בס”ד

Parashat Vaetchanan

It is very sad that people who claim to be followers of Messiah cannot accept the teachings of Scripture and prefer to follow after the thoughts of man. More and more I hear believers speak about a two state solution to the tension / conflict in the Middle East. One needs to know that there are many problems in the Middle East and the conflict between the Israelis and the “Palestinians” is just one of them. People act like that because Jewish people are returning to the land and settling in the exact places that prophecy demands (see Isaiah 54:1-3) that this is a problem. True believers should see this as a blessing and a sign that Messiah’s return is near.

In our Torah portion this week we read, “When HaShem your G-d will bring you to the Land to which you come to inherit it, and many nations will be thrust away from before you-…” Deut. 7:1. As it was 3,500 years ago so too now. The solution is simple, the Bible is speaking about a transfer. That is, any person(s) who do not want to live in a Jewish state should sell their property and leave. The Middle East has many other nations, so why should the small state of Israel be forced to divide its already small nation into two? In this passage we find that it is wrong to enter into an agreement with any nation about this, but simply act on the authority of the Word of G-d: “… you shall not enter into a covenant with them…” Deut. 7:2

I realize that this sounds most radical to the majority of people in the world, sadly also to most believers, but time will prove this to be the right action. Daniel chapter 9 warns that a covenant will be made that will bring about Israel’s worst suffering. This is the outcome when G-d’s people act as politicians rather than His servants. What I like about this section from Deuteronomy 7 is that although the nations that were displaced were stronger than Israel—Israel  prevailed! Why? Because G-d blesses the people who keep His word.

I shared this view with an observant Jew recently and He disagreed with me. He said that some actions were fine long ago, but not now. I asked him if he had a daughter and he responded yes. I said would you permit her to marry a man who was not Jewish. He loudly responded absolutely not. He even said that his daughter must marry a Jewish man who took Judaism very seriously like he did. Then I asked him why he felt this way. He said the Torah taught this view. I asked him where. He wasn’t sure.  I then read from Deuteronomy 7:3, “You shall not intermarry with them (foreign people); nor shall you give your daughter to his son, and you shall not take his daughter for you son…” Deut. 7:3. He said yes that is the place, is not the Torah clear enough in regard to this teaching? I responded yes, just as clear as it is concerning its teaching concerning the land in the two previous verses that you say are outdated.

I understand that non-believers will not have an opinion based upon the word of G-d, but it saddens me that more and more believers are seeing the Land of Israel and the issues related to it from a worldly perspective rather than from the inerrant Word of G-d.
Shabbat Shalom.