Former President Barack Obama is drawing attention for a stunning characterization of Israel’s history.
Speaking in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Obama discussed the persecution of the Jewish people and their eventual return to their ancient homeland, saying they “took land off people.” Published accounts differ on whether the words that immediately followed were “they were excessive” or “they were expelled,” but Obama framed the Palestinian perspective around the idea that an injustice had taken place.
Elisha Wiesel, son of Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, pushed back against Obama’s characterization in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, as the Christian Post noted, arguing that such a description ignores the Jewish people’s deep historical connection to the land.
But there’s an even bigger problem with this narrative for Christians who believe the Bible.
God promised the land to Abraham.
The story of Israel does not begin in 1948. It does not begin with the Holocaust. And it certainly does not begin with Jewish refugees simply showing up and “taking” someone else’s land.
To order Jonathan Cahn’s new book, The Altar of Pergamon, visit Amazon.com.
It begins thousands of years earlier in Genesis.
After Abram entered Canaan, God declared in Genesis 12:7, “To your descendants I will give this land.”
Then God went even further.
In Genesis 13:15, the Lord told Abram that the land before him would belong to him and his descendants “forever.” In Genesis 15:18, God established His covenant with Abram, declaring, “To your descendants I have given this land.”
And Genesis 17:8 identifies “all the land of Canaan” as an everlasting possession.
That’s not modern political rhetoric. That’s the biblical record.
There are complicated questions today that politicians can debate regarding governments, policies and modern borders. But one thing Scripture does not leave ambiguous is where Israel’s connection to the land began.
It began with God.
Long before the United Nations, long before 1948 and long before today’s political battles over Israel, God made a covenant with Abraham.
This is one part of the grander story of biblical history, present and the future that cannot simply be rewritten.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about Abby at abbytrivett.com.
