HAS THE TRUMP CARD BEEN PLAYED?

Fishermen in the setting sun on the shores of the Sea of Galilee

I have just returned from a week's holiday in the Galilee where I and a friend were house and dog sitting for some other friends. The weather was glorious and we were able to do some exploring and hiking in the area. Once more I was impressed by the peace and beauty of the area. As we sat one evening watching the Sun set over the Sea of Galilee, I wondered aloud why it was that the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus)  did most of his teaching, healing and miracles in the Galilee and not in Jerusalem or Judah. Today I was watching a program on TV about all the Jesus 'look-alikes', the false Messiahs who were active in the region around the same time, and the commentator raised the same question. Why the Galilee? A historian gave the answer, that the Galilee of the time was much oppressed by the Romans, and there was a strong Messianic expectation as the people of the region were very pious and the book of Daniel was much studied. The book of Daniel predicted a Messianic kingdom which would begin around that time.  

As we explored the newly excavated first-century town of Magdala, from whence came Mary Magdalena, we saw evidence of the intense piety of that area. The synagogue there was large and richly decorated with mosaic floors and intricate stone carvings. The guide estimated that in today's terms it would have cost several million dollars to build. Clearly, the people were willing to invest much effort and money into their religious institutions. 

The first-century Synagogue at Magdala. 

Of great archaeological significance is the so-called Magdala stone, a large block of limestone carved to represent the Second Temple. Nothing like this has ever been found and it is thought to have served as a kind of lectern for the reading of Torah scrolls. Yeshua may well have read at this lectern as he preached in this Synagogue.  

A facsimile of the Magdala stone ( the real one is kept at the Jerusalem Museum and is not on public view)

Here are some other photos of the areas we visited and things we saw:

A beautiful mural in the new church recently built at Magdala

The kitchen of a house in the 3-4th century Jewish town of Katzrin

40,000 Eurasian Cranes arriving for the night at Agmon Lake in the Huleh Valley

Supermoon rising over Agmon Lake

Peek-a-bo!  A hyrax pup comes to check us out.
(My favorite Israeli wild animal - they are so cute and friendly)

The outer wall, synagogue and mikveh of the town of Gamla, in the Golan Heights, that was besieged and destroyed by the Romans

As you can see everywhere we went we found ancient Jewish remains, a reminder that the Galilee and the Golan were densely populated at the time of Yeshua. In many places too we found the remains of Byzantine era churches and Christian settlements.  If you ever doubt the right of Jews to live in this Land go visit the Galilee. The evidence is overwhelming.  

When I got home I heard the news of Trump's announcement of the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The repercussions of this long-overdue move are yet to become clear, but it is certainly highly significant both in terms of modern politics and prophetic fulfillment. For all that it is merely the recognition of the facts on the ground. Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel since the times of King David over three thousand years ago. No matter where Jews or Israelites wandered they always longed to return to Jerusalem. Jerusalem has been destroyed and conquered 36 times but it always rises again. There are 810 references to Jerusalem in the Bible ( and NONE in the Koran, by the way), and this does not include the 150 references to Zion, an alternative name for Jerusalem.  When exiled in Babylon the psalmist wrote,

By the rivers of Babylon,

There we sat down, yea, we wept

When we remembered Zion.

 

We hung our harps

Upon the willows in the midst of it.

 

For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song,

And those who plundered us requested mirth,

Saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

How shall we sing the Lord’s song

In a foreign land?

If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

Let my right hand forget its skill!

 

If I do not remember you,

Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth—

If I do not exalt Jerusalem

Above my chief joy.

Psalm 137: 1-6

 Not only is Jerusalem central in the heart of every Jew it is also central in the heart of our God. It was in Jerusalem He chose to express his holy presence and the Bible is clear that it is from Jerusalem the Yeshua will reign over all the Earth at the end (see for example Isaiah 60). What other city could we choose as our capital?  No Jew will ever relinquish Jerusalem. 

