Yahweh, His Chosen people and the land He gave them

Submitted by Lactantius Jr (United Kingdom), Oct 28, 2011 at 16:44

Dear Fatima

Thank you for asking such an interesting question, and given the seemingly intractable human problem of Muslims and Jews living in peace in the land of Israel, I am glad you have asked about the Old Testament stating that the land of Israel is designated exclusively for Jews, and how absolutely crucial it is to seek a divine perspective on this.

In order to do this, I quote from the Holy Bible and from the Qur'an, and whilst I quote verbatim the relevant passages, should you wish to consult these yourself, I give the online websites which will enable you to do this. Bible gateway is at http://www.biblegateway.com/ and Qur'an browser is at http://www.quranbrowser.com/

Firstly, it is necessary to say that the word "God" refers to Yahweh, the covenant-keeping deity, who told Moses that this was His eternal Name, the Name to be remembered for all generations.

"God also said to Moses, Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob--has sent me to you. This is My eternal name, My name to remember for all generations."

Exodus 3:15

The history of the Jewish people begins with Abraham, and the story of Abraham begins when Yahweh tells him to leave his homeland in Ur of the Chaldees, promising Abraham and his descendants a new home in the land of Canaan. Genesis 12. This is the land now known as Israel, named after Abraham's grandson, whose descendants are the Jewish people. The land is often referred to as the Promised Land because of Yahweh's repeated promise Genesis 12:7, 13:15, 15:18, 17:8 to give the land to the descendants of Abraham "for ever," or as an "everlasting possession."

Since May 14^th. 1948, when the Israelis reclaimed the land Yahweh promised to them, there has been continued conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians over the land. This conflict has involved all of the Islamic nations in the Middle East, many nations around the world, and especially the United States of America. A study of the Bible clearly indicates that the Promised Land was given to only the Israelis (Jews), not to the people now known as Palestinians.

Only the ultimate owner of land can designate it exclusively to someone else, and the ultimate owner of any land, as the Holy Bible makes absolutely clear, is Yahweh Himself.

By order of the Creation Genesis 1:1 and declaration, all of Earth belongs to Yahweh.

"So Moses said to him, 'As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, that you may know that the earth is the LORD'S.'" Exodus 9:29

"Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine." Exodus 19:5

"The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me." Leviticus 25:23

"Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it." Deuteronomy 10:14

"The earth is the LORD'S, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein." Psalm 24:1

The first description of the Promised Land is made in Genesis 15:18-21, as "this land, from the river of Egypt, to the great river, the Euphrates—the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites." It is a piece of property that Yahweh often referred to as the "land of Canaan," and its dimensions are best depicted in Numbers 34:1-12, as follows:

"Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Command the children of Israel, and say to them: When you come into the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance-the land of Canaan to its boundaries. Your southern border shall be from the Wilderness of Zin along the border of Edom; then your southern border shall extend eastward to the end of the Salt Sea; your border shall turn from the southern side of the Ascent of Akrabbim, continue to Zin, and be on the south of Kadesh Barnea; then it shall go on to Hazar Addar, and continue to Azmon; the border shall turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, and it shall end at the Sea. As for the western border, you shall have the Great Sea for a border; this shall be your western border. And this shall be your northern border: From the Great Sea you shall mark out your border line to Mount Hor; from Mount Hor you shall mark out your border to the entrance of Hamath; then the direction of the border shall be toward Zedad; the border shall proceed to Ziphron, and it shall end at Hazar Enan. This shall be your northern border. You shall mark out your eastern border from Hazar Enan to Shepham; the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain; the border shall go down and reach to the eastern side of the Sea of Chinnereth; the border shall go down along the Jordan, and it shall end at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land with its surrounding boundaries.' "

So that you as a Muslim may believe what the Holy Bible says, please know that the Qur'an gives massive testimony to the trustworthiness of the Holy Bible, both the Old and the New Testaments, and should you wish me to, I will gladly let you have much more information about what Allah and Muhammad say about the Holy Bible, but for now, limit myself to just one Qur'anic quotation, that at Sura Al-Maidah ayat 43-44 (Chapter 5 verses 43-44)

"But how do they come to you for decision while they have the Taurat (Torah), in which is the (plain) Decision of Allah; yet even after that, they turn away. For they are not (really) believers. Verily, We did send down the Taurat (Torah) [to Musa (Moses)], therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah's Will, judged the Jews. And the rabbis and the priests [too judged the Jews by the Taurat (Torah) after those Prophets] for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book, and they were witnesses thereto. Therefore fear not men but fear Me (O Jews) and sell not My Verses for a miserable price. And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the Kafirun" (i.e. disbelievers - of a lesser degree as they do not act on Allah's Laws). "The Noble Qur'an" Dr. Muhammad Taqi ud-Din al-Hilali and Dr.Muhammad Muhsin Khan

and see how Muhammad revered the Taurat (The Toraj, The Old Testament), Narrated Abdullah Ibn Umar:

"A group of Jews came and invited the Apostle of Allah (peace-be-upon-him) to Quff. So he visited them in their school. They said: AbulQasim, one of our men has committed fornication with a woman; so pronounce judgment upon them. They placed a cushion for the Apostle of Allah (peace-be-upon-him) who sat on it and said: Bring the Torah. IT WAS THEN BROUGHT. He then withdrew the cushion from beneath him and placed the Torah on it saying: I BELIEVED IN THEE and in Him Who revealed thee. He then said: Bring me one who is learned among you. Then a young man was brought. The transmitter then mentioned the rest of the tradition of stoning similar to the one transmitted by Malik from Nafi' (No. 4431)." (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 38, Number 4434)

Very significantly, in the Qur'an at Sura Al-Maidah ayat 20-2 (Chapter 5 verses 20- 2), it is also stated that Allah has given this parcel of land to the Jewish people.

"And (remember) when Musa (Moses) said to his people: 'O my people! Remember the Favour of Allah to you, when He made Prophets among you, made you kings, and gave you what He had not given to any other among the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns, in the past).' O my people! Enter the holy land (Palestine) which Allah has assigned to you, and turn not back (in flight) for then you will be returned as losers." "The Noble Qur'an" Dr. Muhammad Taqi ud-Din al-Hilali and Dr.Muhammad Muhsin Khan

Thank you once again Fatima for asking such an interesting question, and should you have any other questions about the Holy Bible and its message, I will do my best to answer them as best I can.

With kind regards and best wishes

Lactantius Jr

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