By Gary Humble | Tennessee Stands
As with everything else we see happening in the world, our response to the conflict in Israel is not one-size-fits-all.
The biblical implications of what is happening in the region are huge and something to pay attention to closely. Clearly, anytime that the nation of Israel is at war, our spiritual antennas should be up and tuned in. There is a narrative playing out right before our eyes.
My Christian worldview is shaped around an understanding of the scriptures that place Israel squarely at the center of the story. The Old Testament not only presents the Jewish people as a stereotype of humanity, a people that continually rejects God and chooses idolatry, but a chosen people – God’s chosen people. And while the Jews rejected a God that came to save by grace and therefore grafted a Gentile world into this redemptive story, God does not renegotiate His promises. He has a plan for Israel.
We are commanded by scripture to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And that is the position we must take here. We outright condemn these heinous acts of terror that have been perpetrated by Hamas on civilians in the land of Israel. Further, we fully support and defend the nation of Israel’s sovereign right to defend itself against her enemies.
We are commanded by scripture to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And that is the position we must take here.
But as usual, here is where we must not only be astute observers of what is taking place before us. We must also ask God for discernment to read between the lines. Surely by now, we must understand that we can never take what we are being told at face value, and I would say, especially in a time of war.
There are major geopolitical issues at play in and around this conflict. And certainly, everything I say from here on out is mixed with observation, fact, and some speculation. Never can we assume that we have gathered the full set of facts on which to base our assumptions, primarily because we depend on a media that will consistently feed us only the facts we are supposed to hear.
Every American now clamoring for the support of Israel must first understand that we as a nation are complicit in the attack. We funded it via Iran. Of course, the guilty party is working to downplay the release of $6 Billion from a South Korean bank to the Iranian regime as having anything to do with this attack. But anyone with a modicum of common sense and honesty knows that Hamas is the leading benefactor of Iranian hatred for the West and for the Jewish people.
To make matters more complicated, we have to deal with the fact that we are witnessing a breach of the world’s most technologically advanced and secure national border along with a national intelligence agency that is second to none. That is leading many to believe that in some part, factions within the Israeli government may have had a hand in at least allowing this breach to occur. Certainly, it would now give Israel the justification it needs to wipe Gaza off the map. And the killing of innocent Israelis would stave off most UN and international opposition to an official declaration of war. Again, this lands in the highly speculative category. But there are many reports on the ground that seem to, at least in part, support that this is a possibility.
Turning to America for a moment, consider the benefit to our enemies from drawing us into yet another war. It is a perfect scenario to weaken not only our ability to fight abroad but especially our ability to defend the homeland.
China and Russia both have a lot to gain by continuing to watch the United States expend itself in proxy wars around the globe. We are now over $100 Billion into funding a corrupt enterprise in Ukraine and creating allies out of our enemies. Getting into another war could be the death blow to the dollar.
“Fears of Chinese military intervention in [Taiwan] have only spiked since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.” (Business Insider) It would seem to be obvious that China has a great deal of interest in seeing this conflict in Israel continue to grow into a major regional or world conflict. With America now focused on two foreign wars and continuing to bleed itself into a debt oblivion, we are pervious to attacks on the homeland and left to defend ourselves with a depleted military, or at the very least, distracted enough for China to finally succeed in taking Taiwan and continuing to grow its economic power.
Here on the homeland, Iranian sleeper cells have been an ongoing concern for quite some time. Not to dive deep into panic mode here, but one could imagine that the US engagement in a war to defend Israel (ultimately against Iranian forces) could cause Iran to make good on their threat of an attack from inside our borders. Do not think for a moment that our open Southern border has not played a significant role in these potential terrorist activities.
Ok. So, what now?
We can support Israel’s right to defend itself. We can pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We can condemn the horrendous attacks by Hamas. At the same time, we can acknowledge that there are both spiritual and geopolitical forces at play here that extend well beyond the narrative being played out in the media.
…we can acknowledge that there are both spiritual and geopolitical forces at play here that extend well beyond the narrative being played out in the media.
I for one am skeptical about the real facts on the ground as to how this conflict began. With that said, this is a conflict that did not begin with a breach of a border wall. The history here goes much deeper.
I have great reservations as to any US military involvement in this conflict. I do believe that China is waiting in the wings. And I believe that our Southern border continues to be the most threatening clear and present danger.
There has never been a moment in our lifetimes where we should be so dependent on the discernment of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of God in how we interpret the times and how we respond. And in light of the events happening around the world and threats to our security here on the homeland, it is incumbent on leaders here in Tennessee to be thinking beyond the normal scope of legislative activities and government as usual. How might we ensure that as much as is within our ability, our state is insulated from the global impact of these political forces?
How might we secure ourselves financially with a stable currency, banking system, and ability to trade? How might we secure our food supplies and ability to produce and manufacture right here in Tennessee? How might we be organized at a state level to protect ourselves and our families from enemies both foreign and domestic?
Since 1789, these are questions that we have predominately (and to our great benefit) left up to the federal government. In 2023, may I suggest that these might be conversations worth having again within the states.
