them. We simply cannot serve the God of the Bible and support the enemies of His chosen people.
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” (Psalm 122:6)
To Jesus Christ goes all glory. In service to Him,
Loren
loren@answersfromthebook.org
[This post was originally published December 4, 2009]
**All Scripture quotations in this post are taken from the King James Version (KJV) Bible
[If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ or you are not certain where you are headed when this life ends, I invite you to read the article “Am I Going To Heaven?“]
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