In a now viral Interview, right-wing gadfly Tucker Carlson tacked the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, on a Bible question, “What are the boundaries of Israel?”
Carlson: “So let’s go through this. You’ve appealed to Genesis. Genesis 15 Abraham receives from God the news that his descendants will inherit the land. And you tell me as the theologian, if I’m getting this wrong, but from the Euphrates to the Nile, I think that’s right. And that would include basically the entire Middle East. That would be the Levant. So that would be Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. It would also be big parts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.”
Huckabee: “Not sure it would go that far. I mean it would be a big piece of land. But here’s the point.”
Carlson: “It would be a lot of places that are now countries that” (cut off)”
Huckabee: “But this particular area that we’re talking about now, Israel is a land that God gave through Abraham to a people that he chose. It was a people, a place, and a purpose. We can look at it that way. Christian Zionism, I want to go back because that is where we started on this.”
Carlson: “I’m not going to let you off on this because you have said it three times that God gave this land to this people. And so it is entirely fair for me with respect to ask what land are you talking about? Because I just read Genesis 15 as I have many times, and that land, I think it says from the Nile to the Euphrates, which is once again basically the entire Middle East. So God gave that land to his people, the Jews or he didn’t. You are saying he did. What does that mean? Does Israel have the right to that land? Because you’re appealing to Genesis, you’re saying that’s the original deed.”
Huckabee: “It would be fine if they took it all, but I don’t think that’s what we’re talking about here today.”
…
Carlson: “You think it would be fine if the state of Israel took over all of Jordan.”
Huckabee: “They don’t want to take it over. They’re not asking to take it over.”
Carlson: “But you’re saying that the reason that Israel is legitimate has this inherent right to exist is in part because God gave it to his people. And I am going to the same Bible that you’re referring to and noticing that that is a huge piece of land. So if God gave them that land, then they have a right to take it. Now, by your definition, unless I’m missing something completely, well,”
Huckabee: “I think you’re missing something because they’re not asking to go back to take all of that. But they are asking to at least take the land that they now occupy, they now live in, they now own legitimately, and it is a safe haven for them.”
Carlson: “Well, may I ask, though, because you’re appealing, you’re explaining what Christian Zionism is in your theological beliefs, and I think you just said it would be fine with you if the state of Israel took all of Syria, all of Lebanon.”
Huckabee: “It was somewhat of a hyperbolic statement in that if that’s what you feel like that we’re talking about. But it isn’t. We’re talking about this land that Israel, the state of Israel now lives in and wants to have peace in. They’re not trying to take over Jordan. They’re not trying to take over Syria. They’re not trying to take over Iraq or anywhere else, but they do want to protect their people and they’re not trying to take over Lebanon.”
The Bible says what?
Carlson and Huckabee are debating Genesis 15:18–20 “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” The NIV has a note that the Hebrew word rendered “wadi” could mean “river” which is taken by Carlson to mean the Nile. The ESV and KJV use “river.”
However, when Moses, who has led the Israelites from the Nile, and through Sinai, dies on the East bank Jordan, he is told he is not the enter the promised land. “Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, the Negev, and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.” (Deuteronomy 34:5) Ezekiel 47 gives similar boundaries.
Which rules out the Nile. This is the “river to the sea” territory plus Gilead, which is further north than Mount Nebo, where Moses was standing, on the East bank of the Jordan. The Negev is the southern part of the State of Israel, while Naphtali extended to the Litani River and the Beqaa valley in modern Lebanon.
Under David, Israel controlled vassal states which reached North to the Euphrates.
The New Testament
This discussion also needs to take into account that the New Testament says that both Jews and Gentiles are children of Abraham, grafted into the Olive root, in Paul’s metaphor.
“So also Abraham, ‘believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” (Galatians 3:6–8)
“In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.” (Romans 9:8)
Premillenial Christians like Huckabee, hold that modern Isreal is the outcome of God’s promises to the Jewish people. Christians with a different understanding of the end times, do not see the existence of a modern state of Israel as a theological imperative, while in many cases supporting the right to self determination of modern Jews.
Image: Mike Huckabee on Tucker Carlson podcast