The War In Israel: What Should We Do About the War? (Part IV)

When we see such atrocities as what was witnessed on October 7, 2023, and the retaliation from Israel on Gaza, it is hard to know what to do. Seeing the images and hearing the reports of all the people who have been killed because of this war can leave us feeling helpless, fearful, angry, upset, and vulnerable. It leaves us asking, "What should we do about the war?" This post seeks to help us think through what we can do.

The nature of this war causes us to pay more careful attention because it concerns the nation of Israel. While we know that the people of Israel were God's people under the old covenant, we know that God's people are all those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ under the new covenant. However, we also know that the Bible teaches that when it comes to Jesus' second coming, Israel still holds significance. Therefore, we need to be watchful.

Jesus warns us to be watchful in Matthew 24:36-44. We do not know the time or the hour in which He will return so we need to be watchful. The idea of being watchful is being ready for His return. When Jesus returns, we want to be faithful servants who have served our Master well. If Jesus' return is close at hand, we need to be focused on the mission that He has given us as a church, which is to make disciples. We need to have urgency in the mission knowing that there might not be much time left and that Jesus could return at any moment.

The war in Israel should cause all of us to be watchful. It should cause us to have a greater sense of urgency to what Jesus has called us to do. We do not know when Jesus is going to return. However, we do know that He is going to return and we want to be ready when He comes back.

When war breaks out, one of the most important things that churches must do is pray. We need to be in continual prayer for the people who are caught in the middle of this horrific war. We need to pray that God would use this war to drive many Jews to recognize and believe that Jesus is their Messiah. We need to pray that God would work through this war so that many Palestinians would come to believe and confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We must pray for God to bring this war to an end as quickly as possible. Most of all, we need to pray that God's will might be done through all of this.

Another thing that we should do is support the ministry that results from a war such as this. There are many different humanitarian efforts that are involved in trying to help the people who are suffering and displaced from the war. However, If the Lord is leading you to give toward the ministries that are happening over there, I would recommend giving through the Southern Baptist Convention's (SBC) International Mission Board (IMB).

There are two primary reasons I would encourage you to give through the IMB. First, is because you can trust that your gift is being put to the best use possible. The IMB is faithful and trustworthy with the funds that are entrusted to it. Second, your gifts to the IMB will be used to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ to both Jews and Arabs. If the Holy Spirit is putting it on your heart to give, you can click the button below.