Insecurity, jealousy, and selfish ambition sadly influence the Arab mindset, and are at the heart of our present traumatic trials. How can one humanly satisfy the bottomless pit of Arab need and woundedness? After all, poverty, persecution, and social chaos are rampant in the Arab nations independent of Israel, and should be viewed as such. Hagar and Ishmael did not develop their rejected and abandoned attitude in the wilderness, rather, they were sent away because of it. As it is written concerning Hagar, "…and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight." (Gen 16:4 NASB)

Humanly speaking, Sarah and Abraham couldn't deal with the accusatory and
despising spirit that came from her and her son, and a separation was
necessary. Only God could deal with such hearts, and He did when He saved
the lad and secured his destiny. Still, the darkness traveled down the
generations carrying the matriarchal poison of ambition, jealousy, and hatred toward her mistress and her mistress' offspring.

It could have been stopped at Hagar's first encounter with the Lord in
Geneses 16, when He identified her as "Sarah's maid," and questioned her
flight. She was on the run even before the child was born as her heart was
already poisoned with ambition and lust for Sarah's position. God, however,
showed her mercy and sent her back to serve in Abraham's household. Hagar
had nearly twenty years from this point of divine encounter to the moment
of her casting away. Years in which she not only did not repent from her
past attitudes, but nurtured her pride and hardened her heart. In effect, she resisted the God who showed her grace and mercy by resisting His plan.

Isaac was not a surprise. The witness of the divine visitation and
conception was well known, and Hagar had plenty of opportunity to fall in
line with the plan. But her heart was too proud. "I will ascend" was her
attitude, and this seed fell into her son's heart. The prevailing spirit which still afflicts the corporate Arab soul as it relates to the Hebrew nation today is often resentment, envy, and ambition. Because of this spiritual principle the Arab people cannot accept Israel's offer of coexistence, but rather find themselves, sometimes in spite of themselves, lusting after her tiny inheritance and position with God.

Contrary to Arab propaganda, Israel isn't the source of the Arab problems;
rather the Israeli Arabs enjoy a quality of life, which far exceeds the
Palestinian conditions in any other Middle Eastern nation where they are
dispersed and persecuted among their own brethren. In fact, some of their
greatest modern day calamities and massacres occurred in neighboring Arab
countries by the hands of their so-called kin. Still, the ancient wound is not healed through repentance and faith in God, and their deep cry goes on and on. Yet, only God can restore the sense of identity and wholeness of this family, and only God will.

Even Esau, with all his troubles and trials, appears to have been gathered
back into the plan of God as he accepted Jacob back into the land of their
fathers. It was the introduction of the spirit of Islam into the Arab tribes in the seventh century, which darkened the stage beyond repair and set the Arab woundedness firmly into spiritual and religious frameworks. Their plight now became a religion. With Islam's empowerment, the Arab ancient wound becomes a noble destiny, a divine mission to replace the despised Jew and ascend to the family's top rank.
 

HOW TO PRAY?

The biblical priority is to pray for Israel's salvation. Rom.11: 15 says
that Israel's salvation will transform the Middle East and bring life from
the dead to all the peoples of the world. God has purposed to bring life to
this people; the enemy has purposed to bring death. Pray that God will
bring resurrection life out of death, salvation out of destruction, and
mercy out of judgment.

* Pray for God to open the eyes of His people to their crucified Messiah,
and that He would establish His Kingdom of peace and justice upon the
earth. Remember that interceding for Israel's salvation, her entering into
God's magnificent purposes, and her call to be a light to the nations - all
are being opposed by the enemy.

* Pray for whatever peace can be preserved, be it even a temporary one,
which is based on clear-eyed discernment and courage on the part of Israeli
leaders. (2 Tim.2: 1-4)

* Safety for the many Israeli children as they travel to and from school.
In the past, bus bombings and suicide bombers blowing themselves up in
crowded situations have often been part of the Palestinian terror strategy,
and may return to our streets at any moment. Often, the Lord, by His
Spirit, kept believers away from such trouble spots and safe in times of
danger, and He will continue to do so as we stand in prayer. However, He
also found fit to let some suffer, and that too is for His glory.

* Wisdom for those in authority on both sides. May God's hand move our
political leaders to chart the most compassionate and just path forward.
Though God's purpose and covenant for Israel are beyond refute, His mercies
and redeeming love is shed upon the Palestinian people as well. Many of
them are caught in this cruel demonic bondage of wounded hearts, wicked
leadership, blatant lies, and consuming rage. My heart goes out to them in
their suffering, and I pray to God to have mercy over them and set them
free. Leaving theological, ideological, and historical facts aside for a
moment, the reality is that an unredeemed heart can only take so much
oppression and reproach before it looses the anchor of logic and reason and
becomes susceptible to every foul spirit of hatred, deception, and murder..

* Pray for revival among Muslims. This is ultimately the only solution to
our predicament. Political maneuvers may buy us time, but we will not be
able to avoid the eventual collusion of light and darkness as hell rises to
resist the nearing of the Lord's return. Islam will fall, as did communism, hopefully without a shot, and its hold over nearly a billion souls will be loosed. Pray for those who are called to labor in these parched and dangerous fields of harvest.

* Pray for the binding of the suicidal spirit which drives Palestinians to
sacrifice young lives on its' demonic altars. Rather than protecting their
young, they often push them forward into danger in order to obtain media
attention and win international sympathy. One tragic photo on television is
worth much political currency. Pray also for the binding of the witchcraft,
which is rampant in Jewish Orthodox circles, ripe with curses, superstitions, demon possession, and idolatry. God will have to clean house here as both peoples are bound and helpless, and the church is His only instrument on earth. May we be found faithful and fruitful in the coming days.
 

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Duplication and re-transmission of this writing is permitted provided that complete source and contact information for Embrace Israel Ministries is included.

Embrace Israel Ministries
www.embraceisrael.org
mailbox@embraceisrael.org
 

Disclaimer:  It is not the intent of the owner of this web site to be offensive to any ethnic group or culture but rather to bring awareness as to the historical background of this present conflict and to give suggestions as to how one might pray.