Hamas is not an organisation
Hamas is better described as an organism not an organisation, and dealing with it at an organisational level just won’t work. For sure it has some organisational structures built around it, but at its core it is an aggressive and militaristic ideologically driven organism, diametrically opposed to Western Judeo Christian values. Perhaps the best analogy to Hamas is that of a cancer. A cancer in its early stage can be surgical removed but if allowed to develop unchecked, will spread through the body and be impossible to be surgically removed. Precision air strikes in Gaza in my opinion are fruitless attempts to surgically remove Hamas, because Hamas has spread everywhere, even in our country. I saw them on the steps of the Opera House just a few weeks ago, and around the world in most major cities. Thousands of Hamas supporters are chanting their support, burning Israeli flags and shouting death to the Jews. Saddest of all was to see Australian school children marching in support of Hamas, antisemitism is no longer on the outer fringes of society, it has entered the public square, and that is an ominous sign.
Will Israel’s military pressure on Hamas cause it to collapse? To continue with the ‘cancer’ analogy, it is a well known medical fact that stress and mechanical pressure, encourages its growth, or in medical terms causes it to metastasise, and that is precisely what has been happening for several decades with militant radical Islam, thanks in part at least to the Wests substandard immigration policies, this cancer has spread far and wide. So, in keeping with this analogy the best outcome to be hoped for is a temporary remission in Gaza, unless God miraculously intervenes.
A Wake-Up Call to the Comfortable Church
Thinking of Hamas in terms of an ideology orientates us in the right direction but does not go far enough, behind the ideology lies something far deeper and sinister. There is a profound spiritual dimension to this conflict that many in the church fail to see.
Eric Metaxas in his book, Warning to the American Church compares the general disposition of the church today to that of the church in the 1930s. Indeed, the parallels are sobering if not chilling in their similarity. The so called ‘established church’ with some notable exceptions, is most at fault with their “we don’t want to get involved in politics, we don’t want to offend anyone” attitude, there are good people both sides we are told, so we should not take sides. Besides, we have our own sheep to take care of, so why make waves and rock the boat, its uncomfortable. Well, this type of mentality led to the Holocaust and the unspeakable horrors of a World War 2, and we are in the gravest of danger of history repeating itself. We wouldn’t have been able to defeat the Nazis if we had held back our Allied armies because of harming innocent French and German civilians. Of course, the IDF must be judicious in its prosecution of this war and by all accounts they are, but sadly war is war and people suffer. That said, we need to see the big picture and think in terms of Principalities more than people in this respect, and when faced with pure evil we must take sides, to not do so puts us in the place of the Laodiceans, who because they were neither cold nor hot, the Lord would spew them out of His mouth.
Where are the Bonhoeffers and Niemollers Today?
If you think this is a Jew versus Muslim war, you had better think again, the statement, “first the Saturday people, then the Sunday people”, attributed to Martin Niemoller one brave Christian leader who stood against Nazism is true. Only recently the co-founder of Hamas Mahmoud al-Zahar, stated clearly that after they had eliminated the Jewish Zionists the next to go are the ‘treacherous Christians.’ On top of that the unlikely bedfellows of the Islamists, the far-left Social Marxists have risen up to jointly and willingly lend a hand in that task. I ask where the Niemoller’s and the Bonhoeffer’s are today, sadly few and far between it seems.
The Army of King David is Arising Again
The Psalmist had it right, in Psalm 20.7, where we read “some trust in war chariots and some in their horses, but we trust in the Lord our God.” I have great respect for the IDF and the Merkava main battle tank, it is a great war chariot, but this war cannot be won by the IDF, even with the help of America, because this is no ordinary war. The good thing is, the IDF and Israelis in general are beginning to realise this, tens of thousands are turning to God, calling out to Him to deliver them. The sale of tzitzits going through the roof is an encouraging sign of this renewal, what has been truly uplifting is seeing huge numbers of soldiers praying before going into battle, I have seen whole Regiments of the IDF singing joyously Psalm 121. It’s like King Davids army is rising up again. I hope Israel’s ‘top brass’ are watching this phenomenon and taking note after their abject failure leading up to the disaster of 7 October. We know God is in control and has His plan but if they can’t line up with that and quickly, it won’t end well for them.
It’s always been morally right to stand with Israel, but now more than ever we need to stand with our Jewish Brethren and call on the God of Abraham to deliver us all, as we Christians are in line and not far behind.
0 Comments