John Piper is back and has a report on his sabbatical. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have 11 hours a day to work without interruption! (HT: BTW)
The Valley of Vision CD is now for sale. This is a collection of songs based on the book of Puritan prayers. (HT: BK)
How rich are you? This website will give you your ranking in the world. Even my “poor” students should give it a try. (HT: JW)
The new location for this blog (www.ToddBolen.com) is intended to make this blog location easier to remember for my friends. It is not a move to make this a more public blog; it is still a personal blog, intended for my friends and former students. Others may find and read, and I can’t stop them, but that doesn’t change who I am writing for.
I took the opportunity of a new domain to switch from Blogger to WordPress. Blogger is real simple, and my needs are very basic, but I was motivated to switch because Blogger was too often unreliable.
WordPress is a popular alternative and I have found why. I like the fact that there is no external program that can go down (it’s all installed on my server). I like the open source nature of it, which means there are lots of cool plugins and templates. I like the categories (I’m still adding those to my previous posts), and I like the way that comments are attached to particular posts (so I can figure out what the comment pertains to; this is impossible with blogger). And I like the Live Search feature (see the top right). The switchover has been relatively painless, for those who might consider switching also.
I believe that I have moved all of the posts from the previous blog to the new one, so you shouldn’t need to access the old one. But I will leave it up for the time being. But everything new will be at www.ToddBolen.com. You can get the RSS feed here (https://toddbolen.com/feed/rss/).
I’ve thought for sometime of dumping the boring name of this blog, in favor of something like:
Bolen Alley
Bolen’s Briefs
Over the Fence
Judean Hillbilly
FenceClimber
Todd’s Tells & Tales
Tells and Wadis
For now, I think I’ll stick with the boring.
Not everyone, of course, agrees about the Israel-Hezbollah/Lebanon war. I think it’s good to hear from someone closer to the source (that doesn’t include CNN), so you can read this article in The Daily Star (main English paper in Lebanon), whose survey essentially shows that nearly all of Lebanon is behind Hezbollah. Or you can read a commentary by the academic dean of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary. Think believers might have something in common? Less than you might think. (I’d like to see what a former Lebanese evangelical believer says; my guess is that there’s a big difference between those who currently live in Lebanon and those who are no longer subject to the wrath of Hezbollah.) Or you can read the rantings of a Baptist pastor in Tennessee. (Which only suggests that the word “Baptist” is meaningless if our views are 100% opposite.)
For something more accurate, Locusts & Honey has a good, short round-up of why everyone would do well to be slow in jumping to conclusions in condemning Israel. I’m not sure that all of his sources are accurate though (conservatives too often jump the gun and argue for a possible but not proven conclusion).
The Head of the Moor has 10 questions he wants you to answer about the war. My answer to #6 (should Syria be held responsible?) is this Daniel Pipes‘ column from today.
And if you like conservative (and humorous) commentary on this and everything else, check out “The Best of the Web” by OpinionJournal.com. I don’t have time to read it every day, but it’s always interesting and you can get an email subscription.
In response to my recent post, a friend asked me to explain why Hezbollah is the enemy. Here are ten reasons:
1. Hezbollah has carried out more than 200 acts of terrorism, killing more than 800 people, including:
2. Hezbollah does not submit to the government of Lebanon, but acts on its own initiative without any accountability to the Lebanese government, the United Nations, or any other recognized world body.
3. Hezbollah denies the right of Israel to exist and actively seeks Israel’s destruction. Its leader Nasrallah said in 1999, “Israel is an illegal usurper entity, which is based on falsehood, massacres, and illusions, and there is no chance for its survival.” Israel is an ally of the U.S.
4. The United States has designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
5. Hezbollah’s founding and funding are closely related to Iran, which has been an enemy of the United States since 1979.
6. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 called on all Lebanese militia to disband. Hezbollah has refused to do so, and the Lebanese government has refused to enforce this.
7. Hezbollah has attacked Israel on its sovereign soil numerous times since Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000.
8. The deputy leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has called on Muslims to join Hezbollah’s fight against Israel. Al-Qaeda is an enemy of the United States and its attacks include the 9/11 attack on New York.
9. Hezbollah supports other terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
10. Hezbollah conducts warfare in a cowardly fashion, hiding behind a civilian population with no regard for the deaths of its own women and children.
In summary, Hezbollah is an avowed enemy of the United States and it should be completely destroyed. The United States should actively join in the campaign in southern Lebanon to wipe out this militia force. A ceasefire which allows Hezbollah to survive is against the interests of the United States.
