WISDOM AND GUIDANCE FOR ISRAEL’S YET TO BE FOUGHT WAR

In reflecting on the last half-century since Israel was restored as a nation, one becomes painfully aware that Russia and the Arab Nations surrounding Israel have consistently sought to bring about the downfall of the Jews--God’s covenant people. Ezekiel, in prophesying about the time following the restoration of Israel, identified Israel’s main enemy as Gog of the land of Magog which scholars agree is present-day Russia. The Arab nations in this prophecy that will join Russia against Israel are: Libya, Ethiopia, Persia (called since 1935). Gomer and Togarmah (the last two being in the Black Sea area north of present-day Turkey). The following is a small portion of this astounding prophecy in the 38th Chapter of Ezekiel:

“Son of man, Set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog and prophecy against him” ( verse 2). Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops--many people are with you (verse 5 & 6). You will say, “I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bars nor gates--to take plunder and to take booty------- ‘ (verse 11 & 12). You will come up against my people Israel like a cloud to cover the land------ “(verse 16).

Over 3,000 years ago, this prophet of God wrote about a war in Israel in “the latter times” --a war that is yet to be fought. You can read about it in God’s Word, the ancient Hebrew scriptures that are called the Bible (Ezekiel chapter 38 & 39). It will be a war in which God intervenes in miraculous ways on behalf of Israel. But individuals are going to need a lot of wisdom and guidance form all-mighty God if they and their families are to come through this time of trouble in the way our loving heavenly Father intends. It is clear, from the scripture, that He will do His part but wisdom and guidance comes through an individual, loving relationship with our heavenly Father. We must know Him personally.

Knowing God personally is what the Bible is all about--especially the New Testament. It is about Jesus Christ, the Messiah who came to die for your sin and my sin. Simply put, sin is separation from God. When we refuse to depend on God, we separate ourselves form Him just as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden and that leads to spiritual death. God said; of every tree in the Garden you may freely eat; but of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day you eat of it, you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). Adam and Eve and you and I are not equal to God--we were created to live under His loving direction--the knowledge of good and evil belongs to God and God alone. But because he gives us freedom to choose, we choose to seek the knowledge of good and evil because we think this will make us independent of God’s direction. That is rebellion against God’s plan for our lives.

Like Adam and Eve, all of us eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which totally separates us from God. Without any connection to the only source of spiritual life, we die spiritually and become helpless in the face of satan and the evil he causes in our lives; but God planned in the beginning to pay the price of our rebellion Himself. He came incarnate as a human being to die for the sin of the world just as the Hebrew prophets of old had prophesied. Then He was raised to life again by the Spirit of God, breaking the power of satan and sin. He is the Messiah--His name is Jesus Christ--His life and death and resurrection is the fulfillment of all the prophesies in the Bible about the promised Messiah. Through Jesus we can choose to come under God’s direction and receive forgiveness for our sin and be “born again” spiritually. With this new life from God we can receive His love and return His love. Out of that intimate relationship we can receive the guidance, direction, and wisdom that bring victory in any situation-even war. It is all written down for us in the Old and New Testaments-the inspired Word of God.