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(This post first ran in July of 2006!)This War Didn’t Begin in 1948! Oh, NO!
Two half-brothers, sons of an old fellow, from a place we now call Iraq, began this mess many centuries before Christ.
Contrary to what we are being and told… and our young folks are being taught; the Arab/Israeli problem did not have its start in 1948. Far from it. The origin of this on-going battle, between half-brothers, dates back to Abraham, Sarah, Isaac’s mother, and Hagar, Ishmael’s mother.
I have lifted out some scripture verses below to illustrate the story, as it appears in the story of the Children of Israel. To get the entire story on the origins of this conflict, even to the battles, which have erupted this week between the half-brothers, Abraham’s children, we recommend you read the two chapters of Genesis… 16 and 17. Once you have done that, you will have the background on the everlasting war between Abraham’s kids. You will also see the hopelessness of any country, including the US, reaching a lasting peace agreement between the two.
Just as scripture stated, Ishmael’s children would have their hands raised against everyman and everyman’s hand would be against them.
Don’t believe me?
Look at today’s newspapers. There it is. The story starts on the pages of Genesis and continues on the pages of the New York Times.
For the entire story read the 16th and 17th chapters of Genesis in the Old Testament (The Bible.)
Now… the story behind the story:
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Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian slave-girl whose name was Hagar, and Sarai said to Abram, "You see that the LORD has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my slave-girl; it may be that I shall obtain children by her. "And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her slave-girl, and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife. . . .
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Genesis 16: 11-12
And the angel of the LORD said unto her(Hagar), Behold, thou [art] with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
And he will be a wild man; his hand [will be] against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
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Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
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And Abraham said to God, "O that Ishmael might live in your sight!" God said, "No, but your wife Sarah shall bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you; I will bless him and make him fruitful and exceedingly numerous; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year."
The LORD dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as he had promised. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him.
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The child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac." The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring." So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
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In closing, let me disabuse you of any thought that the conflict between Israel, and her Arab neighbors, will be ended anytime soon. It isn’t going to happen.
There is only one entity with the ability to stop this fight. He is expected, well, any time now.
Longstreet
6 comments:
The point is, American taxpayer money should not be used to support one side against the other.
No! The real point is this is from the Jewish Tora and in fact is totaly bias as to promote Jews as God's chosen people...... a farse that the Hebrews cooked up to get a nation for themselves, remember they were just slaves. I am a Christian so don't misunderstand my statements.... The whole old testament gets thrown in the dust bin as a side note of a vengefull God when his son was born. I KNOW that all people are God's chosen people.
A couple of things: All Jews were Israelites... but all Israelites were not Jews. Only the tribe of Judah were/are Jews.
I view Christianity as Judaism complete.
I'd like to recomment something to you, Frank, and to other readers of these comments: Visit a synogoue for a "standard" service.
Frank, I believe you said you were Roman Catholic. I'm Lutheran and have been attending an Episcopal church until a couple of years ago. I have attended Roman services, and Anglican services, as well. Pretty much all the Liturgical churches. Now, here's the thing. Go to any of these churches/synogoues and THE FORM OF THE SERVICE IS THE SAME! I found I could follow the service at the synogoue... even though I could not read Hebrew. The form was the same as that of the Roman church, and the Lutheran, and Episcopal churches.
My point is... there is a connection between the faith of the Jew and the faith of the Christian that will not be denied.
Having said all that... I just do not see how, if we wish to call ourselves a Christian nation, we can do anything other than support Israel. Heck, I would support offering her statehood. She'd turn it down, of course.
There are far more Jews in America than there are in Israel. Prior to the War Between the States, the highest concerntration of Jews in America was in Charleston, SC. I grew up in SC. I have lived around, and with Jews, all my life. I have worked with them and for them. Some of my most pleasant moments have been spent in the company of Jews. Heck, Frank, my Lord spent his time on this earth as a JEW!
The funny thing is... I have a disease that was, for many decades thought to be a disease common only to Jews. So... I might have a Jewish gene, or two, in there amongst all the others somewhere! I would consider it a compliment!
Best regards!
Longstreet
Frank, I apologise! I just noticed something you said about the Old Testament being tossed in the dust bin by the New Testament. I can't speak for the Roman church, but we Lutherans give equal weight to the Old Testament as we do the New Testament. Each service we have a lesson from the Old Testament and another from the New Testament and usually a Psalm read as well.
The Torah is the first five books of the Bible. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. That's how we Christians see it. However, the Torah can also be considered, by Jews, as all the books of the Old Testament or, even the whole of Jewish writings.
I think the denominations of the Christian church which do not assign the same value to the Old Testament, as the New, is/are doing themselves a great disservice. The Law and the Prophets are contained in that Old Testament. We Christians need that record of what happened, and why it happened, and we certainly need to know God's Law.
Don't mean to get into a theological argument/discussion with you. You believe what you believe and I believe what I believe for the same reason... 'cause that's what we believe. I respect that!
Best regards,
Longstreet
Hoosier,
I don't believe, I know...... the old testament was God's covenant with the Isrealites, if THEY followed his laws, he would lead them to freedom and give them a nation of their own..... fair enough. I also know as a
Christian God's covenant with me and his laws for me are all found in the teachings of his Son, my savior. My covenant is not one with a and I Quote, "I am a jealous God and you shall have no other gods besides me" type of covenant, mine is more like a, "The only way to the father is through my blood" type of covenant, "Judge not, Clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, comfort the sick and dying" type, "Sell your posessions, give the money to the poor and come follow me" All more important to a spiritual life than not eating pork or certain animals from the sea, and stoning adulterers.
Thank God for Martin Luther!
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