Colin Parkinson
It seems that many people see the Bible as irrelevant these days, as a collection of “myths” and “legends”, without really looking into what is actually written.
There is much history, wisdom and prophecy that is very relevant even today, and many have probably noted the moral decline in society as younger generations drift away from what was once held in high regard.
There is much archaeological evidence that supports the Bible and many reasons to take it seriously. We have many laws that are based on biblical principles and we have seen what becomes of society when it starts to move away from biblical values.
But while the historical events and teachings are very important, are there things that we have overlooked in the books of the prophets? An example to consider is the book of Amos which states something very relevant to what is happening today. To paraphrase slightly:
“For (the transgressions) of Gaza, God will not turn away its punishment, because they took captive the whole captivity… But He will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, which shall devour its palaces.”
Read Amos 1:6-7 for yourself and see if it sounds anything like what is happening today. Is it a fulfilment of prophecy? Is this history repeating itself? Or is this perhaps a bit of both?
Surely, there is a lesson in there for those who try to mess with Israel.
The Bible portrays Israel as the beloved wife of God and, although she has committed adultery by turning to idols many times (See: Ezekiel 16 and Hosea for examples), God keeps calling her back to repentance because of His great love. Perhaps some of what has happened to Israel has been permitted so that she will repent and turn back to God. Sometimes God does allow suffering to draw us to Him but we should be careful not to assume that we understand why things are happening and we should be very careful not to judge others. Instead, we should look to the example of the love that a husband has towards his wife and think how we would respond if someone attacked our wife, how would we react to those who just turned a blind eye to her rape and murder?
I remember hearing people from Israel cry out for help when the “vaccine passports” were being introduced there. Someone pointed out that it would come to us too. But there is no way that could ever have happened in New Zealand, could it? Weren’t “vaccine passports” just a “conspiracy theory” back then? Why should we worry, it wasn’t us affected, was it? Did our nation turn a blind eye and just ignore Israel? Could someone remind me what happened in New Zealand after not taking a stand against what happened in Israel?
We ignore Israel at our peril. It happened there, it can come here and I guess that it will.
Recently I have heard people from Israel say, once again, that something has happened in Israel. People were attacked, babies killed in the most horrific ways imaginable, pregnant women ripped open and the people of Israel said that if we ignore this happening there, then it will come to us too.
With all the protests that we have seen here supporting “Palestine”, perhaps it already has arrived, sleeping, waiting for an opportunity. How would you respond if it were your child beheaded by terrorists; if it were your wife raped and tortured? Do not wait until it happens to you. Do not think this can never happen. This has happened to Israel. It can happen here! Take a stand against evil while you can.
There are many lessons to learn from history and many of those lessons can be found in the Bible. There are many moral lessons to learn and many of those lessons are also found in the Bible.
One most important thing is also found in the Bible: It is by grace that we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, not of works lest we boast (See: Ephesians 2:8). Once we know God’s grace and love we can share it with others. I am a Christian, we are taught to love our enemies and it is not easy – trust me! But the Bible teaches to not be overcome by evil, instead to overcome evil with good! – See Romans 12:9-21.
But what can you do, how can you help?
- Pray for Israel. Her help comes from God, pray that she will see this and turn to Him for help.
- Pray also for the surrounding nations and even our own.
- Contact someone from your local Jewish community and ask what you can do for them – even just hearing that someone cares can mean a lot.
- Ask your local church what they are doing to help support those in need.
- Contact your local MP.
- Have a look at the petition started by Brian Tamaki (You may not like him, but he is taking a stand at least) Remember that while many are suffering in Israel and Gaza we need to be careful that any aid we send does not end up in the hands of terrorists. War can be a terrible thing but understand that calling for a “ceasefire” may not be helpful. Understand what Israel is up against. There are hostages, there are threats from many countries and this is more complicated than many of us realise. Study the history, start with the Bible and pray for those who are suffering. Pray also that this does not come to our homes here in New Zealand.
