20140720 Sunday, July 20 2014
1 Chronicles 20: Israel's Wars With The Palestinians

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"The Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah"

The Kingdom of God (see The Kingdom Of The LORD God) will be inhabited by people of all nations (see The First Nations Of The New World). All people were physically created in the image of God (see Adam and Adamah) with the potential of becoming spirit-born children of God (see What Was The Lesson Of John 3:16?) - everyone who repents and follows the LORD in their due time of understanding. Racism and national arrogance is evil and antichrist (see 'Raghead' Racism).

The people of Israel and Judah (see The Origin Of Israelites And Jews) were created from the nations of the world i.e. from people of Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Canaan, Moab and numerous others (see The LORD's Seed Covenants With The Two Men Of Iraq, A Biography Of Jacob: The Jacobites Of Syria, The Adoption Of Ephraim and Manasseh, The First Jews and The Messianic Role Of Naomi, Ruth And Boaz) as a direct prophecy of the future Kingdom of God.

Until all has been completed (see The Church: Mission Accomplished, the physical nations of the world were assigned their own national homelands. The designated borders of Israel were also the rightful God-given borders of the nations around Israel from which and whom Israel came into existence (see The Boundary Law).

"Palestine" is merely a variant English pronunciation of "Philistine" - an ancient branch of the Egyptian people whose homeland, according to the Biblical record, was Gaza (see the Fact Finder question below). As such, with the shared borders of "Palestine" and Israel, the "Palestinians" were often at war with the Israelites - just as they still are in the present day.

The famous warrior Goliath was a "Palestinian" i.e. a Philistine (see The Battle Of David And Goliath).

"17:1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. 17:2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. 17:3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. 17:4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span." (1 Samuel 17:1-4 KJV)

Samson died in Gaza after being captured by the "Palestinians" of Gaza (see Samson and Delilah).

"16:21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house. 16:22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

16:23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.

16:24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.

16:25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.

16:26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. 16:27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. 16:28 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. 16:29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. 16:30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life." (Judges 16:21-30 KJV)

So too the wars between the Palestinians of Gaza continued on through the time of King David (see The Palestinian Attacks On Israel).

"20:1 And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it. 20:2 And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David's head: and he brought also exceeding much spoil out of the city. 20:3 And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

20:4 And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai, that was of the children of the giant: and they were subdued.

20:5 And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver's beam.

20:6 And yet again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot: and he also was the son of the giant. 20:7 But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David's brother slew him.

20:8 These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants." (1 Chronicles 20:1-8 KJV)

Fact Finder: (a) According to the actual Biblical record, where is "Palestine"? Who are the "Palestinians"? (b) What does Bible history and prophecy say about Gaza?
(a) See Where Is Palestine?
(b) See Gaza In History And Prophecy