The Times of Israel reports that Israeli hostage Mia Schem, who was released by Hamas on November 30, 2023 after 54 days in captivity, was shot in the arm on October 7, 2023 and taken hostage. Her health was decidedly impacted, as she developed epilepsy from the trauma and lack of sleep, and required extensive surgery and rehabilitation on her wounded arm.
She only recently spoke in depth about her experience, including that she was pulled by her hair from a burning car and driven into Gaza. She was taken to an apparent residence where she felt like “an animal at the zoo” and was held by a family with young children – with the children opening the door to her room just to stare at her.
She was operated on by a doctor who told her “you’re not going home alive” and was forced to clean her own wounds and change her own bandages. She never bathed during her entire captivity and often went for days without any food – with all of this happening in the Hamas terrorist’s home, along with his wife and children.
The Times of Israel article may be read in full HERE.
My brothers and sisters, what strikes me about this story is how a Palestinian family held Mia Schem in captivity with even the children being allowed to see what was happening. Entire generations appear to have been ruined with HATE in Gaza.
Although many have been killed, maimed or wounded in this war, as Christians, we are called to be thankful in all things (see 1 Thessalonians 5:18), as our God will snatch victory from the evil one and produce a testimony of goodness – even in the midst of such suffering and evil. God calls us to taste and see that the Lord is good (see Psalm 34:8-11). We give thanks to God that Mia Schem was saved from death and reunited with her loved ones. We mourn and pray for the families of those hostages who have or will perish before this war is concluded.
Ms. Schem’s comments are not all referenced in this FGGAM article, as some of them are very pointed, but they are worthy of reading as an example to those who might be exceedingly one-sided toward Hamas and the supporting Palestinian population, and as a partial explanation as to why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is firmly intent on ridding Israel of Hamas and “deradicalizing” Palestinian society.
As reported widely for many years now, Palestinian school children are taught that Jews are not human, they are to be hated, and that they have ‘stolen’ the Palestinian homeland as oppressors. The home in which Mia Schem was held captive seems to demonstrate the “fruit” of such indoctrination.
As Christians, we have the mind of Christ with which to discern the truth (see 1 Corinthians 2:16). We realize that the Jewish people are God’s chosen (see Deuteronomy 7:6) and that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is also our Father God. We have the ministry of reconciliation (see 2 Corinthians 5:17-19); however, such reconciliation must be in accord with the word of God and His truth, with a heart that all should come unto salvation through Jesus (see 1 Timothy 2:4-6), and not in unity with lies from the evil one (see Proverbs 12:20).
Here are the above-referenced scriptures:
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)
“…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Psalm 34:8-11 (NKJV)
“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; [b]lessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; [b]ut those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified Bible)
“For who has known the mind and purposes of the Lord, so as to instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ [to be guided by His thoughts and purposes].”
Deuteronomy 7:6 (NKJV)
“For you [the Jews] are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.”
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 (NKJV)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation (emphasis mine), that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”
1 Timothy 2:4-6 (NKJV)
God Desires All To Be Saved
“[God our Savior] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all…”.
Proverbs 12:20 (NKJV)
“Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, [b]ut counselors of peace have joy.”
Praise Jesus forevermore!
