The End of Violence
Mourning
Violence will not be heard again in your land,
Nor devastation or destruction within your borders (Isaiah 60:18).
Who doesn’t long for what Isaiah prophesies?
However, the gruesome reality of the cruel attacks on October 7 was the complete opposite of this vision of Jerusalem’s future. We saw horrific, barbaric, violent terror in the south of Israel. (Ironically the Hebrew word for “violence” is almost identical with “Hamas.”)
At In Search Of Shalom we first of all mourn with those who mourn. Our hearts are heavy and we are in prayer for the people of Israel. We pray especially for the bereaved families and those whose loved ones are taken hostage.
At the same time, we don’t want to be silent about the hope we have found. We want to speak biblical truths that give us hope in the face of atrocities like these.
God is judge
Violent atrocities like the Hamas terror attack make us feel angry and desperate. The first truth that can calm our hearts is the fact that ultimately God is judge. He is not distant but sees and takes note of every evil act and will judge accordingly. (See e.g., Psalm 10:14).
In the end of days, no evildoer will get away with the terrible acts he committed but will have to face the righteous judgment of a Holy God. The LORD actually states, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay” (Deuteronomy 32:35). Justice will be done!
Governments play a legitimate role in containing evil. But it is good to know even a higher Authority and Judge exists. Believing this truth can save us from a cycle of hatred and violence. We can leave vengeance where it belongs: in God’s hands.
Birth Pains
Having the right perspective can save us from despair. This can help us when war, death, and destruction make us cry out desperately, In what kind of world are we living?
It is written “And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains” (Mark 13:8).
These are the words of Jesus the Messiah. At first glance Jesus’ statements might not sound comforting or hopeful. Must more hardship still come?
But take note Jesus calls all this “birth pains.” Labor contractions can be extremely painful and not nice to experience at all. But at the same time, they are a necessary part of one of the most hopeful processes we know: the birth of a new life.
So, in what kind of world are we living?
The answer is: a world in “birth pains.” They can be really painful when they hit. But they are not random convulsions which go nowhere. They are part of the process God sovereignly designed before the foundation of this world.
God promises a new world is going to be born. Messiah will reign over the entire earth in the kingdom of righteousness and peace for which our hurting hearts desperately long.
How can you be so sure?
“Violence will not be heard again in your land,
Nor devastation or destruction within your borders” (Isaiah 60:18).
These words are not just a nice pipe dream, nor words which may sound like a cruel joke in the light of recent events. They are words that will be reality. This reality, though, won’t come about through our own strength or efforts, but through God’s intervention.
We have this assurance because Isaiah’s words are part of a larger Messianic vision of which the first part is already history. Jesus the Messiah already rose from death after He had given His life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins as promised in the Tanakh (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22). Nothing secures the hope of Israel more than that.
Hope in the Midst of Pain
When we are forgiven on the basis of Messiah’s sacrifice, then nothing separates us from the love of God. It doesn’t make us immune to pain and suffering. But in the midst of it we are assured that everything has to work together for good for those who love God (Romans 8:28, 37-39).
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