Coming to chapter 10 of 2 Samuel, we see some more
incidences of battles recorded. These battles happened because of suspicions
and misunderstandings. When the king of the Ammonites dies, his son, Hanun,
becomes ruler. David sincerely sent a diplomatic detachment to Amon to pay
respect and give condolences to Hanun. But Hanun’s advisors said it was all a
trick. Let’s read 2 Samuel 10:2b-3 in the CJB:
So
David sent his servants to pass him a message of comfort concerning his father.
David’s servants entered the territory of the people of ‘Amon; 3 but
the leaders of the people of ‘Amon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you really
think David is honoring your father by sending people to comfort you? Hasn’t
David actually sent his servants to you in order to look the city over,
reconnoiter it and overthrow it?”
I was impressed by the fact that governments around the
world still get into wars and skirmishes because of perceived threats and
suspicions. The hard part is telling when it’s a real threat to the safety of
one nation’s people, and when it is not. As I look at the Middle East, I do not
begin to understand which perceived threats are real and which are not. What I
do understand is that Israel is God-ordained to rule over the Promised Land.
How that comes about in its entirety we have yet to see, but in the meantime,
we need to remember that God still loves Israel and desires for them to return
to all the teachings in the Old Testament. A time will come where everything
will happen in Israel. God is not finished with Israel yet.
This challenges my attitudes about Israel’s current
political and military condition. They are still trying to deal with the
threats from their neighbors. We have seen incidences where those threats were
real and carried out (suicide bombers, missile launches into Israeli lands,
other things we don’t see readily reported in the news). All we get is accounts
of Israel’s responses to those attacks, and Israel is seen as an aggressor. My
views have been warped by the current trends in some of the media. I’m
adjusting to this new way of thinking. I wish there was a way for Israel to
regain the entire Promised Land without wars, skirmishes, violence of any kind,
and without being perceived as violating human rights. I can keep praying for
that, but these conditions originated long ago when Israel failed to carry out
God’s orders to rid the land of other nations. The battle continues today.
2 comments:
I like how you worded your concerns. I share them as well. I also understand that much of the conflict at the Gaza Strip is because Hamas continues to fund terrorism. Until that group is halted/no longer has the power, maybe then we will see a shift towards reconciliation and peace. I watched a program this past weekend that spoke to a peace agreement coming from the White House June 4. It's been under construction for two years. Only time will tell....until then, I pray.
Thanks for your comment. You are right. Only time (and God's maneuvering) will tell. In the meantime, as you said, we should continue to pray.
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