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Headlines bombard us with news about the devastation in Gaza\u2014the staggering death toll, the increasing war and bloodshed, the innocent lives lost. People on both sides cry for an end to the violence and the pain.<\/p>\n
As Christians, we hear the news, and our hearts fill with compassion and anguish. Why is this happening? Why are people so eager to fight\u2014and die\u2014over this one small section of land?<\/p>\n
Gaza, also called the Gaza Strip, is a thin piece of land of about 140 square miles located between Israel and Egypt. Roughly 2.3 million Palestinians live there, and it is a Palestinian territory. It is situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, with Egypt on its southwest and Israel on its east and north.<\/p>\n
However, there is long time animosity between Israel and Palestine. In 1947, the United Nations divided Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state. This was to accommodate a post-World War Two desire for a Jewish homeland, but it came against the will of the local Arab population.<\/p>\n
On October 7, 2023, the Islamic militant group Hamas killed more than a thousand people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage in the deadliest attack in Israel\u2019s history. Israel immediately declared war on Hamas, and as of this writing, more than 30,000 people have been killed.<\/p>\n
Beyond a territory for present-day Palestine, the land is much desired by both groups. But there is also much biblical importance and history surrounding Gaza. Here are five biblical reasons by Gaza is important.<\/p>\n
1. GAZA IS ONE OF THE EARLIEST CITIES MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE.<\/h2>\n
Biblical history is ancient, and Gaza is one of the earliest cities mentioned in the Bible.\u00a0Genesis 10<\/a>\u00a0notes that, after the flood, Noah\u2019s sons had sons, and from there, they spread out and repopulated the land. His grandson Canaan, son of Noah\u2019s son Ham, was the father of the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, and other Canaanite clans, and scripture tells us \u201cthe borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza\u201d (Genesis 10:19<\/a>\u00a0NIV). Canaan was also, as the Bible tells us, cursed by Noah because Canaan\u2019s father, Ham, offended Noah (Genesis 9:22-27<\/a>).<\/p>\n \u201cMay Canaan be the slave of Shem,\u201d Noah said (Genesis 9:27<\/a>).<\/p>\n Gaza was part of the Promised Land, the land God promised to the Israelites after their exodus from Egypt. But the Israelites were not able to capture the region. The Lord had told Moses to capture all of Canaan, stating in\u00a0Numbers 33:55<\/a>, \u201cBut if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live.\u201d Later, we\u2019re told in\u00a0Joshua 10:41<\/a>,<\/p>\n \u201cJoshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon.\u201d<\/p>\n The land was captured by the tribe of Judah, but it eventually came under the control of the Philistines. While the Israelites fought the Philistines often throughout the Old Testament, it appears Gaza was one area that remained under Philistine control.<\/p>\n The Book of Judges contains the story of the mighty warrior Samson, an Israelite judge bestowed by the Lord with great strength, though his womanizing ways got him into much temptation and trouble time and again.<\/p>\n Judges 16<\/a>\u00a0begins by telling us the recently widowed Samson went to Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute. His enemies, the Philistines, heard he was there and laid in wait all night so they could attack and kill him, but he escaped (Judges 16:1-3<\/a>).<\/p>\n Later, after he fell in love with and then was betrayed by the beautiful Delilah, to whom he told the secret of his strength was in not cutting his hair. The Bible tells us he fell asleep, Delilah cut his hair, and \u201cthen the Philistines\u00a0seized him, gouged out his eyes\u00a0and took him down to Gaza\u201d (Judges 16:21<\/a>).<\/p>\n But while he was imprisoned, his hair began to regrow, and his strength returned. He exacted his revenge on the Philistines soon after, there in Gaza\u2019s temple of Dagon. He was on display there, paraded as a war spoil, and he asked to be placed by a pillar for support. Then, the Bible tells us, Samson \u201cpushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived\u2019 (Judges 16:30<\/a>).<\/p>\n The story shows the power of God and how he can use even the most flawed and sinful people for his purpose and glory. The Philistines were longtime enemies and rivals of the Jews, and God used Samson to punish them.<\/p>\n Because of the terrible and detestable sins of the Philistines, four of the Lord\u2019s prophets\u2014 Jeremiah, Amos, Zephaniah, and Zechariah\u2014prophesied judgment on Gaza. Jeremiah predicted great distress for the Philistines.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Lord is about to destroy the Philistines; the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor Gaza will shave her head in mourning; Ashkelon will be silenced. You remnant on the plain, how long will you cut yourselves?