The weekly message: Why does the war constantly happen in Gaza? The prophecies against Philistines in O.T.
By
Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce Date: 11/18/2023
Christian
Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts, Gospel, worship music, pastoral ministry
& counseling
Today, Israel is at war and
has been facing Hamas terrorists who attacked, bloodshed, kidnapped women, men
and children 240 people in Gaza, Israel since October 7, 2023. Many Christians,
ministers, and churches regardless Jewish and Gentiles in the U.S.A. stand up
together and lift up our voices to support Israel by prayers, financial
support, medical supply and military backing. All the Christians and Jewish
brothers and sisters work in unity, and in same hearts and same minds to lift
up Israel. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and May the will of God be done
in Israel!
Why does the war constantly happen in Gaza? What are the prophecies about Gaza?
Today, let us discover the prophecies and other oracles against the Philistines
in the Old Testament. According to the Old Testament the
prophecies against the Philistines are in Jeremiah 47:1-7; Isaiah 14:28-31;
Ezek. 25:15-17; Amos 1:6-8; Zeph.2:4-7.
First,
Jeremiah’s Prophecies against the Philistines in Jeremiah 47: 1-7 Date: 627-585
“This is the word of the
Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines before
Pharaoh attacked Gaza; Pharaoh Necho’s campaign in 609 (2Kings 23:29ff.)
“This is what
the Lord says: “see how the waters are rising in the north; they will become an
overflowing torrent…the people will cry out; all who dwell in the land will
wail at the sound of the hoofs of galloping steeds, at the noise of enemy
chariots and the rumble of their wheels. Fathers will not turn to help their
children; their hands will hang limp, for the day has come to destroy all the
Philistines and to cut off all survivors who could help Tyre and Sidon. The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines, the remnant
from the coasts of Caphtor. Gaza will
shave her head in mourning;
Ashkelon will be silenced. O remnant on the plain, how long will you cut
yourselves? “‘Ah, sword of the Lord,’ you cry, ‘how long till you rest? Return
to your scabbard; cease and be still.’
But how can it rest when the Lord has commanded it, when he has ordered
it to attack Ashkelon and the coast?” (Jeremiah 47:1-7).
Second,
Isaiah’s prophecies against Philistia in Isaiah 14:28-31 Date: 740-680
“This oracle
came in the year King Ahaz died: Do not rejoice, all
you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the
root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting,
venomous serpent. The poorest of the poor will find pasture and the needs will
lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; I will slay your
survivors. Wail, O gate! Howl, O city! Melt away, all you Philistines!
A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its
ranks. What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation? “The Lord has
established, Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.” (Isaiah
14:28-32).
Ahaz died in 715. He was pro-Assyrian, but now Assyria was in difficulty (v.29a). Messengers from Philistia proposed to King Hezekiah that they join in a revolt against Assyria (v.32) The Lord told Isaiah that the respite from Assyrian domination was only temporary (v.29b), that Philistia was doomed (v.30), and that their trust should be in the Lord.(v.32)
Third,
Judgment on Philistia in Ezek. 25:15-17 Date: 592-570
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says, ‘Because the Philistines acted in vengeance
and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought
to destroy Judah, therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines,
and I will cut off the Kerethites and destroy those remaining along the coast.
I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Then they
will know that I am the Lord, when I take vengeance on them.” (Ezek.25:15-17)
Philistines are descendants of Mizraim, the son of Ham (Gen.10:41;1 Chron.1:12), they were a constant thorn in the side of Israel ( Ex.13:17;Juge.3:2-3;10:6-7;1Sam.4; Judg. 13-16; 1 Sam.13:19-22;17-18;2Chron.17:11;28:18;Zech.9:1-8) They worshiped Dagon (the Semitic grain deity; cf.1 Sam.5) and other gods, and were finally liquidated under the Maccabees in the second century B.C.
Kerethites is synonymous with the Philistines. Tyre is an ancient Phoenician city-state on the Mediterranean, between Acre and Sidon. She enjoyed great prosperity under King Hiram (980-947), who provided men and materials for the construction of David’s palace (2 Sam.5:11-12) and Solomon’s palace and Temple (2 Chron.2). Many nations would be involved in the destruction of Tyre. Nebuchadnezzar (v.7) besieged the mainland city for thirteen years (585-572) and destroyed it. In 332 Alexander the Great besieged the island city for six months and finally captured it by building a causeway out to it from the debris of the destroyed mainland city. The city was rebuilt and Is mentioned in Matt.15:21-28; Mark 3:8; Matt.11:21-22; Acts 21:3-6. The city was almost completely destroyed by the Muslims in A.D.1291.
Fourth,
The prophecies of Amos concerning Philistia in Amos 1:6-8 Date:
755 B.C.
This is what
the Lord says: “For three sins of Gaza even for four, I
will not turn back my wrath. Because she took captive whole communities and
sold them to Edom, I will send fire upon the walls of Gaza that will consume
her fortresses. I will destroy the king of Ashdod and the one who holds
the scepter in Ashkelong. I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of
the Philistines is dead.” says the Sovereign Lord. (Amos1:6-8)
Gaza is a trade city, trafficking in slaves, where many Israelites were sold into slavery by Edom, their bitterest enemy.
Fifth,
The prophecies of Zephaniah concerning Philistia in Zeph. 2:4-7 Date:
625 B.C.
Gaza will be abandoned and Ashkelon left in
ruins.
At midday Ashdod will be emptied and Ekron uprooted. Woe to you who live by the
sea, O Kerethite people; the word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, land of
the Philistines. “I will destroy you, and none will be left.” The
land by the sea, where the Kerethites dwell, will be a place for shepherds and
sheep pens. It will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah; there they
will find pasture. In the evening they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon.
The Lord their God will care for them; he will restore their fortunes.”
(Zeph.2:4-7).
Kerethite
people are occupants of the southern coast of the Philistine country who had
roots in Crete. A small remnant of Jews would be restored after the Babylonian
captivity.
First, Philistia was doomed and that their
trust should be in the Lord. Philistines are descendants of Mizraim, the son of
Ham (Gen.10:41;1 Chron.1:12), they were a constant thorn in the side of Israel
(Ex.13:17; Juge.3:2-3;10:6-7;1Sam.4; Judg. 13-16; 1
Sam.13:19-22;17-18; 2Chron.17:11; 28:18; Zech.9:1-8). They worshiped Dagon (the
Semitic grain deity; cf.1 Sam.5) and other gods, and were finally liquidated
under the Maccabees in the second century B.C. O
Canaan, land of the Philistines. “I
will destroy you, and none will be left.” The Lord is about to destroy the
Philistines, the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor. Gaza will shave her head in mourning; Gaza is a trade city, trafficking
in slaves, where many Israelites were sold into slavery by Edom, their
bitterest enemy. Gaza will be abandoned, and Ashkelon left in ruins.
Second, God’s own heart and salvation
According to the historical events and prophecies, God’s own heart is delight in Israel and He restored the Israel by established a new covenant, the King Messiah will emerge from the Davidic dynasty to rule in the millennial kingdom. As Jeremiah repeated the message concerning Messiah in Jeremiah.23:5 and 33:15-17 as follows,
“The days are coming,” declares the
Lord, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign
wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be
saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be
called: the Lord
Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:5-6)
By In
those days and at that
time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what
is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem
will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our
Righteousness.’ For this is what the Lord says: David will never
fail to have a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel. (Jeremiah
33:15-17)
Bibliography,
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie
study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.
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