Sources:
Wikipedia, Hezbollah
Wikipedia, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559
Council on Foreign Relations, Hezbollah
The problem with the current Israel-Lebanon war is that the world is unwilling to recognize that there are good guys and there are bad guys. There are friends and foes, allies and enemies. It’s hard to defeat the enemy when you are weeping for him. But there is an enemy, and he must be defeated before he can be rebuilt.
The other side seems to understand this better than us. You don’t see the Lebanese weeping when innocent Israelis are killed by Hezbollah rockets. But when innocent Lebanese are killed by Israeli aircraft, the world screams. I’m certainly not for killing innocent people, but if the choice is defeating the enemy and killing innocent OR not defeating the enemy, the choice is clear. Unfortunately the choice is not clear to much of the world, including European leaders and some evangelical voices. But those who scream for a ceasefire are careful to never define the situation. As far as they are concerned, there are no enemies. Or the enemy is rather the one who kills, regardless of who is evil.
History should be our guide. Unfortunately the voices of “peace” are those who would spare the evil, allow the evil to grow, one day to be destroyed by the evil. European leaders deny that there is an evil. Or worse, they have inverted good and evil. Good has become the ones that you need something from (like oil), instead of those who are responsible, moral people.
Netanyahu provided a good example of the realities of war in an interview with a British station yesterday:
This is as just a war as any that has ever been fought – but I can recall another just war, World War II, when Britain’s Royal Air Force went to bomb the Gestapo headquarters in Copenhagen, but the bombers missed and hit a children’s hospital nearby, killing 83 Danish children inside. This is a tragedy of war, but it happens. Unlike the other side, which rejoices when our children are killed, we are truly sorry when it happens, and we really and truly try to reduce casualties on the other side.
Accidents do not change the necessity of stopping the evil. Hezbollah and those who have allied themselves with Hezbollah must be stopped. The goal is not ceasefire but elimination.
If you have 3 minutes to read this slowly, it is worth your while. It was written by “Nevins” and distributed by Grace Gems.
There is something very special in the manner in which the doctrine of God’s mercy is taught in Scripture.
Observe that several words, nearly synonymous, are used to teach us the doctrine–such as merciful, gracious, long-suffering, pitiful, slow to anger. And not satisfied with the positive–the inspired writers use the superlative–very pitiful and very gracious!
Not content with the singular, ‘mercy’–they adopt and employ the plural form–‘mercies’. They speak of the mercies of God. Nor are they content with a simple plural–but they speak of these mercies as manifold. Yes, they speak of the multitude of His mercies. And to denote that there is nothing uncertain about these mercies, they speak of them as sure mercies. They also speak of them not only as many, but great! Yes–and great above the heavens! And they speak of the greatness of His mercies, in magnitude equal to what they are in multitude–many and great and sure mercies! Think of that!
They are not mere mercies–but tender mercies, and these mercies they speak of as original with God. They speak of Him as the Father of mercies! They take care to tell us that mercy is not accidental to God–but essential; they speak of it as belonging to him. Daniel goes further still. He says–“To the Lord our God belong mercies”–and ‘forgiveness’? No! but ‘forgivenesses’! You may say that is not proper grammar–but it is glorious doctrine!
There is another set of phrases they use–they speak of God as rich in mercy, plenteous in mercy, and full of compassion. They speak of His abundant mercy, of the earth as full of His mercy, to denote its amplitude. And in respect of its continuance, they say that His compassions fail not. In Psalm 136, twenty-six times it is said, “His mercy endures forever!”
There is still another phraseology used by the sacred writers. They speak of God’s kindness, His great kindness, His marvelous kindness, His everlasting kindness. But they are not satisfied to speak of it as simple kindness; they call it merciful kindness, and speak of it as great towards us. They call it loving-kindness, also. And we read of God’s marvelous and excellent loving-kindness, with which it is said also that He crowns us! Here, too, they use the plural form, loving-kindnesses; and they speak of the multitude of His loving-kindnesses.
We also find the sacred writers speaking of the mercy of God compared to certain human traits. For example, to a father’s pity–which it is said to be like; and to a brother’s friendship–than which it is closer; and to a mother’s love–which it is said to exceed!
What more could they say?
I’m going through a difficult struggle right now. My focus has been to fight the fight of faith daily. To that end, I made a half-page “cheatsheet” of verses that remind just who this God is that I am waiting on. He can be trusted (Word doc, pdf). I have printed it out a few times and keep it in handy places.
This has been a hard (can I say horrible?) summer for friends as well.
Our friend Martha’s sister was just diagnosed with breast cancer. She has four children and is five months pregnant. Her mother died from the same disease.
Dear friends Craig and Colleen had a 5-month ultrasound a few days ago and learned that their baby is severely deformed and likely will not survive long after birth.
