News from the Front Lines
Two wars have been waging in Israel—one with Hamas on the border with Gaza and one with Hezbollah on the border with Lebanon. There is now, however, a newly agreed to ceasefire in place between Israel and Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has again issued war-related arrest warrants, this time for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Mohammed Deif, a Hamas leader of the October 7, 2023 attacks into Israel.
Analysis and eternal perspective: First, news of ceasefire deals consistently outpace actual sustained ceasefires. While we as The Equipped community pray for lasting peace, we should remain aware of the reality that lasting peace requires more than the start of a new ceasefire.
Next, remember that the ICC has no legal jurisdiction in Israel, rendering its arrest warrants essentially meaningless inside the country. There are, however, some governments who view the warrants as valid within their borders, effectively restricting Netanyahu and Gallant from traveling to those countries. Deif is believed to be deceased.
A third war wages here, though not one of bullets and weapons. It is a war for moral equivalency. As Jesus followers, we must not grow weary in applying a biblical lens to these wars. Every person—regardless of nationality—was created in God’s image (Gen. 1:26-27) and is called into relationship with Him (Lk. 19:10). Simultaneously, God’s covenant relationship with the Jewish people (Gen. 12:3, Deut. 7:6-9) has informed efforts to exterminate them throughout human history. Weariness must not weaken our resolve to continually reaffirm these truths.
The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.