When the Balfour Declaration laid the groundwork for the division of the Land, Jerusalem was to be neither under the control of the Arabs or the Jews, but it was to be an International City under the control of the United Nations. This never happened, because immediately after the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, the surrounding Arab nations attacked Israel and captured East Jerusalem while West Jerusalem was held by the Jews. Until the 1967 War East Jerusalem was under the control of Jordan, but Israel captured East Jerusalem and reunited the city under its hegemony, whilst maintaining the 'status quo' in terms of religious sites and places of worship.  Jordan still controls the Muslim religious sites and Israel guarantees the rights of Muslims to pray on the Temple Mount and Christians to pray at their religious sites. At the same time, Jerusalem has functioned as our capital since 1948. The Knesset (the Israeli parliament), the legislature, the High Court and the headquarters of most national organizations reside in Jerusalem. Why then is it considered such a big thing that the USA has finally recognized that Jerusalem is our capital? Why is Israel the only country in the world that cannot choose its own capital? Why do other nations refuse to recognize what is after all the reality on the ground?

It seems to me there are two main reasons: deep-seated, often unconscious anti-Semitism, and fear of Islam and its control over the oil resources. There is also the fear of the repercussions of such a move - fear of destabilizing the balance of power in the Middle East and the Palestinian issue. 

Immediately after Trump's announcement Hamas called for a Third Intifada against Israel. Nothing new here - they have been calling for this for years. So far there has not been a general uprising of the Palestinians. There has been some rioting and violence, Hamas fired some rockets into Israeli territory, a security guard was seriously wounded in a terror attack today, but this all falls far short of an Intifada, or uprising.  

Of course, time will tell but I rather feel that most Palestinians know that it is they who would suffer most if they answer this call, and most just want to get on with their lives. Only a few hundred disenfranchised, easily-led hotheads are rising up. In addition, the Palestinian cause has somewhat fallen off the agenda amongst the Arab nations. They are much more worried about the situation with Iran and the spread of radical Islam. There are even reports today, still unconfirmed, that the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman,  told Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority President, that he must accept the new US peace plan which calls for Abu Dis (an East Jerusalem village) as the capital of the Palestinian state, keeps the majority of Israeli settlements intact, provides limited Palestinian sovereignty and precludes contiguous borders for the Palestinian areas (1). All parties are denying the verity of this report but it does indicate that behind the scenes there is a lot going on that we don't necessarily see.  As I said in my previous blog, alliances are realigning and the whole of the Middle East is in a state of flux. It may well be that this is indeed the perfect time for the USA to declare Jerusalem as Israel's capital. 

Whatever the case, and whatever the repercussions Scripture is clear that Jerusalem shall be the capital of not only Israel but the future world government under Yeshua. It is also clear that the majority of nations will not accept this and will rise up against Israel because of Jerusalem. God will fight on behalf of Israel and at that time all the remnant of Israel will be saved. All nations that fight against Israel will be destroyed.  It is time for an accounting. What will your nation do? What will you do? 

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. 3 And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it ....

7 “The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah. 8 In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them. 9 It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Zechariah 12: 2-9

We do not know what will happen in the next days but I do ask that you continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and that God's Will will be done as it is in Heaven. Pray for the protection of Israel and that Truth will be revealed to all her inhabitants, especially those who seek her destruction. Pray that all the lies and misinformation will be replaced by Truth. 


(1) https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5051672,00.html

THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY FRIEND?

Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
 To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in which there is no man;
 To satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
 Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
Job 38:25-28

This week Israel got its first taste of winter. My thermometer outside is reading only 10 degrees (Celsius) and it is raining. Mount Hermon has its first blanket of snow. How wonderful it is to see the rain falling at last. I can almost hear the trees singing for joy. 

A few days ago a friend and I went up Mt Tabor (traditionally thought to be the Mount of the Transfiguration of Yeshua)  to see the first of the winter flowers in bloom, the stunning yellow Halmonia (Sternbergia clusiana), a kind of crocus. Here and there amongst the as-yet, dried off vegetation, emerging between the rocks, were the bright egg-yolk colored flowers.   They made me think of how it is to be a believer, life flowering in spite of the spiritually dry environment all around, boldly blooming even before the rains fall because we have a secret source of life, not an underground bulb, but the ever-flowing Holy Spirit. 

An alternative name for this species of crocus is Sternbergia spaffordiana,  named for the American-born lawyer, Horatio Gates Spafford, who wrote the well-loved hymn It Is Well With My Soul, following a family tragedy in which four of his daughters died. He was also one of the founders of the American Colony in Jerusalem (that would later become the American Colony Hotel) He died in Jerusalem in 1888 (1).

