Jesus said, “Do
not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to
bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn "'a man against his
father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her
mother-in-law-- a man's enemies will be the members of his own household”
(Matt. 10:34-36).
It is hard for
many of us to even attempt to comprehend tragedies like what happened recently
in Las Vegas! It is heartbreaking to consider the 59 dead and more
than 500 injured as a gunman opened fire on a concert! My thoughts and
prayers are with the injured and those who lost loved ones. At times it can be
very challenging to make sense of things that seem so senseless (and I will not
even attempt to in this article)!
Unfortunately,
tragedies like this are a very sad reality if one is up to date on world news.
It seems like it is commonplace to hear about people going on killing sprees,
suicide bombings, and constant fighting someplace in our world today. And there
is no other place in the history of the world for experiencing such atrocities
than in the Middle East.
The land of
Israel has seen war after war for thousands of years. Some of the wars were a
result of God’s hand of judgment upon His people when they rebelled against
Him. The Old Testament spends a significant amount of time detailing the war
with the Assyrians and the Babylonians. And both Old and New Testament alike
depict the war that would take place between A.D. 66-70 with the Romans.
Since then, the
greatest amount of fighting has come as a result of a battle for Israel. There
are really 3 sides in this battle: first there are those who believe that the
land belongs to Abraham’s descendants through his son Isaac. Second, there are
those who believe that it belongs to Abraham’s descendants through his son
Ishmael. And third, there are those who believe that the descendants of Abraham
are spiritual; thus, implying that those who have faith in Christ, which
includes Old Testament Jews who had faith in the Lord, and Christians since the
time of Jesus’s death on the cross, are the true Israel. And that the land was
given really to point to something bigger than just a chunk of ground in the
Middle East. Regardless of what side you find yourself on, one thing is for certain:
Christian persecution is on the rise and all the while the enemies of Israel
are closing ranks around her borders.
Therefore, what
should our response be? It really comes down to the matter of what the Bible
has to say. Muslims believe that Ishmael is the child of promise not Isaac. The
basis of this comes from their belief that the Old Testament has been altered
by the Jews to make it seem as if Isaac is the child of promise. However, as
one writer pointed out, in order to substantiate this claim of textual
corruption, two things need to be done. First, an earlier manuscript that shows
the non-corrupted text needs to be shown. And second, an explanation of how the
alterations were achieve without anyone noticing needs to likewise be given.
But, neither one of these issues has ever been solved. Thus, the view of
Muslims is quickly falsified. Even still, fighting will continue from these
individuals who are following a lie.
While all
Christians view Isaac as the promised descendant of Abraham (in comparison with
Ishmael), they differ on the identity of “Israel” today. Does “Israel” refer
exclusively to the Jewish people or does it refer to all Christians? Perhaps
the most common view sees a separation between God’s chosen people, the Jews,
and all Christians in general. This view has been popularized by books and
movies like The Late Great Planet Earth and the Left Behind series.
A huge percentage of Churches, preachers, and televangelists proclaim this
message as well. Thus, many Bible believing Christians are convinced that the
Jewish people and the present nation of Israel will be the primary participants
in the events surrounding the second coming of Christ.
On a side note, the
point of this article is not to create dividing lines among Christians, rather
it is to help everyone to understand the significance of God’s covenant with
“Israel” and its implications for all people today. Yet is there really a separate covenant
for the Jews vs. Christians? Let’s consider what Scripture has to say. Galatians 3:28-29 says, “In Christ's family
there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female.
Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with
Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ's family, then you are Abraham's
famous "descendant," heirs according to the covenant promises” (MSG).
Romans 2:28-29
says, “For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents
or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew
is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely
obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by
God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from
people” (NLT).
The point that
Scripture is making is that “Israel” consists of both Jews living during the
time of the Old Testament and all Christians regardless of ethnicity since the
time of Jesus’s death on the cross! This can be
seen in several other passages as well, and was even prophesied about in the
Old Testament (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 37:14-28; 47:22-25; John 1:13; 10:16; Rom.
2:28-29; 4:11-12, 16-18; 9:6-18, 24-25; 11:11-24; Gal. 3:8-24; Eph. 2:11-3:6;
Phil. 3:3; Heb. 8:8-10; James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1;
2:4-10; 5:13). So what does this
mean for us today? It means that the promises that are related to “Israel” are
for us as Christians today. Next month we will further unpack these promises of
God’s covenant with “Israel.” Yet for now, what is the appropriate response to
the violence that is taking place in the Middle East?
The appropriate
response to the violence and persecution of Christians and other people groups
in the Middle East should be the same as our response to the tragedy that
happened in Las Vegas. God’s Word calls
us to stand strong in the true faith even in the face of suffering and
persecution (Rev. 2:10-11). At the same time, God has ordained governments to
deal with the issues by means of force (Rom. 13:1-7). Thus, we should support
our police and armed forces. Praying for those who are committing these
atrocities, and ultimately leading them to Christ for this is how real lasting
change takes place—through sharing the Good News to the captors (Matt. 5:9,
44). For it is only through God’s work in our world that lasting peace will
eventually be accomplished. And one day, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, will
return to usher in His eternal peace to “Israel,” all who have chosen to follow
Christ by faith (Isa. 9:6; Rom. 4:16).
In His service,
Matt
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