Why the Arab-Israeli Conflict is So
Important to Christians
In the
closing of my last post, I made the following comment:
“With that background, my next blog post will return to the
subject of the current war of Israel vs. Hamas, with the involvement of their
Arab neighbors. This post established their familial
relationship. Next…a focus on their conflict.”
At
that time I had not reviewed the following two articles which I highly
recommend to you for your consideration on this topic:
1)
“Conflict
Between the Sons of Ishmael and Isaac”, by John Schloss, Ph.D. (https://news.auhs.edu/conflict-between-the-sons-of-ishmael-and-isaac/
); and
2) “Where Did it All Start? The Origins of the
Arab-Israeli Conflict”
By Johnathan
Bernis, The Jewish Voice, September 11, 2017 (https://www.jewishvoice.org/read/article/where-did-it-all-start-origins-arab-israeli-conflict )
Of particular note, the second article contained a section that I
especially recommend to you. My attention was re-directed to this section by
having one of my teachers, Pastor Joseph Prince, relate a very similar
perspective. They both pointed to the spiritual origin of the subject conflict,
going back to the Garden of Eden (Genesis Chapter Three).
The following is an excerpt from the second article that demonstrates their
point:
“Why such hatred?
What lies at the deeper root of the
Arab-Israeli conflict? The absence of legitimate reasons gives us a clue. It’s
a spiritual issue, and the animosity goes back to the book of Genesis, to the
strife in Abraham’s household over the promised son.
Ishmael vs. Isaac
When Hagar (Sarah’s Egyptian handmaid)
conceived a child by Abraham, she despised Sarah. When Hagar was sent away, she
fled to the wilderness where God spoke to her about her child. This child would
become the father of the Arab nations:
“… you will give birth to a son. You
shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a
wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand
against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”
—Genesis 16:11-12 NIV
It’s easy to see that this prophecy
has come to pass. From the beginning, Arab nations have relied on aggression
and violence to subdue their enemies. God took compassion on Hagar and
proclaimed that He would also make Ishmael a great nation, and he has done so.
But God’s promise was clear: He would establish His covenant with Isaac
(Genesis 17:21).
The conflict, however,
reaches further back in history than the time of Ishmael and Isaac. The battle
goes all the way to the Garden, and it is Satan’s battle against God. (Emphasis added.)
Satan vs. God
In the Garden, after Satan’s deception
and man’s fall, God proclaimed Satan’s ultimate demise. Genesis 3:15 reveals
that the Messiah will crush Satan’s head in final, eternal victory. Satan has
been interfering in human history from the beginning, always attempting to disprove
God’s promises and prophecies.
Scripture promised the Messiah would
come through the Jewish people (Genesis 12:3). Through the ages, Satan used men
and nations in his efforts to destroy the Jewish people and prevent Messiah’s
coming. He also knows that in the Last Days, Yeshua will return as the
conquering King to Jerusalem in the Land of Israel. Trying to delay his final
ruin, Satan continues to assault God’s people and the Land of Israel, seeking
to annihilate them.
The true source of the Arab-Israeli
conflict is Satan’s fight against God. And he is using the Palestinians, Arab
terrorist groups, and worldwide propaganda in his ongoing efforts to
exterminate God’s people and delay his own doom. Satan is the great deceiver.
He is deceiving all who follow him, infusing them with a hatred they may not
even understand. They are pawns in Satan’s battle against God Almighty.”
I agree with that perspective from
Johnathan Bernis as cited. However, I would also like to add the further perspective
of Pastor Prince. He highlighted the relevance of the familial relationship between
the Arab-Israeli combatants by examining the conflict between the brothers Cain
and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve. (Genesis 4: 1-16) A major point that I had not
sufficiently considered was the spiritual basis for their conflict. The
Scripture notes that their differences that resulted in the first murder recorded
in our Bible were related to their differences over how to approach the LORD in
reverence and worship.
