Dave’s Monday Blast – November 6, 2023
We are living in tumultuous times! The ongoing conflict in Israel has once again affirmed that God’s Chosen People, whether living in the Promised Land or in enclaves around the world, are despised and rejected simply because they are His. The Denison Forum comments from an article dated 10-11-23: “From Egypt’s genocide in the time of Moses to the devastation by ancient Assyria, Babyon, Greece, and Rome, to Hitler’s Final Solution and its slaughter of six million Jews, the scourge of antisemitism has persisted for millennia.”
In the Denison Forum article referenced above, the question was posed: Why do so many hate the Jews today? With regard to the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, Denison offers three explanations that are relevant:
1. As to why they hate Jews, Hamas and their fellow jihadists would answer by claiming that the State of Israel stole its land from the rightful Palestinian owners and that its citizens are complicit in this “theft” by participating in a democracy. They believe they are required by the Qur’an (2:190, 192) to defend Islam by attacking Israelis and destroying Israel. Many have become convinced that Jews are in fact hostic humani generis, the enemies of mankind itself. (IF you simply look up the charter of Hamas it is committed to only one thing – the destruction of all Jews and all who support them).
2. Many are influenced by Critical Race Theory (which includes most educational institutions from elementary through university, and many of the West’s intellectual and cultural elites), which teaches that Israel is a majority oppressor of the Palestinian persecuted minority. The theory, and those who promote it, claim the ONLY answer is for the oppressed to reverse the equation by oppressing their oppressor.
3. Many of Iran’s leaders believe the existence of Israel constitutes the greatest barrier to the reappearance of the Mahdi (a messiah-like figure) who will establish the Caliphate where all will be subject to Islam and Shariah Law. They therefore seek the eradication of the Jewish nation (and all who support Israel) to hasten his arrival.
John Stonestreet, author of over a dozen books on Biblical apologetics, speaker and fellow of the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview, as well the co-host with Eric Metaxas of Breakpoint, the Christian worldview radio program comments: “Ideas have consequences, and bad ideas have victims.” In this case, the victim is Israel!
INTENTIONAL men of God know that in this battle of the future of Israel, we are called by Scripture to “…pray for the peace of Jerusalem…and to seek her good” (Psalm 122:9). An action plan?
We need to repudiate the sin of antisemitism, a plague that is rising in the US and Europe today.
We need to pray for Israel’s leaders and people to be safe from their enemies and resolute in defending their country.
We need to seek practical ways to support those in Israel and around the world devasted by these atrocities.
We need to lead everyone we can to the only One who can truly heal our broken world.
Our God comforts the downcast (2 Corinthians 7:6) and calls us to do the same (2 Corinthians 1:3 – 4).
