Back in the day, before Yeshua changed my heart, I had a temper problem. Even though I was small in stature, I would fearlessly oppose anyone or anything that stood in my way. That temper showed itself many times. When at home, I fought my brothers. And when at school, I would fight anyone who picked on my brothers. One day, in righteous anger, I broke the nose and arm of a bully who was abusing my brother. As an older person, I would get upset with horses that were in training with me and I would lash out. But finally, after slugging it out with a horse, I saw the look of confusion and a plea for understanding in his eyes. It was on that day I asked the Lord to change my heart. I’ve never looked back.
Where does anger come from? Typically, it’s born out of frustration about one’s position or people not listening to your perspective. But unchecked anger can boil over into something unproductive and even wicked. We see it in today’s world as people join sides with groups that foster hatred, even when evil is being explicitly demonstrated.
“What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is the source not your pleasures that wage war in your body’s parts? 2 You lust and do not have, so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.” James 4:1-2
This week I was drawn to Genesis 6:11-13 where the word violence hit me square in the face.
“Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for humanity had corrupted its way upon the earth. Then God said to Noah, “The end of humanity has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of people; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.”
The word for violence in its Hebraic context is hamas חֲמַס and can be found in Strong’s Concordance as H2555. It means violence without law, cruelty, severe injustice, language and harsh treatment that is wrong. This word is expressed in Scripture 44 times. The prophets Obadiah, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Zephaniah speak of it often as it relates to these last days.
“For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah” Matt. 24:37
In America, we witness hatred from groups like Antifa who are dressed in virtually the same garb as what Hamas wears in the middle east. Most recently, we are now witnessing atrocities done by “hamas or lawless violence” for which we can barely even mention. This violence is being done in the name of righteous anger against Israel. Is this what Messiah calls His disciples to be? Yeshua states:
“I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35.
Yeshua again reminds His followers that we know a true disciple by their fruit:
“You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.”
Matt. 7:16-20
In reading these texts, I would caution anyone to be careful on who they align themselves with. For it is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
I also hear from people that Israel is the cause of violence and is corrupt to its core. Many condemn them for not following Yeshua. This may be true or not true. But so is every other governmental system and many denominations in our present world. Can we change this? Not likely for it is Yah that brings up or brings down Kingdoms. It is also YHWH that places good people in wicked regimes. We see His Mighty Hand when He places people in Kingdoms in order to change hearts: Lot, Joseph, Moses, Esther, Daniel, David, Isaiah, the Apostles, and many others (Heb 11) were placed in lands and cities to bring about divine direction.
In the midst of all this we need to remind ourselves that Yeshua wept over Jerusalem and asked us to pray over this territory. We are told Israel will come back to Him in His timing.
“For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;” Romans 11:25
There must be something to this text in that no matter what anyone thinks of Israel they are still here. The gentiles are just now coming into fullness. I am also convinced that there is a remnant among Israel that seeks Truth (The Messiah) within their heart. How do I know this? Because Rome, Spain, Germany, Russia and many others have tried to wipe Israel off the face of the map. But yet. . .
This is what I know. YHWH is YHWH and there is no other. He is a mystery. His times and actions are not on our pay scale. He rescues many from all types of backgrounds, religious beliefs and challenges. Job found this out when he questioned Yah about his circumstances and YHWH responded:
Then the LORD said to Job,
Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
Let him who rebukes God give an answer.”
Then Job answered the LORD and said,
“Behold, I am insignificant; what can I say in response to You?
I put my hand on my mouth.
“I have spoken once, and I will not reply;
Or twice, and I will add nothing more.” Job 40:1-5
When reading the works of Josephus and even the regular old Britannica, we find that the Philistines had formed an ethnic state consisting of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron and Gath, where a series of conflicts between the Philistines and the Israelites happened on a regular basis. This was during the period of the Judges, represented by the Samson story. In the Tanakh, the Philistines exercised lordship over Israel in the days of Saul and Samuel the prophet, forbidding the Israelites from making iron implements of war. Finally, they were defeated by the Israelite King David (10th century). Thereafter, their history was that of individual cities rather than of a people, which after the division of Judah and Israel (10th century), the Philistines often engaged in border battles with those kingdoms. (Anyone who has ears, let him hear).
Why would YHWH allow the Philistines to attack? We learn in the Tanakh that these battles were used by Yah to bring Israel back to Him. Have you considered that YHWH is still trying to do the same? Doesn’t He say, “I will never leave you nor forsake you?”
Friends, it is my plea with you to make Yeshua the center of your life and not conspiracies, stories, or events that will anger or distract. You are called to a much greater mission. That mission is to spread the gospel of the truth—that the living King came to this earth in a form of a man to take our sins away and provide salvation to all and to any who seek Him.
Yeshua never sent out His disciples to conquer earthly kingdoms with anger or misdirected victimhood. Instead, He sent them out to deliver a message of hope. We are the feet and hands of Him who sends. For “here am I” (hineni) – the battle belongs to the Lord.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous;
May you be strengthened in the Messiah,
Rollyn