Vengeance?

When I turned on the news Saturday morning I wasn't really expecting to see that Israel was under attack, but they were. And this creates a problem for the United States.

Israel is our ally. Our number one ally. Yet for over a year and a half we have been supplying Ukraine with money and weapons in the billions of dollars. What is left for us to help Israel?

The Christian faith is forever linked with Israel. Our Savior, Jesus, is a Jew. So were all of the apostles. Surely God cannot be pleased with what has happened. And my guess is that we will hear from Him soon.

However, and maybe I missed this, but I didn't hear Netanyahu calling on the name of The Lord. Instead I heard him promise, "mighty vengeance for this black day."

Vengeance?

"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” - Romans 12:9

Does God want us to take vengeance on others when we are wronged? I don't think so. The words of Jesus.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." - Matthew 5: 38-39

"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." - Matthew 5:43-45

Perhaps Mr. Netanyahu needs to examine himself, along with all Israel, because the 'vengeance is mine' concept is God's, not man's. And it's in Deuteronony, part of the Torah.

I don't think any of us are dependent enough on God. We always try to do things ourselves and that's a mistake. Our default is set to 'self,' not to 'God.'

We don't pray enough, nor do we seek God's will often enough. We are therefore the result of our own failure. Mr. Netanyahu, I fear, is following after our age-old pattern of 'self.' And that is why we fail, time and time again.

Who knows, perhaps Netanyahu HAS inquired on the Lord. But unless he has done that, well, retaliation on their own has never ended well for Israel.