The other brother

Seth and Cain & Abel
Shem and Japheth & Ham
Isaac and Ishmael
Jacob and Esau
 
We’re two weeks removed from events that sparked the latest episode of open warfare in the southwest coastal region of Israel. I’ve been saddened, sickened, and appalled by the emerging images and reports, but not surprised. Why am I not surprised? Because this is only the continuation of a conflict that has been ongoing for thousands of years.
 
Critics of the Old Testament point to a capricious and genocidal God, who created humans with free will, then punished them for acting on that freedom. A God who repeatedly chose one sibling over another in multiple generations, setting up situations where rivalries and conflicts would naturally arise. A God who would not only allow, but sanction the destruction of one people group by another. But are those criticisms valid?
 
The unfolding of the Bible narrative demonstrates an incredibly consistent propensity of humans toward violence, rebellion, selfishness, and self-destruction. The first names listed in each of the groupings above (none of them firstborn, BTW) represent “sons of promise” God would use within their respective generations to keep the redemption story going.
 
That isn’t to say those guys were always glowing examples of godliness. Like us, they were flawed. The thing they had in common was a faith in their God – faith that, in some cases, was a long time developing and sometimes wavered.
 
Indeed, a panoramic view of the Scripture reveals the wonder not that God, in His sovereignty, would use one nation to discipline another, but that He would choose to weave a thread through the pages of human history that allowed Him to maintain relationship with a creation that was literally hellbent on destroying itself.
 
In particular, God's command to Israel to wipe out the nations of Canaan in order to occupy their land had a history behind it that showed prophetic foreknowledge, the power and glory of God, His love toward His people, and His righteous judgment on nations and cultures that knew better, had opportunity to repent, and had instead continued down a path of evil, brutality, and perversion.
 
Moreover, God’s warnings to Israel that they would be led astray by the practices of any Canaanites that were allowed to remain proved all too accurate. Consequently, Israel found themselves on the receiving end of God’s discipline, with their own prophetic warnings and opportunities to turn back before it was too late. The savage cruelty lately seen directed toward the Jews is certainly not unprecedented.
 
So where does that leave us? Recent events are disturbing, but not new. The “other brother” has always had a jealous streak that was apt to turn violent. By the same token, Israel’s hands have seldom been totally clean. Nevertheless, they have played an integral part in God’s plan of redemption and they are seen still standing when you get to the Revelation. I’m neither a prophet, nor the son of a prophet, but I see that as significant. Here’s what I know: (1) People are really good at jacking things up. (2) God is sovereign over all these events. (3) Jesus is the only hope any of us has for peace – with God or one another.
 
Pray for Israel. Pray for the innocents on both sides of the conflict. Pray that souls come to know Christ.
 
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”  –Revelation 7:9-10 (NIV)