By Scott Johnson
When the serpent was sentenced by the Lord, enmity or hate or hostility was assigned to be between him and the seed of woman: "Abraham is our father," they answered. "If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father." "We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." (Joh 8:39-47 NIV)
Pharoah did not belong to God, he resisted God and in so doing he ordered all the born Hebrew boys thrown into the Nile river. The attempted genocide of the Israeli people began in Egypt. About a thousand years later the great Assyrian Empire attacked, seized, and carried away the 10-tribe nation of Israel, after the Kingdom of Israel split into 2 factions, and was never heard of again. The very small nation of Judah (along with Benjamin) remained as the only representative of Israel. Judah was doomed as well but only for a 70 year period of captivity by the Babylonians. Later, thanks to King Cyrus of Persia, the remnant of Israel was allowed to return to Jerusalem. Queen Ester would save the entire Jewish population of yet another attempted genocide as the Old Testament period comes to a close.
This December, the celebration of Christmas has been recognized since 1 AD. Yet, this event of the Christ child was not without woe -- resisting the new born King of Israel: When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." (Mat 2:16-18 NIV)
Adolph Hitler sought a complete genocide of the Jews and actually came close to his objective. Over 8M Jews were killed by this vicious dictator -- about 80% of the Jewish population at the time of WW2. The survivors began a new start in a UN recognized country -- Israel in 1947-48
As 2023 comes to close, the resistance or enmity against Israel and against God has raised its ugly and nefarious head again. Thousands of Israel's citizens were killed or injured on October 7th by a planned and organized militia of terrorists rooted from Islam. Islam serves its god, Allah. Israel serves its God, Jehovah. Islam follows the teaching in its Koran. Israel follows the teaching of our Old Testament. Israel reads the book of Amos: He said: "The LORD roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up, and the top of Carmel withers." This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not relent. Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth, I will send fire on the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad. I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden. The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir," says the LORD. This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not relent. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, I will send fire on the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses. I will destroy the king of Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon. I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines are dead," says the Sovereign LORD. This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Tyre, even for four, I will not relent. Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood, I will send fire on the walls of Tyre that will consume her fortresses." This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not relent. Because he pursued his brother with a sword and slaughtered the women of the land, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked, I will send fire on Teman that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah." This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not relent. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders, I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah that will consume her fortresses amid war cries on the day of battle, amid violent winds on a stormy day. Her king will go into exile, he and his officials together," says the LORD. (Amos 1:2-15 NIV)
Scott and Jane Johnson minister with East Faulkner Church of Christ and BRG Bible. Bible questions can be sent to [email protected]