Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I was watching the news from Lebanon and came across an interview with the seasoned Lebanese Druze politician, Walid Jumblatt. He said that since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, he has begun to study the Old Testament to learn more about the Jewish claim to the land.

Jumblatt is a former militia commander who led the Progressive Socialist Party from 1977 until 2023. He is a prominent figure in Lebanese politics and has played a key role in the country’s civil war, post-war reconstruction, and recent crises.

Who are the Druze

The Druze are an ethnoreligious group of the Levant, who follow a monotheistic and esoteric faith that incorporates elements of Islam, Hinduism, and Greek philosophy.

The Druze believe in the unity of God, the transmigration of souls, and the role of the prophets and the mentors. They also incorporate elements of Christianity, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Pythagoreanism, and other philosophies and beliefs, creating a distinct and secretive theology based on an esoteric interpretation of scripture, which emphasizes the role of the mind and truthfulness.

The Druze sacred texts are not publicly available, and they are guardedby the “wise” called ʿuqqāl, in Arabic. However, some of the texts have been leaked or published by scholars and researchers over the years. Druze believe that only the ʿuqqāl have the right and the ability to understand the true meaning of the Druze wisdom.

According to various sources, there are about 800,000 to 2 million Druze worldwide, mostly concentrated in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.

• In Lebanon, the Druze constitute about 5.2 percent of the population, or about 260,000 people. They are mainly distributed in districts of Mount Lebanon, as well as in Beirut and the Bekaa Valley.

Before Pastor Hesham immigrated from Lebanon, he met with a Druze convert to Christianity and encouraged him. There is a small group of Druze in Mount Lebanon, Syria, and Israel following Jesus. Druze do not kill converts, but may ostracize them.

Jumblat is the most influential leader in the modern history of the Druze, and we pray that God would use his curiosity to lead him to the saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Pray for Druze

Dear Lord,

We come to you with a humble and sincere heart, asking for your grace and mercy. We pray for Walid Jumblatt and all the Druze people, who are your beloved children, created in your image and likeness. We pray that you would reveal yourself to them in a powerful and personal way, and that you would draw them to your Son, Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life.

Lord, we thank you for Walid Jumblatt’s interest in reading the Old Testament, which is your inspired word and a testimony of your faithfulness and love. We pray that as he reads, you would open his eyes to see the prophecies and promises that point to Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior of the world. We pray that you would show him how Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets, and how he died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead, defeating death and sin. We pray that you would convict him of his sins and reveal to him the need for repentance and forgiveness, and that you would grant him the gift of faith to believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

In His service,

Rev. Hesham Shehab