THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF THE LORD Psalm 19:1
You are invited to a three part, online seminar on the topic of
GOD, THE BIBLE AND SCIENCE
HOSTED BY TALIA VOICE BSc(Hons) Zoology, MSc(Hons) Natural Resource Management Shemen Sasson Congregation, Jerusalem, Israel
Friday 17th July, 2020 : The Revelation of God in Nature Friday 24th July, 2020: The Big Bang, Space-Time and Creation Friday 31st July, 2020: The Age of the Earth, Life and Evolution
All sessions 9:00 – 11:30 AM (Israel time)
In English only
To attend please contact Talia at tgood37@gmail.com for the Zoom link and password If you cannot attend at those times, you can request the link and password for the web-based recording which will be sent to you after the seminar.
Participation is free of charge, but donations will be gratefully received via PayPal to the above email address.
I think my favorite place in all of Israel has got to be Maktesh Ramon in the Negev Desert. I can never tire of this place – its geological forms, its colors, its moods, its variety of landscapes and its wildlife are just stunning.
The floor of Machtesh Ramon Jan 2017
A ‘maktesh’ is a geological formation found only in the Negev Desert of Israel and in the Sinai Peninsula. ‘Maktesh’ is the Hebrew word for a mortar (as in mortar and pestle), and refers to a bowl-shaped crater formed by erosion when a harder layer of rock (dolomite or limestone) overlays a softer layer of sandstone or chalk. The soft rock erodes away and the harder rock above it then collapses to form steep canyon walls. There are 5 makteshim in Israel– Maktesh Ramon, the Big Maktesh, the Small Maktesh and two other small makteshim on Mt Arif, south of Maktesh Ramon. Of these Maktesh Ramon is the largest, measuring some 40 km in length and, at its widest, 10 km in width. Unlike the others it is not shaped like a circular bowl but like an elongated heart, as you can see in this satellite photo.
Maktesh Ramon from space.
The Maktesh is some 500m deep and the exposed rocks on its floor are thought to be some 200 million years old. The northern rim is a vertical wall of rock offering spectacular views and a record of geological time for geologists. The Maktesh is formed from an eroded hill that was uplifted from the floor of the ancient Tethys Sea. Hard limestone overlays various colored strata of sandstone and chalk. Dark volcanic hills of basalt dot the floor of the Maktesh.
The northern rim of Maktesh Ramon March 2017
The best time to visit the Maktesh is late afternoon when the angle of the sun brings out the vivid colors and forms in the crater floor.
The Crater Floor – the dark hills are the basalt remains of ancient volcanoes.
On the northern rim there is a small town called Mitzpeh Ramon. ‘Mitzpeh’ means ‘lookout’. Near the town is a small knob of a hill with the silhouette of a sitting camel, and it is called Camel Mountain. On the top of the ‘camel’s hump’ there is a wooden viewing platform. It is a wonderful spot from which to watch the sunset.
Camel Mountain.
A sunset from Camel Mountain
Another spot perfect for watching the setting sun is the Sculpture Park that stretches several kilometers along the northern rim to the east of the town.
Mt Arsuf at sunset from the Sculpture Parkthe Sculpture Park at sunsetAn Israeli stonehenge?
A camel ride in the Sculpture Park at sunset. Ibex at sunset in the Sculpture Park
Another point of interest in the Sculpture Park are fossilized footprints.
fossilized camel prints (?)
In winter the rocky platform nearest the town is ablaze with the flowers of this shrubby succulent that somehow manages to survive on this exposed site.
Can anyone identify this plant?
If you have a few thousand dollars to throw away you could even stay in one of Israel’s most luxurious hotels, the Beresheet Hotel, near the Sculpture Park, and yes, each unit has its own swimming pool in addition to magnificent views of the Maktesh. And no, I have never stayed there and probably never will. I usually stay at the much more modest, but perfectly adequate, Field School just outside the town. There are many other options for accommodation ranging from camping or zimmers (B&Bs) to 5 star hotels.
The Beresheet Hotel in Mitzpeh Ramon
In Mitzpeh Ramon there is a large visitors center which features a display about Ilan Ramon, Israel’s most famous fighter pilot who spent a lot of his free time in the Maktesh area. Ilan was one of the pilots who flew to Iraq and bombed the nuclear reactor that Saddam Hussein was building there. He was also selected to be the first (and to date, only) Israeli astronaut but tragically he was killed on his first space flight, in the Columbia spacecraft that exploded in 2003. Sadly Ramon’s eldest son, Asaf, was also killed just 6 years later in an air force training flight accident.
The visitor center also has excellent displays, models and films about the geology and wildlife of the area. Nearby too is a tiny zoo featuring the smaller wild animals of the area, those that one seldom if ever will see in the wild. Its worth a visit just to get a close up of these beautiful creatures.
Its got to be the cutest denizen of the Maktesh – a Fat Sand RatAlso cute in its own prickly way – a porcupine Not cute at all – Horned Viper – but beautiful in its own way
Roaming around the streets of Mitzpeh Ramon you will without doubt encounter members of a semi-tame herd of ibex. They are not beyond accepting a tasty handout – even though it is forbidden to feed them!!!
Siesta time for grandad ibexDo not feed the Ibex!
In the grounds of the visitor center is a curious stone tumulus (burial mound or cairn) from the 3rd millenium BCE.
A stone tumulus from the 3rd millenium BCE
There is a lot to do in and around the Maktesh. You can go stargazing (recommended) or do archery (a lot of fun) or even pat alpacas and llamas at the Alpaca Ranch. If you are of the adventurous kind you might even like to try abseiling down the cliff near the visitor center. (And no, I chickened out of that one). Every year when the Perseid meteor shower is visible thousands of Israelis flock to Mitzpeh and the town extinguishes its lights so that the meteors can be seen to best effect. I can also recommend joining a guided tour in a 4×4 which will take you to places otherwise inaccessible. (Note all the places described here are easily accessible by a regular car, bicycle or on foot).
Abseiling in Mitzpeh
If you descend the snaky road to the Maktesh floor there are many places to visit. One fascinating place is the Carpenter’s Shop, a hill made of the hexagonal crystals of sand that was once melted by volcanic action – the only such formation in the world.
Crystals formed from melted sand – the Carpenter’s Shop in the Makhtesh
The path to the top of the Carpenter’s shop is constructed from recycled plastic and if you are wearing rubber soled shoes you will get a shock if you touch the rope that serves as a handrail. I call it the electric road!!
The ‘electric road’ made from recycled plastic
A couple of kilometers past the Carpenter’s Shop is a site which was until recently mined for the colored kaolinite clay found there. The mine has now closed down and, though not signposted, the area is now open to the public and can be accessed by a good road which is passable even for regular cars and bicycles. The colored clays are spectacular.
Copper, iron and manganese clays at the old mine site. Colorful rock at the mine site – its not lichen its different colored minerals. Different colored clays at the mine site
Not far from the mine site is the Saharonim Spring, the only perennial water source in the Maktesh. For this reason its a great place to spot wildlife but you need to be quiet and patient. If you are lucky you may see the Asian wild ass (Onager) or the mountain gazelle herds that have been reintroduced after going extinct in the area. More likely you will see some Nubian ibex which are less afraid of man.
The Saharonim Spring at the deepest point of the MakteshIbex at the Saharonim SpringHow many ibex can you see? (There are four)
Near the Saharonim Spring are the ruins of an ancient Nabatean khan or caravanserai which lies on the Spice Route that stretched from Yemen on the Persian Gulf to the port of Gaza on the Mediterranean Sea. The Spice Route crosses the eastern end of the Maktesh.
The Nabatean Khan
From Saharonim Spring there are a number of hiking trails. One is a circular route around the mountain to the east of the spring. This easy 2 – 3 hour trail is a favorite of mine and has a number of interesting features and if you are quiet you might spot some special wildlife too.
On the circular trail from Saharonim SpringThe holes in the rocks are formed by the roots of mangroves and some even contain the fossilized remains of the roots which indicate that this area was once a coastal mud flat. A friendly little blackstartAn equally friendly Arabian babblerA chalk canyon
Not far from the Saharonim Spring is the Ammonite Wall. These ancient fossils, some as large as half a meter in diameter, were once common all around the Maktesh but sadly many were looted for sale as decorative pieces. You can still see them at the Ammonite Wall. It is of course now forbidden to take any of the fossils.
Fossil Ammonites at the Ammonite Wall
There are many other hiking trails around the Maktesh and much to see and experience.
An acacia tree. A wheatear on a flowering acacia tree.
Blackstart in an acacia tree
Spotted sand grouse
Wadi Gavannim
I hope you have enjoyed your virtual visit to the Maktesh. If you come to Israel don’t miss it. There is so much to do and see – but you need a car to access the sites. There are many other places that can be visited only by 4×4 or on foot. It would take a book to describe them all. The best time to visit the Maktesh is during the winter as in summer it can be very hot. In winter it can be cold at night and snow is not unknown on the higher parts. It is forbidden to stay in the Maktesh at night, not only for safety reasons but also to protect the wildlife, which is mostly active during the night hours. It is also dangerous to hike or visit the Maktesh floor when there is rain in the area because of the risk of deadly flash floods. In such conditions the roads may be closed.
All the photos are copyrighted in my name. If you wish to purchase any for use in publications (books or online), please contact me. I can supply higher definition photos than those that appear here.
Life has been somewhat restricted of late, first because of the health restrictions due to the Covid-19 virus, and now because of an unprecedented heatwave, but it is far from boring. These wild boars in Haifa are making the most of it anyway!!!
גם חזירי הבר בחיפה מחפשים מקום להתקרר בגל החום (צילום: שירלי גוטמן) (מיכל וסרמן) pic.twitter.com/0hmIDulWV0
As has been reported in numerous places around the world, the wildlife in Israel has just loved the absence of human activity in our cities. While the wild boars are wandering about Haifa, and ibex have taken over the promenade in Eilat, swifts have claimed the Western Wall here in Jerusalem. For you nature lovers, take a look at this video – it is just so beautiful. We have swifts here in Mevaseret too and after the sun sets I love to lie out in my recliner on the deck and watch them swirling overhead swooping up all the insects for their supper.
It is more than a month since I last updated my blog. The problem is that so much is happening here and around the world I don’t know where to start. Today (16 May) we in Israel are sweltering in a severe heatwave which is forecast to continue at least until the end of the week. The temperature here in the Judean Hills reached 37 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) today but in Tel Aviv and elsewhere it topped 40 degrees or more. It is not unusual for us to get heat like this at this time of year (I can remember it once hitting 45 degrees in Netanya for 3 days in a row) but it is unusual for the sharav winds that bring this heat to last so long (around 8 days). I cannot remember a sharav as long in all the 40 years I have lived here. It is not unpleasant here in Mevaseret as the humidity is only about 12% and my home, shaded by trees, has not yet lost its winter coolness. Others are not so fortunate.
Needless to say, thousands of people are flocking to the beach to cool down even though the beaches are still ‘closed’ due to the Corona virus restrictions. The beaches will not officially reopen until Wednesday this week.
Kindergartens and the lower grade schools reopened last week, and the remainder of elementary grades and the high schools opened their doors this week, under strict restrictions and hygiene requirements. One of the requirements is that children wear masks and windows are left open. In this heat it became not only very uncomfortable for staff and children wearing masks but also dangerous to their health, so today the requirement for the wearing of masks was temporarily lifted until the end of the week.