The rare and endangered Sternbergia on Mt Tavor

Even the flowers and trees of Israel reflect the glory of God. Here is another stunning miracle of life coming out of death, an acacia tree growing right out of a pure salt formation in the middle of the Dead Sea. Israel truly is the land of the impossible!

A tree growing out of a salt formation in the Dead Sea
http://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/photos/tree-springs-to-life-from-the-dead-sea

It is now Friday (24th) and we have just enjoyed 2-3 days of rain, but we are all praying for a good rainy season this year after 4 straight years of drought, and we still need much more. With the Sea of Galilee at an all-time low, the coastal and mountain aquifers drying up and the threat of another drought year, it was announced last week that the State is planning to buy up to 75 million cubic meters of desalinated water from Israeli desalination plants in Palmachim, Soreq, Ashkelon and Hadera by the end of 2018 (2). The desalination plants can supply sufficient water for drinking, industry and agriculture, but of course cannot help the forests and other ecosystems on which we also depend. Thankfully this year we have been spared serious forest fires, but with the falling water tables, the forests themselves may soon be at risk. Already up to a third of the acacia trees in the Negev desert have died. I remember learning while at university that one of the expected consequences of global warming would be the spread of the Saraha Desert northwards. This is of great concern to us here as we are situated right on the northern edge of the Sahara. The satellite image below shows very graphically just how vulnerable we are. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Sahara_satellite_hires.jpg

The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend

Apart from the regional drought, the Middle East is undergoing an intense period of turmoil and drastic political change. The civil war in Syria is winding down as President Asad's government forces, backed by Iran and Russia, retake the areas that had been taken over by ISIS (Islamic State) or the various rebel militias. Although ISIS is on the run from Syria and Iraq, it is strengthening its influence and activity in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. Last week 305 people were killed and at least 128 wounded when a Sufi mosque in the Sinai was attacked by militants carrying Islamic State flags. Sufism is a mystical sect of Islam which is considered heretical by the extremist Sunni Muslims, such as ISIS. With ISIS on the run from Syria and Iraq, the civil war in Syria winding down, bringing Asad back into power with the backing of Iran and Russia, the civil war in Yemen between Iranian backed Houthi rebels and the Yemen government forces. Alarmed by the Iranian support of the Houthi, and the spread of the influence of  Shia Iran, a coalition of mainly Sunni Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia and backed by the USA, the UK and France, have begun a bombing and blockade campaign against the Houthis.  This war has brought some 20 million Yemeni to face imminent starvation and disease,  which constitutes world's largest and most urgent, though largely ignored, humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, Iran backed Hezbollah is taking more and more control in Lebanon to the extent that Lebanese Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, was forced to resign leaving a power vacuum that could return that country to civil war (3). 

You might have noticed how Iran seems to be involved in every Middle Eastern crisis. Its spreading power and influence in the region are causing a reshuffling of alliances along a radical Shiite vs more moderate Sunni axis, with Russia backing the Shiite bloc led by Iran, while the western powers seem to be in a state of confusion and retreat, but vaguely supporting the more moderate Sunnis.  

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-25434060

This realignment is resulting in some rather strange bedfellows. A shared interest in blocking Iran's spreading influence is causing one-time enemies to consider cooperation. One such relationship is that between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Saudi Arabia has never accepted the legitimacy of Israel, no Israeli is permitted to even visit the country and there are no official diplomatic relationships between the two countries, yet reports of talks between them have been appearing in the press lately, leading to a speculation that Saudi Arabia wishes Israel to join forces with it to oppose Iran. Although Israel is not likely to be dragged into a war on behalf of Saudi Arabia the whole situation is volatile and direct conflict with Iran seems inevitable at some time in the near future (4).

Israel has no desire nor interest in initiating any war but the situation is very tense as Hezbollah and Iranian forces dig in along our border with Lebanon and Syria. Iran has repeatedly and vocally threatened to annihilate Israel and may well do so by means of its proxy Hezbollah. The IDF is on high alert and watching every move. 

November 16, 2017, an Israeli tank overlooks the border into Lebanon near the Israeli city of Metulla
(AFP PHOTO / MENAHEM KAHANA)
https://www.timesofisrael.com/saudi-iran-dispute-unlikely-to-take-israel-to-war-analysts/

 Terror continues
Internally Israel continues to face the threat of terrorism, although there have been fewer successful attacks of late. On Friday the 17th a Palestinian terrorist wounded two Israelis in a car ramming attack and attempted to stab soldiers at a second intersection before they shot and wounded him (6). 

