We have nearly completed seven full weeks of this necessary and just war. If it were not for real faith in Yeshua/Jesus and in God’s word, we would indeed be undone and very fearful about the future. As it is, despite more to come before the glorious return of the Lord, we do ask for His grace to persevere with patience until the harvest, and not to stop short out of terror or weariness. He says in Is 40:31 that He will exchange our strength with His.
The truth of God’s Word is our only offensive weapon; the rest is defensive armor to enable us to use the sword of the Spirit effectively. The devil is a liar, and the author of them. The world is more inclined to believe Satan, while doubting with skepticism even clear proofs of ‘truth’. Even today a church leader whom I highly regard questioned whether the report of Hamas terrorists burning/cooking a baby (babies?) in a family oven was verified. He received a knowledgeable authoritative answer (not from me), ‘100% absolutely’! It changed his countenance to a sickening apprehension of horror. Why do we think that Hamas is going to be a reliable source of information?! Why are so many inclined to think that it is Israel putting out misinformation and disinformation? I am sure that they also do sometimes, like all other countries and individuals. But it is not characteristic of Israel in the battle with her intractable enemies, but it is characteristic of the likes of bonafide terrorists out to bring others into their mindset of irrational hatred and murderous envy and resentment.
This war, and the incendiary reaction to it around the world by those predisposed to blame the scapegoat (Israel and the Jewish people) for all its problems, will be used by God to cause more Jews to examine their own hearts for blaming The Scapegoat (Jesus the Nazarene/Yeshua haNatzri) for our own sins. And He will also bring nations to account for their unreasonable animus towards the Jewish people and the nation-state of Israel which YHVH God Himself is using as a goad to those who think that He is far away and not involved in human history and affairs anymore — at least not with the people whom He covenanted with to be His holy people, and a blessing to the whole world, and He will be their God. Yeshua/Jesus ascended back to Heaven, not seen by the world now: the invisible God. The Revelation of Jesus Christ — the last book of the Bible — shows, among other things, the reaction of “the world” to His coming again in great power and glory. For them it is a ‘woe’ that He will come back to establish God’s righteous kingdom over the Earth, even the entire universe! Come, Lord!
Hamas has made all of Gaza a minefield of booby traps and of other devious methods and devices to, basically, kill as many Israelis as possible, and making Gaza, with its inhabitants, and open air high security prison. This is Hamas’ own raison d’etre, according to themselves. Yet “the world” continues to place the burden of “keeping to the laws of war” on Israel, rather than condemning Hamas, Hezbollah, etc, of their hideous evil thoughts and schemes, and requiring them to stop. That is how God described nearly the whole of humanity when he told Noah to build the ark. Noah was a preacher of righteousness all those years while obeying YHVH’s instructions to him. Apparently no one took him seriously. Did God use disproportionate force when He wiped out humanity except for the eight persons of Noah’s family? Those who want to accuse the Creator of “being a monster” think so! It is the devil who is the monster! God is good, and the righteous Judge of all the Earth!
The sacrifice of sons and daughters and fathers and mothers, and siblings and friends in war is great and grievous. It speaks of the amazing willing sacrifice of the Son of God in defeating sin, the devil, and death on the cross and by His resurrection. Jesus gives hope and life and liberty to those who believe the truth of the gospel that puts a whole new light on death in this “body of death”, and on the eternal outlook that is YHVH God’s. There is none like Him!