With the heat comes the risk of wildfires breaking out in the forests. The heavy winter rains mean there is abundant undergrowth which is now drying off and already tinder dry. The pine and cypress trees which dominate the forest here exude flammable vapors and even a bit of glass in the sun is enough to start a fire. Yesterday one moshav not far from here, north of Beit Shemesh, was evacuated when threatened by a fire but fire fighters managed to bring it under control before it reached the houses. There were reported 1300 fires around the county the same day, and this is only the beginning of the fire season.
This morning I ventured out to one of the local shopping malls to stock up on cat food and a few other items. It was strange to go there after being in lockdown for over two months. There were few people inside, and even fewer actually shopping, but all the shops seemed to be open. This is the first week the indoor malls have been allowed to open.
Israel is slowly, slowly opening up for business, though there are still many restrictions in place. We can now move freely around but we must wear masks in public spaces. Businesses are reopening but many, such as the restaurants, theaters and sports clubs, are still not permitted to work. Many businesses will probably never reopen as the enforced closure and the lack of access to markets, not to mention the absence of tourists, has hit them hard. Our unemployment figures went from around 4% before the virus struck to a maximum of 27%. This has now decreased since the return to work has begun but it still hovering around 24-25%. That means that more than 1 in 4 workers are out of employment, and this figure does not include the self-employed or those, like myself, who were part-time workers being paid by the hour, and who do not qualify for the unemployment benefit.
Its hard to see how the economy can recover and in the months to come many will be going hungry here in Israel (like in many places around the world). Fortunately Israel as a nation is better off than most in that we were in a good economic state at the beginning, but many individuals and families are in dire straights. Even at the best of times many in Israel live from one pay packet to the next and now, with nothing coming in, credit is running out. Even if you qualify for unemployment benefit, it only lasts for around 5-6 months, and it provides only a monthly payment of 80% of your last pay packet. For most, that is not enough to make ends meet. If the government does not step up and provide more significant aid many will be going hungry in the months to come. Even before all this, one in three children in Israel were going to bed hungry and now there will be many more. Worst hit is the tourist industry and in Eilat, for example, unemployment is currently at 70%. There is some hope that internal tourism will help out but with the future uncertain and prices very high, I don’t think many will be rushing to fill the hotels.
I too have joined the ranks of the unemployed. I was fortunate to be able to keep working by teaching online until this past Thursday ( 14 May) when our semester finished. Our school is now closing down for the foreseeable future as there will be no intake of new students (who come from the USA) in the Fall and possibly in the Spring of 2021 either. We do not know if or when we will be able to reopen. All the teaching staff have been laid off. I have a small pension but it is not sufficient to live on. I will have to try, like so many others, to find other work to supplement it, but I am confident that God will provide. He always does.
24 May 2020 – update. Thankfully the heatwave has at last broken and the temperature here dropped from a max of 38 degrees to a mere maximum of 17 degrees today – a drop of 20 degrees in 24 hours! It is lovely though to be able to breathe fresh air again and it is even raining in the northern parts of the country – something unheard of at this time of year. This heatwave was the longest and hottest on record.
Here are some figures relating to the Corona crisis in Israel. The total number of reported cases to date (24 May) are 16,712, with 14,093 recovered, and 279 deaths. Israel has one of the lowest death rates per number of infections. It may be because of our excellent medical staff, the Mossad managing to locate and purchase planeloads of medical gear, including ventilators, the cocktail of drugs being used to treat the ill, but I do know that none of that would have been of any use were it not for all the prayer going forth and the will of God. Thank you for all your prayers.
It is now two weeks since we started our return to ‘normal’ or to the ‘new normal’ and so far there has not been an upsurge in new cases except in a very few localized places. We are all praying that this will continue and a second wave does not eventuate, so please keep praying for us here (as well as for your own countries and all the world of course).
IN MEMORIAL
Since the beginning of the corona crisis we here in Israel have marked several holidays focused upon commemoration. First there was Purim, the commemoration of the rescue of the Jews of the Persian Empire by the intervention of Queen Esther. Passover followed, with the commemoration of the first Exodus from Egypt, and then we marked Holocaust Day in remembrance of the 6 million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. A little later was Memorial Day when we remembered the 23,816 fallen soldiers and the 4,166 terror victims who have been killed in the modern State of Israel, and the next day, we celebrated Israel’s 72nd Independence Day. This last Friday (22 May) we celebrated Jerusalem Day , which commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967.
This year there was a somberness to all these days of remembrance. We could not gather in extended family groups, attend our congregations nor participate in the normal ceremonies or festivities. Passover and Independence Day were spent in strict lockdown confined to our own homes, instead of gathering with our families and friends. Though sad, I felt that this made these days even more poignant and meaningful somehow. We had time to pause and reflect instead of frenetically rushing about shopping, planning menus and travelling (or sitting stuck in traffic jams). We were separated physically from each other but perhaps we were more together in spirit. I think of the words of Psalm 46,
“Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth…
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
God has brought us all to a halt, and given us precious time to reassess our lives, to reset our priorities and to know that He is God. It is also a time to remember all that God has done in the past. One day this pandemic will also pass into our collective memory and become part of our history, but until then, we can choose to make the most of this opportunity to pause and draw nearer to our God and to exalt Him among the nations.
During this time, my home country, New Zealand, and Australia also celebrated ANZAC DAY, which commemorates the thousands of brave soldiers from those countries who fought and died in the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and more recently in Afghanistan and elsewhere. I have just finished reading a book which examines the pivotal contribution the ANZAC (New Zealand and Australian Army Corps) soldiers made to the reestablishment of Israel as the national home of the Jews. In WWI they were instrumental in the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the liberation of the Holy Land from Turkish rule. In WWII they played a central role in the prevention of the plans of the Nazi army to conquer the Holy Land and Jerusalem. We here in Israel owe them a huge debt and I am proud of my small nation who sent these young men into the battle so far from home. Few of them had any idea of the importance of what they were fighting for, and so many of them died ignorant of the role they were playing in God’s plan of redemption for the world. It made me think how we foot-soldiers in the spiritual war also often have little idea of the role we play in that warfare. Sometimes all we can see is the blood, the heat, the sand and the suffering in the trenches. We may die not knowing the value of the role we played, but the important thing is that we play it. I strongly recommend this book – it is scholarly, well researched and yet very readable (though not a light read). It is called “Anzacs, Empires, and Israel’s Restoration 1798-1948” and is written by Kelvin Crombie, an Australian who lived here for many years in Jerusalem and was the historian at Christ Church in the Old City. It is available as a paperback on Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/Anzacs-Empires-Israels-Restoration-Crombie/dp/0646352989/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=Kelvin+Crombie&qid=1589896634&sr=8-3
At the outbreak of World War I, New Zealand was only about 60 years old as a nation and had a population of only 1.1 million people – about the size of Jerusalem today. In that war alone, 18,166 New Zealand soldiers were killed or went missing in action, and 41317 were wounded. In World War II, 140, 000 NZ men and women served and 11,928 of them never came home. New Zealand’s ratio of soldiers killed per million of population (at 6684) in WWII was the highest in the Commonwealth (with Britain at 5123 and Australia, 3232). One person died for every 150 New Zealanders. This must have been a serious blow to the fledgling nation but it served to bind us together and bring us into maturity as a nation. Every town in New Zealand has its War Memorial which lists the names of those lost. It never meant much to me growing up but I now realize how important it is to remember. Just as we as individuals are so largely made up of our memories (imagine who you would be if you could remember nothing of your past), so too is a nation.
Israel has a strong national memory stretching back thousands of years. Memory is reinforced by holding memorials. God again and again in the Bible tells us to remember, to remember all he has done. The annual cycle of all of Israel’s festivals is based on the concept of remembrance. They are designed to remind us, and every generation, of what God has done. This builds our faith and binds us together as a people. It also serves as a witness to the faithfulness and power of God. Jesus too, when he was about to die on the cross for our sins, instituted the Lord’s Supper telling his disciples to “do this in remembrance of me“(I Corinthians 11:24-25)
This week, on Thursday night-Friday, we will be celebrating here another feast – the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost)- also known as the Feast of First Fruits and the Feast of the Ingathering (Leviticus 23:15-22, Exodus 34:22, Numbers 28: 26-31, Deuteronomy 16:9- 12). This is a feast of thanksgiving for the ingathering of the first fruits of the winter wheat harvest, and a reminder of the goodness of God and the good land He has given to Israel. Deuteronomy 16:12 says ‘”.. and you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt”. The Torah (the Law) was given to Moses on Mt Sinai on this day, and of course, for Christians and Messianic believers we remember that it is the day of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
It is always good to remember the blessings God has given us throughout our years. Perhaps this year, as many of us (and perhaps some of you my readers) are having to face unemployment and loss of income, it is even more necessary to remind ourselves of God’s provision in the past as it builds our faith in trusting him for our future. For me personally, I remember that in 1984 I arrived (for the second time) in Israel with just 50 NZ dollars in my pocket, no return ticket, and no surety the authorities would allow me to stay in the country, much less work and earn a living. Here I am, still here, 36 years later and I have never gone hungry even one day, nor suffered from the lack of a roof over my head, nor clothes on my back. God has provided for my every need (if not for my every want) and this gives me faith He will continue to do so until the end.
COVID-19 IN PALESTINIAN AREAS
You may be wondering what is happening in the West Bank and Gaza with respect to the corona virus epidemic. In both regions the number of infected and dead has remained very low, because of the lack of tourism coming into those areas, and the closed borders between them and Israel and the strict measures implemented by both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority with the cooperation of Israel. We are glad that this has occurred because if the virus was to have taken hold there it would have spread quickly with devastating results because of the dense population, especially in Gaza, and inadequate medical resources. Pray that this continues and no ‘second wave’ spreads in these areas. This past week, in a first-ever flight from the United Arab Emirates into Israel, a plane brought 14 tonnes of medical equipment, including ventilators, intended for the Palestinians. In yet another classic ‘shoot-yourself-in -the foot’ move the Palestinian Authority refused to accept this generous, and much needed, aid as a protest against the warming relations between the UAE and Israel (and no doubt as an appeasement to Iran, their sponsors). Hamas has threatened a massive missile strike on Israel should there be a major outbreak of the virus in the Gaza strip, this in order to extort Israel to provide economic and medical assistance.
ISRAEL HAS A GOVERNMENT (AT LAST)
Last week a government was sworn in in Israel, after 3 elections and months of wheeling and dealing. The government is a broad-based coalition government (I almost said ‘a unity government’ but that would be somewhat inaccurate) involving the right wing Likud Party under Netanyahu and the Blue and White Party under Gantz. It was sickening to listen to the various MKs vying for ministerial positions like kindergarten kids saying “but I deserve this or that post”. Ministries were handed out, or even created, to broker political deals rather than considering who was the best man or woman for the service of the country, we now have an unwieldy, expensive, inflated and possibly unworkable government of sorts. It remains to be seen if it will be able to function.
The Prime Ministership will be shared between Gantz and Netanyahu, with the latter taking the first half of the term. This makes sense from the point of view of continuity but we have the bizarre situation of having a Prime Minister in power while he is being tried in the criminal courts on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The trial began today with Netanyahu claiming the charges are trumped up and political in nature . With the trial set to continue for months if not years, one wonders how he will manage to fulfill his role as Prime Minister while juggling court appearances. One also wonders how he can get a fair trial with it all being so politically charged and with so much public exposure and debate. Please pray the judges will make an unbiased judgment based on truth, law and righteousness.
