reveal your divine authority in Palestine

/ Eric Mathews
 
 
O rulers be prudent, O judges be disciplined.
Lord, many enemies desire to terminate the people of God in the Middle East.
They throw bombs at churches and blast our holy sites.
Their leaders are like Cain, Ahab, and Herod 
    because they unhesitatingly seek to kill their brothers and sisters.
 
Mercy has become extinct, and there is no compassion in their hearts.
    They destroy unity and make smiling illegal.
    All the refugees and the weak ones are crying out.
O Lord, your helpless boys and abandoned girls are suffering.
    They have been slaughtered like sheep.
Didn’t you promise to build your church?
Why don’t you listen?
 
Palestine, Syria, Egypt and the Arab world are crying out to you.
Please take away this cup.
Speak to the kings and make them reconsider.
Convince them to fear your anger and stop exterminating your people.
 
O Lord, give us great leaders.
Where is the wise Solomon? Where is David, the man after your own heart?
Where are Cyrus and Daniel who spread justice and peace?
O Lord, declare your holy anger against evil systems 
    that champion murder and defilement.
 
Have mercy on sinners but eradicate evil systems.
Deliver sinners but destroy oppressive systems.
Please annihilate slavery, bigotry, colonialism, neo-colonialism, 
    Nazism and dictatorships!
Please destroy every system that is rooted in sin.
 
Why don’t you reveal your divine authority 
    and destroy wickedness in every evil system?
May your people everywhere be able to live lives of quietness and tranquility?
You are the best judge!
 
Yohanna Katanacho, 1967 – , Palestinian Israeli evangelical theologian
 
____________________________
 
 
Why do the nations conspire
    and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
    against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
“Let us break their chains
    and throw off their shackles.”

The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
    the Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes them in his anger
    and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
“I have installed my king
    on Zion, my holy mountain.”

I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;
    today I have become your father.
Ask me,
    and I will make the nations your inheritance,
    the ends of the earth your possession.
You will break them with a rod of iron;
    you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

Therefore, you kings, be wise;
    be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear
    and celebrate his rule with trembling.
Kiss his son, or he will be angry
    and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
    Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

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