For such a time as this

Today, Israel and the whole world are standing poised on the edge of disaster, as we wait for Iran and its proxies to attack Israel in revenge for the killing of the Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Teheran. This assassination is deeply embarrassing for the Iranian regime since it took place in its capital city and apparently with the complicity of at least one of its most trusted fighters of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Iran’s honour has been offended and they will not rest until they have avenged this affront. Iranian leaders have threatened to carry out a serious attack on Israel, using more advanced weapons and greater in number, than those used in the failed April 14 attack. Predictions are that this attack may occur as early as today.

As we prepare both practically and spiritually for the coming battle, the thought came to me that maybe it was just for this moment that God brought me to Israel so many years ago. It may be that you too, wherever you may be in Israel or at the farthest ends of the Earth, were saved and brought into the kingdom for just a time as this.

This raises the question then, “What is my role at this time, as a follower of the Messiah? What does the Lord require of me?” Some of us can pick up arms and fight on the battlefield, others offer their time as volunteers or send money to support those in need, but most of us cannot. But we can all pray, and we can all speak out when the opportunity arises.

When evil men plotted to kill all the Jews in the Persian Empire, Mordecai encouraged his niece, Esther, to speak to the King on their behalf, saying,

“’For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place... Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?’” Esther 4:14

Here in Israel, we feel that the whole world has turned against us. Yet we constantly hear some telling us this is not so, that we have many supporters even in those nations whose leaders are the most outspoken in their criticism of Israel. But why is this ‘silent majority’ silent? Silence is complicity. John Stuart Mill, in 1867, stated that “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends than that good men should look on and do nothing. He is not a good man who, without protest, allows wrong to be committed in his name...”

So what can we do? I am not necessarily advocating taking up banners and confronting the antisemites and pro-Palestinian supporters on the streets, but there is much we can do besides. We can speak up in our circle of influence, whether it is amongst our friends, our churches, or our politicians as the opportunity arises.

To do that we need to be informed and have a clear understanding, not only of what is happening on the ground, but also of what God is doing at this time.

Of course, the most important thing we can do is to pray. Many Christians know the admonition in Psalm 122:6 which says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” In the context of the Psalm, it seems to be talking about the physical peace, security and prosperity of Jerusalem. Is that what we should be praying for today? Ultimately this is what we all want, and according to Scripture we also know it will come about one day, but is this God’s will for Jerusalem now, in this day?

Perhaps this war is a necessary part of God’s plan for redemption, just as Jesus’ death was. We can see in Scripture that wars are prophesied for the future and through them God will punish his enemies and restore Israel both physically and spiritually. Perhaps this war is God’s way of bringing all Israel, and indeed many others, to our knees in repentance and to cause us to call upon His name. Perhaps too it will wake up His remnant in the church and stir us into action.

We need however to be careful how we pray.

When Jesus began to warn his disciples that he would soon have to go up to Jerusalem where he would be crucified, Peter reacted, saying, “’Never, Lord!...This shall never happen to you!’”. And what was Jesus’ response? He said to Peter, “’Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (Matthew 16: 22-23).

Peter was reacting out of good motives, he loved Jesus and didn’t want to see his friend, and his Messiah, abused and killed. Who amongst us might not have done the same? Yet, Jesus’ words to Peter are harsh, “Get behind me, Satan!” Of course, Peter was not Satan but it was Satan who put his words into Peter’s mouth, using Peter to his own ends, namely attempting to prevent Jesus from completing his mission on Earth, to die for the sins of many, and to bring forgiveness and eternal life.

 Peter did not yet understand God’s plan. He was thinking in human terms, not in God’s terms. The Enduring Word Commentary puts it like this: “Peter is a perfect example of how a sincere heart coupled with man’s thinking can often lead to disaster” (1).

Paul, writing to the Corinthian church, said, “So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding” (I Corinthians 14:15).

Paul was addressing the issue of speaking in tongues when praying, but my point is that we should not only pray with our spirits but also with understanding. We need to ensure we pray with God and not against him.

Jesus taught us to pray, saying,

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name, your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6: 9-10).

But how do we know what is God’s will? Peter didn’t and it got him into trouble. He found himself on the side of Satan and not that of God.

Is it even possible for us to know God’s will? After all God said, through Isaiah,

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
 neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
 so are my ways higher than your ways
 and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55: 8-9).

Yet God has revealed his thoughts and his ways to us through Scripture. We can know his plans and get at least a glimmer of understanding if we study His Holy Scriptures. They are God’s self-revelation.

To pray effectively, we must study God’s word, something that few churches or individual Christians do today. It is not enough to merely read the Bible, or use various passages for devotions, but we need to dig deep, study the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and ask God to reveal to us the ‘big picture’, God’s plan for redemption. Then we can pray in tune with God’s will.

This is especially necessary today. The world’s media is corrupt, confused, antisemitic and essentially opposed to God. We cannot trust its biased and often factually incorrect reporting. If we want to understand what is going on in the Middle East today, and Israel’s role in it, we must do it through the lens of Scripture. And we must pray as Jesus taught us, “Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”