By David R. Parsons, ICEJ Senior Vice President & Spokesman

There are growing frustrations on all sides over the length of the war in Gaza, but especially in Israel. After nearly two years of intense urban combat, the IDF is still stuck in a slow, grinding battle with Hamas that is now running into the law of diminishing returns. For instance:

• With only 20 live Israeli hostages now left in Gaza, there could very likely be a higher number IDF soldiers killed while trying to rescue them.
• Trying to finish off what is left of Hamas in Gaza has to be weighed against the long-term damage being done to Israel’s image globally.

This protracted conflict also raises larger questions, such as why has Gaza always been a thorn in Israel’s side? Historically, it seems Israel has never been able to fully possess Gaza, dating back to the time of their ancient enemy, the Philistines. In searching for the answer in the pages of history and particularly the Bible, we find there also are important spiritual lessons for us as Christians about the consequences of failing to possess our inheritance in God.

Dan’s Retreat
We can first establish that Gaza was indeed part of the Land promised by God to Abraham.

“On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: ‘To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates…’” (Genesis 15:18). Rabbinic authorities agree that the “river of Egypt” does not refer to the Nile but to a small wadi near El Arish on the northern Sinai coast just west of Gaza, which was the traditional border between the Land of Israel and Egypt. As a result, we can clearly assert that Gaza was and is part of the Promised Land.

After the Exodus from Egypt, as Israel started to possess the Promised Land, the Gaza region was meant to go to the tribe of Dan. Joshua 19:40-48 records that the seventh lot among the twelve tribes fell to Dan, and included such cities as Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, Aijalon, Ekron and Joppa. This is an area which runs basically along modern Highway 1 from Tel Aviv towards the Judean foothills and south through the “Shephelah” towards Gaza. That is, the tribe of Dan’s inheritance bordered on the Gazan stronghold of Philistia and thus they found themselves on the frontlines of Israel’s bitter confrontation with the Philistines.

However, the Danites failed to possess this region and they eventually moved all the way north to Laish, at the foot of Mount Hermon. It was left to the adjoining tribe of Judah to possess part of Dan’s inheritance and thereby face off directly with the Philistines.

Now as Israel was conquering the Land, the Book of Joshua contains two important clues as to why Dan failed to capture its allotted region. First, all the tribes were sworn to help their fellow tribes possess their respective inheritances. Apparently, Dan did not get much assistance from the other tribes.

Second, the Book of Joshua repeatedly speaks of the Lord commanding the Israelites to wipe out the Rephaim, or giants, who dwelled mainly in the “hill country” – meaning the mountains of Judea and Samaria. It seems some of these giants decided to flee to Philistia in Gaza, which explains where Goliath and his four brothers originally came from.

Dan’s Missed Date with Destiny
Still, the people of Dan were given a divine opportunity to conquer the Philistines and claim their allotted land when the Lord raised up Samson as a mighty champion in their midst. This is recounted in Judges chapters 13 to 16, which says that the Lord, through Samson, “was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at the time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.” (Judges 14:4)

Thus, we learn that Samson came from the tribe of Dan and was anointed with extraordinary strength due to his Nazarite vow – no haircuts, no wine, and no contact with the dead. He could slay one thousand Philistines at a time with a donkey’s jawbone. Yet he had a weakness for Philistine women, and Delilah was his undoing. He tragically died, taking down with him the Philistine temple and lords in Gaza City. But his tribe of Dan and even all of Israel lost their chance to vanquish the tormenting threat emanating from Gaza.

After Samson died, the Book of Judges records that the tribe of Dan gave up on their allotted lands and ventured north to Laish, at the foot of Hermon. But something happened along the way that spelled even more trouble for all of Israel. Judges 17 and 18 retell how they encountered idol worship in the house of Micah the Ephraimite on the way north and took his idol and priest with them. Later rabbinic tradition holds that it was the tribe of Dan who first taught Israel to stumble thru idolatry.

For this reason, Dan becomes something of a mystery in the various lists of the 12 tribes of Israel over the course of the Bible. Throughout the Old Testament, Dan is included in the 12 tribes listed in such places as Genesis 49, Numbers 1, 13 and 34, Joshua 19 and 1 Chronicles 27. But in the New Testament, Dan disappears from the 12 tribes of Israel listed in Revelation 7 as being sealed as “servants of God” during the Tribulation. Yet, jumping back to Ezekiel 48:1, we are assured that Dan will one day receive their inheritance in the North when a righteous remnant from among them are resurrected at the start of the Messianic Age.

‘Dissing’ Dagon
There is another key Bible passage concerning Gaza that bears mentioning here. In 1 Samuel 5, the Philistines had stolen the ark of the covenant, the holy seat of God’s presence, and took it to their temple of Dagon in Ashdod. But the statue of Dagon kept bowing to the ark. After the second night, Dagon’s head and hands were also broken off.

The ancient cultures of the region would have instantly understood this symbolised not only the superiority of the God of Israel over the false god of Dagon, but it also was a highly disrespectful statement that the Philistine idol was imperfect and lacking in deity. Museums today contain many such statues and busts of Caesar and other semi-gods from the ancient world with their noses deliberately knocked off by a rival people in similar acts of disrespect. How curious to see the Lord God of Israel ‘dissing’ Dagon in this way!

The passage adds: “Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.”  (1 Samuel 5:5) This means that the Philistines in Gaza knew and accepted that the God of Israel had triumphed over their god at least in this one place, though they remained defiant elsewhere.

Lessons to Take to Heart
As we consider all these biblical accounts concerning Israel, Dan and the Philistines in Gaza, there are several lessons and spiritual truths to take away, and to take to the Lord in prayer.

1)  False gods and religions are very territorial, including Islam. May the Lord God of Israel prove His absolute dominion over the god of Hamas in such a way that all of Gaza acknowledges and fears Him alone.

2)  Israel’s history may have been quite different if the tribe of Dan had possessed its allotted region and never turned to idolatry. Israel may have conquered the Philistines. And perhaps Gaza would not be the major thorn it has been to Israel in modern times. May the Lord have mercy and deliver Israel from this implacable foe of Hamas once and for all. May the entire Gaza Strip cease to be “enemy territory” for Israel and the Jewish people. 3)  Failure to possess our own inheritance in God can have serious consequences for generations to come. May we know when God is giving us the opportunity to possess what He has for us, and may we not be weak in the flesh like Samson was towards Philistine women.

Also be sure to watch this week’s ICEJ webinar “Why Israel Has Never Truly Possessed Gaza!” featuring David Parsons at:

Please accept all cookies to see this content or watch content here.

Main Photo: IDF soldiers on a recent patrol in Gaza (Photo IDF Spokesman)