The Problem with a Little Bit Left Behind (Advent 13, 2023)

Throughout history, failing to finish as God commands, leads to a little left behind (as leaven) to undermine the future.  From a distant observer’s standpoint, the Temple Mount is dominated by the Dome of the Rock shrine.  Were some alien’s ship to land, overlooking the city, it would lead one to conclude it’s Muslim and totally miss the rich history of the Jews represented there. 

Revelation 21 tells of this old heaven and old earth with an old Jerusalem passing away because the little left behind ruined it all, as God’s enemies tend to do. 

But there will be a New Jerusalem.  And hear me clearly, there will be no “Dome of the Rock” in it, but Scripture says the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel will be written on its gates (Revelation 21:1-12).

How could the Jews, or worse, the Christians let that happen to the Old City?  It was as simple as Sophronius surrendering and signing Jerusalem away to the caliph in 637-638 AD. While the State of Israel was recognized in 1948 and exiles would return, the land would remain contentious, again dating all the way back to Genesis.

“Israel captured the site in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it with the rest of East Jerusalem and adjoining parts of the West Bank in a move not recognized internationally.” Fast forward to today, the State of Israel itself is still not universally recognized as legitimate and forms the backstory behind the conflict of today.

Once Muslim, always Muslim in the eyes of some.  From the river to the sea, as they say. Because the Temple Mount was “under the control of the Muslim Ottoman Empire from 1259-1924, those same Muslim extremists believe that what is now Israel – every inch of it – is rightfully Muslim.”  [explanation break:  Before you get mad at me, the author of the article apologizes to some extent for using the word “extremist” to draw a distinction between individuals and actions of a non-monolithic group in varying contexts.] 

Questions for further thought:

Do you think all land ever claimed by Muslims belongs to Muslims? 

Does praying at a site act as the functional devoting of that land to Islam?  Even something as seemingly innocuous as praying the National Mall in Washington DC or the Westminster Abbey, both of which have happened recently.

What if they just become a majority by infiltration and birth rates as has happened in Bethlehem, the city of Christ’s birth? Could it happen in America? Could it happen worldwide?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You’ve instructed us in Your Word that You do not call us to fight as the world does.  To the Church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul wrote: “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. “(2 Corinthians 10:3-5) So, Lord, we pray Your Word over Jerusalem.  We plead Your blood of the inhabitants there whether Christian, Jew, or Muslim so that the entire world may know that Your salvation is From the Jews, but For the World.  May the strife there not lead to many lives being lost, but many lives being saved as Your Word is preached from farthest corners.  We thank You for the privilege as Your followers to share Your light in darkness.  That “On those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” (Isaish 9:2)  May all awaken and see Your goodness and grace.  Amen.

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Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:  

• “Awaken Remnant” was the devotional topic for 2022. It began November 27, 2022, and highlighted the remnant found throughout Scripture as evident in Jesus’ lineage.
• The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
• 2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
• God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
• Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
• The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
• The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times.  Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence.  His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
• The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology.  They began November 29, 2015.
• Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols.  You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives.  They began November 30, 2014.
• The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John.  It began December 1, 2013.
• The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story.  It began December 1, 2012.