10/17/2023
Over the past few weeks, I have received a high number of questions and comments regarding the war between Israel and Hamas. Is this war related to any prophecy in the Bible? Is this another sign of the Second Coming? How should Christians respond?
I have to say that quite honestly it is a bit disappointing that the very first response to any type of war, violence, and bloodshed—especially of children, civilians, and any within a vulnerable population—would be about Bible prophecy and a fascination with American Dispensationalism.
I don’t mean to sound pious, but couldn’t we set our theological constructs aside for a moment and express deep sorrow and anguish over babies being butchered before their mothers’ eyes and people fleeing their homes and becoming overnight refugees?
So, in response to the question, How should Christians respond? I would offer the following:
First, pray. Prayer is not an afterthought that gets tacked on after serious discussions of religious and political war. Prayer should be our first response. We offer prayers of lament, prayers seeking justice, prayers seeking healing, and prayers seeking peace.
Second, study. Unfortunately, too often I contribute to “herd ignorance.” Don’t simply read the headlines of your favored news feeds; do a deep dive into the history that has led Israel and Hamas to this spear point of war. Informed Christians make better Christians.
Third, dialogue. I’m grateful that I can go to people who are smarter and better informed than me to gain their perspective and tutelage. We need to be a part of a learning community that exemplifies “faith seeking understanding” (St. Anselm).
Fourth, unite. I am not a Dispensationalist, but I am a committed follower of Jesus Christ. Some of you reading this will not unite with me on my non-dispensational theology, but I pray you will unite with me around the central tenets of our faith in Jesus and submission to Scripture.
Yesterday, I was talking with John Samples, our former Senior Associate Minister, and he said he was on a Zoom call with a pastor living in Jerusalem just a few days ago. That pastor said, “I am a Christian, an Israeli citizen, and an Arab. I don’t know what to do.”
Sometime in the 9th century B.C., Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, was facing an imminent threat from the Moabites and Ammonites, and he simply prayed, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12).
Let’s make that our prayer. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). We pray for all the men, women, and children caught in the crosshairs of this horrific war. And we pray, “Lord, we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. Amen.”