This week a young woman, Hodaya Asulin, died  6 1/2 years after being wounded in a terror attack. She was only 14 years old when the attack took place and she had been in a coma ever since (7).  at a bus stop near the Binyanei HaUma (an International Conference Center) in Jerusalem. I remember this attack well as it occurred just after I had passed the spot on my way home from a job interview, and it was also at the bus stop from which my current local bus leaves.

Why Islam cannot accept Israel

To understand the Middle East one must have an understanding of the Muslim worldview. Non-Muslims believe that Islam began with Mohammed in the 7th Century of the Common Era (AD). Muslims do not believe that. Believing that Islam is the only true religion, Muslims have rewritten history.  They believe that Islam began with Adam and Eve and that Abraham, Moses and all the prophets, including Yeshua (Jesus), were Muslims. They believe that Judaism and Christianity were heretical aberrations that were corrected by Mohammed. Consequently, they see all the Biblical Lands as belonging to Islam and the Koran forbids the relinquishing of any Muslim lands to the Infidel (non-Muslims). For this reason, the very existence of the State of Israel cannot be considered legitimate by Muslims. 


I would like to recommend the following article for a very thorough discussion of this matter:  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5025906,00.html?

Record number of tourists visit Israel

In spite of all this, on November 7th, Israel welcomed its 3 millionth tourist this year, breaking all previous records. The lucky Romanian visitor, Iona Isac and her partner, were treated to a VIP tour of various sites, a limousine, a helicopter tour and hotel upgrades by the Tourism Ministry (8).

How to Pray

1. Pray for a good rainy season across the Middle East. 
2.  It is not always clear how to pray about politics and military issues but we can always pray, as Yeshua taught us, that God's Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven
3. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (and Israel), not just absence of war, but the true peace that passes understanding that can only be found in following Yeshua.
4. Pray for the Christian and Messianic believers, a persecuted minority, throughout the Middle East, that they will stand firm and that the LORD will meet all their needs. Pray for the various congregations and churches that they will be kept safe and will grow in spirit and truth. 
5. Pray for righteous and wise leadership and leaders who really care for the welfare of the people in every country.
6.  Pray for the relief of all those who are displaced and in need of food, water, shelter and medicine, especially as the winter takes hold. 







(1) http://flowersinisrael.com/Sternbergiaclusiana_page.htm (2)  https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/403282
(3) https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/98349/israel-stands-shoulder-shoulder-egypt-massive-terror-attack-sinai/#/
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29319423
http://kehilanews.com/2017/11/19/urgent-global-prayer-for-lebanon/
(4) http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/25/middleeast/israel-saudi-relations/index.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/17/israel-and-saudi-arabia-forging-ties-could-mean-war-with-iran-commentary.html
https://www.timesofisrael.com/saudi-iran-dispute-unlikely-to-take-israel-to-war-analysts/
(5) http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/160660-171119-for-second-day-israel-fires-warning-shots-at-syrian-army-on-golan-heights

http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Lebanon-army-chief-asks-troops-for-readiness-at-Israel-border-514782
(6) https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.823342
(7) https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5046429,00.html
(8) https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/97476/3-millionth-tourist-arrival-2017-sets-new-annual-record  

MESSIANIC JEW TO BE DEPORTED
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Swedish-daughter-of-Holocaust-survivor-faces-deportation-from-Israel-514734

Israeli gymnast wins bronze medal at world gymnastics competition
https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/videos/lifestyle/linoy-ashram-gymnast-makes-history-world-championships

BDS stand
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/nov/22/brian-eno-and-roger-waters-scorn-nick-caves-principled-stand-to-play-in-israel

why the Gaza 'blockade'

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5046519,00.html

Christ at the Checkpoint conference
http://kehilanews.com/2017/11/21/claim-israel-no-longer-promised-land-in-new-testament-era/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=159&v=nWPa75a-AW4

ANZACs and the BATTLE for BEERSHEBA

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

I Samuel 17:45

"At a mile distance, their thousand hooves were stuttering thunder, coming at a rate that frightened a man, they were an awe-inspiring sight, galloping through the red haze, knee to knee and horse to horse, the dying sun glinting on bayonet points" 