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
I Timothy 2: 1-4
SECURITY
During the period of lockdown we have enjoyed something of a respite from terror attacks, largely due to the restrictions of free movement, but nevertheless there have been a number over recent weeks. On Memorial Day, just minutes after the sounding of the memorial siren, a 62 year old woman was attacked and stabbed by a Palestinian teenager in the town of Kfar Saba near Tel Aviv. The woman was moderately to seriously injured, and the attacker, who was shot by passers-by, lightly wounded before being arrested. Here is a video of another attack, a car ramming attack, at a border post outside Maaleh Adomim (east of Jerusalem): https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-border-guard-hurt-in-ramming-stabbing-attack-outside-jerusalem/. The soldier was first struck by the car and then stabbed with a pair of scissors and suffered moderate injuries. The terrorist was shot and killed by other soldiers on the scene. These attacks, like many others, appear to have been spur-of-the-moment opportunistic attacks born out of simmering hatred and anger, but others are a result of organized cells which plan and attempt to carry out much more serious attacks,
The Shin Bet (Israel’s Security Agency) revealed that it, in collaboration with the IDF and the Israeli Police, arrested three terrorists and thwarted their plan to bomb the Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem, and IDF positions and roads in Ramallah and the Binyamin area (north of Jerusalem). This is just one of many major terror attacks that have been thwarted recently, making it clear that Hamas has remained highly active in recruiting operatives and planning terror attacks in the West Bank. The arrested terrorists were recruited and financed by a Hamas student organization, know as the “Kutla Islamaiya”, that operates at Birzeit University near Ramallah.
Please continue to pray against these plots to massacre Israeli civilians and security personnel. The fight to protect Israel from terror is ongoing and requires massive manpower and resources. In 2019 alone the Shin Bet foiled some 500 major terror attacks. I thank God for all the courageous men and women who do this job. May He protect them and continue to protect us through their work. Pray too for the young men and women who get drawn into becoming terrorists, having been brainwashed into a culture of hatred and violence which idolizes martyrdom for ‘the cause’. So many lives ruined, both those of the terrorists and their victims, – and for what?
ANNEXATION
I had to learn a new Hebrew word recently, ‘sipuach‘ which means annexation. As the first step in implementing Trump’s ‘Pleace Plan’ Netanyahu plans to annex a the Jordan Valley and exchange this area for the ‘Triangle’ a predominantly Arab enclave in Israel. On the surface could be seen as a fair land swap since the Jordan Valley is populated mainly by Jews and the Triangle by Arabs. The problem is that it is a deal that is being imposed unilaterally and what is more, the Arabs of the Triangle do not want to lose their Israeli citizenship and the far better standard of living than they would have under Palestinian Authority rule. Expressing his anger, Mahmoud Abbas the leader of the Palestinian Authority, has threatened to cease all security cooperation with Israel and the peace treaty with the Kingdom of Jordan, which is predominantly Palestinian, seems also to be crumbling. Instead of peace this move could well bring about a new war and/or a new Intifada. Is the annexation God’s will? I do not know. I know the Jordan Valley is part of the land that God promised to the people of Israel forever, but I do not know if this is the time or the way to take possession of it. Personally, I do not know how to pray about this issue except to echo Jesus’ prayer – “ Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven“.
IRAN
Iran is battling with a serious outbreak of the Covid-19 virus with 135,701 reported cases and 7,417 deaths as of today (25 May). With this, and on top of the economic crisis resulting from the sanctions against it, you would think they would have other things to think about rather than attacking Israel. But not so. Three days ago, on Jerusalem Day, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in his annual speech in support of the Palestinians described Israel as a “cancerous tumor” that “will undoubtedly be uprooted and destroyed“. Such rhetoric is hardly new and we hear it just about every day coming out of Iran.
According to Ynet News (1) Israel has spent more than a billion shekels in the last three years attacking Iranian positions in Syria in an effort to prevent Iran from turning the Israel-Syrian border into their frontline from which to attack Israel. These Israeli sorties have continued even during the corona lockdown. There are now rumors that Iran is withdrawing from its positions nearest to Israel. We should not interpret this as any kind of victory since it is undoubtedly merely a strategic withdrawal allowing Iran to redirect its military resources in a different way, particularly to the cyber war against Israel.
On the night of April 24th, six of Israel’s water and waste water treatment facilities were subjected to a cyber attack which has been identified as coming from Iran. The attack was largely foiled by our cyber security forces and caused no interruption in water services, but it represents an escalation in the cyber war, since it targeted civilian infrastructure, and this is considered a red line. A few days later a major port in Iran was attacked by hackers and this is being blamed on Israel. An Israeli cyber expert and former senior defense official told Al-Monitor (2) that it “was a first-of-its-kind attack and they were not far from inflicting human casualties”.
Less than two weeks later Iran’s major port, the Shahid Rajaee terminal in Bandar Abbas, suffered a massive cyber attack which many have attributed to Israel. This port which handles 60% of Iranian trade was “paralyzed for at least three days, with most of its computer systems crashing, lengthy lines of trucks observed outside its gates and a giant traffic jam of vessels blocking entry from the sea” according to a senior Israeli intelligence source (2). An anonymous Israeli cyber expert expressed the opinion that “Someone used a sophisticated cyber weapon prepared well in advance for D-Day…This was not a spur-of-the-moment draw. It activated strategic cyber weaponry that reflects the capabilities of a cyber power and was prepared in advance for an all-out cyber clash. Someone wanted to convey a clear message that included a warning, a deterrent and a display of capabilities. It seems to have succeeded.”
A few days ago, on the eve of Jerusalem Day, hundreds and some say even thousands of Israeli websites were hacked. Victims opened their screens to find a faked video of Tel Aviv being bombed and the words in Hebrew and broken English saying ” Be ready for a big surprise“, and “The countdown of Israel destruction has begun since a long time ago” and more threatening phrases with links to anti-Israel YouTube videos (3). This attack was carried out by an international group of hackers who call themselves the “Hacking Saviours”. No government or military websites were affected, but many businesses and private individuals were affected.
This latest cyber attack was attributed to Iran by some but according to cyber security expert, Noam Rotem in an interview with Calcalist (4) “Defacement attacks are considered the lowliest type of hacks and there exists a range of automated tools to deflect them. There is little technical knowledge needed to conduct them and often they are carried out by teenagers…Such attacks have little value beyond propaganda and should be taken in proportion. There is very little likelihood that this rudimentary attack is part of a significant, state-backed effort.” Other cyber security experts seem to agree that this was a very rudimentary attack carried out by amateurs intent on harming Israel and probably not linked directly to Iran, but it is symptomatic of a paradigm shift in the nature of modern warfare, which threatens not only Israel but the whole world. It is an especially attractive method of attack for terror organizations and states which may not have powerful armies, the arms or finances to carry out more conventional attacks. Israel is investing massive amounts of money and personnel into fighting this cyber war.
The corona virus crisis has revealed our modern civilization’s vulnerability. Not only did a tiny, invisible virus bring us all to our knees but have you thought what would have happened, and still could, if something were to destroy the internet? How many of us enjoyed keeping in contact with our family and friends, doing our shopping or carrying out our jobs using the internet while under lockdown? What would happen if the internet, or even our electricity supplies, went down? The world would simply grind to a halt. We have come to depend on electricity and computers for just about everything from our water supplies, our food growth and distribution, transport, trade and medicine. It would not take much to destroy civilization as we know it.
The current corona virus epidemic sweeping the world has brought many people literally to their knees in prayer. I want to share with you this beautiful song sung by Messianic believers Yair Levi and Shai Sol, and which is based on the prayer of Moses for his sister, Miriam, when she was struck down with leprosy (Numbers 12:13) ” Al na refa la” (God, please heal her). It goes on with the words ” az nithazek v’nitrape” (Then we shall be strengthened and we will be healed). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CISaQO5sdQ. This song has swept the world and been sung and translated into many languages. I feel it has a special anointing on it and it expresses our deep need and longing for God to heal the world. Yair said this about the response to the song, “Getting so many messages from people all around the world is incredible. If I have the privilege to spread prayer around the world, to me it’s just crazy. When people from all over the world translate and sing a prayer for health, it feels like it is literally the end of times.”
SHELANU – A MESSIANIC TV CHANNEL IN ISRAEL
There is much darkness in the world but I want to end with a report of a ray of light in that darkness. Miraculously, and I mean that very literally, a Messianic TV channel has been permitted to broadcast in Hebrew on Israel’s main cable television service, Hot. This would have been unthinkable just a few years ago but here it is broadcasting the gospel in Hebrew, a sign of the changing attitudes and increasing openness in Israeli society. Of course there is a kickback and much controversy is raging in the Press (5) with many up in arms because of its perceived evangelistic intentions. Some powerful organizations and people are attempting to have the Broadcasting Authority revoke its permit to broadcast, claiming that it is aiming to proselytize minors (which is illegal in Israel). Please pray this channel, called Shelanu (Ours), will be able to continue to broadcast freely and also pray that the content of the programming will be doctrinally and theologically sound, and present a clear and correct gospel message in a way that will reach many hearts.
It is Shabbat again and this morning I lay in bed listening to the rain outside reluctant to rise and face yet another gray, lonesome day shut up in my little apartment. Eventually I did get up, shower, dress and eat because not to do so would be to give in and that is just what Satan wants. Life must go on and we must live every day that God gives us in His grace and mercy. I kicked myself into action and tried to focus on Him. He is my saviour, my comfort, my protector and my provider. What can I fear? Even death itself He has conquered. It cannot touch me.
Today traditionally marks the middle day of the death and resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus) when He lay dead in the tomb. For his disciples it must have seemed like a day of loss, mourning and utter despair for they did not yet understand that He would be resurrected the next day.
Today is also the intermediate Shabbat of the Passover Festival. The Haftorah reading for the closing of this Shabbat is Ezekiel 37:1-14, the prophecy of the dry bones. The dry bones are raised up and made alive by the spirit breathed into them, just as Yeshua was raised up and made alive again at the end of the crucifixion Shabbat.
Today I feel in midst of the ‘middle’. The coronavirus restrictions are growing ‘old’ and wearying. Even the weather is gray and wet, and it seems that winter will not let go its hold. Yet I take comfort in that after the ‘middle’ there will be an end and there will one day come hope and new life. In the meantime there is work to be done and I cannot give in to the self-indulgence of depression.
It has been a strange Passover this year as we were not permitted to gather in our extended families, or with friends, as is tradition. We all had to stay in our homes, with only those we normally lived with, and for many this meant being alone. For all that, though separate, there was a feeling of togetherness. Many held Seders (the traditional Passover meal and recitation of the story of the Passover) online with friends and family and a national Seder was broadcast live on TV. At 8:30 PM many went out onto their balconies to sing together the traditional Passover song, “Mah Nistanah”. “Mah Nishtanah” was a rather apt and somewhat poignant song to sing together as it begins with the words ” Why is tonight different from all other nights?” It was certainly a different kind of Passover Eve this year. Here it was rather quiet as we have no near neighbors with balconies. I celebrated on Zoom with some friends and then we watched together the old 1956 version of “The Ten Commandments”. A different sort of Passover for sure.
THE LAST DAY OF PASSOVER (14-15 April)
Some days have passed since I wrote the above and it is a glorious spring day. I woke this morning and realized it is the Eve of the Last Day of Passover. I have never paid much attention to this final holy day of Passover, except as it marked the end of dry matzoh and after sunset, it is permitted to eat normal bread – a cause for much celebration. However this morning I decided to do a bit of research. “How do religious Jews celebrate this day?” I asked and what a wonderful surprise I got. I want to share with you some of my findings.
Jews believe that this 7th day after the Passover is the very day the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. Some fast all night and read Moses’ and Miriam’s songs of victory as recorded in Exodus 15. This commemorates the first redemption – the rescue of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and their ‘baptism’ as they passed through the sea and into freedom.
