Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: Psalm 122:6
The war news of the world is once again centered on Israel and its surrounding enemy neighbors. The warring parties of both camps are driven by political, and religious ideologies that have very different views on what will bring about peace in the land. Israel wants to cut deals with their enemy that will restrict their ability to be armed for war - Muslim extremists want to exterminate Israel completely. The rest of the world, sides with one or the other in varying degrees.
But as believers in Jesus Christ, where do we stand in all this? What’s our view on how peace might come to this ‘hotspot’ on the world’s scene?
We must be guided by Scripture as always and be discerning of the persuasive influences of media alone.
There is only one way that peace will ever rein in Israel. As individual sinners who are at enmity with God (Rom. 5:10) can know true peace with Him by faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1) - so one day will Israel and the whole world know peace when this man, Christ Jesus reigns supreme! Peace - real peace with one another, will only ever come about through a transformed hearts. This will happen internationally when Jesus Christ returns and literally judge’s nations prior setting up His kingdom of peace. (Isa. 9:7) This will happen - so our prayers for the peace of Jerusalem are timely!
But, in the mean time, let us pray that Israelis, Muslims and whoever else may come to know true peace with God individually through Jesus Christ, before the great day of God’s judgment on Israel and her enemies in order to usher in true peace. The prophet Zechariah wrote in 9:10
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim; And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.