Behind the Scenes

The war in Gaza, or rather Israel’s war on seven fronts, has captured global attention for two years now. Israel is in the spotlight. And the whole world is watching.

Everyone seems to have an opinion. In the past, I was a naval chaplain in the submarine service, and one of the things I learned is that there is much more going on behind the scenes in politics than people realise. We carried out missions unknown to the media. And I think that is still the case in politics.

In Numbers 22, we read that God’s people, on their way to the Promised Land, arrive in the fields of Moab. We read about King Balak, the prophet Balaam and about God intervening and demanding that Balaam not curse Israel. We see how Balaam requires the king of Moab to bring offerings as a prelude to the curse he is supposed to pronounce. But it does not happen; instead, Balaam blesses them, saying: “How can I curse those whom God has not cursed?” (Numbers 23:8). He speaks of Israel as a people who are unique and different among the nations, and at the end he sees a star heralding the great King of the Jews (Numbers 24).

Promises
Meanwhile, Israel remains unaware of this. God intervenes on behalf of His people, and it happens behind the scenes. That is where the Lord decides the course of events! This remains true today. We know that there are great promises in the Bible. For example, in Psalm 28: “Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.” So when you read God’s Word, it does give you a glimpse behind the scenes.

“Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.” Psalm 28:9