By Christine Darg

Jerusalem Channel

After repeated failed hostage negotiations with the sadistic terrorists Hamas, Israel finally began its Gaza operation in Rafah, an area that was once a haunt of the dreaded giants.

“These Philistines were descendants of Rapha the giants of Gath, but David and his warriors killed them.” (1 Chronicles 20:8)

During the Global Prayer Gathering daily Zoom prayer meeting for Israel the following powerful video was shared of IDF troops with their rabbi preparing to go to war in Rafah.

This video is like a scene right out of the Bible.

These IDF soldiers make a direct appeal to God to help them overcome the demonized Hamas terrorists. They are quoting Psalm 118: 25, “Ana Adonai hoshiana,” “we beseech You O LORD save us.”

This is the same cry as Jerusalem heard on Palm Sunday. And verse 26 declares, “Blessed is the one who comes in the Name of the Lord,” words Yeshua also quoted from Psalm 118.

My Orthodox Jewish friend Jonathan Feldstein who wears a kippa on his head made the following observation concerning this video:

“What’s remarkable to me is you see in the foreground three soldiers with each other’s hands over one another’s heads since their heads are uncovered, and it is customary during prayer that a man has his head covered. Even if they are not religiously observant, like I am they are still demonstrating their faith and tremendous unity.”

In the daily prayer meeting sponsored by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (at the following link: http://on.icej.org/ICEJGlobalPrayer ) a panelist noted that in her country Christians are being advised “not to take sides” in this war.

But I ask, how can a Christian not side with the people of the Book? Part of being a believer is our duty to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and to reciprocate to the Jewish people our gratitude for all they gave us: notably the Scriptures and the Savior.

“We must always take sides,” said Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. “Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

While, of course, we do earnestly pray for the Gazans and particularly for any Christian brethren who may be caught up in the conflict, nevertheless the Bible very clearly teaches in Amos 9: 15 and elsewhere that in the Last Days God will bring back the captives of Israel and plant them in their own land never to be plucked up again.

Therefore any attempts to commit genocide against the Jewish people as Hamas attempted October 7 flies in the face of God Almighty. Israel is justified in completely conquering Hamas and destroying all of its infrastructures.

In 1867, Mark Twain famously toured the once glorious Promised Land and described the shocking desolation:

“The further we went the hotter the sun got, and the more rocky and bare, repulsive and dreary the landscape became. There was hardly a tree or a shrub anywhere. Even the olive and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.”

With no Jews left to tend to the Land of Israel, the Land had died.

But the revival of the Promised Land is like a dead man who has been resurrected!

Since the creation of the modern Jewish State in 1948, Israel has seen a huge increase in cultivation of its land.

A land once left barren and untended is now coveted by the world.

And the world really doesn’t want to hear this. . . but nevertheless God recorded the following statement about war in Deuteronomy 20:1-4

And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

Christine Darg may be contacted and supported at www.JerusalemChannel.tv