THE LAND IS MINE -EYES ON ISRAEL Pt. 1

THE LAND IS MINE -EYES ON ISRAEL
Part I
by John Rosenstern

Leviticus 25:23 –
“The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and
sojourners with me. And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.”

THE MIDDLE EAST HAS been a festering powder keg for centuries. Now, more than ever, it seems ripe for an all-out confrontation between Israel and her surrounding Muslim neighbors. The land — comprised of modern Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and small parts of other neighboring countries — was promised by God, in the Bible, to Israel. Events in the last 100 years have shaped the modern real estate of the Middle East. However, there’s one small parcel of land in the Middle East that is still in dispute: Israel. What legitimate claim do the Jews have to their land? Do the Palestinian people truly have a history in this land and therefore a right of succession? How does God figure into this equation? I hope to address these questions and many others as we explore from the Bible what God has to say about the land ownership and whose right it is to claim the land. I believe a careful evaluation of this matter will expose the root of the problem that existed from the time of Abraham unto this day.

GOD’S LAND

“The land is Mine,” was a declaration by God to Israel, and to us all, that there is a legitimate landowner. Throughout the Bible, God establishes who owns the land, to whom the land is promised, and the conditions that must be obeyed to remain
in possession of the land known as Israel. History has proven the land has been possessed or controlled by many different nations at many different times. Right now, the land is possessed by Israelis and Palestinians. However, the influence from
the surrounding nations of Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia; and the United States, England, Russia, and many other nations, including the United Nations, have played a crucial role toward resolving who they think should possess the land.

ISRAEL RETURNS
Modern Israel was formed on May 14, 1948, in postulation of the United Nations’ decision to partition the land between Israel and the Palestinian people. A two-state solution was determined as the peaceful resolution for the disputed land. The Palestinian’s rejected Israel’s right to be a nation and protested by refusing to form their nation. Israel declared her independence, and the birth of modern Israel took her first traumatic breath with a struggle to survive, not just as a nation, but also as a people. The confederate Muslim armies of the newly shaped Middle East immediately sought to destroy Israel and prevent her from being a nation. Efforts by Nazi Germany during World War II failed to abort the Jews while they were in the womb of hope of being a nation. Adolph Hitler, while accompanied by his Muslim companions, Haj Amin al Husseini and Hasan al Banna, formulated the Final Solution to exterminate Jews from the planet. Although nearly 6 million Jews died during Hitler’s reign of terror, Jews drew strength from their survival as a people, and hopes of being a nation once again finally became reality.

OCCUPATION TERMS
“The land is Mine” will consider God’s covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These patriarchs of old were given immutable promises that their seed would have “lease” rights to God’s land forever. The conditions were clearly spelled out by God and the terms were not to be broken lest the tenant suffer temporary eviction. Each dispensation of the generations that succeeded Abraham was given responsibilities to satisfy the land lease terms. Dwelling in the land with obedience had many privileges and benefits though. Unlike today where an apartment renter my get cable TV and electric thrown in as part of the lease package, Israel was promised financial prosperity, good health, and peace amongst itself and its enemies. In fact, the whole world was promised these benefits as long as Israel remained obedient to the lease terms and remained in the land.

NO PEACE
Today Jews dwell in the land promised by God to her forefathers; yet she is without peace. The world speaks of peace at every forum and conclave; yet it is without peace. What peace is and what consti-tutes peace will be addressed throughout this article series, “The Land is Mine,” to illustrate how true and lasting peace can be achieved and maintained by individuals, and the nations of the world. History has demonstrated that under the leadership of dictators, monarchs, and governments there have been times of peace. However, during those times, financial prosperity, personal health, and freedom were not obtained by everyone. Even while under Pax Romana, the Roman Empire sustained a façade of peace. Rome’s egregious emperors ruled in dictatorial fashion by subduing surrounding countries and demoralizing the general public at will while heralding this as peace (?) For us to laudably claim peace on earth and good will toward man, while using corrupt governments as our guide, is as foolish as putting a compass in your car and planning to drive your car to the moon.

~JSM