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:
“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3 The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name.
4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he cast into the sea; his picked officers were sunk in the Red Sea.[b] 5 The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. 6 Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power— your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy. 7 In the greatness of your majesty you overthrew your adversaries; you sent out your fury, it consumed them like stubble. 8 At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’ 10 You blew with your wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders? 12 You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them.
13“In your steadfast love you led the people whom you redeemed; you guided them by your strength to your holy abode. 14 The peoples heard, they trembled; pangs seized the inhabitants of Philistia. 15 Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed; trembling seized the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away. 16 Terror and dread fell upon them; by the might of your arm, they became still as a stone until your people, O Lord, passed by, until the people whom you acquired passed by. 17 You brought them in and planted them on the mountain of your own possession, the place, O Lord, that you made your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established. 18 The Lord will reign forever and ever.”
And Miriam led the women out singing:
Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.”
Isaiah 15
On the evening of the last day (Wednesday night this year) the Feast of the Messiah is held. It begins towards sunset and continues on into the night, past the end of the Passover. This feast is a celebration of the final redemption yet to come when the Messiah is revealed. The Messiah will restore Israel and bring everlasting peace to the world. The prophetic passages read on this day are in Isaiah 10-12. Here are some excerpts:
20 On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on the one who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 22 For though your people Israel were like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. 23 For the Lord God of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in all the earth.
Isaiah 10: 20-23
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
6 The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
10On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
11 On that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that is left of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Ethiopia,[a] from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.
12 He will raise a signal for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 13 The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, the hostility of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not be hostile towards Ephraim. 14 But they shall swoop down on the backs of the Philistines in the west, together they shall plunder the people of the east. They shall put forth their hand against Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites shall obey them. 15 And the Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the sea of Egypt; and will wave his hand over the River with his scorching wind; and will split it into seven channels, and make a way to cross on foot; 16 so there shall be a highway from Assyria for the remnant that is left of his people, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.
Isaiah 11 whole chapter
You will say in that day: I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, and you comforted me.
2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.
3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day:
Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 12 whole chapter
I was blown away when I read this. How close the Jews who read these passages are to the Truth but yet their eyes remain blinded. How sad is it that they do not yet see that Messiah Yeshua has already come. They nevertheless have a heart after God and look forward in eager anticipation of his final revelation and restoration. I pray this day that as these passages are read in homes around the country, for we are not allowed to gather in synagogues this year, that the Holy Spirit will bring revelation and lift the veil. Perhaps this plague, the Corona virus has come to take the people away from the influence of the synagogues and the rabbis’ teaching against Yeshua, permitting people to see the Truth as it is revealed in these very passages of Scripture they read. Let’s pray that many will see Yeshua this Passover.
Once again we have been put under very strict curfew for the holy day starting this afternoon until Thursday morning. We are not allowed to leave our houses or gather with any one who does not normally live in our homes. Hundreds of roadblocks are set up all over the country to prevent people travelling between towns. All roads in and out of Jerusalem are closed except to those who are travelling for necessary work purposes ( doctors and nurses etc). Jerusalem has been divided into 17 suburbs and it is forbidden to pass from one to the other. Some neighbourhoods, where the incidence of the virus are highest, mainly the religious areas, are totally closed to nonresidents. It will once again be a quiet holy day but I pray that it will be a day when many seek out their God.
As I write Israel’s death toll stands at 117 and the number of those who have tested positive is 11,868, but these numbers continue to rise. There are probably many more who have been infected but, like most countries, we are unable to do a lot of testing for we lack the necessary supplies. The assessment is that we are succeeding better than most countries in controlling this epidemic and Israel is even being held up as an example for other countries to emulate. On the whole, most Israelis feel that the our leaders have taken a strong and effective series of decisions which have helped prevent the explosion of cases that took place elsewhere. We cannot be complacent though and that could always change. Our low death rate relative to the number of infected is thanks to the selfless sacrifice of medical staff and many others, including the police, the army and others who are working around the clock, risking their own lives in the process. We still have enough ventilators for those who need them but should we run out, which could happen soon, I think the death rate will increase. The Mossad has located and bought many tons of medical supplies such as masks and ventilators from other countries and these are being flown in by specially chartered planes. Sadly most of the deaths have been among the very elderly and some care homes have been badly hit. Mistakes have been made but on the whole our leaders are doing a good job and the public as a whole are acting responsibly. I think Israel has a huge advantage in that we not only used to having to deal with crises but already have many crisis management systems and procedures in place. The general populace too is used to living under wartime conditions and following orders when necessary. We might fight and squabble in ‘normal ‘ times but when a crisis hits we forget our differences and become one big family.
We have done well considering that we do not have a government as such. Last night the time alloted for the Blue and White Party under Gantz to form a government expired and now there remains a 30 day period during which anyone who can can form a government may do so. Netanyahu and Gantz are in the midst of talks as we all hold our breath. We desperately need a Unity Government to lead us and make crucial decisions during this current crisis and develop a workable plan to lead us out the economic and social shutdown. Please pray that they can somehow come to agreement and find ways to work together for the good of the country. If they cannot we will have to go to a fourth round of elections and no one wants that.
The economic situation of Israel is strong so far but on a more personal level it is dire for many people. Our unemployment rate has skyrocketed to over 26% as businesses have been forced to shut their doors and lay off staff. Many of those businesses will never reopen, especially the small concerns. The retail sector may bounce back to some extent afterwards but the tourist industry may take years to recover if, at all. No one knows what the future will hold, nor yet when we can start rebuilding the economy.
Although Israel has been hit with the Covid-19 plague we have been spared another – locusts. To the south and east of Israel many East African nations are battling massive locust plagues, the worst in at least 70 years, and the corona virus pandemic is slowing efforts to control them https://www.ecowatch.com/locusts-east-africa-2645705394.html . The FAO’s locust watch warned:
The current situation in East Africa remains extremely alarming as hopper bands and an increasing number of new swarms form in northern and central Kenya, southern Ethiopia, and Somalia. This represents an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods because it coincides with the beginning of the long rains and the planting season. Although ground and aerial control operations are in progress, widespread rains that fell in late March will allow the new swarms to mostly remain, mature and lay eggs while a few swarms could move from Kenya to Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia. During May, the eggs will hatch into hopper bands that will form new swarms in late June and July, which coincides with the start of the harvest.
As Israel has enjoyed an extremely wet winter the conditions are right for the formation of locust swarms in the deserts to the east and these can move into Israel if the wind conditions are right. Please pray we will not have to deal with locusts this year.
This past winter has been the wettest I can remember here in Israel and the land has been blessed with abundant rain. Just this last weekend the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) rose another 6cm bringing it just 21 cm below the upper red line, the highest it has been since 2004.
I need to stop writing and get on with grading some tests. Thank God I still have work, unlike so many others. It is keeping me sane at this time when I am shut in my home alone with only my cat to talk to (he talks a lot but I don’t understand everything he says). I thank God for Zoom and the ability to continue to be in contact with my congregation and friends. We are continuing to meet together on Zoom and it is a great blessing.
I will close with this thought from the Book of Revelation. I pray that many will find God during this Pandemic but I fear that, as will be during the coming Tribulation period, most of mankind will refuse the opportunity and be lost. If you don’t know Yeshua, this might be your last chance to call out to Him. If nothing else this little virus is teaching us how vulnerable we are. Its not too late to be saved, but time is running out.
The rest of humankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands or give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their fornication or their thefts.
Revelation 9:20-21
Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.
It is shabbat again and all is quiet – too quiet, ominously quiet. I cannot hear the children playing on the swings in the little park next door. There are no crazy teenagers roaring up the track on their quad bikes or families passing on their way to the forest walking trails. It is a fairly dull, cloudy sort of day but that is not the reason. It is rather the shadow of the coronavirus that has us all indoors.
We here in Israel, like many of you my readers, are in a tight lockdown and are not allowed to go outdoors except to buy food or medicines. We may walk our dogs or take some exercise but not beyond 100m of our homes. These rules are being enforced by the police which have the power to stop anyone, on foot or in a vehicle, to check where they are going, and hand down fines or even prison sentences to violators. Now there is talk of an even tighter lockdown, which would prohibit even these activities, possibly just for the over 65s (that includes me) though perhaps even for the wider population. An announcement on this is expected tomorrow.
It is a strange time and a new experience for every one of us. I find it rather interesting that the whole world is being forced to share such an experience at the same time. I think it is making us all aware that we are family, and we need to help each other. In some ways the enforced separation is drawing us all together. I remember someone telling me that people who have faced a common threat of death, people like soldiers who have gone into battle together, forge a very special bond. I have felt that in Israel as we have gone through wars and terror attacks together. There is definitely a special bond amongst those who have shared those experiences. I wonder what effect this all may have on us all afterwards. Perhaps the world will be a better place. Perhaps we will all have a better perspective on our place in the world, and better list of priorities in our lives. Perhaps we will be more caring towards our family members, friends or neighbors. Or then again, humans have very short memories, perhaps we will all forget and fall back into our old ways. I don’t know, but this I do know, God has a purpose in all this. The Covid-19 virus is His tool to chastise mankind, making us consider our ways, in order to bring us back to him and force us to call upon His name for salvation. There is a saying here, “There are no atheists in battle”.
My pastor shared this verse with us a week or so ago, and it sent shivers down my spine.
Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. For behold, the Lord comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain.
Isaiah 26: 20-21
Although addressed to the people of Judah just prior to the Babylonian conquest, somehow these words seem to speak into our time as well. Lets enter our chambers and shut the doors until the indignation passes. We are coming up to the Passover celebration, when we remember that the people of God were warned to shut themselves and their families indoors until the final plague, the angel of death passed over. It was not to be forever. The time of indignation will pass and if we want it, we can then take hold of the freedom that God offers us.
The question is, how will I, how will you respond to these things. Will we be crippled by fear or fall into depression and despair? Or will we see this as a God-given opportunity to spend more time with Him, to examine our own lives and call upon His name. Paul also lived in perilous times and he said this:
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4: 4-9
Are you feeling down? Are you afraid? Are you lonely and bored? Then rejoice in God. A little while ago in the midst of his sermon my pastor asked us what were the tools that God had given us to fight against our spiritual enemy, Satan. A little girl, aged about 4, immediately piped up saying “Be happy”. Out of the mouth of babes!!! She was so right. I am not talking about cheap, shallow ‘happiness’ which is often just denial, but rather the deep joy of the Lord. If you have lost it, dig into the wells of everlasting water which is in Yeshua (Jesus). Turn to the riches of the Bible and remember God’s past blessings in your own life. These things can help us overcome depression and loneliness. Paul also suggests another antidote; looking at all the good things, the pure, the beautiful, and the true. One thing I have found I need to do in these days is to turn off the news on TV. It is coming at us 24 hours a day constantly padded out by endless discussion and speculation, not to mention a great deal of misinformation and unbalanced hype. I am not saying we should not listen to the news but just to do it occasionally in order to keep in touch with developments, but rather to moderate our ingestion of bad news and balance it with all that is good and pure and true, especially from the Word of God.
One of the hardest aspects of the lockdown for me is that just as the seemingless endless rainy days of winter are giving way to a glorious spring, and the landscape is filled with the best display of Israel’s glorious wild flowers for years, we are not allowed to go out and enjoy them. The day before the lockdown restrictions were tightened, I did take a lovely walk around University Hill, a little forested knob of a hill nearby with a circular path of about 3 km.. I knew it would be my last walk in the forest for a while, and that made it even more special. Below are some photos of the wildflowers I saw. Enjoy!
