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Galatians 6:10-Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
One of the most brutal genocidal attacks that was ever launched against a people occurred on October 7 2023, when terrorist organizations attacked the nation of Israel. They were joined with Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, and the atrocities which occurred were beyond horrific. (For a look at those events along with a study of relevant Bible passages and perspectives, please see my article https://marktabata.com/2024/10/22/considering-the-october-7-2023-terrorist-attacks-on-israel/).
The response of the nation of Israel has been scrutinized by the world stage. Reports of genocide being perpetrated by the Israelis have been suggested and strongly supported, although Israel strongly condemns these reports (see the United Nations September 16 2025 official report here: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session60/advance-version/a-hrc-60-crp-3.pdf)
Charlie Kirk, the young man recently murdered at one of his rallies here in the States, commented on these events. Appearing on the Patrick Bet David Podcast (October 12 2023), Kirk said:
“I’ve got to be careful the way I say this, they’re going to try to ethnically cleanse Gaza. And I don’t use that term lightly, okay? They’re talking about basically removing 2.5 million people from there. And honestly, they have a mandate to go seek justice and revenge. They do. This idea that they need to have a truce or a peace treaty, that’s morally crap after you see women and children be burned alive and dragged to the streets. But there are some serious questions here, Patrick.”
Whether or not Israel is committing ethnic cleansing and/or genocide in Palestine, I do not know for certain. What I DO know is that genocide committed against anyone (Jewish or Gentile) is wrong, and Christians have a calling before God to stand against such.
Isaiah 1:17-Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.
Proverbs 31:9-Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy.
Jeremiah 22:3-Thus says the LORD: “Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.
Jeremiah 22:16-He judged the cause of the poor and needy; Then it was well. Was not this knowing Me?” says the LORD.
Zechariah 7:9-10-Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, The alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart Against his brother.’
James 1:27-Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Yet some believe that the Jewish people are still the chosen people of God, and we must not speak against them. I have heard it argued that God promised that the Jewish people would be His people by an “everlasting” covenant, and that the land of Israel would be theirs as an “everlasting” promise from the Lord. As such, it is sometimes insinuated that we may not criticize Israel, because they are (allegedly) the “chosen” people of God.
Let’s study.
To be certain, God did make an “everlasting” covenant with Abraham’s descendants. He declared:
Genesis 17:7-8-And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. 8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
The problem for those who believe this teaches the Jews are still God’s chosen people lies in at least two facts. The first is that the word “everlasting” (from the Hebrew word olam) did not necessarily mean something which continued forever. Instead, it often meant something which continued until a certain goal or development had been accomplished.
“The truth is quite different. The Greek and He-brew words, sometimes translated “everlasting” or “forever,” only mean a period of time until a certain thing is ended. Consider these points: 1. The New Testament words, translated “everlasting” and “forever,” come from the Greek noun, aion (or from the adjective, aionios, derived from the noun). Learning how these words are used elsewhere in the Bible, we find their real meaning. Here are several examples: Matthew 13: 39—“ The end of the world [aion].”—But how could something supposedly “endless” have an end? And, according to this verse, it did have an end. Ephesians 1: 21—Christ has been exalted above “every name that is named, not only in this world [aion], but also in that which is to come.” 1 Corinthians 2: 7—What “God ordained before the world [aion].” Hebrews 5: 6—“ Thou [Christ] art a priest forever [aion].” Yet Christ will only be a priest until sin has been blotted out. Philemon 15-16—“ Thou [Philemon] shouldst receive him [Onesimus] forever [aionios] . . both in the flesh, and in the Lord.” Is Philemon to take back Onesimus as his servant forever? H.C.G. Moule, the well-known Greek scholar, makes this comment about Philemon 15-16: “The adjective tends to mark duration as long as the nature of the subject allows.”—The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges….2. Olam is the Old Testament equivalent to aion in the New Testament. Here are some examples: Exodus 12: 24—The Passover was to be kept “forever [olam].” But it ended at Calvary (Heb 9: 24-26). 1 Chronicles 23: 13—Aaron and his sons were to offer incense “forever [olam],” and have an “everlasting folami priesthood” (Ex 40: 15). But that priesthood ended at the cross (Heb 7: 11-14). Exodus 21: 1-6—A servant who desired to stay with his master must serve him “forever [olam].” Must he serve him through all eternity, after both reach heaven? Jonah 2: 6—Later describing his experience in the whale, Jonah said, “the earth with her bars was about me forever [olam].” Yet this “forever” was only “three days and three nights” long (Jonah 1: 17). 2 Kings 5: 27—Because Gehazi lied in order to enrich himself, Elisha said, “The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed forever [olam].” Was Gehazi’s family to never end, and that leprosy to be perpetuated for all time to come? 3. The Old Testament word, olam, and the New Testament word, aion, are equivalent terms. We know this to be true for two reasons: (1) The Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, always translates olam by aion. (2) Whenever an Old Testament passage containing olam is quoted in the New Testament, aion is used (Heb 1: 8; 5: 6; 6: 20; 7: 17, 21; 13: 20; 1 Peter 1: 25; 2 Peter 1: 11). Both words clearly have a very limited time value and do not mean an eternal time length.” (Vance Ferrell, Defending God, 1741-1798 (Kindle Edition); Altamont, TN; Harvestime Books)
Is this all not made clear also by the fact that God promised the Jewish people that the land would be theirs IF they kept His Word? In other words, the continual possession of the land of Israel was conditional upon their obedience to God. As such, they could forfeit the “everlasting” covenant and lose the land.
Joshua 23:12-16-Or else, if indeed you do go back, and cling to the remnant of these nations—these that remain among you—and make marriages with them, and go in to them and they to you, 13 know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. But they shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the LORD your God has given you. 14 “Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed. 15 Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all the good things have come upon you which the LORD your God promised you, so the LORD will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land which the LORD your God has given you. 16 When you have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.”
But the second problem for using this passage to justify the belief that the physical descendants of Abraham are still the chosen people of God is this: the promises made to Abraham and his descendants often actually refer to his spiritual descendants, and look beyond the physical land of Israel to Heaven (of which the physical land of Israel was just a type or foreshadowing of).
The Word of God refers to two different Israels: the physical descendants of Abraham (called “Israel after the flesh” in 1 Corinthians 10:18), and then the true Israel.
Romans 2:28-29-For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
Galatians 6:16-And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
Galatians 6:16 (GW)-Peace and mercy will come to rest on all those who conform to this principle. They are the Israel of God.
In other words, the true Israel of God are those who are faithful to Him and to His Word, regardless of their ethnicity. In our day and age, this means the Israel of God is none other than the church of Christ.
Galatians 3:26-29-For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
When the nation of Israel was attacked by terrorists, they had every right to defend themselves (Romans 13:1-7). And if the nation of Israel truly is committing genocide against the Palestinians, then the Palestinians have every right to defend themselves (Romans 13:1-7).
As Christians, what can we do?
First, we love and pray for everyone (Matthew 5:44-45). Second, we speak against evil and we stand up for the innocent and the suffering (1 John 3:18). Third, we pray for the leaders of all the nations of the world to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth, and that they rule in a godly way (1 Timothy 2:1-6). Fourth, we avoid extremism and premature judgments (Proverbs 18:13). Finally, while we do what we can to help globally and nationally, we focus also on doing what we can locally to help those in need (Matthew 25:31-46; Mark 16:15-16).
Help us Lord to follow in Your Footsteps. Amen.