by Brett Manero
The State of Israel, according to almost every major news site, launched a major air attack against Iran, killing one of the top military leaders of Iran and damaging (if not destroying) much of the nuclear infrastructure of the Islamic Republic. Iran has characteristcally promised a counterattack, which will likely come in the approaching hours.
History is full of times like these, when international tensions and old rivalries lead to full-scale crisis. Perhaps the most notorious is the beginning of the First World War in the summer of 1914, when tensions between the Great Powers of Europe led to the “guns of August” following the assassination of Austrian Archduke Ferdinand. The world knows what ensued in the following four years.
As Mark Twain said, “History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” Tensions between Israel and Iran are nothing new, they have been around for several decades. The Iranian regime regularly and grotesquely talks about destroying Israel and wiping it off the map. Iran launched missile strikes against Israel as recently as last year. Tensions have been rising in the Middle East for several weeks and months now.
The situation is, as it so often is, complex. The regime of Iran is essentially a terrorist-sponsoring regime, responsible for multitudes of carnage in the Middle East. Its public support for the destruction of Israel is to be condemned. Israel is not perfect either, of course. But the acquiring of a nuclear weapon by Iran would be a major disaster, not only for Israel, but for the Middle East and the world.
The Book of Judith provides us with some inspiration. There is significant debate about the historicity and dating of Judith, but there is evidence to suggest that it is based on actual events. The book famously describes an impending invasion of Judah by the Assyrians, but it is more likely that the true invading enemy is Persia, and the book is likely written in a cryptic format. Persia is, of course, the forerunner of Iran. Judith, a wise and brave Jewish woman, calms the nerves of her compatriots as they prepare to surrender their land to the invading army, giving them and us her famous words:
“Do not try to bind the purposes of the Lord our God; for God is not like man, to be threatened, nor like a human being, to be won over by pleading. Therefore, while we wait for his deliverance, let us call upon him to help us, and he will hear our voice, if it pleases him” (Judith 8:16-17)
God is in control. But let us pray fervently for peace in the Middle East, for freedom in Iran, and especially for an avoidance of nuclear violence.
Come, Lord Jesus!
Leave a Reply