From the times of Moses, humanity’s war against evil has included what some Bible translators have called “menstealers.” The Greek word soma relates to physical flesh or meat.
It implies the outer, physical body, as compared to an individual’s inner being of intellect, emotions and the ability to choose. Sometimes biblical translators use other terms, like enslavers or kidnappers.
Enslavers, kidnappers or menstealers were just that: someone who steals or deprives the freedom of another human being. These stolen, live bodies were important for the physical work and efforts they could provide.
They were valuable assets of commerce or for manual production and physical support for the owners. They were seen as mere objects to be collected, used or sold; not human beings made in God’s image and for His holy purposes.
Crimes Against God and Humanity
God called for any such evil individuals among the ancient Israelites to be killed: “He who kidnaps a man or sells him, or if he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death” (Ex. 21:16).
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul gave Timothy a list of sins and crimes of lawbreakers and rebels that were on the same level as murder and sexual immorality. These included” … those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine”(1 Tim. 1:9-10; NIV). Enslavers, kidnapers or menstealers are criminals lashing out against God and humanity!
I’ve thought about this a lot in the last weeks, since Oct. 7, when the world-renounced, terrorist-group Hamas surprised sleeping civilian enclaves (and at a music festival site in the open desert) in Southern Israel. They came by land and air, while their victims slept. They even videotaped their massacre and kidnapped victims.
The massive security failure on Israel’s part is yet to be investigated. For now, hundreds and hundreds of families of the 1400 Israeli fatalities and the 200+ hostages, who were crudely captured and carried away to the Gaza Strip, are asking for God’s sovereignty to reign over this massive tragedy and bring justice for all.
Philistines Murdered and Pillaged Israel
Messianic Rabbi and author Jonathan Cahn is quoted in a Charisma News article, reminding us that this modern massacre is “eerily similar to an ancient one from the Bible that saw Philistines murder and pillage Israel in the name of Palestine.”
Cahn continued, “The modern world rejoiced in the spilling of Israeli blood—the blood of men, women and children—as it did many thousands of years ago. Obviously, these are not the same people, but their murder is supported by the same notion, that the land occupied by Israelis—the land given to them by Almighty God—belongs to the people of Palestine, an entity that does not legally exist…”
As I pointed out in a prior post, the word Palestine comes from the Roman word “Palestina.” When the Romans destroyed the Jewish nation and temple in 70 A.D. (as Jesus had predicted to the disciples in Luke 21:5), they slaughtered many of the remaining Jews and relocated others into exile.
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To erase the name of Israel from the minds of the remnant of Jews who remained there, the Romans renamed the region after one of Israel’s ancient nemeses, the Philistines. The Romans derisively renamed the land Palestina or Palestine in English. It was called that until the United Nations declared two nations in its place, Transjordan (1923) and Israel (1948). No other national entity has existed there.
“Sampson Went to Gaza”
To speak of the Palestinian Arabs today, is to remind us of the Philistines. And the recent massacre of modern Jews by Arab attackers from Gaza can remind us of Samson, mentioned in the book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16), as one of the last leaders who judged Israel, during the times before the monarchy was instituted.
The Philistines lived as a confederation of five main cities along the Mediterranean seacoast, Southwest of Jerusalem, in what is called the Gaza Strip, today. These were Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gath and most of the same towns can be found on maps of the area today.
Samson was an Israelite who had committed himself to the Lord and to voluntarily follow the ways of a Nazirite life (Num. 6:1-21), which included not drinking alcohol nor trimming his hair.
God blessed Samson with incredible strength, which he used in defending himself and the Israelites of that area. But he lost this power when Delilah, a prostitute he married from Gaza, betrayed him and the source of his strength to the Philistines. They blinded and enslaved him (Judg. 16:1-31).
After he was forcibly shaved, the hair on his head began to grow back. He recognized his strength was returning and he called out to the Lord for an opportunity to get revenge for what the Philistines had done to him. As they were gathering thousands into a temple to their god Dagon, Samson asked to be positioned near the two main pillars, and asked God for strength to be able to collapse the Temple on the enemy and himself (Judg. 16:26-31)!
The biblical account ends with the cryptic epitaph, “At his death he killed more than he had killed in his life.”
Modern Menstealers
Enslavers, kidnapers or menstealers walk among us today! Whether it’s sexualized groomers of children and teens, kidnappers of Israelis from desert kibbutzim, or the predatory practices of physicians, coaches or trusted faith leaders, this evil still lurks in the hearts and minds of ungodly people.
“It is appointed for men to die once, but after this comes the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27; MEV). They will each answer to God at the Great White Throne Judgment for their “works” (Rev. 20:11-15). Anyone whose name is not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15; Matt. 25:41; Mark 9:43-48). This is true for Jews and Gentiles alike.
God does not want any to perish, but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9-10). Do it today!
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Ordained to the ministry in 1969, Gary Curtis is a graduate of LIFE Bible College at Los Angeles (soon to become Life Pacific University at San Dimas, California). He has taken graduate courses at Trinity College in Deerfield, Illinois and Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, California. Gary served as part of the pastoral staff of The Church on The Way, the First Foursquare Church of Van Nuys, California, for 27 years (1988-2015), the last 13 years as the vice president of Life on The Way Communications Inc., the church’s not-for-profit media outreach.
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