I Kings 20:11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.
12 And it came to pass, when Benhadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.
Psalm 49:6 They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
8 (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
9 That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.
10 For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.
The war in Iran continues. The U.S. and Israel have both stated that this war will last at least two weeks. People like Tucker Carlson are speaking against Israel and the U.S. Mr. Carlson has proven to be a friend of Islam and an enemy of God. He claims to be a Christian, but his brand of Christianity does not know the true Jesus Christ.
Canada at first said it supported the attacks against Iran. However, our government has since changed its tune and shown more of what they are really about. Mr. Carney complained that the U.S. and Israel did not consult the U.N. on this attack, nor did they consult with other nations like Canada. We know that a U.S. congresswoman leaked information of the plans to the Iranians. If the U.S. had consulted with Canada we can be sure Canada would have leaked the information to Iran. To think that the U.N. would support an attack against an Islamic state is ludicrous.
It is becoming clearer to understand how the world will abandon Israel in the lead up to the Ezekiel 38 war. The U.K. which used to be known as Great Britain has fallen and is now so fearful of the Muslims that it refuses to defend its own territory let alone help knock down Iran. The mantra coming from their P.M. and ours is that we need to respect international law.
We can see that international law favours the rise of Islam and the destruction of Western civilization.
If the next president of the U.S. is a democrat, we can rest assured that the U.S. will fall even further than it was during the reign of Mr. Biden. It is clear to see how the world will abandon Israel. It is also clear to see how the U.S. will lose its place as the super power it currently is.
Part of the problem for the U.S. and Israel is that they are too full of themselves and lack the humility required to acknowledge God’s hand in their affairs. The secretary of war in the U.S. mentions God at times, but he also betrays any real relationship with Him due to his words and his actions. The U.S. is boasting of its strength in this war. It is making sure that all will be of the opinion that it is the major force in this war. Real reports state that Israel has played a very important role in knocking down the Iranians while also attacking Hezbollah. Both nations are tragically depending on human, materialistic resources.
In our text, the nation of Israel was facing a very real threat from the king of Syria. Israel was in a weakened state due to king Ahab’s wicked rule. However, God still had a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would keep. Israel was suffering, but they would not be destroyed.
The king of Syria, Benhadad, thought he had the upper hand. He assumed that he and his army were invincible against the nation of Israel.
The king of Israel was not walking with God but God had provided a godly prophet to help him and his people to see their need to trust in God. King Ahab did not do that in spirit, but in this instance, he believed that God could protect them from this formidable threat.
The king of Israel warned Benhadad of the danger of empty boasting. He had armour and he had weapons. He had a disciplined army. However, none of that matters when it is not blessed of God.
God also directed the Psalmist to warn of the foolishness of trusting in earthly treasures. Those treasures can disappear quite quickly. The weapons stockpiles can also be diminished quite quickly.
Currently the U.S. is boasting of their superior weapons capability. They have been successful in this war thus far. They have mentioned Israel in passing, but they claim they are the driving force behind the present victories.
There should be no doubt that God is using the U.S. at this point to slow down the evil plans of Iran. This is a temporary victory. The U.S. would be wise to humble themselves and turn to God at this time.
God knows the future and He has laid it out for us in summary terms. He has not given us dates or times. He has told us His intervention will keep the world off balance.
When the “rapture” takes place, the Lord will usher in the rule of the antichrist. He is called the “man of sin”. He will not trust in God, but God will use him as His puppet. The antichrist will assume he is special and will present himself as a super negotiator and peace maker. He will gain the support of the gullible who will make up the bulk of those alive in the Tribulation. At the midpoint of the Tribulation, he will declare himself to be god and will defile the temple which he had previously built. He will then enlist his armies and the citizens in seeking to wipe out Israel once and for all. He will also seek to destroy any true Christian.
Life will be extremely difficult for those who are Jews and those who truly know the true God.
Matthew 24 tells us that his time will be shortened. He will only have seven years in total to work his evil plot. The worst of his rule will be limited to three and one half years. At the end of that time, Jesus Christ will destroy him and his false prophet and all those who rejected Jesus Christ during that seven year period. The remnant, the few who will trust in the Lord and be spared in that time, will embrace the Lord Jesus Christ and they will make up the foundational group that enters the Millennium.
Getting back to our time, we need to continue to pray for the situation in the Middle East. We need to pray for souls to be saved. We need to pray for our governments as well. During this time of great turmoil, our P.M. is more concerned with travelling around the world and trying to make closer alliances with other nations. His own country is falling apart but that does not concern him.
The unwillingness to turn to God and trust in Him, is a problem facing the world. God is not dead. He is still in charge. As we look at the situation in the Middle East and across the world, God is still working things according to His plan. As always, it is wise to trust in Him and learn what He has to say. His plan will unfold according to His timetable. It is important to be held in His hand and to serve Him.
Pastor Bartel