Should We Be Afraid? A Bibical Response to Terrorism

Soon after the cowardly and barbaric terrorists’ attacks on Paris, ISIS issued a threat to the United States. They claimed they were coming after Washington, D.C., then New York City, specifically Times Square. Should we be afraid?

Does the Bible have anything to say about terrorism? Oh, yes! The biblical world was full of terrorists and evil tyrants. Terrorism is nothing new; it is as old as sinful humanity. Terrorism operates out of fear, and the goal is to instill fear and uncertainty into the hearts of the people. This was the case in Isaiah 7, when not one but two evil kings sent a message to the people of Jerusalem much like the message ISIS sent to Washington and New York — we are coming after you, and we will destroy you.

The message had the desired effect for Isaiah 7:2 reports the hearts of the king and the people were shaken “as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.” This is when the prophet Isaiah confronted the king and said, “Don’t listen to the terrorists. It doesn’t matter what they say. What matters is what God says.”

And what did God say? Keep watch, keep calm, do not fear and do not lose heart. We are to be vigilant and cautious, calm and deliberate, but most of all we are not to be afraid, and we should never give up. But how is it possible to “fear not” when we have seen terrorists inflict so much death and destruction?

How is it possible? “God is sending a sign,” Isaiah reported: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Immanuel” (which means, God is with us). One of the most powerful promises in Scripture was given in response to a terrorist threat.

It would be over 600 years before the Virgin Mary wrapped her newborn baby in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, but Mary and Joseph were quickly forced to take their baby and flee to Egypt as refugees to escape the terrorism of Herod the Great. Three decades later the man “who was born of a virgin” was nailed to a cross by a ruthless government that ruled by fear and intimidation. Shortly before his execution he predicted that there would always be wars and rumors of wars. He said the terror will be so intense that the sun will be darkened and the stars will fall from the sky. (Mark 13)

I used to think this language was symbolic until 9/11. The sun was darkened on that cloudless September day, and the stars were falling from the sky along with the twin towers. And now we have not only the ISIS threat, but lone terrorists have attacked our children in schools, innocent citizens in malls and theaters, and even Wednesday night Bible studies have become terror filled.

But do you know what Jesus said right after he issued the dire warning in Mark 13? He said almost exactly the same thing Isaiah said to the king who was threatened by terrorism. Do not panic, do not fear and do not lose heart. Because, it’s not over. You can’t see it now, but a great day is coming when all that is wrong will be made right.

We are about to celebrate the coming of light into the darkness. No matter how deep, how forceful, how intimidating the darkness may be, it can never overcome and extinguish the light. Light is greater than darkness, love is greater than fear, for perfect love casts out fear.

The angel told Joseph that the baby’s name will be Immanuel, God with us. And God always has the final word. If God is for us, who can be against us? So hang on everybody. Don’t panic, don’t fear, don’t give up. We haven’t seen the end of this story, but we have a preview — we know what will happen. In the end, God wins! And evil, darkness, violence, wars and terrorism will be gone forever.