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Palestinian Terror Attacks Continue...
While Israel Remains Paralyzed by Politics
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Thursday, April 10, 2008
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www.bibleinthenews.com Audio & Print versions
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This is the Bible in the News with Paul Billington speaking with you from Ontario, Canada. On Wednesday morning we learnt from news headlines that Palestinians had attacked a fuel supply depot on the Israeli-Gaza border at Nahal Oz, killing two civilian Israeli workers. According to the Associated Press report:
"Plumes of smoke billowed up from the area around Nahal Oz, the sole conduit of fuel to Gaza's 1.4 million residents. Israel cordoned off the area, and police and emergency service reinforcements rushed there."Channel 2 TV said the militants cut through a border fence to enter Israeli territory, killed two workers at the fuel terminal, and set fuel depots afire."
According to the Israeli news website Arutz Sheva, "A terrorist cell of some three to seven operatives used the cover of mortar fire to inflitrate through the depot, which Israel uses to deliver humanitarian aid and thousands of tons of fuel supplies to Gaza Arabs, including terrorists at least once a week, sometimes more often."
Israel's reaction so far, apart from dealing with the immediate local emergency, has been confined to the usual wordy statements about holding Hamas responsible etc; but otherwise--as with other terrorist incidents--Israel seems to be virtually impotent. Israel has the military capability of re-occupying the whole Gaza Strip of course, but she dare not do so for political reasons. That would bring the U.S. sponsored "Peace Process" to an abrupt end--and who knows how the Bush and Rice chefs would react to that! Probably no more gravy for Israel!
The current weak and inefficient government of Israel is a good example of what we read in Proverbs 29:2 when it says: "when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." The people mourned a few weeks ago when eight yeshiva students were gunned down by a terrorist in Jerusalem--and they mourn again now for the two men killed at the Nahal Oz plant. Yet still, the Olmert Government tries to appease the Arabs, making so-called "good-will gestures," supplying humanitarian aid while bending over backwards to please the world by endangering the lives of its own people.
The opposition Likud leader, Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech that there was:
"no chance that moderate factors in the Palestinian Authority will succeed in halting terror or replacing Israeli forces in securing the territory. Israel should ensure its safety on its own and provide Palestinians with the financial growth they aspire to, in order to create real peace partners."
But if that is what the next Israeli Government plans to do, we can be sure it will not work. You just cannot buy-off the extreme fanaticism of the Palestinians.
Israel's rulers today are no better than those who brought about her destruction in Old Testament times. There has to be a complete change in the system of government. To Israel's last reigning monarch (actually the king of Judah) it was said--as we read in Ezekiel 21:25-27,
"And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him."
The Bible promises a new government for Israel, and we can read about it (for example) in Isaiah 9:6-7, where it says:
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."
Now these are a few characteristics that Israel needs in her Government now. They need a ruler who can deal with the issues--who can deal with the enemy. This will happen in the future.
There is an interesting passage of Scripture found in Ezekiel 25:15-17; especially in view of the current situation. It reads:
"Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred; Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast. And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them."
Now the Palestinians of today are not the Philistines of Bible times--though we do find in this passage some interesting connections.
For example, in verse 16 we read of the "cherithims." This word is made up of two Hebrew words, says Smith in his Bible Dictionary. "To slay" and "to run." In modern speech we would call them 'Hit and Run' people, which is what terrorists are. If there is a connection of some kind between these 'Hit & Run' people and the Terrorists "of the sea coast" today, then they do not have a very promising future! God says:
" And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them" (verse 17).
Isaiah promised a Prince of Peace who would sit upon David's throne and rule his kingdom. This kingdom of David is to be restored--a Bible promise that we can also see from the words spoken to Mary and recorded in Luke 1:31-33,
"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."
This is the one for whom we wait--and though they do not recognize it, this is the one who will redeem and save Israel from all her enemies.
So we continue to watch the sights--we continue to look at the news from a Bible perspective. Join us again next week God willing, when we will be considering more of it. www.bibleinthenews.com www.biblemagazine.com
Printed: Thursday, April 10, 2008
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