The Walls We Build

History teaches us that fortifications aren’t a sure defense. There isn’t a single fortress that will stand forever and not eventually fail.

If you ask a child to draw an ancient city, odds are they’d draw a wall around it. Archaeological excavations have found that ancient cities were surrounded by walls to protect the inhabitants. Over the years, methods for building walls have improved. City gates have evolved, and the way walls are built has changed over time. We’re still improving on the technology today.

In 1967, fearing an attack from Egypt and Syria, Israel initiated the Six-Day War, holding the Sinai Peninsula until the peace treaty with Egypt was made. The new border was drawn along the Suez Canal. In 1968, Israel constructed a line of defense along the Canal that came to be known as the Bar-Lev Line. It consisted of a string of fortifications along the Canal, with a second string behind it.

Between 2017 and 2021, following Operation Protective Edge (Hebrew: Miv’tza Tzuk Eitan, “Operation Strong Cliff”), Israel erected a defensive border with the Gaza Strip, which is where Hamas terrorists broke through. The barrier’s purpose was to prevent terrorists from entering Israel by digging tunnels under the border, and it cost about NIS 3 billion ($830 million). After the barrier was built, tunnels were discovered in the south of the Gaza Strip.

In both cases, these lines of defense gave Israel a sense of security. They gave the impression of protective walls that were durable, impenetrable from the outside. But history teaches us that fortifications aren’t a sure defense. There isn’t a single fortress that stood forever and didn’t eventually fail.

The same is true in the life of a person who believes in Jesus. Sometimes we also surround ourselves with walls meant to protect us; they come in many different types and configurations. We make sure to surround ourselves with a community of believers, minimizing contact with non-believers. Or we may keep ourselves occupied with the business of the church. And there are plenty of other ways to build walls.

God’s Word even encourages God’s people to build certain walls. One example is the commandments that God gave the Israelites in the desert. He repeatedly warned them not to take after the Canaanites, whose land they were to inherit. He actually gave specific commandments that caused them to actively isolate themselves from the neighboring nations (Num 15; Deut 7).

The best defense is a good offense. During the monarchy, King David united the people of Israel under a single king and a unified system of leadership. He assimilated the remaining peoples of Canaan into the people of Israel. One example is Uriah the Hittite (2 Sam 11). Uriah is a shining example of a man of God who was not part of the people of Israel by birth. Like David, we’re called to preach to our fellow human beings and bring them into the Church of God. We shouldn’t remain on the defensive, but go on the offensive.

The believer’s primary “attack” is evangelism. When we preach, we’re building up the body of Christ in two ways: first, by obeying Jesus’ commandments (Matt 28) and enlarging the body. The second is by building our knowledge and depth in the faith as we preach and defend it.

In Ephesians 6:11-17, the Apostle Paul calls us to wear the full armor of God. It isn’t just the shield and helmet that protect us, but also offensive weapons such as the sword of the Spirit. We need to step out of our comfort zone behind our walls, and go on the offensive to preach and defend the gospel and our Christian values.

News from Israel - 08/2024