Persian cyclamen, Har Hauniversita, 25 March 2020
Barbary nut (a kind of iris) and Nurit (Asian ranunculus) Har Hauniversita, 25 March 2020
Butterfly orchid ( Orchis caspia) Har Hauniversita, 25 March 2020
The track around Har Hauniversita, 25 March 2020
?Neotinea maculata (Dense flowered orchid)
I want to finish by sharing this worship song with you. God Bless and Keep you all.
Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
Since my last update the world has changed and we are all trying to adjust to the new reality of a worldwide pandemic, which could potentially rival the 1918 Spanish flu in terms of the number of deaths and the economic impacts. It is the first time in history such a major pandemic has been brought so graphically before our eyes on the media, and this makes it even more scary.
A Jewish astronaut, Jessica Meir, posting pictures of Tel Aviv by night from space, tweeted yesterday saying,
Gazing down at the city in which my father was raised, I take to heart one of his most uttered expressions, “This too shall pass”. Wise words to remember, in both good times and bad.
This oft-uttered, typically Israeli expression “This too shall pass” is comforting in times of trouble, but I wonder if it will be true in this case. The virus will pass in time, it is true, but will the world ever be the same? In a way, I hope not. I hope that this catastrophe will wake us all up (me included) and cause us all to examine our lives, reassess our priorities and call upon the Name of the God of Israel, both for ourselves and for our nations and the world as a whole.
Last night I read these words:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
Jeremiah 17 : 5-8
If nothing else, this pandemic should show us the futility of trusting in man, or in our own puny resources. What is man? He is so fragile that a tiny piece of RNA with a protein coat, so small it cannot even be seen, can bring all of mankind to its knees. I am so glad we have a caring, all-powerful God to trust in, and in Him fear is banished and hope can flourish. I can see that this pandemic is can even be seen as a blessing from God. It is a warning to the nations and an opportunity, perhaps one of the last opportunities, for mankind to repent and turn to Him. Our civilization, and all its trappings, lures us into a false sense of security causing us to trust in man-made things, such as possessions, medicine, and armies. This pandemic is highlighting the futility of such trust. The only sure thing left in the world is our God. In Him we hope.
As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him,
Psalm 103 : 15-17
You may be wondering how this virus is impacting Israel. As I write (21/03) the tally of those ill with the virus has reached over 883, though there are 12 currently in serious condition. In the last couple of days the numbers have jumped rapidly and we seem to be entering a near exponential rate of increase. Today the first person, a man in his late 80’s and with pre-existing respiratory problems, passed away. There are a number of others in serious condition. I expect the rate of infection to continue to rise in the near future and soon our hospital and medical resources, already at a crash point, will be swamped. Then the death rate will rise.
The whole country is now in lockdown and we are not supposed to leave our homes except for ‘essential’ things such as medical care and the replenishing of food supplies. A lot of people have been ignoring these directives. We were all shocked last week to see on the TV news a video of hundreds of haredi (ultra-orthodox) men dancing together, shoulder to shoulder, at a wedding, and this taking place after meetings of more than 10 were banned. It is not however only the haredim who have ignored government directives. Last Shabbat, Tel Aviv beaches and parks around the country were packed as people swarmed out to enjoy the first sunny Shabbat for a long time. Consequently beaches and parks have now been closed and restrictions have been tightened up. This Shabbat however there are still reports of people flocking to Tel Aviv’s waterfront promenade contrary to government rulings (and in spite of the inclement weather).
Such behavior has resulted in the government taking the very controversial step of using anti-terror technology to monitor people’s movements digitally, using the existing video cameras in public places and also by tracking personal digital phones. This way they can see who comes into contact with people who test positive and can force them into quarantine. Already hundreds of people have been quarantined this way. In addition, the police have now been given the power to enforce the government directives. They can stop anyone on the street and demand why they are moving around, and enforce the closure of shops and other businesses, and break up gatherings of people.
Although most people accept that such drastic measures are necessary in our fight against the virus, there is some concern about the erosion of democracy and civil liberties. The Jerusalem Post newspaper pointed out the danger that the use of such technologies and practices will set a precedent and will continue to erode civil liberties long after the current crisis passes.
The novel coronavirus will, at some time, pass. And when it does, it is essential that the democratic institutions – and indeed our civil liberties – have not been whittled away in the cause of defeating the plague. Emergency regulations enacted during times of crisis have been known throughout the world to outlast the crisis that they were meant to deal with. It is critical this does not happen here (1).
The lockdown in Israel is having a major impact economically. First hit was the tourist industry and the airlines, which have almost totally shut down. Universities, schools, kindergartens and child care centers have all been closed, as have all shops, except for supermarkets and pharmacies. Restaurants and places of entertainment are closed. Other businesses are allowed to continue work but with only 1/3 of their workforce. While some businesses can continue online many others cannot and have closed down or laid off staff and, as a consequence, many have lost their source of income. The National Insurance (our social welfare ministry) estimates that the number of unemployed could rise to as many as 1.5 million, a very large percentage of the workforce. The government has allocated a large sum of money for paying the unemployed, but nevertheless there are many families left without a sufficient income. The self-employed who lose their income are not entitled to unemployment benefits. Of course there is also the impact on the bursa (stock market) in which many of us have our pension funds and private savings. The nation as a whole is in a better situation than most countries and has large reserves of money and goods stockpiled.
All places of worship are closed including synagogues, churches and mosques. Most Messianic congregations are holding prayer and other meetings online. Even my housegroup met this week on a video conferencing platform. That was a first for most of us and it worked quite well. I am glad to say that we are all standing firm and actively encouraging and helping each other. Many in our congregation have lost their jobs and the congregation too is losing its financial support. We still need to pay our rent and other expenses. But God is good and will supply all our need.
No doubt many of us are asking just what is all this about. Is it the end of the world? When you see medical staff in hazmat suits, drones spraying disinfectants in the streets and police stopping anyone seen in public, you might well be reminded of all those post-apocalyptic films you have seen.
Many are quoting the following passage from Matthew 24: 3-8,
Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
This description certainly seems to fit the current state of the world, but when has it not? Since the Garden of Eden, there have always been wars and rumors of wars, nations rising against nations, famines, pestilences (epidemics) and earthquakes. It is the post- Fall nature of the world that was subjected to futility because of Adam’s sin in the Garden.
For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
Romans 8:19-22
The current pandemic is but one of the birth pangs which will continue until the tribulation. The passage quoted above from Matthew 24 continues in the next verse (v. 9) saying,
Then they will deliver you up to tribulation …
Note the word, ‘then’. The tribulation comes after the situation outlined in the previous verses. We are not yet in the tribulation period. That is not to say that this current pandemic is not preparing the ground for the end time events prophesied in Revelation.
One of the things prophesied in Revelation is the rise of a one-world government. As we see world governments working together to counter the pandemic, using modern digital technologies, it is not hard to see that a world government could easily arise quite soon. There are some who are saying the pandemic was perhaps orchestrated to bring just this about. I doubt that, but that the Enemy (Satan) and those under his power could use this pandemic to this end is not beyond imagining. A global crisis would naturally call for a global solution and that requires a global government. We are closer to such a scenario than ever before.
Another aspect of the coronavirus crisis is the question of judgment. Throughout the Bible we see God using natural disasters and warfare to judge nations. Is God judging nations today by means of the coronavirus? It seems probable since all nations today are acting contrary to God and doing so with the arrogance of human pride. If we consider the nations that have been so far worst hit, it is tempting to make the conclusion they are especially sinful. China persecutes the church and oppresses its people. Iran is threatening Israel and world peace. Italy and Spain entertain Roman Catholicism which is heresy, and Europe as a whole has turned away from its Christian heritage.
We have however to be careful about pointing fingers – the old adage is true. When you point at someone, then you have 3 fingers pointing back at yourselves. No nation is without serious sin against God today, not even Israel. Someone sent me earlier information about my home country New Zealand which, under cover of the corona scare, has just passed a draconian amendment to its Abortion Law which decriminalizes abortion and thus opens the way for the abortion of babies even up until full term. This amendment even permits euthanasia by neglect of those babies who survive an attempted abortion (2). I fear for New Zealand. Beware the wrath of God.
In the Bible the judgement of God is always coupled with redemption. They are the two sides of the same coin. God does not want any one to die.
Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways!
Ezekiel 33: 11
When God judges the nations he does so in the hope that it will force us to reconsider our ways. For this reason I see this current pandemic as an opportunity for us all as I said earlier. It is an opportunity to stop the mad rush of our modern life, reset our priorities and value systems and, above all, to turn to the God of Israel for salvation. It is not too late, but time is running out before the restrainer (the true church of God) is removed and the tribulation begins. Even before that we are also reminded of our mortality. Any one of us could fall ill and die from this virus. We all need to settle our accounts with God.
Some of you may be wondering how I am faring in all of this. I am well and in good spirits. I put myself into voluntary ‘house arrest’ a week ago since I am in a high risk category, being over 60 and having chronic respiratory issues. My school closed last Friday and our administration scrambled to charter a plane and get the kids sent home to the USA, which they managed to do sending them off on Sunday night. It was quite a feat of organization and you can read more in this article:
Tomorrow (21/03) we start lessons again online with our students scattered all over the States and far away. This meant that this week we teachers have all be flat out learning how to teach online. As a chemistry teacher it will be a challenge to teach without my whiteboard. I was blessed however to be able to purchase a small whiteboard at a local shop which was still open (against the directives) the other day, and this will help I hope. I am having some issues getting my account with the online platform sorted, but hope I can get it fixed tonight in time to start lessons tomorrow (I can still start if I don’t, but it will be much more difficult). I am very grateful that I will still have an income for the next two months until our school year finishes, and also that I have something to occupy my mind while I am stuck at home. Since I live alone it is a bit lonesome not being able to get together with friends as I am accustomed, but I thank God we can still talk on the internet. My cat is also some company – although he is not much of a conversationalist. He talks a lot but I don’t understand most of what he says!!!
Now for a little word study. What is the source of the word corona? Corona viruses are so named because they all have protrusions that look like a crown, or rays shining from a sun. Corona derives from the Latin word for crown. But where does the Latin word come from? From the Hebrew, of course. We see it in Exodus 24:39
Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.
When Moses came down from Mt Sinai rays of light shone from his face. The word in Hebrew to express this shining forth of light is ‘kerenor‘ – literally rays of light, and from this comes coren- or or corona.
By the way keren means ‘ray (of light)’ in Hebrew but it can also mean a horn. An ignorance of this fact led Michaelangelo to depict Moses as having horns in his famous statue.
Michaelangelo’s Moses
I want to close with this video. I am aware that all of you are going through trials at this time. I am praying for your protection and comfort. Enjoy this song and be encouraged.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Then Mor′decai told them to return answer to Esther, “Think not that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther 4: 13-17
Next week we here in Israel will be celebrating the Festival of Purim, which commemorates the events recorded in the Book of Esther.
If you have been in Israel at this time you will have noticed Purim is celebrated in Jerusalem a day later than elsewhere. This second day of Purim is known as Shushan Purim. The Book of Esther records that, throughout the Persian Empire, the Jews fought against those who sought to destroy them on the 13th of the month of Adar, and then on the 14th they celebrated their victory. In Shushan, the capital of the Persian Empire, the fighting continued a second day finishing on the 14th of Adar and the Jews there held their celebrations on the 15th of Adar. Since then the Jews of Shushan, in south-western Iran today, celebrate Purim on the 15th, as did the Jewish inhabitants of all the cities that were walled at the time Joshua led the people of Israel into Canaan. Jerusalem is the only city we know for sure was walled at that time, and therefore in Jerusalem we celebrate Shushan Purim on the 15th of Adar . There are also some other cities in Israel that perhaps were walled at that time, for example Jaffa (Yafo) and Tiberias (Teveria), and these cities celebrate both on the 14th and 15th (1).
