Middle East War: 
​An indicator that humans are on the wrong track

​“For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.”
Isaiah 45:18
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God has made a beautiful world. He filled it with things that please Him. “He formed it to be inhabited.”

Now, think of what humans have done with it - and to it!

The middle east saga that we watch unfolding in our daily news is just the latest catastrophe in a very unflattering history of human stewardship of planet earth. And in one way or another we all pay the cost. How did we get to the point that we spend so much of our time, our efforts, and the things that God created to show His glory, to hate, harm, and destroy instead?

We suffer hardship and uncertainty because human nature is selfish and flawed, and human governance often follows suit. But this article isn’t written to explore that problem, just the outcomes – like war, and share the divine solution.

We know from the Bible that human controlled civilization will run its course, and God will step in and replace its leadership with one that is in harmony with the earth He made. Why is this going to happen? – because we haven’t followed His laws.

​War is an indictment on us. It demonstrates our willingness to ignore the commandments of God – foremost among which are the words Jesus shared:
“… Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. “
Matthew 22:37-39

Associated with this is the directive: “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Not: let’s make the most cost effective long range weapon of war so our egotistical culture can get more! We can rise to the top of the heap and control everything we see!

Some priorities just haven’t improved, a sad state given the lessons of the past. One can just wonder what God thinks of how His creation is faring, given what He has firstly given to them and then expected from them.

Instead, the middle east is again on the world stage, most especially Israel. For such a small part of the world it has such a large impact on current affairs. And it’s an important nation because it is at the centre of so much of Gods attention. God selected the descendants of Abraham (the father of Israel) as His chosen people – because Abraham was faithful to His call. And we track through the books of the Bible watching both the faithfulness and failures of his offspring. That is, until Jesus came, and the first century apostles and disciples were tasked to share the Gospel message with the whole world – a message that was the same as the one given to Abraham.

And that’s what we do with you today.

The Gospel is the good news of a better world yet to come – the kingdom of God on Earth, one in which God will:
“…judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.”
Micah 4:3-5

It might sound familiar and all too simple, but it is a time when people will gain the benefit of their own effort; and live in peace because God will be revered again.

This middle-east conflict is but another marker in the downward spiral of humanity. Historically wars were more regional, but in the last century …not so much. As nations become more intermeshed, so do their problems, and we are ever closer to a point of no return where, even though we have the tools to change the world for good (and in a scale unsurpassed in history), we are – as a whole – becoming less willing to use them for peace.

Consider the style of rulership that many of the powerful nations of the world exhibit. They are willing to project their will against their neighbours (near and far) in the most atrocious ways. Their own people also become victims, with little say in the matter. There is no international hand that guides or causes peace, so we are left in the hands of the greedy and the tyrannical.

This is a characteristic of the last days of human rule before Jesus intervenes. The Old Testament prophets highlight major points, and the New Testament writers show us the consequence – in their day, in ours, and in the days to come. It is all part of a timeline that is controlled by God and ends with His kingdom on earth again.

In the meantime, Daniel chapter four presents the truth of the matter, so that
“… the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.”
Daniel 4:17

Seems strange that God brings this about, but we live in testing times.

So, though we look for the promise of something better we have our part to play today, while we have the opportunity – because works are important to God. This starts with belief and understanding, develops into love, and ends when we resemble Jesus Christ in attitude and action. It is the direction the very basic message the Gospel inevitably takes the believers who want to please God.

​And we aren’t telling you this because we think just you should do this, we do so to remind ourselves that we must do it too.