 Ian Idreis of the Australian 4th Light Horse Brigade

As I traveled by bus into Jerusalem one day this week I was thrilled to see the main highway lined with the flags of New Zealand and Australia flying alongside those of Israel. What was the occasion, you might ask. The 31st of October marked the 100th year anniversary of the Battle of Beersheba, which took place during the First World War.  This battle is little-known but was perhaps one of the most important and pivotal battles of all time. The defeat of the entrenched Turkish forces at Beersheva by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC)  broke the resolve of the Turkish Army and opened the door for the capture of Jerusalem and ultimately the establishment of the State of Israel, thus fulfilling Biblical prophecy and paving the way for what will be the final redemption of the world. It was also the last great cavalry charge in history. 

Map of the Battle for Beersheba
http://www.lighthorse.org.au/images-content/famous-battles/ww1/bsheba.jpg

The Allied Egyptian Expeditionary Force, made up of  British and ANZAC forces, had failed on two attempts to break through the Turkish-German line between Gaza and Beersheba. Commander General Allenby devised a plan to take Beersheba. First, erroneous information was deliberately leaked leading the Turks and Germans to believe the Allies would concentrate their attack on Gaza. Then, the main EEF forces surrounded Beersheba from the east and the south. 

To the north-east of Beersheva lay a hill, Tel es Saba, which overlooked and protected the Turkish front line. The job of capturing this hill and silencing its artillery guns was given to the New Zealand Mounted Rifles.  On the 31st of October 1917 the NZMR  fought a fierce, 6-hour-long, uphill battle against the Turkish forces and, against the odds, captured the Tel.  Although often overlooked, this operation was pivotal, and had the New Zealanders not taken this hill and its guns,  the Australian cavalry charge which broke through the Turkish lines at Beersheba could never have taken place.  Eight New Zealanders perished in this attack and 26 were wounded. *

By the time the NZMF had taken the hill on that fateful day, night was falling. The Allied horses had not had water for 48 hours and they would soon begin to die from thirst.  The wells of Beersheva were defended by a Turkish force of some 4,000 fresh, well-armed and entrenched soldiers with machine guns and artillery, supported by the Germans.  All seemed lost, but then the commander of the Australian forces, Brigadier General William Grant, made the audacious suggestion that his mounted infantry, the 4th Light Horse Brigade, could charge the lines and break through. It sounded crazy, but there were no other options and orders were given for the charge.
 
The 4th Australian Light Horse Brigade was not a cavalry unit but mounted infantry. Normally they would ride to the site of battle, dismount and then fight on foot. Consequently, the Turkish forces had been told to hold their fire until the Australians dismounted, but this time they rode their horses at full gallop directly into the line of fire, jumping over the trenches, surprising the Turks, who did not have time to respond. The Turkish line was broken, the soldiers were thrown into confusion and many fled. The rest of the Allied forces were then able to enter and capture Beersheba. Losing this battle broke the resolve of the Turkish forces, many of whom scattered and fled, opening the door for the capture of Jerusalem, and later the complete liberation of the Holy Land from the Turkish Empire. 

One might wonder how just 800 exhausted, thirsty horsemen, carrying only light rifles and bayonets, were able to conquer a well-fed and watered force of 4,000 Turks, well armed and dug in. I do not want to belittle the courage of the ANZAC forces in any way, but I believe it took more than just raw courage to pull off this amazing feat. I am reminded, in fact, of David and Goliath! If we go back in history as recorded in the Bible we will see again and again how the armies of Israel faced impossible odds but overcame their enemies with the help of their God, who supernaturally fights for Israel. On one such instance, when the army of the King of Aram (Syria) surrounded the city of Dotham in which Elisha was staying, Elisha and the people of Dotham were vastly outnumbered and out-armed. Elisha's servant was dismayed, but Elisha knew that the army of the LORD was with him, and he asked the LORD to open the eyes of his servant so that he too could see the Lord's army. The Lord's army blinded the eyes of the soldiers of Aram and led them into the city of Samaria, some 10 km away, where they were captured, feasted and later returned to their master (II Kings 6). 