As background review, remember the lessons
from the Garden of Eden. (Genesis Chapter Three) Adam and Eve sinfully disobeyed the LORD
God’s command that they do not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
In their disobedience, they had tried to cover their nakedness using fig plant
leaves. They had lost the glory that the LORD God had given them to have
dominion over the Earth, and had lost communication with their Creator. Through
His Grace, and to restore righteousness and fellowship with them, the LORD God killed
animals to make coats of skins and clothed them. (Verse 21) Innocent blood was
shed to overcome the spiritual death penalty for their sins. The LORD God had thereby
established that as His Sovereign precedent to address man’s sins. (See also
Hebrews 9: 22)
Keeping that in mind, note that Cain
and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve, both worshipped the LORD. (Genesis Chapter
Four) However, only Abel brought the required blood sacrifice of an innocent
animal as his sin-offering. His offering indicated that the death penalty for
his sins had been paid, so “the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering”.
(Verse 4)
On the other hand, Cain followed his own
will by bringing his offering to the LORD from the “fruit of the ground” that
he had tilled. Because it was the product of his works / labors, he was
convinced that his plant / vegetable offering should be acceptable to the LORD.
However, when the LORD did not favorably receive that blood-less offering, Cain
became angry and distraught. (Verses 5,6)
In an act of mercy and grace, the LORD gave Cain a second chance to do
what was right by Himself providing an animal at Cain’s door, to be used as a
sacrifice. (Verse 7) Still, Cain refused. Then in jealousy and rage, he confronted
Abel and slew him. (Verse 8)
There are two key points that come
from that scripture. One: What motivated Cain to follow his path to
destruction, even as he rejected the second chance offered by the LORD?; and Two: The relevance of the interaction
between the brothers and their worship of God, to the Arab-Israeli Conflict.
Regarding Point One, remember the scripture
noted above in which the LORD God confronted the serpent in the Garden of Eden
after it had precipitated the sinful fall of Adam and Eve, saying: “And I will put enmity between thee and the
woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel
(Genesis 3: 15). The serpent / Satan then looked to thwart God’s plan by eliminating
the threat of his death…if he could destroy the “seed of the woman” first.
When Satan saw
that the LORD had respect to Abel’s sin-offering, but not to that of Cain, he
assumed that Abel was that prophesied “seed of the woman”. Satan then used on Cain one of the same tactics
he used to tempt Eve in the Garden of Eden…the “pride of life”. (1 John 2: 16; Genesis 3: 3-5) Under his
spiritual influence, Satan convinced Cain that he himself should be able to
determine what would be acceptable as an offering to the LORD. Self-Righteousness!! It led to Cain’s self-destruction!!
Regarding Point
Two, consider similarities / contrasts between the brothers Cain and Abel, and
the brothers Ishmael and Isaac. All four professed to worship God, but only one
of each of the pair of brothers worshipped the God we call LORD, as He has instructed
us. Cain and Ishmael and their descendants worshipped idols. The conflict between the individual brothers Cain
and Abel which led to death, has been mirrored and substantially multiplied in
the conflicts seen between the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac. The basis for their hostility is their perceptions
of what God / Allah / Yahweh / Jesus and other names of The Supreme Deity mean,
and how they should accept and react to their teachings.
As Christians, we
are familiar with our Bible and the events chronicled over thousands of years, as
recorded by a diverse group of writers through the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit (2 Peter 1: 20-21); (https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/who-wrote-the-bible
) The Bible scriptures were given to these
members of the Nation of Israel to record as they unfolded the history of man,
and the messages we are to believe. For a more detailed discussion regarding
the origin of Islam and its founder, the Prophet Muhammad, please review the
following article: See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_in_Islam
In light of the close
family ties dating back to their common “Father Abraham”, both Israelites and
Arabs have been used as spiritual pawns of the Enemy, who would destroy any and
all made in the image of God. Our Bible
tells us how these hostilities will end. However, It is regrettable that as
with Cain, the opposing forces have not identified their true Enemy.
Dr. W. A. (Bill)
Robinson