No matter when it is celebrated Purim is a joyous festival during which we remember the faithfulness of God with great rejoicing and fun. People dress up in costumes during the festival and for several days before and after. Most towns hold Purim Parades. There is much feasting and fun and we eat the traditional food, Hamantaschen (Haman’s Ears). Gifts are given, especially to the poor. In the synagogues the whole Scroll of Esther is read. During the reading people, especially the children, make much noise with graggers (wooden or plastic devices which make a noise when spun), booing and stomping every time the name of Haman, who plotted the annihilation of the Jews, is mentioned.
Although Purim is a fun festival, and sometimes a little silly, there is a very serious message hidden in the festivities. Just as the name of God is not mentioned even once in the Book of Esther his hidden working is evident as the events unfold. For example, we are told in chapters 5-6 that the very night before the moment when Haman purposed to seek the King’s approval of his plan to hang Mordecai, the King was unable to sleep. He therefore called upon his servants to read to him from the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles. Perhaps he expected this book to bore him to sleep but instead he read about how Mordecai had saved his life and the King purposed to make sure that Mordecai was suitably rewarded the next day. So it was when Haman came to destroy Mordecai he found himself being forced to bless Mordecai instead. This story reminds me of how God often works in our lives, not with big dramatic miracles, but rather in the quiet, almost hidden, ordering of the timing of events.
It is encouraging to remember that God is quietly working out his perfect Will, especially at the darkest times when all seems hopeless. How fearful the Jews of Esther’s time must have been as the date of their planned annihilation drew near. Little did they know that their salvation was near and their mourning would be turned to joy.
And Mor′decai recorded these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasu-e′rus, both near and far, enjoining them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending choice portions to one another and gifts to the poor.
Esther 9: 20-22
These days things seem pretty black in the world as we face the spread of the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic. As the governments scramble to try and stop its spread it seems likely they will fail at least in the short term and there will be many deaths and severe economic problems as a result. However we, like the Jews of Persia, have been given the means to defend ourselves, not swords and shields, but rather the weapon of prayer. Mordecai encouraged Esther to speak up saying, ” … who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? ” Who knows that perhaps you and I were brought into the kingdom just for this moment, just for this purpose, to pray against this ‘spirit of infirmity’ that is sweeping across the world these days. Perhaps God will have mercy on the world and stay this plague and perhaps he will use it to bring many to faith as they cry out for help and are brought to their knees before God in desperation.
In the book of Revelation, those who have been washed in the atoning blood of Yeshua (Jesus) are called a kings and priests (or a kingdom of priests),
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 1: 5-6 NKJV
In the true church there is no need for priests for all those who have been washed in the blood of Yeshua have direct access to God (Hebrews 10:19) and the Great High Priest, Yeshua himself, intercedes for us. The sacrifice of animals for sin is no longer needed as Yeshua made that sacrifice in his blood, once and for all. However those who are not of Yeshua do not have access to God and are still in the need of priests to intercede for them. I believe that is our job, as a kingdom of priests. We all need to be intercessors praying for the mercy of God on behalf of the people of the world. In Revelation 5 and 8 the prayers of the saints rise up to God as incense.
Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Revelation 5:8
The world needs our prayers now perhaps as never before. This virus could to get out of control, kill thousands, if not millions of people, and bring about a total collapse of the world economy. However if we call upon God to have mercy on the people who knows but that He might just say “Stop”. This is the message of Esther.
Coronovirus in Israel
Some of you might be wondering what the situation in Israel is in respect of the Covid-19 coronvirus. Israel has put in place strict measures to prevent the spread of the virus and so far cases have been few (25 confirmed as of today 08/03, one of whom is in a serious and deteriorating condition), but increasing every day. Most of the cases are the result of people contracting the disease while abroad or after having come in contact with tourists carrying the disease. Consequently Israel has closed its borders to visitors from many countries in the far East and in Europe, and is even considering including the USA in this list. Israeli residents returning from those countries must go into quarantine for 14 days upon their return. Laws have been put in place to enforce this ruling, with a sentence of up to 7 years imprisonment for violations leading to the infection of others. So far there are about 80,000 Israelis in home quarantine. Gatherings of more than 5000 people have been banned and the general public warned to avoid meeting in large groups as far as possible, especially those most vulnerable. Will these measures be enough? Probably not, and they are likely to be increased in the coming days. However I feel that Israel has perhaps a better chance than many other countries in the region of weathering this storm. Because of our constant war readiness and experience, the authorities are better prepared and the general public used to dealing with emergency measures and less likely to panic. That said, please pray for our protection – that God will supernaturally seal our borders and protect the people. Pray too that the hearts of the people will be turned to the LORD at this time.
Coronavirus in the Palestinian Areas
Israel is working with the Palestinian Authority to control the spread of the virus in the West Bank. Following contact with a group of Greek tourists 19 people in Beit Jala have tested positive for the disease and are now in quarantine in Jericho. The city of Bethlehem and the adjacent towns of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour have been put in total lockdown. As many people in these towns work in Israel this represents a severe economic stress for these families. Many of the people of these towns feel this is unnecessarily severe especially since these tourists entered the area from Israel and no Israeli towns have been quarantined as a result. However it is not only the Israeli authorities that are taking strict measures, the Palestinian Authority too has introduced stringent measures. Schools, universities, churches and mosques there are closed, tourists are barred from entering teh cities and traffic between districts and regions restricted. Israel has assisted with the evacuation of tourists from Bethlehem and other West Bank towns (2).
So far there have been no reported cases of the virus in the Gaza Strip, but I fear what would happen there should the virus manage to enter. Their medical and emergency resources are very limited.
Israeli Elections III.
All the hype about the coronovirus somewhat eclipsed the third round of elections here in Israel on the 2nd. In spite of the the weariness of the public, and the fears of the spreading virus, there was a very high turn out, 70% of eligible voters. The final vote count is not yet published but the provisional results are as follows:
In spite of increasing his lead, Netanyahu is unlikely to be able to form a coalition government as his Right-Religious block (Likud, Shas, UTJ, and Yamina) gives him only 58 seats, three short of the 61 he needs. The Center-left block (Blue and White, and Labor-Gesher_Meretz) has only 40 seats and therefore could not form a government even with the Joint Arab List’s 15 seats. Once again Avigdor Leiberman’s Yisrael Beytenu Party is standing in the position of king maker. He has made it clear in a tweet that “We will not join any government led by [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu that includes Shas and United Torah Judaism” (4). We will see what he will do after the final confirmed results of the election are publicized tomorrow. We are all just hoping that we will not be forced into yet another, fourth, round of elections. We badly need a government but please pray that it is the right government for Israel at this time. What that ‘right government’ actually is, I have no idea, but God knows and we can pray “God’s will be done on Earth”.
Spring is here
After a very long and wet winter we have been delighted in the past week or so to see at last some lovely sunny days. We had our first spring sharav (the hot, dry east wind) last week though it was weak and the temperature only got up to 25 degrees – but lovely to get into double digits again!! The land is looking its best. It is lush and green and there are loads and loads of beautiful spring flowers garnishing our land.
Pink and white almond trees in Ein Kerem, 28 Feb, 2020
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a rod of almond.” Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”
In Hebrew there is a word play in this passage. The word for almond “shaked” has the same root as the verb “shoked”, here translated as “I am watching over…”. The verb ‘shoked’ carries the meaning to be watchful, wakeful and diligently watching over something. It has a stronger meaning than merely ‘watching over’. It is more active and has the connotation of diligent perseverance and determination. God is always diligently acting to bring his word to pass.
Thus the almond is a symbol of God’s faithfulness in fulfilling his word. The almond is the first tree to blossom in Israel, usually in February which is the coldest and wettest month of the year. It can even sometimes be seen flowering as snow falls here in the mountains of Judah. As I am writing the almonds are blossoming in the hills all around. They are a much loved sight, not the least because they are the first sign of the coming spring.
Almond blossoms in the snow in Jerusalem, 2 March 2014
It is encouraging that especially at the darkest, winter times in our lives we can remember the promise of the flowering almond. God is faithful and spring will come. Whatever we are going through it will come to an end at some time.
God spoke these words to the prophet Jeremiah just as he was about to send the nations of the north to invade Judah.
The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.” Then the Lord said to me, “Out of the north evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. For lo, I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord; and they shall come and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah.
Jeremiah 1: 13-15
From our point in history we know that everything that God prophesied concerning the coming invasion of Judah and their exile to Babylon came to pass. We know too that God’s promise of restoration also came to pass when the exiles returned from Babylon, and in our own day as well.
There is a sense today among Messianic believers in Israel that God is doing a new thing here. We are seeing an openness to Yeshua and the good news of salvation unlike anything we have seen before. It is exciting and not a little daunting too. Just as the almond blossoms just when things are darkest, so too will the ‘blossoming’ of the ‘good news’ be. Sometimes it is at the darkest times when men and women call out upon the name of God. You don’t have to look far to see that we are living in very dark times, a time of wars, famines and plagues. It is frightening but we can be assured of God’s promises, according to the testimony of the almond.
Almonds in flower at Ein Sataf, near Jerusalem
There is another reference to almonds in the book of Numbers. After the rebellion of the Korah against Moses and Aaron, the people of Israel still murmured against Moses because God’s wrath had broken out and destroyed the rebels. To settle the dispute God told Moses to instruct the leaders of each of the 12 tribes to bring a rod and Moses put them into the Tabernacle.
Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds. Then Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord to all the children of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod.
Thus God used the almond to confirm the authority of Aaron as a priest of the house of Levi. It was clearly supernatural as the rod of Aaron sprouted, made buds , flowered and yielded ripe fruit in just one night, a process that usually takes around 6 months.
Almond blossoms, Ein Sataf, Feb 2013
This incident occurred, as I said, after the people had risen up in rebellion against the authority of Moses and Aaron. Immediately after the death of the leaders of the rebellion, the people continued to murmur against Moses and Aaron, and God was about to break out upon them to consume them. However Moses quickly instructed Aaron to make atonement for the people “for wrath has gone forth from the Lord and the plague has begun“, and indeed the plague had already begun among the people, and already 14,700 had died. Aaron made atonement and stood between the dead and the living and the plague was stopped.
41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the people of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.” 42 And when the congregation had assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting; and behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. 43 And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, 44 and the Lord said to Moses, 45 “Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces. 46 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone forth from the Lord, the plague has begun.” 47 So Aaron took it as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and behold, the plague had already begun among the people; and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people. 48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stopped. 49 Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the affair of Korah. 50 And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped
Numbers 16 : 41-50
Today the world is facing the outbreak of a plague, covid-19 a virulent coronavirus, that could if it continues to spread could kill thousands, if not millions, and bring the world economy to its knees. The question is, will it bring the saints of God to their knees. Aaron made atonement by carrying the censer of incense amongst the people, standing between the living and the dead, and the plague was stopped. Today we do not have a Levitical priesthood nor do we usually make use of incense in this way, but in the book of Revelation we see that the angels of heaven mingle incense with the prayers of the saints.
And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God.
