By Gustav Krös
04/10/2014
7 October marks the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel, which has led to the war that has now been fought for a year. This is a good time to pause and reflect on why the attack took place, which has since led to thousands of deaths.
The short answer is, it’s all about the land of Israel. In September 2005, Israel completely withdrew from the Gaza Strip, evicting more than 9,000 Israelis who lived there, and in June 2007, Hamas took over governance of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority (PA). However, Hamas wasn’t solely interested in governing Gaza as a Palestinian homeland, because, according to their charter, they believe that all of Israel, or Palestine as they refer to it, is Islamic land.
“Hamas believes that no part of the land of Palestine shall be compromised or conceded, irrespective of the causes, the circumstances and the pressures and no matter how long the occupation lasts. Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea.” (The Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” A Document of General Principles and Policies)
Over the past year, the statement “from the river to the sea” has become a very popular chant during pro-Palestinian protests around the world. It asserts that all the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea belongs to the Palestinian people, implying that the state of Israel should not exist. This is why Hamas was not satisfied with governing the Gaza Strip, but instead used all the resources at their disposal to attack Israel as part of their quest to destroy it.
The land of Israel, however, plays a key role in our Christian faith, and thus we should pay close attention to what the Bible tells us about this piece of land that makes up 0.0139% of the Earth’s land mass.
We know that God is sovereign and that ultimately everything belongs to Him, but in Leviticus 25:23, He also states that the land of Israel belongs to Him: “The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers.”
Since the land is ultimately His, He can give it to whomever He chooses, and as we know, He decided to give it to Abraham and his descendants. Genesis 17:8 states: “The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”
Psalm 105:8-11 also declares: “He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit.’”
Because God is sovereign, He also foreknew that Israel’s rebellion and sin would lead to their banishment from the land, but because of His mercy and grace, He also testified that He would ultimately bring them back to the land He gave them.
As early as Deuteronomy 30:4-5 the Bible states: “Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors.”
Throughout the Old Testament, it is a common theme that God will bring His people back to their land. Here are two examples from the book of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 11:17: “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’”
Ezekiel 36:24: “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.”
As for me, I can’t look at the re-establishment of the nation of Israel in 1948, believe in a sovereign God, and see those events as an accident or something that happened outside of His plan, especially when the Bible states it will occur.
This brings us back to the current war, because Hamas is still fighting to destroy Israel, and even though they are losing the physical battle, they have made significant strides on the international stage.
On 19 July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared that Israel’s occupation of the Gaza strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is unlawful, along with the associated settlement regime, annexation and use of natural resources. The Court added that Israel’s legislation and measures violate the international prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid. The ICJ mandated Israel to end its occupation, dismantle its settlements, provide full reparations to Palestinian victims and facilitate the return of displaced people. (https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/07/experts-hail-icj-declaration-illegality-israels-presence-occupied)
Then, on 18 September 2024, The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to adopt a resolution that demands that Israel brings to an end without delay its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. (https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/09/1154391)
From my perspective, I see all these events as the devil’s continued battle against God. However, since he is incapable of fighting against God, he continues to try everything in his power to destroy the 0.0139% piece of land and the people to whom God has connected His name forever.
As Psalm 83:1-5 proclaims: “O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God. See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. ‘Come,’ they say, ‘let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.’ With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you.”
Ultimately, we see that those who divide God’s land and do not adhere to His plan for it will be judged for their actions. Joel 3:2 states: “I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.”
Because of the ongoing spiritual battle over the land and mankind’s sinful rebellion against God, the physical war around Israel will continue. While institutions like the ICJ and the UN have a certain role to play in our global society, when it comes to the land and people of Israel, I would rather adhere to what the Bible says.