Peace in the Middle East CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

In 1 Sam 7:14, the Bible says that “there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.”  This is what the politicians say they are trying to accomplish in the Middle East right now; they want peace in the Middle East.  However, they are not able to accomplish it because the elements required, according to this passage, are not in place.  And until they are, there will be no peace in the Middle East.

The elements of peace in this passage are these:

Israel’s enemies must be subdued – 1 Sam 7:13 – “So the Philistines were subdued,” see Zech 14:1-3, Is 60:12, Zeph 3:8.  The Amorites were descendants of Ham through his cursed son Canaan [Gen 10:16].  According to Gen 15:16, Amorites can be a reference to all the inhabitants of the region of Canaan as a whole.  Sihon was king of the Amorites on the southeast side of the Jordan River in Num 21:21, but they were also on the west side of the Jordan River according to Jos 5:1 [what we call the West Bank today].

The Lord must defend Israel – 1 Sam 7:13 – “the hand of the Lord.”  The Lord will defend Israel at the Second Advent Zech 14:1-3, Rom 11:25-26.  And he will defend them again in Rev 20:8-9 at the end of the millennium.

Their land must be restored – 1 Sam 7:14 – “the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel.”  These cities are in the land that Israel was given by the Lord, Jos 13:1-6.  They must have this land restored to them for there to be peace.  Right now it is in the hands of the wrong people.

Israel must be under the right judge – 1 Sam 7:15-16 – Samuel is the best judge that Israel ever had.  Yet, one even better than him will be Jesus, Rev 19:11, Is 9:6-7.  And when he judges Israel, there will be lasting peace.

Israel must worship the true God – 1 Sam 7:17 – Samuel “built an altar unto the Lord.”  Right now Israel just has a religion much like the Pharisees during Jesus’ day.  What they need is a relationship with the Father which they can only have through Jesus [Heb 8:8-13, Jer 31:31-34] in the new covenant.  According to Jn 4:21-24, they must worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth.

Conclusion: these are the conditions for peace in the Middle East as we find them in 1 Sam 7:13-17.