Julie, who was on an IBEX summer program with me a couple of years ago, has been prevented from going to the missions field by a debiliating but undiagnosed disease. She is younger than me, but sometimes she cannot even get out of bed. Her faith in hard times is very strong, as evidenced by her new blog, A Time to Laugh.
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Without verses like this, I would despair.
So I confess that I haven’t watched a minute of the Hezbollah Annihilation campaign on TV. Not on principle, but for other reasons. If you are watching it all unfold, these links may not be as interesting to you as to me.
1. The Washington Post has some 360 degree panorama shots, including one of a flattened Hezbollah neighborhood in south Beirut.
2. The Israel Channel 2 news broadcast is now on the internet, dubbed over in English by some guys at http://www.jerusalemonline.co.il/
3. I liked this Washington Post analysis of why George Bush isn’t screaming for a ceasefire like so many others. He gets it. Hezbollah must be really disappointed that Al Gore or John Kerry is not president.
4. I’ve mentioned him before, but Daniel Pipes usually has some sensible commentary. The easiest way to keep up with him is to subscribe to his newsletter.
Israel dropped 23 tons of bombs on a site in south Beirut recently, claiming that it was the headquarters of Hezbollah. Hezbollah insists that Israel bombed a mosque under construction. I have no doubt that Hezbollah is telling the truth this time. After they constructed a bunker deep underground, Hezbollah started erecting a mosque on top of it. Israel actually respects places of worship, unlike her neighbors. The world would quickly condemn any attack on a mosque. This is part of the same strategy that hides missiles in civilians’ homes. At this point, there is no word yet on whether or not Nasrallah was praying underneath the mosque when the bombs fell.
Read Krauthamer’s column from yesterday. He makes a point I was intending to make, and as always, he is more eloquent. (Actually, my point simply was that Israel is doing the world’s dirty work and they should be thanked; he says much more than that.)
And another suggestion: read a book. Too much interest in “news” is bad, I believe. Things change so fast and you can waste a lot of time staying up on what is no longer true in a few hours. Maybe now is a good opportunity to learn more about the “big picture” of the Middle East. I’m not sure that I can recommend a single book that does it all, but there are a few books that I have found very helpful in understanding the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Jerusalem in the 20th Century, by Martin Gilbert. Maybe this sounds too narrow for you, but I found it to be astonishingly revealing about the whole conflict. Jerusalem really is a microcosm of Israel and the Middle East. If you prefer, you can read Gilbert’s Israel: A History. It was published a few years later and, I’m guessing, covers similar territory with a broader focus. I just haven’t read it and thus can’t recommend it personally.
Six Days of War, by Michael Oren. Not exactly the whole history of the Arab-Israeli conflict, but it will teach you much about the way that things work.
A Durable Peace: Israel and Its Place Among the Nations, by Benjamin Netanyahu. This presents the view of a conservative Israeli on the Middle East conflict. It’s only $6 at Amazon.
It’s now vacation time and so I’m afraid that I can no longer give you “front line” reports. Not that I was doing much good before in reporting that life was normal. Since everything I was getting was from the same news reports that you read, I’m pretty sure that I could continue to comment without anyone knowing the difference. And I just may well, but now you know :-).
So…those emails. People are wondering if it’s safe to come now. Students are wondering if they should. Others are inquiring about whether there will be a fall semester at IBEX. Here’s how I see it:
Hezbollah has shot off some thousand rockets to this point. The Israeli air force has destroyed who knows how many more. The terrorists’ ability to strike Israel is much more difficult now because of the destroyed bridges and cleared strip near Lebanon’s southern border. Many Hezbollah members are dead (yes, some of those “civilian” deaths are actually terrorists; remember that terrorists don’t wear name tags), and others will die as Israel’s campaign continues. Israel is saying, and I believe them, that they won’t stop until Hezbollah’s ability to attack is destroyed or greatly reduced.
Therefore, Israel will be much safer and you should come. Before this offensive, there were 13,000 missiles aimed at Israel, but few thought it dangerous to come (as attested by the hoards of tourists here this summer). Why it is suddenly more dangerous now that there are fewer rockets aimed at Israel? You certainly can’t say that now we know that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, willing to destroy innocent lives. We’ve known that all along (I actually wrote a research paper on Hezbollah in 1990; the teacher gave me a B- in the class; I suspect he was a Hezbollah sympathizer). Really – there is no doubt in anyone’s mind here that Israel will be much safer after this campaign than before. Hezbollah just gave Israel the necessary incentive to give them their “just rewards.” Just as al-Qaeda finally motivated the U.S. to action with 9/11.
The curious reality is that while the snake is alive but quiet, everyone is happy and merry, convinced of their safety. But when the snake is being systematically hacked to bits, everyone freaks out.
