It has been hard to watch the conflict between Israel and the Hamas, (a Palestinian militant movement) It is not a surprise, because this conflict has been going on for centuries. Genesis 21:9 says that after Isaac was weaned:
"And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing." *Galatians 4 tells us that Ishmael had been
"born according to the flesh" while Isaac had been
"born according to the promise"(Galatians 4:28-29) Isaac replaced Ishmael as the favored son and heir. This of course, made Ishmael jealous and bitter. As a result, he mocked and disdained his half brother. Eventually the situation became so intolerable that Abraham's wife Sarah demanded that Ishmael and Egyptian concubine mother, Hagar, be expelled permanently from Abraham's family. *(
http://therefinersfire.org/ "Conflict between Jews and Arabs started in Biblical times") From that time until today, there has been conflict over the same land, that God gave the nation of Israel, and what the Arabs believe their god Allah gave to them.
In the last part of Genesis 21, we find that God has mercy on Hagar, and her son Ishmael, and assures her that He will make of Ishmael
"a great nation" (v.18) In this conflict, we see God showing mercy, and I am sure that it breaks His heart, to see the horrors of war, that ravage the land today. For us as Christians, it shows us, that we are to be like God, and show understanding and love in the midst of conflict. In Romans 12:20 the Apostle Paul quotes an Old Testament Scripture that applies to the conflicts we have today.
"Therefore if your enemy hungers, feed him, If he thirsts, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." (Proverbs 25:21,22 In our conflicts, we can show hatred and revenge, or we can heap the coals of love on the heads of our enemy, in order to show them the shamefulness of their actions are . (GP)