\u201d he prophesied in the poetic oracles against the Philistines in\u00a0Jeremiah 47:4-5<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the Book of Amos, God\u2019s prophet related that Gaza, along with other neighbors of Israel, would endure great punishment.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is what the\u00a0Lord\u00a0says: \u2018For three sins of\u00a0Gaza, even for four, I will not relent. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, I will send fire on the walls of\u00a0Gaza\u00a0that will consume her fortresses\u201d (Amos 1:6-7<\/a>).<\/p>\n In the Book of Zephaniah, the prophet called Judah to repent, then described the awful destiny of her rebellious and sinful neighbors. As he prophesied, \u201cGaza\u00a0will be abandoned and Ashkelon left in ruins\u201d (Zephaniah 2:4<\/a>).<\/p>\n And in\u00a0Zechariah 9:5<\/a>, the Lord prophet echoed that same fate for the land, decreeing, \u201cAshkelon will see it and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, and Ekron too, for her hope will wither. Gaza will lose her king, and Ashkelon will be deserted.\u201d<\/p>\n The future was bleak for Gaza, according to these prophets.<\/p>\n After he led them out of Egypt, God ordered the Israelites to take full possession of the Promised Land. He told his people to drive out the inhabitants, destroy their false idols and temples, and possess the land, distributing it by lot among the clans (Numbers 33:50-54<\/a>).<\/p>\n Later, on the verge of entering the Promised Land, as the leadership had passed from Moses to Joshua and Joshua prepared to cross the Jordan River to do so, the new leader was surely concerned. But God reassured him, stating in\u00a0Joshua 1:9<\/a>,<\/p>\n \u201cHave I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.\u201d<\/p>\n Thus Joshua begins the conquest, leading the tribes of Israel, a vast army, to certain victory over the Canaanites. Yet, they did not conquer all of it. We don\u2019t know exactly why, but God ordered them to drive out their inhabitants and possess the lands\u2014yet in\u00a0Joshua 11:22<\/a>, we\u2019re told Anakites remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. The Anakites were giant, warlike people who ended up posing quite a threat to the Israelites. (Goliath, eventually defeated by David in\u00a01 Samuel 17:50<\/a>, was an Anakite descendant from Gath, near Gaza.)<\/p>\n We don\u2019t know why they did not drive out the Anakites from Gaza and elsewhere in the Promised Land. After all, God had told them clearly in\u00a0Numbers 33:56<\/a>\u00a0that if they do not drive out the inhabitants, \u201cThen I will do to you what I plan to do to them.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the years, even though the Israelites maintained control over most of the surrounding land, God\u2019s words were indeed true. The Philistines remained a thorn in the side of the Israelites. Sometimes, Gaza was controlled by other peoples; sometimes, it was under Israeli control.<\/p>\n Over the years, we find the same. In the 20th century, Gaza was controlled at various points by Britain, then Egypt, then Palestine, then Israel, and then Palestine once more. The current fighting today is yet another example of how a small area might not seem to be such a problem at first, yet it remains a \u201cthorn\u201d with deadly consequences.<\/p>\n In the Book of Acts, at first the Gospel was spread only to Jews. The apostles preached in temples and, imbued with the power of the Holy Spirit, converted thousands to The Way, which is what Christianity was initially called. But later, after the stoning of Stephen as the first Christian martyr, the believers scattered. Even before Peter\u2019s vision of the Gentiles and Jews and before Saul\u2019s conversion on the road to Damascus, the apostle Philip was working and preaching in Samaria.<\/p>\n That\u2019s when the Bible tells us and angel visited Philip and told him,\u00a0\u201cGo south to the road\u2014the desert road\u2014that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza\u201d (Acts 8:26<\/a>).<\/p>\n Philip obeyed and soon encountered an Ethiopian eunuch who was hungry to hear the Gospel. Philip complied, teaching and converting the man to Christianity. Then, as they came to some water between Jerusalem and Gaza, the Ethiopians asked to be baptized. \u00a0As we\u2019re told,<\/p>\n \u201cThen both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him\u201d (Acts 8:38<\/a>).<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thechristian.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Israel-Palestinian-Map.jpg\")
2. GOD PUNISHED THE PHILISTINES (IN GAZA) THROUGH SAMPSON.<\/h2>\n
3. THE BIBLE PROPHESIZES SUFFERING AND DESTRUCTION IN GAZA.<\/h2>\n
4. THERE IS A BIBLICAL LESSON BEHIND GAZA’S MANY RULERS.<\/h2>\n
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5. GAZA IS THOUGHT TO BE THE SITE OF THE FIRST NON-JEWISH CONVERT TO CHRISTIANITY.<\/h2>\n