God’s Promises Affecting the Middle East Today

The major players: Arabs, Jews, Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, Canaanites, and Syrians.

Several nations were disbanded and dispersed by God: Edom (Joel 3:19), Moab and Ammon (Zephaniah 2:9).  The Canaanites, however, were not driven out by Israel, so God left them there (Judges 2:3).  The Palestinians are the descendants of those deported to northern Israel by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17:24-41) mixed with Canaanites, Moabites, Edomites, and Ammonites.  They were still there in Jesus day (John 4).

Ishmael (Genesis 16:10-12 and 25:12-18), the father of all Arabs.

Some cities became ghost towns because of changes in trade routes or climate.  But destruction of a city in war usually does not end its habitation.  If the location was a good one before the war, it will be resettled for the same reasons.  God has changed that three times.

            Tyre (Ezekiel 26:14 and 21)

            Babylon (Jeremiah 50:13 and 39, Isaiah 13:20)

            Ninevah (Zephaniah 2:13)

Is today’s nation of Israel under any godly directive?

1.      The chosen people have a history of promises and fulfillments.

         a.      Chosen because of the promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

                  (Deuteronomy 7:6-12 and 4:37-38).

         b.      But the promises were conditional (Exodus 19:3-8)

         c.      Israel broke the covenant (Jeremiah 6:16-19 and 11:10)

         d.      But the promise to David remained (Jeremiah 33:14-22)

                  1.      But not on earth (Jeremiah 22:24-30).

                  2.      That promise was apart from the Law (2 Samuel 7:16, Galatians 3:15-18).

                  3.      The Messiah would occupy David’s throne forever (Acts 2:30-36)

                  4.      Jesus is called the head of the kingdom

                           (Colossians 1:13, 1 Thessalonians 2:12, Hebrews 12:28, 2 Peter 1:11)

2.      The present day chosen people are described in the New Testament.

         a.      Not of this world (John 18:36)

         b.      A heavenly kingdom (Daniel 7:13-14)

         c.      They are not all Israel who are descendants of Israel (Romans 9:1-8)

         d.      The Law is ended

                  (Galatians 3:24-25, Romans 7:6, Hebrews 7:12-22, 8:6-13, 9:15, 10:9)

         e.      The olive tree (Romans 11:5 and 11-15)

3.      The present day nation of Israel bears little resemblance to Biblical Israel

         a.      Not under the Law of Moses

         b.      No descendent of David

         c.      No Levitical priesthood

4.      The Promised Land may still be on the table, since it was to belong to the descendents of Abraham forever.

         a.      Israel could be useful as those who keep the evidence of God’s history fresh.

         b.      The symbolisms still work, even though Jesus has already come.

         c.      If Israel should still exist, it would be populated by Jewish Christians.