Lebanon And Syria

Since Old Testament times Syria and Israel have been traditional enemies. History has repeated itself. Four times since the State of Israel was established in 1948 Syrian and Israeli forces have been in major conflict. Each time Syria has experienced humiliating defeat. In the Six-Day War of 1967 Israel wrested from Syria control of the strategic Golan Heights, which are still occupied by Israeli troops. During the fourth major conflict, when Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, Syria suffered the devastating loss of an estimated 1 billion dollars' worth of military equipment.

Yet the Syrians resolutely maintain their opposition to Israel. The Soviet

Union has made up losses of military equipment, now supplying advanced

MiG-23 fighter aircraft, SA-5 missiles and SS-21 surface to air missiles. A Syrian Defence Minister has been reported as stating, "the Negev is within the range of our missiles" - a range of about 200 miles from Damascus.

It is Syria which has deliberately prolonged the anguish of Lebanon. For centuries Lebanon has had close cultural, economic and political ties with Syria. Lebanese ports are Syria's main link with the sea, and through Syria Lebanon has access for trade with other Arab nations. So the preservation of a commanding influence in Lebanon is an important feature of Syrian policy.

Having failed to thwart Israel's invasion of Southern Lebanon and the expulsion of the PLO from that area, Syria feared the extension of Israeli influence in Lebanon. In negotiations for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanese territory, Lebanon's President Gemayel offered Israel certain diplomatic and economic privileges. This was completely unacceptable to Syria. Skilfully and callously the Syrians tried in every way possible to disrupt the country and bring about a change of government more to their own liking.

Rival Muslim and Christian factions were played off against each other, enmities were stirred up and arms supplied to keep the civil war aflame. Encouragement was given to Muslim extremists to attack American and French units of the "peace keeping forces" in Lebanon. Syria refused to pull her forces out of the Bekaa Valley in East Lebanon and so ensured that Israeli troops would still remain in the south of the country. Rebellion was encouraged within the PLO army stationed in the Bekaa Valley because Syria resented Yassar

Arafat's readiness to consider negotiations with Jordan and Israel about a possible solution to the Palestinian problem.

All these moves were ruthlessly developed regardless of the anguish brought to thousands of ordinary civilians, victims of bombing, shelling and violence in Beirut, Tripoli and elsewhere.

Names frequently in current news from the Middle East, such as Damascus, Tyre and Sidon, feature also in several prophetic scriptures regarding the time of the end. We may group Lebanon and Syria together in this connection. Joel 3:1-6 points to the gathering of the nations for judgement at the coming of the Son of Man. Closely associated with that great crisis we find Tyre and Sidon directly implicated in divine judgement because of their attitudes to Israel:

Yea, and what are ye to me, 0 Tyre, and Zidon?... swiftly and speedily will I return your recompense upon your own head. Forasmuch as ye have taken My silver and My gold, and have carried into your temples My goodly pleasant things; the children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold.

Psalm 83 also names the inhabitants of Tyre among the alliance of Israel's neighbouring powers with the avowed object of eliminating the Israel nation:

"They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel be no more in remembrance" (Ps. 83:4). So in the prophetic picture of the Middle East at the time of the end the Lebanon area is seen to be in solid alignment with the enemies of Israel; significant to a degree in the light of modern developments!

There is a remarkable word in Is. 23:18 which would seem to indicate a role for Lebanon in the millennial kingdom. For after referring to the revival of Tyre as a centre of commerce, and to her playing the harlot with all the kingdoms upon the face of the earth (v.17), the prophet points to a dramatic reversal of that corrupt trend: "Her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD; it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD." Again in Psalm 45, which clearly looks forward to the glory of Messiah's triumph and reign, there is included the revealing word:

"the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat Thy favour" (v.12). Happy contrast to the present tragic chapter of Lebanon's history!

unknown | Jun 1984
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