Revelation 8: 3-4
I believe that the saints of God in the present time are a holy priesthood, with the calling and authority to stand between the people and the wrath of God.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen
Revelation 1: 5-6
Furthermore, God said
When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
II Chronicles 7:13-14
As priests of the living God, by right of the shed blood of Yeshua for atonement, those who are called God’s people have the calling and authority to pray for the people. If we are faithful to do so, perhaps the plague will be stopped and the lands healed. I am always reluctant to blame natural disasters on the wrath of God, but in the Bible we see that God often uses natural disasters to judge nations for their rebellion against him. On the other hand, God also uses natural disasters to remind people of His awesome power, His justice and righteousness, and of their own mortality. Pray that in these dark times people will call out and turn to their God and be healed, not only physically, but spiritually also.
WAS YESHUA RIGHT WING?
This brings me to comment on something that has been bothering me for a while and that is the question of our priorities as believers in Yeshua. This issue was highlighted for me by an article that appeared in a major online Israeli newspaper this week, entitled “Evangelicals to the Left, Iran to the Right” (1), a somewhat confusing title since the article was about the support of evangelical Christianity for the political right in the USA, and especially for President Trump. I feel the politicization of evangelical Christianity, especially as is occurring in the USA, is a big mistake. It is also rampant here in Israel, where a very large majority of Messianic believers support the right and Prime Minister Netanyahu. If your political leanings are towards the left you are almost considered heretic. If evangelical believers identify with the right they automatically alienate those who have different views. Although the individual is entitled to his or her political alliances, it is dangerous for the Christian or Messianic faith to be identified on political grounds. We need to be able to speak to all men and woman and to do this we need to be apolitical.
The same is true for those who fanatically support Israel no matter what Israel does. They automatically alienate Palestinians. We need to remember that the gospel is for all men equally. Yeshua was very careful not to get involved in political struggles during his time on Earth. He spoke out against injustice and the hypocrisy of the ruling authorities, and taught us to pray for our leaders, but he did not busy himself with wielding political power, but He kept his focus on his primary task, the salvation of individuals. I believe that this should be our focus also.
ITS STILL RAINING
We are all wondering when it is ever going to stop raining. It seems to have been raining nonstop all winter. This very unusual for us. Normally we will get a day or two of rain followed by several days of glorious sunshine. I cannot remember a winter as wet as this one. It is a bit depressing and we are all starting to grumble. However whenever I begin to complain I remember two things, the grumbling of the people of Israel as they travelled around the wilderness of Sinai and how it displeased God, bringing his judgement upon them, and secondly I think of the refugees, especially those from the Syrian province of Idlib, many of whom are sleeping out, under trees, without even a tent. It is very cold up there, with temperatures below zero at night, and many children and old people are dying from the cold. I cannot imagine what they are going through. I go to bed every night thanking God for the rain, since we need every drop, and also for my warm, dry, house and cosy bed. I have no right to complain and every reason to be very thankful. Still I am looking forward to spring if it is only to be able to get out and about to see the glorious spring flowers which already adorn the land. They will be especially luxuriant this year thanks to the rain.
ROCKETS FROM GAZA AGAIN
Over the last 48 hours or so we have had rain of another kind as some 100 rockets were fired into our southern communities by the Islamic Jihad in Gaza. Some 90% of these rockets were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome system. There we no serious casualties but some property damage to a home and a children’s public playground. Southern residents from Ashkelon south were advised to stay in their bomb shelters. Schools and businesses were closed, many major roads blocked and the train service to the area halted, all causing much disruption to everyday life and the economy of the region. Yesterday the Islamic Jihad called a truce and an uneasy calm is being restored. Life in the south is slowly returning to ‘normal’, though it is truly far from what most of us would consider normal. The people in the south have lived for many years now with these repeating rounds of rocket fire, and incendiary and explosive balloons. They are calling for the government to take stronger action to stop it, but with no government currently any changes of policy are stalled even if the politicians had a better solution, which no one seems to have.
This barrage of rocket fire was the reaction of Islamic Jihad to the killing by the IDF of one of its operatives as he was laying a bomb by the border fence. According to IJ the IDF dishonored the body by scooping it up in a tractor scoop and carrying it into Israel, with the intention of using it as a bargaining chip to gain the release of Israelis, both living and dead, currently being held in the Strip. I can sort of understand the Islamic Jihad reaction. The sight of this tractor scooping up the dead body was somewhat shocking and it seems to me unnecessarily offensive.
As was said in the Haaretz newspaper (4) “Every Israeli ought to be worried by the video clip of an army bulldozer dragging the body of a Palestinian who was killed by Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip. This isn’t the behavior of an army that is strict about upholding purity of arms and claims to exemplify morality in combat.”
I am an Israeli and I love Israel and support her in every way I can, but that does not mean I support everything Israel does. True love is not blind. I don’t think this atrocity was in any way justified by the situation. May God forgive us and may we in future live up to our oft-repeated claim of having the most moral army on earth. Pray for us that we will not stoop to the level of our enemies, even during war, and that we may uphold God’s holiness as an example to the world.
I suppose I cannot finish this blog without a mention of the upcoming election, our third in a year! I feel that most Israelis think the situation is rather hopeless. Polls indicate that the outcome is likely to be similar to the last time around, with the Blue and White Party lead by Benny Gantz winning a few more seats than Netanyahu’s Likud Party, but neither party being able to garner enough seats to form a government. Will they agree to forming a broad-based coalition between Likud and the Blue and White Party? It seems unlikely after all the insults and mudslinging both sides have indulged in during their campaigns. Will we have a 4th round of elections? Well we will see next Tuesday. Please pray that somehow we can have a righteous and effective government put in place. That would take a mighty miracle, but this is the land of miracles after all.
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
MATTHEW 5:43-45
8 February 2020
It is (yet another) wet, rainy, windy and cold winter’s day in Jerusalem. God is certainly sending rain on the just and on the unjust alike this winter. I cannot remember a winter as wet as this in the nearly 40 years I have lived in Israel. Snow is falling in the north and the whole land, even as far south as Eilat, is enjoying abundant rainfall. The Sea of Galilee is rising about 5 cm every day and now is only about 1.3 m below its ‘full’ mark, and the rivers and aquifers are being replenished.
Last weekend I went to Ein Hemed, a little park nearby, and, in spite of the cold temperature and the imminent threat of rain, I was surprised to see many people like myself strolling along the little stream there enjoying the sight and sound of clear, running water – something I have learned to appreciate living in this arid and often drought-stricken land.
Ein Hemed stream 1.02.20
The passage quoted above is also a timely reminder that we should love our enemies and pray for them. In a world permeated with hatred and violence it is easy to hate our enemies. Only by the power of God can we love them. The first step towards that goal is to pray for them. True prayer opens our hearts to God’s love, both for ourselves and for others.
Earlier this morning I watched a video made by a well-known anti-missionary rabbi and was secretly giggling as he inadvertently preached the gospel even to the extent of quoting from the New Testament, ” For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek ” (Romans 1:16). It was a reminder of the confusion and complexity of everything here in the Holy Land. I have heard it said that here in Jerusalem there is a kind of spiritual ‘fog’ in which nothing is clear, and it is sometimes difficult to discern right from wrong, and good from evil. How important it is to stay close to God’s Word, meditating on it day and night, that we can find our way through the ‘fog’.
THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY
This week saw the unveiling of President Trump’s so-called “Deal of the Century” for resolving the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. Is it a good ‘deal’? Is it in line with God’s will? Will it bring peace?
I think most Israelis are not overly excited by the ‘Deal’. Even calling it a ‘Deal’ is something of a misnomer, since a deal implies discussion and agreement between two sides, and this patently did not occur. From the beginning the Palestinians refused to enter into any dialogue, and nor do they accept the ‘Deal’ now that it has been unveiled. Abbas said, even before it was made public, “We say 1,000 times: No, no and no to the deal of the century’” (1). Hamas and Islamic Jihad, who hold power in the Gaza Strip, have also categorically rejected the Deal.
This is the first peace plan that has come with a map – see below. The Vision as it appears on this map involves a ‘land swap’ in which Israel will annex the Jordan Valley and settler enclaves in the West Bank, in exchange for the ‘Triangle’ region including the large city of Umm el Fahm and other Arab towns in central Israel and some land along the Egyptian border adjacent to the Gaza Strip. Jerusalem would remain as Israel’s capital and the capital of the Palestinian state would be in East Jerusalem. A tunnel would be built linking the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and access for Palestinians to the border crossings into Jordan would be maintained.
Although Israel could, and possibly will, implement elements of this plan, for example the annexation of the Jordan Valley, other elements necessitate the agreement of the Palestinians and this does not seem likely. For instance, the approximately 600,000 Arab residents of the Triangle do not want to lose their Israeli citizenship and economic prosperity by being transferred to Palestinian rule. For this reason I do not see this ‘Deal’ as likely to bring any long lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians in the long term and probably will serve to exacerbate tensions in the short term.
Just a glance at the map shows that the proposed Palestinian State would have a rather peculiar outline which has been likened to a Swiss cheese. Like other plans before it, this Deal focuses on land and land ownership and ignores the real issue. The real issue is spiritual and results from Israel’s claim that God gave them the land as a perpetual possession, something that cannot be reconciled with the Islamic view that the land belongs to them, and the Koran forbids them to yield any of it to the ‘infidel’. Only the coming of the Messiah will solve this problem!
In response to the Deal, the Islamic State, now based in the Sinai Peninsula, has ‘declared war’ on Israel, and the Palestinian Prime Minister in the West Bank, Mahmoud Abbas, has called upon Palestinians to renew terror attacks against Israeli targets, and he announced that he would cut all intelligence cooperation with Israel, something that has for years helped to minimize terrorist acts. Jordan, with its predominantly Palestinian population, and other Arab States also oppose the plan.
Consequently we have seen an escalation of tensions over this past week. There have been near daily mortar and rocket attacks on southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, and a number of explosive-laden balloons have been found as far north as near Beit Shemesh. Early Thursday morning 12 Israeli soldiers, and two civilians were injured, one seriously, when a Palestinian Arab drove into them as they walked down the sidewalk in Jerusalem near the First Station. Later the same day a border policeman guarding the Lions Gate entrance to the Old City was shot and was lightly injured in the arm by an Israeli Arab from Haifa. On Wednesday an armed mob of 200 or so ambushed an IDF unit operating in the West Bank city of Jenin and as a result a Palestinian was shot dead. It is still far short of the massive uprising that some Palestinian leaders have called for, and I suspect the average Palestinian does not want a return to the days of the Intifadas, during which they suffered severe economic and security difficulties. On Friday Jerusalem was on high alert for violence following the Moslem prayers but as far as I heard nothing much eventuated.
In contrast, it seems that most Palestinians are following their leaders in rejecting the ‘Deal’, without even reading or considering its provisions. Although I understand their rejection of it, it seems like it is possibly the best deal they could ever hope for and once again they have missed an opportunity for their own state and a better life. Their will be no peace until they put aside their bitterness and hatred, as justified as it might be at least to some extent, and begin to look forward to the future, taking steps to build a better life for their children. They need to accept that Israel is here, and here to stay, and if they would only let us, we can be their best friends. We could work together to build a beautiful Middle East but it will never happen as long as generation after generation is brainwashed from the cradle into a culture of hatred and violence. The only solution is that we all begin to pray for and love those we perceive to be our enemies, just as Yeshua (Jesus) taught. This is the only solution to the Middle East conflict, and probably this won’t happen until Messiah comes to establish his rule on Earth. That is my hope, and I pray He will not tarry.
