The Middle East Conflict: Who rightly owns the covenanted land and how does this conflict affect the world?

The Israelites had to sojourn in the wilderness for the period of forty days, but due to their disobedience to God their stay was extended to forty years. Joshua 5:6 “For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not show them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.” Deuteronomy 8:2 “And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.”
After Moses’ death the Lord spoke to Joshua and commanded that the people be led to the land prepared for them. Joshua 1:2 “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.” In verse four the Lord tells Joshua of the land which belongs to them “From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.” The Lord encouraged Joshua to be strong and reminded him that he is the one leading them and fighting with them against the other nations. Verses 6 and 7 reads “Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.”

Joshua 3:10 “And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.” Joshua is assuring the children of Israel that the lord will drive out the other nations so they could inhabit the lands.
The Israelites fought with the Kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og and overcame them. Joshua 2:10 tells us “For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.” This part of conversation between Rahab and the spies sent by Joshua to Jericho took place before the Israelites overthrew the city. Joshua in the following verses was given the arraying of the battle by God. Joshua led the people as God into battle and the following verses of scripture tells us what happened. Joshua 6:1, 2, 20 and 21 “Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.”
The Israelites fought many other battles in many different ways. As long as they were living to the standard that God had laid for them they always won the battle, but if they disobeyed him and failed to keep his commandments and to observe his ordinances he allowed the other nations to prevail against them and the Israelites suffered at the hands of their enemies. Further in the scriptures there is evidence of the land changing ownership, but, it is always given back to the rightful owners (the Israelites). Presently their land is being fought for but as God liveth the land must be restored to its rightful owners, the Israelites.

Look out for the continuation of this article in next weekend’s paper. Have a blessed week!

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