I have no doubt that most of you have heard the news of the Gaza incursion. I also realize that there are as many opinions and commentaries on this recent event as there are people on this planet. The questions we have to ask ourselves should not be based on our political or personal persuasions. Our concern as believers should always be what is God's opinion? That can only be based on a clear, in context, examination of the word of God, nothing else matters in this issue.

Because we are media blitzed we tend to see events of this nature only through the filter of its immediacy. This style of observation will bring us to conclusions that will keep us myopic in our views. We need to see this conflict through its historical context which will not only be in its recent past but will extend all the way back to its Biblical root.

Israel as a nation when it lived in God's Will, never fought a battle that was unjust or offensive. Israel always fought wars that were for its survival. God never charged Israel with the task of genocide. What God did was to ask Israel to judge the nations whose acts were so heinous that to allow them to continue would have threatened the survival of the entire world. These civilizations, if I can call them that were so determined to celebrate their culture of death that they were willing to even sacrifice their babies on the firey altar to their God Molech.

Molech was an ancient fire deity worshiped throughout Canaan generally, and Phoenicia particularly. Under various names, depending upon the city or country, Molech is essentially identical with Chemosh of Moab, and probably Melqart of Tyre. The general name for this type of fire god used throughout Canaan was Baal, meaning 'lord.' Molech was the national deity of the country of Ammon, east of the Jordan, or the Ammonites. Molech was also worshipped by the Israelites on many occasions, much to the distress of the prophets. 

According to Jewish tradition, the cult idol of Molech was made of brass, hollow, and with hands so positioned that something laid therein would fall to the fire below. The practice of laying a child across the hands, and thus committing them to the fire, was termed 'pass through the fire to Molech.' 

During the early days of Israel, when they were first taking possession of the land the worship of various sun- or fire-gods was common throughout Canaan. Offerings were often made by fire and there were many similarities between deities from different neighboring countries. These practices were not only despicable to the Israelites and their God, they were abhorrent even to other cultures such as the Greeks and Romans who also mention this inhuman rite in derogatory terms. 

The children of Israel were forbidden, by God, to have anything to do with these abominable practices for fear that they would be affected and participate themselves. This would take them from a culture of life to one of death. In the scripture God gives them instruction on how to deal with these practices.

Lev 18:21 'You shall not give any of your offspring to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.

Lev 20:1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Lev 20:2 "You shall also say to the sons of Israel: 'Any man from the sons of Israel or from the aliens sojourning in Israel who gives any of his offspring to Molech, shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones.

Lev 20:3 'I will also set My face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given some of his offspring to Molech, so as to defile My sanctuary and to profane My holy name.

Lev 20:4 'If the people of the land, however, should ever disregard that man when he gives any of his offspring to Molech, so as not to put him to death,

Lev 20:5 then I Myself will set My face against that man and against his family, and I will cut off from among their people both him and all those who play the harlot after him, by playing the harlot after Molech.

Concerning Manasseh God said of him.

2Ki 23:10 He also defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire for Molech.

Manasseh (King of Judah, 693 - 639 BCE) The king Manasseh has the distinction of being the first king to cause his own son to 'pass through the fire to Molech' and was forever condemned by the prophets. He was later carried to Assyria, and when he returned, he was reformed. He condemned the foreign deities, and worshipped only Yahweh. This, however, gave little comfort to the son who was previously sacrificed.

As I said above the Children of Israel were in danger of replicating these detestable practices of death.

Jer 32:34 "But they put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it.

Jer 32:35 "They built the high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

Jer 32:36 "Now therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning this city of which you say, 'It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine and by pestilence.'

Just as God asked Israel to judge the nations that participated in these practices that same God Judged Israel when they fell to the same low.

God gave unto Israel a culture of life not death.

Deu 30:15 "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; 

Deu 30:16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it.

Deu 30:17 "But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them,

Deu 30:18 I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it.

Deu 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,

On the contrary, Islam is a religion of death and its author is Satan. Here are some statements summarizing the sentiment of "Palestinian" leadership.

"The Hour [of Resurrection] will not take place until the Muslims fight the Jews, and the Muslims kill them. The Muslims will kill the Jews, rejoice!"

-Sheikh Ibrahim Mudayris, Head of Association for Memorizing the Quran, PA Ministry of Endowments & Religious Affairs, PA TV, September 10, 2004

“and the rock and the tree will say: Oh Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him!"

-Dr. Hassan Khater, founder of Al Quds Encyclopedia

PA TV, January 10, 2005

"We are waging this cruel war with the brothers of the monkeys and pigs, the Jews and the sons of Zion."

-Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Maadi PA TV, September 12, 2004

"The Prophet said: the Resurrection will not take place until the Muslims fight the Jews, and the Muslims kill them. The Muslims will kill the Jews, rejoice [in it], and rejoice in Allah's Victory. The Muslims will kill the Jews, and he will hide... "The Prophet said: the Jews will hide behind the rock and tree, and the rock and tree will say: oh servant of Allah, oh Muslim this is a Jew behind me, come and kill him!. Why is there this malice? Because there are none who love the Jews on the face of the earth: not man, not rock, and not tree – everything hates them. They destroy everything; they destroy the trees and destroy the houses. Everything wants vengeance on the Jews, on these pigs on the face of the earth, and the day of our victory, Allah willing, will come."

-Sheikh Ibrahim Mudayris PA TV, September 10, 2004

As we deal with this recent spate of events that have transpired in the Gaza strip we need to ask ourselves these questions.

1. Are the Palestinians the poor victims of Israeli aggression?

2. Do they bare any responsibility for this conflict?

3. Who initiated the violence at first?

4. What is the history of this conflict?

5. Who are the real aggressors in this conflict?

6. Who has made official statements for the genocide of another people?

7. Is Zionism a plot for global conquest or just Israel's philosophy for survival?

8. Is Islam a peace loving religion or are they out for world conquest?

9. Is it ok for Israel to live in peace and security in a country the size of New Jersey?

10. Why can't 15 million Moslems live in peace in their countries the collective size of

the USA one third of Canada, Alaska, and Hawaii with Israel?

11. Are the "Palestinians" the ancient indigenous people of the land of Israel?

12. Who has the right to this land?

13. When Islam had control of this land what did they do with it?

14. When Israel came back to their land what did they do with it?

15. Who is threatening to wipe out whom from the face of this planet?

If we ask the right questions we can clearly see that Israel again is fighting a war for their defense and survival. It is true that many will suffer and innocents will die. But, the question again must be asked who is putting them in harms way? Is it ok for the "Palestinians to place their missile launchers in civilian areas and not expect the loss of civilian life?

I contend that Islam is a culture of death and no different than those who offered up their babies on the altar to Molech. This is ancient history repeating itself as it always does when men refuse to learn from it the first time. I do believe it was Ben Franklin who said that the definition of insanity was repeating the same behavior over and over again and expecting different results. I would like to add to that and say that it is the same failed behavior. Islam is a failed system that celebrates death. Avi Lipkin an Israeli author calls it a neurosis. They continue to repeat the same failed behavior over and over again and yet the world is insane enough to believe their propaganda that it is religion of peace. 

Compare this quote with the ones above "We will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us". Golda Meir Prime minister of Israel 1969

I have yet to see once in history, a Jew strapping a bomb to him so that he might dash into a crowded mall of civilians and blow himself and the innocent to kingdom come. We must ask the right questions in order to see this situation as it really is. I would like to challenge you to do some research into this topic and find out who is to blame for this ongoing violence. I have written some blogs on the topic on our congregational web site www.shaarhashamayim.org as well as archived here at http://hashamayim.blogspot.com/.

If after you have read this and still have questions please don't hesitate to contact me at rabbi@shaarhashamayim.org. Please continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem as we see the day fast approaching for the soon return of our Messiah Yeshua.

Shalom uvracha b'Yeshua

Peace and blessing in Yeshua

Rabbi Henry

PS:

UN: Cease Gaza Violence

Tevet 1, 5769 / December 28, '08 - 10:00 am

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/158174

(IsraelNN.com) The UN Security Council called for an immediate cessation of violence in the Gaza Region on Sunday.
In wake of the "Cast Lead" operation in Gaza, Arab countries in the council called for an emergency meeting to discuss and condemn the operation.
A Russian-drafted press statement is planned to call for an immediate cessation of rocket attacks on Israel.
Israeli Ambassador Gabriela Shalev sent a response to the planned meeting on Saturday night, telling members of the UN that Israel has the right to defend her citizens from attack. Gaza terrorists fired hundreds of rockets at Israeli towns in the days before the operation began.
"There is no justification for this whatsoever," Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN observer told reporters moments before the closed emergency session began. "This collective punmishment is in humane, immoral, and should be stopped immediately. There is no justification for punishing 1.5 million Palestinians=0 D in Gaza because of the actions of a few."
According to Gaza sources quoted by Ynet, 15 of those killed in Saturday air strikes in Gaza were civilians. The remaining 215 were terrorists linked to Hamas, many of them members of the Hamas "police" in Gaza.

You Decide is this propaganda or truth

Rabbi Henry