Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

As I write this post, the nation of Israel is at war, and the Jewish people are experiencing antisemitism and hatred on a global scale. October 7, 2023 is being referred to as “Hashabbat Hashachur” – the Black Sabbath. Some are calling it the Second Holocaust. My parents and grandparents lived through WW2 and would talk to me about the heinous crimes committed against our people. They sent me to Hebrew school as a child. When I was about ten years old, I was shown film footage taken in the concentration camps, showing piles of emaciated dead bodies being pushed by bulldozers into mass graves. Some of the dead were children, my age and younger. That experience made a lasting impression on me. As I grew older, I came to associate such hatred and horror as a thing of the past, something that could never happen again. I have lived with that sense of reassurance most of my life – until now.

All over the world people are ranting and chanting “death to Israel” and “death to the Jews.” What does it mean when the crowds repeatedly sing “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free?” It is nothing short of a call to genocide, a call to eradicate Israel off the face of the earth. A call to complete the work of Hitler and the Nazis, who murdered two thirds of Europe’s Jewish population. Hamas slaughtered 1,400 people in cold blood, raped others, burned whole families alive, and committed more unspeakable crimes that have not been allowed to be shown on the evening news. They have taken 230 hostages, many of whom are small children. To make matters even worse, some are suggesting that these atrocities were actually faked by Israel, a narrative reminiscent of Holocaust denial. However, the body cams of Hamas soldiers tell a different story. And thousands of people across the world are rejoicing in the streets over these horrors inflicted upon innocent people. I have never seen anything like this. I will not pretend to have any simple solutions to this conflict. What I can do is try to offer some understanding and insight into the present circumstances.

I was privileged to recently be on a Zoom meeting in which Israeli missionaries and Messianic rabbis were gathered for discussion and prayer. One of the prayer requests was, “Please pray for the Israeli leadership. There are no-win decisions that need to be made. We need to defend the nation and at the same time preserve the lives of the innocent. Please pray for wisdom and kindness.” Another individual shared, “We are disappointed in our government and leadership. But we have never seen the nation so united as now. Dark days are before us. We are surrounded by enemies. There are no safe places in Israel. We are not superheroes. We need your prayers. This is not just a physical battle – it is a spiritual battle, first for our own souls, and for those we minister to. People are open to the Gospel.”

These are prayer requests directly from people who are on the ground, living through this nightmare as it unfolds.

I do not have all the answers, however as one who regards the Bible as God’s Word to humanity, there are some things I know for certain regarding Israel and the Jewish people that are clearly taught in scripture:

1. God gave the land of Israel to Abraham and his descendants as stated in what is referred to as the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3). There were three elements to this covenant: the giving of the land, the promise of blessing, and the promise of a great nation. The Lord appeared to Abraham six additional times to reaffirm this covenant (Genesis 13:14-17; Genesis 15:1-16; Genesis 15:17-21; Genesis 17; Genesis 18; Genesis 22). This covenant was unconditional and was reaffirmed to Abraham’s son Isaac (Genesis 26:1-5), and to his grandson Jacob (Genesis 28:10-15). The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are the modern-day Jewish people. They have a right to live in their God given homeland.

2. The Jewish people are the apple of God’s eye (Zechariah 2:8) and are loved by God (Romans 11:28).

3. Every human being is created in the image of God, and is therefore of immense value, whether they are Jewish, Palestinian, or otherwise. Human life is precious and should be protected (Genesis 1:26).

4. God is not done with the Jewish people (Romans 11:29).

5. The day will come when all of Israel will receive Jesus as their Messiah (Romans 11:25-27).

Another thing that I know for certain is that we are admonished to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6). As requested during the online Zoom meeting, please pray that the Israeli leadership and the IDF will act with wisdom and kindness. As I’ve pointed out, every human being is created in God’s image, and every life has value. May the IDF be granted the discernment, and accuracy to eliminate the threat of Hamas terrorists while preserving innocent life. May the Lord grant protection over the men and women who are risking their lives to defend the very existence of their people. Any may God bring peace to Jerusalem and to the land of Israel.

Lastly, we must remember that the scriptures foretell of difficult and perilous times for Israel and the entire world as the time of the End approaches. I don’t know exactly where we are in that timeline, however I can say that the very existence of Israel as a nation state after 2,000 years of exile and dispersion is glaring evidence that the time is short, and we must therefore be sober, watchful, and ready. Speaking of the End Times Jesus said, “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28 ESV).

Be ready. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Remember that true and lasting peace will only come at the return of the King.