 The major goal of the Hamas terrorist group, as stated by them anytime they
have a microphone or TV camera, is to kill as many citizens of Israel as
they can, wipe the entire Israeli people off the face of the earth no matter
where they live while the terrorist, when killed, is immediately dispatched
to the afterlife of paradise. Hamas, along with the Palestinians and Islam,
maintains there is no place in the world for people of Israel to live; they
have no rights to live where they are, nor anyplace in the world for that
matter. That is one of the reasons why they claim America is the "Great
Satan" because of the Jewish people here and the support America gives to
Israel.
For sure, there are millions of people in the world who would not, under any
circumstances, put any credibility or credence in the Sacred Writings of the
Hebrews that consist of the writings of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms
that we call the Old Testament. Nor would any of those people put any
credence in the New Testament writings that records the life and ministry of
Jesus, the establishment of the Christian Church and the writings of the
Apostles of Jesus and some who followed Him. But, when the Bible is studied
as simply a book that records history, aside from the theological aspect of
the Book, one has to understand that Israel was established through the
direct intervention and establishment from God. Consider the following
passage in the Book of Genesis:
Genesis 35:6-15
35:6 Jacob and all those who were with him arrived at Luz (that is, Bethel)
in the land of Canaan. 35:7 He built an altar there and named the place El
Bethel because there God had revealed himself to him when he was fleeing
from his brother. 35:8 (Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under
the oak below Bethel; thus it was named Oak of Weeping.) (Genesis 35:6-8)
Jacob and his family had been commanded by God to travel to Bethel. The name
Bethel means "house of God" in Hebrew. As Jacob was moving toward the area
he established an alter and actually named the place El Bethel.
35:9 God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan Aram and
blessed him. 35:10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but your name will
no longer be called Jacob; Israel will be your name.” So God named him
Israel. 35:11 Then God said to him, “I am the sovereign God. Be fruitful and
multiply! A nation – even a company of nations – will descend from you;
kings will be among your descendants! 35:12 The land I gave to Abraham and
Isaac I will give to you. To your descendants I will also give this land.”
35:13 Then God went up from the place where he spoke with him. 35:14 So
Jacob set up a sacred stone pillar in the place where God spoke with him. He
poured out a drink offering on it, and then he poured oil on it. 35:15 Jacob
named the place where God spoke with him Bethel. (Genesis 35:9-15)
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 Up to this time Jacob's name had essentially meant "deceiver" but
because of his encounter with God and the blessing he had asked for,
God named him "Israel." The name Israel means "God fights" or a
"warrior for God" or perhaps, "he fights with God." So it was to
Israel (Jacob) who received the "promised" land that God had already
given to Abraham and Isaac. Remember, Abraham was the one in whom
God had chosen because of Abraham's faith. Abraham had shown his
faith in God and God found favor in him and shed His Grace on
Abraham. He promised the land occupied by Israel now to all his
descendents. That was promised to Abraham's son, Isaac, as well.
Now, God was not only promising the land to Jacob, who was Isaac's
son, and Abraham's grandson, but God changed Jacob's name to Israel
so the entire world would know the nation to whom the land was
given. The Bible continues to record the settlement of the land, the
establishment of the kingdoms, the coming of Jesus the Christ, and
the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 by the Roman General, Titus.
Some will say that the Palestinians are descendants of Abraham as
well. That is true, but the line is through Ishmael, who was the son
of a handmaiden, Hagar. The promise given to Abraham by God was
extended to Isaac and his descendants, not Ishmael. So, in 1947 and
1948 when the UN Resolution 181(II) was initiated, it was accepted
by Israel, but rejected by the Arab states. Civil war broke out
immediately and there has never been real acceptance of the Israeli
nation and their right of existence since. So, others will say that
the present-day Israel is not the Israel of old to whom God promised
the land. They will say that the present-day Israel is a "political"
Israel, not a theological Israel. For that position it will be
difficult to explain the writings about Israel in the New Testament,
especially in the Revelation.
So, regardless of the position anyone in the world holds, the
historical record from the Bible is that God gave the land to
Israel. As we in the United States stand on the sidelines and watch
the Middle East progress through this stage of survival, we need to
remember if we take the side of standing against Israel we might
just be standing against God's Will for Israel; enemies of Israel in
that case become enemies of God.
[By JIM KILLEBREW]
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