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

II Kings 6: 17-18 

In more recent times we have also repeatedly seen the supernatural intervention of God on behalf of Israel. From the beginning of the modern State of Israel we have fought many wars, always vastly outnumbered, but we have prevailed and flourished, not by our own strength but by the power and grace of God. There are too many examples to attempt to outline them all, but for example, in the most recent Gaza conflict of 2014, one of the Hamas fighters, when asked why they couldn’t aim their rockets more effectively, was reported to complain: ‘We do aim them, but their God changes their path in mid-air’ (2).  Whether or not this unconfirmed report is true, one clear incident was reported widely in the Israeli media. This is what the Commander of the Iron Dome (the anti-missile missile batteries) unit protecting Tel Aviv reported:

"A missile was fired from Gaza. Iron Dome precisely calculated [its trajectory]. We know where these missiles are going to land down to a radius of 200 meters. This particular missile was going to hit either the Azrieli Towers, the Kirya (Israel’s equivalent of the Pentagon) or [a central Tel Aviv railway station]. Hundreds could have died.

"We fired the first [interceptor]. It missed. Second [interceptor]. It missed. This is very rare. I was in shock. At this point we had just four seconds until the missile lands. We had already notified emergency services to converge on the target location and had warned of a mass-casualty incident.

"Suddenly, Iron Dome (which calculates wind speeds, among other things) shows a major wind coming from the east, a strong wind that…sends the missile into the sea. We were all stunned. I stood up and shouted, ‘There is a God!’

“I witnessed this miracle with my own eyes. It was not told or reported to me. I saw the hand of God send that missile into the sea.” (3) 
There are myriads of similar stories that come out of Israel's wars. The God of Israel is still fighting on our behalf.  

I believe that the Anzac victory at Beersheba was orchestrated by God as He worked out His plan to re-establish the Nation of Israel in its own Land. Even as the battle for Beersheba was taking place, the British War Cabinet was in conference drawing up the Balfour Declaration, which was signed just three days later. The Balfour Declaration established the principle of the founding of a Jewish State, which we now know as Israel. The Battle of Beersheba and the subsequent conquest of the Holy Land made that a real possibility. 

This last week, commemorations were held in Beersheba to honor the ANZAC forces of the Battle of Beersheva. Some 100 Australian horsemen and women reenacted the charge. A wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetary in Beersheba attended by Israel's Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu, the Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull and the New Zealand Governor-General, Dame Patsy Redding, and other dignitaries and members of the public. The ceremony was broadcast live on Arutz Sheva, an Israeli online TV station. You can see it on http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/237475 

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/beersheba-centenary-in-the-heat-and-dust-a-charge-is-relived/news-story/671f0dcdfaad3b29ee866e8fe58d6481

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/237475

You might be wondering why I am dwelling on a battle that took place 100 years ago. What relevance does it have to us today? I believe it carries a message that is an encouragement to each one of us personally and also to the State of Israel. God is on our side and He will fight for us. This is a message that needs to be heard NOW as the security situation in Israel is reaching a critical point, even though most Israelis appear blissfully unaware of the threat. We are once more on the brink of war. It could happen any minute. Last night Tel Aviv residents were rudely reminded of this when the Code Red sirens (warning of a missile attack) went off accidentally in the early hours of the morning, sending them scuttling for their safe rooms (4). That was a false alarm but it could easily be the real thing. 

The headlines in the Maariv newspaper this evening reads: 
"Mounting Tensions in Syria and Gaza Throw Israel Into a New State of Emergency" (4). On Monday this last week the Israeli Defense Forces, using newly developed technology,  blew up an Islamic Jihad tunnel which passed into Israeli territory under the border fence from Gaza. At least 14 Palestinian militants were killed including senior commanders of the Islamic Jihad and one Hamas commander. This has ratcheted up the tensions along the Gaza border to their highest level since the 2014 Operation Protective Edge. This morning the  Code Red sirens sounded in the south, but it was a false alarm possibly set off by small-arms spillover fire from the Sinai. 

In the north, tensions are also continuing to rise. On Wednesday the Israeli Air Force blew up a Hezbollah weapons factory in central Syrian and Syrian anti-aircraft missiles were fired at the planes as they flew over Lebanon. This represents a change of policy by Syria's President Assad as he is now growing more confident as he reasserts power over the rebel forces, with the backing of Iran and Russia. On Friday Syrian forces took the last major ISIS stronghold, the city of Deir el Zur. Later the same day the Druse village of Khadar came under attack from Al-Qaida affiliate group, Nusra Front. At least 9 people in the village died as a result of a car bomb and the detachment of the Syrian army fled the village. the Nusra Front then closed in on the village and began to fire on it. Druze citizens from Majdal Shams, only 3km away in the Israeli Golan, gathered at the border out of concern for residents of Khadar, many of whom are family members. The Israeli Druze broke through the border fence into Syria but were returned by the Israeli military. Following discussions with the Druze leaders, Israel has made a commitment to defend this village from any further attack (6). 

