As we all know, at this there is no peace in Jerusalem, nor does there
seem to be peace anywhere in the Middle East! A statement from the Arab
League was published by CNN:
Dateline July 15, 2006, “CAIRO, Egypt (CNN) -- The Middle East
peace process is "dead," Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa
said on Saturday. "Certain powers have given Israel every capacity
to do whatever it wishes," and that had destroyed hopes for peace,
he told a news conference after a heated meeting of Arab League foreign
ministers in Cairo, Egypt.”
The Middle East peace process has been declared dead … but I wonder
if it was ever alive! The peace of Jerusalem has been the concern of
the whole world for generations, but all efforts up to this point in
producing peace has been short-lived! This conflict has continuously
involved the greatest world powers taking sides and lending support to
these two adversaries with no resolution. I read Psalm 83 this last week
and realized this ancient prayer has been prayed by most of the generations
of Israel.
Psalm 83
1 Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still,
O God!
2 For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; And those who hate You have
lifted up their head.
3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together
against Your sheltered ones.
4 They have said, "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more."
5 For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy
against You:
6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites;
7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Assyria also has joined with them; They have helped the children of
Lot.
9 Deal with them as with Midian, As with Sisera, As with Jabin at the
Brook Kishon,
10 Who perished at En Dor, Who became as refuse on the earth.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, Yes, all their princes
like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 Who said, "Let us take for ourselves The pastures of God for
a possession."
13 O my God, make them like the whirling dust, Like the chaff before
the wind!
14 As the fire burns the woods, and as the flame sets the mountains on
fire,
15 So pursue them with Your tempest, And frighten them with Your storm.
16 Fill their faces with shame, That they may seek Your name, O LORD.
17 Let them be confounded and dismayed forever; Yes, let them be put
to shame and perish,
18 That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD, Are the
Most High over all the earth.
As we read this passage it becomes evident that Israel has been the
center of Middle Eastern contention for centuries. The nations listed
include Edom, the Ismaelites, Moab, Ammon, Amalek, the Philistines of
Tyre, Assyria, and Midian; all of which are familiar names to those who
read their Bible. But today those same countries have names such as Lebanon,
Syria, Jordon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran! But the bloodlines are the
same! These are the descendants of Noah’s son Shem, and in particular,
Abraham’s son Ishmael!
If you recall the promise that God made to Abraham in Genesis 12 …
there is a promise there of the blessings of God for the bloodline of
Abraham.
Gen 12
2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name
great; and you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses
you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Abraham gladly accepted the blessings of God, but while he waited impatiently
for a son to be born to him and his wife Sarah … a plan was devised where
he would obtain a heir through Sarah’s maid, Hagar. That first born son
was Ishmael! Listen to the prophet word spoken over Ishmael by the Angel
of the LORD:
Gen 16
11 And the Angel of the LORD said to her:
" Behold, you are with child,
And you shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael ,
Because the LORD has heard your affliction.
12 He shall be a wild man;
His hand shall be against every man,
And every man's hand against him.
And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren."
Notice, the descendants of Ishmael shall be the descendants of a wild
man. This prophetic word has been born out in all the succeeding generations.
The history of the Arabic nations is full of battle, their religion dictates
a hostile attitude against anyone of any other religion, and as a result
they have often been in conflict and the hand of every other man has
been against them. And in particular … they have hated the descendants
of Isaac! As a band of brothers they have lived together in a coalition
bound by their bloodline, not always in harmony with each other, but
definitely in conflict with those around them.
Although Ishmael is a descendant of Abraham, the blessing of Abraham
was given by God to the second born son, Isaac!
Gen 17:21 My covenant I will establish with Isaac …
Gen 12
2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name
great; and you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses
you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
We get directly involved in the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
when it says that those who bless the descendants of Abraham … the Jews
… will be blessed of God. And those who curse the nation of Israel will
be cursed by God.
There has never been a time that God rescinded His blessing on Israel!
Those who have stood with Israel and the Jewish people in good times
and bad have been blessed of the Lord! I believe the blessings which
have come upon America is due in a great part because of our continued
support of Israel.
Obviously, dark clouds are arising. Listen to the words of Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 38
3 … 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you,
O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.
4 I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out,
with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great
company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.
5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield
and helmet;
6 Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north
and all its troops — many people are with you.
When God puts hooks into the jaws of the nations … to draw them into
battle with Israel … it is a signal of the soon return of Jesus Christ!
The nations which surround Israel are listed as Gog, Rosh, Meshech, Tubal,
Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, and Togarmah. There isn’t a real agreement
as to who all these nations are in our modern world. The only ones recognizable
are Persia, which is now Iran; Ethiopia, and Libya. All of these are
Muslim nations. Gomer and Togarmah are believed to be in the region of
Turkey … another Muslim nation. Many believe that Gog represents Russia
… the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal … and they are an ally of Iran.
These nations are bound together in a political alliance … and I believe
they are also bound together in a spiritual alliance. Listen again to
the words of Psalm 83
Psalm 83
4 They have said, "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
that the name of Israel may be remembered no more."
12 … "Let us take for ourselves the pastures of God for a possession."
The difficulty that these nations are up against is more than what they have
bargained for, however! God is watching over the affairs of the nation of
Israel! He has made a covenant with Abraham that those who curse Israel will
be cursed!
THIS IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE! The Psalmist understands the dynamics …
Psalm 83
1 Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be
still, O God!
2 For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have
lifted up their head.
The battle against Israel is not a battle of politics or governments
… it is a spiritual battle! It is specifically a battle by Satan and
all of his forces … against Jehovah God! It reminds me of the conflict
between two of God’s archangels and the demonic forces which ruled over
Persia which is described in Daniel chapter 10. These are spiritual forces
who have come to do battle against God!
But remember Ezekiel 38 … it is God who has put His hook into their
jaw and it is He who has drawn them into battle with Israel. Not for
the destruction of Israel … but the destruction of the enemies of Israel!
Ezek 38
18 "And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against
the land of Israel," says the Lord GOD, "that My fury will
show in My face.
22 And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I
will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are
with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
23 Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known
in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD."'
The final battle is referred to in Scripture as the battle of Armageddon.
Could this current encounter lead us into the completion of the prophetic
Scripture? I don’t know and I don’t believe anyone else can decide this
is the beginning of that great battle. But we must be watchful as we
pray!
Know this:
1. Those who bless Israel will be blessed and those who curse Israel
will be cursed.
2. God is watching over these proceedings and bringing His plan to a
great conclusion.
3. This is a spiritual battle so we must pray!
4. As a reminder of the soon return of Jesus … let us be busy about the
Father’s business! There are people who are yet unprepared for the return
of Christ and we have Good News to share with them! Forgiveness of sin
and adoption into God’s forever family is still available to all who
will call upon the name of the Lord!
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