It is, of course, inevitable that whatever news items we write about with regard to the Middle East is likely to be overtaken by fresh events within a very short period of time. But we are dealing not only with the here and now, but also with the eternal purposes of God, and there are always insights to be gained, even when specific news items become outdated.

As we continue to think and pray concerning the present round of hostilities now not only with its traditional enemy in Palestine but also, with the closely linked Iranian-backed forces occupying southern Lebanon, I have taken the opportunity to explore the whole theme of the Lord’s involvement in gathering the nations of the world to the place that He regards as the centre of the nations – or ‘crossroads’ as the Good News Bible has it. The Book of Jubilees, one of the apocryphal books well-known to early Christians, goes so far as to describe Mount Zion as ‘the centre of the navel of the earth.’ (Jub. 8:19, See too Ezekiel 5:5, and 38:12). I hope you will find this compilation of Bible verses and accompanying study thought-provoking and helpful.

The damage caused by the exploding pagers

On the morning of the day that Israel exploded pagers in the pockets and hands of Hezbollah operatives, the Holy Spirit had led me to pray for those being forced to evacuate their homes in northern Israel. At the time, I had no more idea than anyone else what was about to happen, nor what an ‘exploding pager was. ’ The injuries have been dreadful, and death toll of civilian bystanders painful to contemplate. https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240918-lebanon-doctors-tell-of-horror-after-pager-blasts What are we to make of this offensive action and the follow-up strikes which are turning larges sections of southern Lebanon into second Gaza? While we should note that Israel Israel did give some warning in the case of the intense 2000+ strikes they have made there, unlike Hamas’ attack on Israel, But let’s be under no illusions about the deadly activities of the IDF in Gaza, with even some of their own members admitting that they are by no means doing enough to protect citizens.

What did Israel intend by its action?

Israel’s aim has been to hit Hezbollah so hard that they retreat further north. They have perhaps underestimated the resilience and the well-preparedness of their very tough foe, the toughest that they have yet had to face.

Many commentators see the exploding pagers as a remarkably sophisticated operation to remove many of Hezbollah’s top commanders in one fell swoop. Others view it rather as a terrorist attack on a grand scale: a war crime in other words, conducted by a leader deeply aware of his own political vulnerability and therefore anxious to divert attention elsewhere.

Any who imagined that the attacks would induce sufficient fear, confusion and paralysis in Hezbollah that it would come to the negotiating table, were being unrealistic. Now it seems as though they may actually be the prelude to a ground incursion – although there is as yet no guarantee of that.

Hezbollah’s threat to Israel

Hezbollah’s stated aim of eliminating the state of Israel altogether, and its historic actions in this direction, have led to it being deemed a terrorist organisation not just by the US and the UK, but also by the Arab League. It has not pressed toward full-blown war in recent years, but the threat remains, and Israel’s current actions are very likely to lead to major retaliation, even whilst many nations are calling for restraint on both sides.

The organisation has huge numbers of rocket-launchers aimed into Israel from multiple sites in southern Lebanon, including many in bomb-proof silos. Long before this latest round of violence began it was firing regularly on its southern neighbour. Israel claims to have destroyed perhaps 100 of these missiles, but it cannot hope to eradicate anything like every single one of them. The fact is, Israel has yet to succeed in eradicating the threat from Hamas, whose forces are almost primitive by comparison with those of Hezbollah, let alone those of the very well trained and resources of Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese people themselves are under threat from both Israel and Hezbollah, who have deliberately positioned many of their rocket launchers in amongst residential buildings. Vast numbers of citizens are fleeing, their homes destroyed and their lives and hopes in tatters. The Lebanese people have suffered greatly by Hezbollah’s presence among them.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese people themselves are under threat from both Israel and Hezbollah, who have deliberately positioned many of their rocket launchers in amongst residential buildings. Vast numbers of citizens are fleeing, their homes destroyed and their lives and hopes in tatters. The Lebanese people have suffered greatly by Hezbollah’s presence among them.

Solitary Israel

Israel’s standing among the nations is looking increasingly isolated. Germany, for example, has now decided to withhold supplies of armaments, and others are likely to follow suit, in retaliation for indiscriminate bombing in Gaza. Even amongst its own people, there are those who are deeply angered by what the nation is doing. ABC news report on an Israeli soldier has refused to serve in Gaza, and sources regularly report on the brutal treatment of Palestinians who have been taken prisoner. We should by no means dismiss such stories as mere propaganda.

Priestly Israel?

For the substantial minority of us who do believe that the God who sovereignly called Israel to be a nation chosen by God to be His priests and representatives on Earth still has purposes for the nation today, the news from that nation confronts us with many difficult and troubling questions. Is its decision to effectively go to war against Hezbollah a necessary and God-given initiative to actively pre-empt and forestall one of the periodic attempts we see throughout human history to wipe out it out? Or is it a foolish move, riven and driven with hubris? Any impartial consideration of thing, for instance, such as the actions of many of the settlers in the West Bank speak remind us more of an apartheid state than of anything the Lord could own today.

What too of its wider implications? What effect, for example, might these renewed hostilities have on the Presidential election in the United States, for example, and its current avowed preference for a two-state solution, which is anathema to those who believe in biblical boundaries. And what, far from incidentally, will America have left by way of spare armaments for Ukraine if it is needing to rearm Israel?

Remember too, the Israeli hostages and their grieving and angry families and communities.

May the Lord continue to protect so many people in the midst of this latest deadly conflict – and bring very many to a saving knowledge of Yeshua – and to a deepening knowledge for those who already do know and love Him.

May He who called Israel, and Who is utterly faithful, make them worthy of His call. May He fulfil every good resolve and work of faith by His power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in and through His people, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

May He keep them sound and blameless in spirit, soul and body for the day when He comes ‘down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God. He who has called them is faithful and He will do this. (2 Thess. 1:11-12, 1 Thess. 5:23-24 adapted) But may He also bring many in Lebanon and yes amongst the ranks of Hezbollah to a saving knowledge of Him too.

Further resources to fuel our prayers

To watch

The BBC has recently released a documentary, Surviving Oct 7th. They Will Dance Again. This has been described as a ‘harrowing glimpse into the brutal assault on partygoers at the Nova Music Festival – one of the sites in Israel attacked by Hamas on 7 October 2023. Given the BBC’s often commented on reluctance to call out Hamas as a terrorist organisation, it is commendable that they were prepared to air this program.

To pray
This is a prayer letter from a supporter of Israel. We were trying to find something corresponding for Christians in Palestine and Lebanon, but have not yet succeeded in that.

To sing

The words the Lord gave Huw Humphries in this exquisite song express so much of the Lord’s yearning for His ancient people Israel to return to Him with all their hearts. He has done so much for them, not least in bringing them back to the land He originally designated as His land and theirs. But bringing his people back to the land is only part one of His plan: bringing them to the fullness of a relationship with His Son, Yeshua, is very much His long-term goal – and one that the greater part still awaits fulfilment. Let’s make this song a part of our prayer at this time.