Shalom beloveds
A few days ago, I watched the movie “The war with grandpa” about a grandson and a grandfather at war with one another about the boy’s bedroom: basically, about territory. In one of the scenes there was an interesting conversation between the two regarding the rules of war. It went like this:
Ed: You really want a war? Because, you know, I’ve been in one. And it’s not like video games. Even if you win, everybody gets hurt.
Ed: So, what are the rules of engagement?
Peter: The what?
Ed: Rules of engagement. What’s allowed and not allowed.
Peter: You don’t have rules in a war.
Ed: Oh, yes, you do. “Rule number one… No collateral damage to civilians or their property.” That means it can’t affect your parents or your sisters.
Peter: Agreed.
Considering these past few days traumatising, immoral and horrific attacks on Israel, I was reminded of the above quoted conversation. There are rules of war, and in the days of old, most armies obeyed these rules. It was considered honourable and noble to abide by these rules. Warriors, knights, Spartans and soldiers alike made sure that all was fair in (love and) war. You can go head-to-head with your enemy but going as far as purposefully mass slaughtering defenceless civilians and parading their dead bodies as trophies is barbaric, in every sense of the word. There is no excuse. It is wrong! Where is the honour? Where is the respect? Where is the civility? My heart goes out to the many lives that were (brutally) tortured and/or murdered. I pray for ALL the lives lost, whether Jew, Muslim or Christian and I pray for the people caught up in the thick of it. May YHWH give them safety, peace, comfort, strength and justice, and may He have mercy on the perpetrators in Yeshua’s mighty name. Because as we know, the wrath of YHWH is seriously no joke!
This then brings me to the biblical account of how Haman plotted to kill and wipe out the Jews in the book of Esther. The King asked Esther to name the enemy and shame the evil who planned to kill her and her people. She immediately called out the evil (man) behind that plot. Haman immediately grew fearful before them (Esther 7).
It’s quite fitting for the current events. But my point is this: when we know who the enemy is and call him out before the Lord, the enemy becomes scared and flees. Know who the real enemy is. Call out the enemy in the presence and upon the name of God. Our authority stands firmly on Jesus Christ. Call out the evil in the presence of the Holy Spirit and make the enemy know that YHWH, the King of kings has power over every evil. Tell the enemy who reigns above him, tell the enemy about the Most High: the Defender who wins the battle for us.
We cannot stand on the side lines and watch as innocent blood is shed, we cannot stand on and watch in silence as immorality and violence thrives. We have the power to say no to hatred, no to evil and never again. Be reminded that Adonai is the one true god and that he is a loving God, yet also a just God.
Thank you for reading, till next time…
Peace and blessings in Yeshua.
