Land of Contention: Biblical Narratives and the Struggle for the Holy Land - Paperback

God is a God of love, justice, and peace. And he has called his people to make him known to the nations by imitating him. As Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). Dalrymple contends that the nature of the kingdom of God contrasts the kingdoms of the world in that the kingdom of God manifests power through love (hence, the cross) whereas the kingdoms of the world manifest power through violence. It was against the powers of the world that Jesus tells his disciples, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword" (Matt 26:52). Jesus was saying, this is not how we do things in my kingdom. In light of this observation, the question now becomes, "What does this mean when it comes to war, especially war in the Middle East?" This book attempts to address this question by framing it first in light of the mission of God's people (part 1). Then it examines the central issues related to the promises to Abraham of family (descendants) and land (part 2). Finally, it addresses some of the present issues surrounding the war on Gaza and the larger Israeli-Palestinian conflict (part 3).