Man attacks peaceful march for Israel

A Biblical Response to Violence in the World: Reflecting on the Boulder Attack and the Days of Noah

On June 1, 2025, a peaceful pro-Israel march in Boulder, Colorado, was shattered by a horrific act of violence, described by authorities as a terrorist attack. The weekly gathering, held to commemorate hostages taken by Hamas, was targeted with what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail or similar incendiary device. Multiple victims, including children, suffered severe burn injuries. Video footage captured a volatile scene, with the attacker reportedly yelling pro-Palestine slogans while wielding the incendiary devices, intensifying the tragedy’s political and ideological undertones. As the FBI and local police investigate, with a suspect in custody, this incident prompts a deeper reflection on the biblical perspective on violence, its roots, and its implications for our world today.

The Hebrew word for violence, hamas (חָמָס), appears prominently in the Bible, notably in the Genesis flood narrative (Genesis 6:11–13), where it describes the state of the world before God’s judgment: “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence [hamas].” This term, occurring sixty times in the Hebrew Bible, denotes physical aggression, cruelty, and injustice, always attributed to human actions rather than divine ones (Genesis 49:5; Judges 9:24). The linguistic coincidence with the name of the modern terrorist organization Hamas, while not etymologically identical (the group’s name is an Arabic acronym for “Islamic Resistance Movement”), is striking. The biblical hamas encapsulates the kind of destructive, life-denying behavior seen in acts like the Boulder attack, where ideological fervor fueled violence against innocents.

In the days of Noah, the earth’s corruption and hamas grieved God’s heart (Genesis 6:6), leading Him to “blot out” humanity, sparing only Noah, a righteous man who “walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). Noah’s faith, as Hebrews 11:7 notes, made him an heir of righteousness, not because he was sinless but because he trusted God’s warning and acted in obedience by building the ark. The flood was God’s response to a world consumed by hamas—a divine act of judgment to cleanse creation of pervasive wickedness. Yet, God’s promise never again to destroy all life by flood (Genesis 9:11) reveals His mercy, pointing to a redemptive plan that would address sin and violence differently.

Jesus, in Matthew 24:37–39, draws a direct parallel between the end times and the days of Noah: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” He describes a world where people are consumed with daily life, oblivious to impending judgment, much like the generation that perished in the flood. The Boulder attack, with its echoes of ideological hatred and physical violence, reflects the kind of hamas that characterizes a world drifting from God’s ways. The attacker’s reported pro-Palestine chants highlight how deeply polarized conflicts, such as the Israeli-Palestinian struggle, can fuel acts of hamas that harm the innocent and deepen division. This incident underscores the biblical warning that humanity’s inclination toward violence persists, mirroring the corruption of Noah’s era.

The Bible does not merely condemn violence; it offers a response rooted in God’s character and redemptive plan. In the Old Testament, God’s judgment on hamas is clear, as seen in His destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah for their “grievous sin” (Genesis 18:20) and His commands to Israel to confront the wickedness of nations like the Canaanites (Deuteronomy 7:2). Yet, these judgments are balanced by calls for justice and mercy. Psalm 72:14 speaks of God redeeming souls from “deceit and violence,” valuing human life. The prophet Habakkuk cries out to God about hamas and injustice (Habakkuk 1:2), expressing a longing for divine intervention, which God promises to fulfill in His time.

The New Testament shifts the focus to Jesus as the ultimate answer to hamas. Unlike the flood, which temporarily cleansed the earth, Jesus’ death on the cross addressed the root of violence—human sin. Colossians 2:13–14 declares that God forgave our trespasses, “canceling the record of debt that stood against us” by nailing it to the cross. This act of grace offers reconciliation, not destruction, as the solution to humanity’s rebellion. Jesus’ teachings, such as “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9) and “Love your enemies” (Luke 6:35), challenge believers to counter hamas with compassion and forgiveness, even in the face of atrocities like the Boulder attack. However, the Bible also acknowledges the role of governments to wield “the sword” to restrain evil (Romans 13:4), suggesting a balanced approach where justice and mercy coexist.

The Boulder attack also raises questions about the end times. Jesus’ reference to the days of Noah implies that violence and corruption will intensify before His return. Prophecies like Ezekiel 38–39 and Zechariah 12:10 point to a future where Israel faces persecution but ultimately recognizes Jesus as Messiah, leading to restoration. Some interpret the modern conflict involving Hamas and Israel as a foreshadowing of these events.

Ultimately, the biblical response to violence is twofold: lament and hope. We lament the hamas that fills the earth, as seen in Boulder, where ideological hatred led to suffering. Yet, we hold to the hope of Christ’s return, when He will judge the world in righteousness (Revelation 19:11–16) and create a new heaven and earth where hamas is no more (Isaiah 65:17). Until then, believers are called to embody Christ’s love, pray for enemies, and seek justice, trusting that God’s grace, extended to Noah and fulfilled in Jesus, remains the answer to a world filled with violence.