GOD'S PROMISE TO ABRAHAM: PART THREE

God's promise to bless those nations that bless Abraham's nation, and to curse those who curse Israel (Gen. 12:1-3), can clearly be seen in the short history of the United States. God, in His providence and foreknowledge, brought our nation into being for two main reasons: He wanted a nation that would spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ across the globe, and He wanted a people who would bless His people. To simplify this, think of the years 1776-1939 as "years of planting" (spreading the Gospel). Then look at the year 1939 (the beginning of WWII) as God stepping in to rescue His people. For over seventy years, the United States has been used of God to free the Jews from certain annihilation, and to stand with them in their struggle to survive. However, our last four Presidents have certainly been no blessing to Israel.

It is not difficult for evangelical Christians to recognize that since W.W. II, America's focus is no longer on "spreading the faith," but it is now on "controlling the peace." However, our leaders are finding that supporting the most hated nation on earth, while at the same time maintaining global peace, is impossible. They have apparently decided that since Israel is the main obstacle to world peace, they must be sacrificed "for the greater good." The official stance on Israel's sovereignty changed with the inauguration of George H. W. Bush, whose Secretary of State announced to the world on May 22, 1989, that Israel must "abandon its expansionist policies." On October 30, 1991, the U.S. convened the International Peace Conference in Madrid. The main objective was to force Israel to seek peace with its neighbors by giving up territory which they had gained from those who had attacked them.

Following the election of William Jefferson (Blythe) Clinton, relations with Israel continued to deteriorate. He was quite willing to meet with Syrian President Hafez al Assad in 1994. And, in 1997, he happily met with Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, Israel's sworn enemy, promising to pressure Israel to give up the Golan Heights. However, on January 21, 1998, Clinton refused to have lunch with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who had come to the United States to meet with him.

George Walker Bush continued the trend by insisting Prime Minister Ariel Sharon force the evacuation of Jewish settlers form the Gaza Strip to satisfy "land for peace" demands. The Lord only knows what he might have "accomplished" had not his focus been redirected by the events of September 11, 2001.

Barack Hussein Obama II, has at this writing only been President for two years, and within that time, he has managed to undermine the leader of one of Israel's "friends" (Egypt), to give only token support to those seeking freedom from one of Israel's enemies (Libya), and to turn his back on those longing to escape the tyranny of one of Israel's most dangerous neighbors (Syria). He is obviously not a friend to Israel. To be continued, Lord willing.