Introduction

• The land of Israel has a special place in the Lord’s affections

• Another contentious issue where people can often react if we lean too much in one direction or the other

• Listen to whole talk - don’t hear one piece out of context of the other

Historical perspective 

• Many of the issues faced today are of western (UK) creation - India/Pakistan, Republic & Northern Ireland, Israel/Palestine - clumsiness of western colonial governments are often to blame

• aftermath of Holocaust - need to create a lasting place where Jews could live in peace

• 1948 expiry of British Mandate for Palestine - exit of British administration without negotiated settlement

• Gradual cycles of violence and mistrust ever since - with global powers having significant influence - US/Iran… 

Covenant People

• God does call out a people for His own (Gen 12, Hos 11:1)

• Out of nowhere, He appears to Abram, when Abram shows nothing particular or special of his own and the Lord makes promises to Abram and his descendants that are about the people and the land (Gen 12, Gen 15)

• This is an everlasting covenant (Gen 17:7) so it has never been repealed

• God’s faithfulness to the Jewish people remains, they have a special place in His affections - the Scriptures bear witness to that (Rom 9)

• But covenant is an agreement that has two sides - requires faithfulness and blessing on God’s part and obedience and service on the people’s part

• They are blessed to be a blessing

• They are called out to be a light to the nations (Is 49:6)

• God has chosen them as a vehicle of revelation (ultimately seen in Jesus, born as a Jew)

• But nothing in Scripture leads us to accept that the secular state of Israel is coterminous with the Israel of God - the people of God (Rom 9:6-9, Gal 3:23-29)

• Covenant people act in obedience to God’s demands, which it to seek peace and welfare for the place in which they are situated (Jer 29:4)

• Having said that - any nation state, including Israel has the right to defend itself

• Barrage of rockets and aggression, with powerful nation states nearby seeking your obliteration is going to make you somewhat defensive

• And right-wing nationalist government has continually acted as an aggressor to neighbouring people - confiscating land refusing to allow citizens free movement of people…

Palestinian actions

• Palestinians and ancestors present before secular state of Israel

• Many Palestinians experience has been of oppression and aggression all of their lives

• Most Palestinian people are peace-loving people who want to get on with their lives

• Killing of innocent people in the past has been reprehensible and cannot be justified

• Two Palestinian territories - West Bank & Gaza

• West Bank controlled by moderate Palestinians (Fatah, recognised Palestinian government) Gaza controlled by Hamas - Islamist organisation

• Hamas’ recent aggression against Israel was and is awful and should be condemned

• Although Hamas’ actions are a cry for help in a desperate situation, violence against innocent people cannot ever be justified  

A Christian response

• Pray for peace

• Challenge aggression wherever it occurs and whomever is the persecutor

• Much of what we see is not spiritual it is political - US support of Israel is largely political and not theological - but has is sometimes hi-jacked by zionist Christians

• God’s call to the covenant people repeatedly throughout Scripture is to live and act with justice and humility (Micah 6, Isaiah 58)

• Peace-making begins where we are (Matt 5:9)