Let us remember

Friday, September 11th, was a day of remembrance of the thousands of lives lost as suicide bombers used four planes as bombs in what is the most horrific event that has happened on our home front. The family members of the those killed do not need a reminder of that event, they live with that 24/7. The day of remembrance is for you and I to never forget what happened, why it happened and who was behind it. To remind us of the heroic efforts the the first responders, police officers, fathers, mothers, and children, whose live came to an abrupt ending.

Last Friday, victims' families and people from around the world visited the World Trade Center site in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to mark the 14th anniversary of 9/11.

Although it has been 14 years ago, we still weep for the families' loss. We weep because we are Americans, we weep because deep in the pits of our heart and soul, we fear someone or something is out to get us. Terrorism is all around us in one fashion or form.

In watching a commercial about an NBC news cast, a question was ask, "Do you thing that Isis would not exist if the United States had not gone to war in Iraq?" My question to the commentator is, "Who came to our homeland and flew into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, or hijack Flight 93?"

We went to war, not because of our want to, but because of our choice, to punish those behind the war that they created. Isis had nothing to do with this, it was the killing of over 3,000 innocent lives.

Additionally, terrorism is much more than a bloody battle, but a battle of the minds, freewill, cyberspace and more importantly, of religion.

We what we are seeing today is a battle of biblical proportions beginning straight out of the Old Testament.

When Israel rejected God

As Israel approached the Promised Land, they heard reports of giants in the land and strong, fortified cities. Rather than remembering that God had fought for them and destroyed the Egyptian army, they thought of how impossible it would be for Israel to win in battle. They decided to rebel against God and to return to Egypt (Numbers 14:1-4). When, too late, they changed their minds and decided to stage an invasion of the Promised Land, Moses warned them, "You shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the LORD, the LORD will not be with you" (Numbers 14:43).

Their defeat was only the start of Israel's reliance on their army rather than God. Occasionally they would call on God to help their army, but rarely did Israel fully trust in God. In response to the hardness of their hearts, God allowed Israel to fight their own battles and even gave them laws to regulate war in the Bible. As a result, Israel's history, like the history of all nations, was filled with battles, war heroes, victories and defeats.

Though it was not God's intention, the culture of war permeated His people. Even David, though he was basically a man after God's own heart, was not allowed to build God's temple because he had "shed much blood" (1 Chronicles 22:8).

The Old Testament hope: the end of war

Many of the prophecies of the Old Testament point out the horrors of future wars. But they also point to a time of peace to come.

The prophet Isaiah recorded this wonderful prophecy of the time after Jesus Christ's return to this earth when people "shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (Isaiah 2:4).

Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, will eventually end all war and restore the universe to the peace He always intended (Isaiah 9:6).