17 February 2020
CORONAVIRUS
Like people everywhere we are all watching with concern the spread of the Coronavirus, Covid-19. So far in Israel there have been three confirmed cases and no deaths. Flights from the far east, particularly China, have been stopped and passengers coming from the far east are being asked to put themselves into voluntary quarantine for 14 days. No one is checking incoming passengers and many of these arriving people are travelling home by public transport. No one is enforcing the quarantine. It all seems a bit vague and ineffectual especially given the Israeli characteristic of ignoring rules. Yesterday the orthodox held a huge prayer gathering at the Western Wall to pray against the spread of the virus worldwide. We too need to pray for God’s intervention to stop the spread of this virus. It has the potential to kill millions of people and disrupt the entire world economy. Someone sent me this picture yesterday. I thought it was cute and made me think of Psalm 91. May God keep us all under his wings and protect us all from the pestilence and plague, but above all from fear.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
Psalm 91: 4-6
WEATHER – WOE OR BLESSING?
Whenever I turn on the news it seems that there is another weather related disaster somewhere in the world. Today the UK and parts of the USA are suffering floods, Australia is dealing with floods and wildfires. Last week in New Zealand parts of my hometown Gore, most of the neighbouring town of Mataura, and many surrounding farms, were flooded by the vast amounts of water coming down off the Fiordland mountains where around 2 meters of rain fell in 60 hours. All this while in the north of New Zealand they have a severe drought!
Here in Israel we have not escaped. We are having the wettest winter I can remember in my nearly 40 years living here. There have been several storms that have brought flooding and much loss of property in low lying areas, but of late, the rains have been less intense, just steadily dripping away. We have almost forgotten what the sun looks like. The waves on the Sea of Galilee are breaking over the promenade in Tiberias for the first time for at least 10 years. The Sea is less than a meter from its ‘full’ mark. I hope that in the next few days they will be able to open the gates and allow water to flow down the Jordan again into the Dead Sea, which has been losing 1m of height per year and is in danger of disappearing all together. There is still much water coming down the streams from the Golan and soon this runoff will be augmented by the melting snow on Mt Hermon. Many of us lately have fallen into the sin of complaining about the rain, like the Israelites in the Sinai. May God forgive us. May we all rejoice in the abundance of God’s blessing on this thirsty and arid land, and be thankful. Hallelujah!
Last Saturday (22 Feb)we had the first, and only, beautiful sunny day for a long time and I hopped into my car and drove down to the beach in Netanya. How good it was to get out of the house and take a stroll along the beach in the glorious sunshine. I was surprised too to see many of the early spring flowers already blooming, especially the almond trees in the hill country and the rotem (white broom) along the coast.
Almond blossom
HOPE IN THE DARKNESS
I love the almond trees that always begin to blossom just in the very depths of winter, when everything seems dark and hopeless. They are a reminder that winter will end and spring is on its way. So too it is in the spiritual realm. When I look at the news or even consider all the troubles I and my friends are experiencing these days, all seems dark and heavy. There seems little hope in the world. But as the saying goes, “It is darkest just before dawn”. And here and there there are signs of spring coming. Here in Israel I have been much encouraged of late as more and more Israelis are finding their Messiah. There has never been as much openness to Yeshua as there is today, nor have there ever been so many Jewish believers in Israel.
Jeshua (Jesus) said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Luke 13: 34-35
That day is not far off. It is encouraging to see young Israeli Messianic leaders reaching out to their people with boldness and love sharing the gospel. They are especially making use of film and videos on the Internet. The central organization doing this is called “One for Israel”. Here is one of their videos and I would like to close by sharing it with you:
Finally – in these dark days remember this:Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For most Israelis the phrase “Never Again” is understood to relate to the Holocaust, and does not usually carry the meaning that the Holocaust would never happen again, but rather that if it did, we would not behave passively as we did last time. We would stand up and fight with great determination. In a speech at the Auschwitz- Birkenau death camp marking International Holocaust Memorial Day in 2010 Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said, “I promise, as head of the Jewish state, that never again will we allow the hand of evil to sever the life of our people and our state.” Elie Weisel, the Nobel laureate, wrote in 2012, “‘Never again’ becomes more than a slogan: It’s a prayer, a promise, a vow … never again the glorification of base, ugly, dark violence.”
In Israel these days there is much awareness of the rising tide of antisemitism world wide. According to the Simon Wiesenthal Center report on antisemitism, “Seventy five years after the end of the Holocaust, fueled by social media and an increasingly raw and divisive political discourse, nourished by extreme nationalism and radical religion, antisemitism has become a critical issue in today’s world.
In Europe, where the Holocaust decimated what was once a center of Jewish life, the communities that have survived and struggled to rebuild are now facing such acute risk that even non-Jewish political leaders are have publicly expressed concern about the possible (sic) of end of thousands of years of European Jewish life.
Violent antisemitism has permeated Europe, with Jews facing physical threats in countries like France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany and others, while antisemitism has been legitimized as political discourse in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Poland, Hungary and throughout the continent” (1).
Far right groups, such as the Neo-Nazis, are becoming bolder and more physically violent, and antisemitic expression more socially acceptable in many countries. Jews have been physically attacked in a number of countries, simply because they are Jews. In some countries such as the UK, Sweden, Poland and Hungary antisemitism has been legitimized through political discussion and rhetoric. There have also been many instances of extreme expressions of antisemitism emanating from the left side of the political spectrum. This often takes the form of rabidly biased and twisted anti-Israel expressions of hatred. According to a survey conducted by the Fundamental Rights Agency’s second survey of European Jews released in November 2018, ” over 90% of Europe’s Jewish population surveyed feel that antisemitism is growing in their countries, and most feel that little or no effort is being made to fight it” (1).
It is not only in Europe where antisemitism is on the rise. In the USA in 2018 (the last year for which figures are available) there were 1016 hate crimes committed against Jews, according to FBI statistics. Eleven Jews were killed in the USA in 2018 simply because they were Jews (1).
It has come to the point that many Jews in Europe and the USA no longer feel safe in their synagogues, on the streets or even in their homes. Perhaps this is the fulfillment of the second part of the prophecy of Jeremiah below. The fishers have fished and brought many people back to Israel, but perhaps the time of the hunters is upon us. Already we are seeing an upsurge of immigration from countries where Jews are being persecuted, and I think we will see more in the coming years.
“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers.
“Behold, I will send for many fishermen,” says the Lord, “and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.
Jeremiah 16:14-16
Earlier this month the Jerusalem Post newspaper here in Israel carried an article (2) calling upon all Christians to take an “active place in the fight against this dark, creeping hatred of Jews “. To do this first we must deeply examine our own hearts. Every one of us has been nourished by our culture and affected by our history. We may well harbor secret antisemitic attitudes which are not righteous before God. We may not even realize that many of our ideas and attitudes are in fact antisemitic. Have we bought into, or even promulgated, the stereotyping of Jews (grasping Jew, etc), the anti-Jewish conspiracy theories (Jews run the world), or the anti-Israel bias and blatant lies of the news media? If so we need to repent. I believe too the church needs to repent deeply of its history of hatred towards the Jews and all the antisemitic acts carried out in the name of Christ. It has done terrible harm to the Jewish people and in so doing has turned them away from Yeshua (Jesus) and so denied them salvation. To many Jews today Christianity is synonymous with Nazism. We have also been guilty by omission. When did you last hear a sermon on Romans 9-11?
If you love God it follows that you must love the Jews, because God does, and because Jesus was and is still a Jew. And if you love the Jews you must also love their nation, Israel. That is not to say you have to support everything Israel does, but what it means is that you must constantly pray and act to promote its welfare and salvation, for that is the will of God. The article referenced above (2) in the Jerusalem Post concluded with these words: ” The rejection of antisemitism must become a deep and organic reality for Christians, something more than just “the right thing to do.” When rejecting antisemitism also becomes also (sic) a matter of protecting of the actual heart, the core of Christianity – that is when truly it will be impossible, as Pope Francis has said, to be a Christian and an antisemite. “
It is not however enough to examine our own hearts and repent of our own antisemitism, we need also to be willing to speak out against it in our own society and take action when appropriate. The famous quote attributed to Edmund Burke, goes something like this ” All that is needed for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. ” It was true in 1930’s Germany and it is true today.
Kirt Schneider, host of the TV show “Discovering the Jewish Jesus” which is broadcast in 200 nations, has put out a call for all his followers to wear Jewish symbols as an act of solidarity with the Jewish people(4). This is the kind of action which will confuse and hopefully give the antisemitic activists pause for thought.
Over the next few days an impressive assemblage of ” Kings, princes, presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers will converge on Jerusalem… for the Fifth World Holocaust Forum commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz.” (3). The Forum will take place on Thursday, 23 January, at Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Museum) and Israeli President Rivlin will host 40 of the world’s top leaders for a dinner at his residence. Here is a list of the leaders who will attend:
US Vice President Mike Pence US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi President of France Emmanuel Macron President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen Governor-General of Canada Julie Payette Governor-General of Australia David Hurley President of Russia Vladimir Putin Prince Charles of Britain King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander King Felipe VI of Spain President of Italy Sergio Mattarella President of Slovenia Borut Pahor President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier President of Hungary János Áder President of Greece Prokopis Pavlopoulos Prime Minister of Sweden Stefan Löfven President of Iceland Guðni Th. Jóhannesson President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zolenskyy President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda Crown Prince Haakon of Norway Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen President of Finland Sauli Niinistö President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev President of Romania Klaus Iohannis President of Slovakia Zuzana Čaputová Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Andrej Babiš President of Albania Ilir Meta President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili Speaker of the Latvian Parliament Ināra Mūrniece President of Moldova Igor Dodon Minister of State of Monaco Serge Telle Chairman of the House of Representatives of Belarus President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić President of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željko Komšić Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg President of Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović President of the European Council Charles Michel President of the European Parliament David Sassoli Vatican Representative Kurt Koch
Is your nation represented? If not, why not?
Needless to say, such a venerable assemblage of dignitaries is a massive security nightmare and will create a great deal of traffic chaos in our city over the next week. However please pray for the safety of all these people and that they will each go back to their home nations changed, carrying a powerful message and a determination to fight antisemitism wherever it raises its ugly head.
On another note, this week has also seen a return of nightly border demonstrations in Gaza, rocket attacks on the town of Sderot, and the renewal of strikes by balloons carrying explosive devices. Today one such device exploded over a home in Sderot. Earlier in the week the four rockets fired at Sderot either landed in open areas or were shot down by our Iron Dome defenses. It is thought they were fired by a wing of the Islamic Jihad group but, returning to its former policy of holding Hamas responsible for everything happening in its territory, Israel attacked a number of Hamas sites in retaliation. Israel also attacked a Hamas position today in retaliation for the balloon incursion today. This latest escalation is just the latest in what seems like and endless round of such events.
We have also seen a return of knifing attacks this week with attacks in both Jerusalem and Hevron, leaving one man moderately injured.
Last week I wrote about the flooding in several of Israel’s coastal communities that occurred as a result of two storm systems over the last two weeks. Five people were killed and there was extensive damage to private and public property and infrastructure. The cost of damage caused by these storms is estimated to be in the billions of dollars (5). Even some of Israel’s fighter jets were swamped by flood waters on a base in the Negev, and the repair bill for them alone will be in the millions(6).
Now it is raining again and the rain is expected to continue for the next few days. Already there are reports of flooding coming in, this time in the city of Ashkelon where an underground parking garage has been submerged for the second time swamping over 50 cars. It is again snowing in the north and there are warnings the snow may spread to the central hills and Jerusalem in the coming days. All of this precipitation is filling our reservoirs and aquifers and the Sea of Galilee is now only 1.8m below its ‘full’ level and rising several centimeters every day. This is the highest it has been for many years.
We rejoice in all the rain but please pray it will not cause any further flooding and damage.
On that note I will close with God’s promise to Israel:
The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
