Perhaps my western mind simply does not understand Middle Eastern thought, but the relationship between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority boggles my mind.  One day they are forming a unity government together, another day they seem to mistrust or oppose all that the other does.  They go to incredible lengths to destroy Israel, but any other goal seems to bring division between the two.

On June 2, 2014, a unity government was formed between the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.  The two camps opposed each other from the beginning.  Hamas, whose charter actually calls for Israel’s destruction, fails to recognize or acknowledge the state of Israel.  The Palestinian Authority (PA), meanwhile, had just spent 9 months negotiating (albeit unsuccessfully) with Israel.  However, when the unity government was formed, Mahmoud Abbas, the PA president, promised that “the new government would continue a course of nonviolence.”  Given Hamas’s goal, how could Abbas possibly think that would work?  Sure enough, only a month later, Hamas had fired enough rockets into Israel to cause the Jewish state to launch Operation Protective Edge.

Since that time, the two factions have traded jabs.  Here are some headlines:

Hamas officials denounce ‘criminal’ Abbas as ‘Likud member’ 7/12/14
Abbas says Hamas accepted same cease-fire plan it rejected 8/28/14
Abbas: Hamas leader Mashaal is a liar 9/1/14
Hamas’s Haniyeh would trounce Abbas if elections held today 9/3/14
Abbas hints PA close to ending unity agreement with Hamas 9/7/14

Now, only a couple days ago, the 79-year-old Mahmoud Abbas says he’s tired and needs to rest!  More astounding is the fact that Abbas indicated he will hand over control of the Palestinian Authority to Hamas if they win a future election.

They may be a unified government in name, but are they truly a unified government?  If so, who is leading?  What a confusing way to lead!

When I think of that confusion, I am reminded of the many times in Scripture where the Lord used confusion to bring about victory for His people.  Perhaps the most intriguing account occurs in Judges 7.  You may remember the account.  God decided that Gideon’s 32,000-man army was too large to go against the Midianites, so He carved it down to 300 men before giving Gideon very unique wartime instructions.  Now far outnumbered, Gideon equipped his men with trumpets, pitchers and torches…not exactly effective weapons of war!

But, just as God commanded, Gideon’s men blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers and held torches in their left hands.  As they stood in their place around the camp, the Midianites became confused, turning their swords on one another.  The victory was won, not because of the great strength of Gideon’s army, but because of the confusion brought about by the Lord.

Here are other examples from Scripture of God using confusion to confound and defeat an enemy:

• Exodus 14:24 – God delivers the Israelites out of Egypt
• Exodus 23:27 – God gives victory over Israel’s enemies
• Deuteronomy 7:23 – God delivers enemies into Israel’s hand
• 1 Samuel 5:9 – God brought confusion and smote a city for mishandling the ark of God

Dear friends, our great God…the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…is faithful to protect and defend His chosen land and His chosen people.  He has all power and every tool imaginable at His disposal.  Should He choose to use confusion to bring about victory for His people (as He has done in the past), He is capable of doing so.  Let’s pray that confusion increases in enemy camps, and that God brings astounding victory to His people time and time again!