Christmas & The Middle East Crisis

CHRISTMAS & THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS

Gal. 4:21-29

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. I heard about a couple of men fishing off the coast of Wales, England in rough weather. One of the fishermen lost his dentures over the side of the boat.

2. His friend, wanting to pull a prank, bet him $100 that he could lower his fishing hook over the side and “fish” the dentures back to the surface. The first man agreed to pay him $100 if he did so.

3. Meanwhile, the second man, who was also wearing dentures, took his out, hooked them with his hook, and lowered them down into the water.

4. After a minute he told his friend he “felt something” and reeled in the dentures. His friend was amazed and paid him the promised $100.

5. The first man then tried on the dentures, and before the second man could stop him, threw them into the ocean with the disgusted remark, “They’re not mine – they don’t fit!”

B. WHAT IS THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS?

1. Wars between Israel and its Muslim neighbors – Egypt, Palestinians, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and in the past, Jordan.

2. In the last few months there has been a dramatic increase in conflict between Israel and Hamas.

3. EXAMPLES OF CONFLICT IN 2018:

a. Hundreds of missiles have been fired into Israeli border cities from Gaza. Israelis were killed or wounded. Israel has retaliated with bombing over 100 Hamas targets inside Gaza.

b. 1,000s of Palestinians attempted to breach the border defense, drawing fire from Israeli soldiers, causing the deaths of 15 Palestinians.

c. Israel is currently drilling along its border with Lebanon to collapse tunnels Hezbollah built from Lebanon to be used during an invasion of Israel.

C. NO CONNECTION TO CHRISTMAS?

1. What can the Middle East Crisis possibly have in common with Christmas?

2. Christmas is a Christian holiday. Relations between Christians and Muslims seems to be on an upswing.

3. Popes Benedict and Francis have taken substantial efforts to establish peaceful relationships with the leaders of the Muslim faith, visiting them and trying to broker peace between Christians and Muslims.

4. And, after all, the Middle East Crisis is between the Jews and the Muslims. So what can it possibly have to do with Christmas?

I. AN ANCIENCT SPIRITUAL CONFLICT

A. ROOTS IN ABRAHAM

1. Gal. 4:21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, you who do not bear! Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband.” 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.

2. HAGAR VS. SARAH. It’s not so much a physical opposition as a spiritual opposition.

B. TWO WOMEN = TWO COVENANTS

1. The two women actually represent two covenants, different beliefs systems.

2. The Scripture has double reference:

a. Hagar and Ishmael (Arabs) mocked Sarah and Isaac (the Jews) in Genesis 21:9.

b. Paul transfers the analogy of election/ divine sonship to Christians; and Hagar’s covenant becomes a covenant of works, which actually represents the Jews who are not saved by grace or “born of the Spirit.”

3. But for the rest of this discussion, I’m alluding to the original picture of Hagar and her child (Muslims) persecuting the Jews.

C. SO THIS IS AN ANCIENT WAR

1. The elect people of God – the Jews – are still persecuted by those motivated by the spirit of Antichrist, whether they are:

a. Germans

b. Russians

c. Muslims

d. Or even (misguided) Christians.

2. I don’t think anyone would disagree that the Jews as a people group have been persecuted all down the centuries and their enemies have attempted to wipe out their religion as well as their very existence.

3. Examples include the Assyrians, the Babylonians, Haman under Xerxes, Antiochus Epiphanes IV, the Romans, the early Muslims, the Crusading Christians during the middle ages, the Germans under Hitler, the Russians under Stalin, and since 1948, their Middle Eastern neighbors.