In Iran today,  a new long-range missile was unveiled in celebrations involving the burning of posters of the US President, Donald Trump and amid threats to annihilate Israel. Also today the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Saad Hariri, resigned following a failed assassination attempt . In his resignation speech, Hariri accused Iran and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, of holding Lebanon hostage and destabilizing the Arab region (7).

All this represents a rapid destabilization of the situation in the entire Middle East and in this tinder dry environment it would be very easy to tip the scales. War could break out at any moment on a number of fronts. Wherever it starts it would soon escalate to a region-wide conflict with the main aim of annihilating Israel first and the USA second. Israel is in greater danger than ever before, surrounded with millions of enemies sworn to her destruction, and all heavily armed with the latest of weapons. There is no way that Israel could win such a war, except that God would fight on her behalf. Once again we are in a David and Goliath situation, and like David we must not allow ourselves to be dismayed, but rather trust wholeheartedly in our God.


Please pray that we as a nation will seek God at this hour and not trust only in our army or our human strength. Pray too that the residents of this land will neither live in an unhealthy denial of the threat before us, nor will be crippled by fear, but rather that we will all draw near to God in repentance and faith. 


 ( I apologize for the inconsistencies in formatting. It is the Google Blog software doing it - not me!!)
* Two weeks later 800 NZMR soldiers fought and overcame 1500 Turks at Ayun Kara (now Rishon le Zion). Some 50 NZ soldiers died in that attack.

 (1) https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/10/29/56759/nzs-role-in-historys-last-great-cavalry-charge

(2) http://www.lighthorse.org.au/resources/military-stories-ww1/the-taking-of-tel-el-saba-or-the-role-the-new-zealanders-played-in-the-taking-of-beersheba


http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2017/10/31/pm-marks-centenary-of-beersheba-in-israel.html

"The Battle of Beersheva"  - the movie on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgHC25ubiQU

Video reconstruction http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/videos/australian-war-horse/battle-of-beersheba-4186.aspx

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/237475   broadcast of ceremony

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5036619,00.html

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5036758,00.html

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2017/10/31/pm-marks-centenary-of-beersheba-in-israel.html

 https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5034970,00.html


(3) http://m.news24.com/news24/MyNews24/Israel-Miracle-Gaza-Strip-Hamas-Complain-Their-God-Changes-The-Paths-Of-Our-Rockets-In-Mid-Air-20140722
 http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/24811/Default.aspx

(4)  https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.820826
       https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.820068

(5) http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/politics-and-military/military/idf-red-alert-siren-in-eshkol-false-alarm-32187
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5036250,00.html

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5037273,00.html

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5036135,00.html
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5036250,00.html

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5037273,00.html

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5036135,00.html

(6) https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/1.820989
(7) http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/11/04/ap-explains-what-is-behind-lebanese-pms-resignation.html

GO BACK TO THE DESERT

Therefore I am now going to allure her;
    I will lead her into the wilderness
    and speak tenderly to her.

Hosea 2:14

Maktesh Ramon, Negev Desert, Israel

Here in Israel we have just finished celebrating the Feast of Succot (Tabernacles) in which we remember Israel's wanderings in the desert following the exodus from Egypt. You may ask, why did Israel have to wander in the desert for  40 years, or for that matter why did they have to go to Egypt and become slaves in the first place?  Of course the Bible tells us that the 40 years of wandering were caused by Israel's lack of faith at Kadesh Barnea, when they refused to enter the promised land because of their fear of the strength of its inhabitants,  but was there another reason too? 

Many years ago someone said to me that the God of Israel is a God of the desert. Those words stuck in my mind and have resonated throughout my life. When I want to hear from God or have a deep need of communion with Him, I go out into the desert (or wilderness*). 

If you read the Bible you will know that many of the great men and women of God, met Him and heard from Him in the desert  -  for example, Abraham, Moses, Jonah, Elijah, John the Baptist and even Yeshua (Jesus) himself (Matthew 4:1, Luke 5:16). It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word for desert is midbar (מדבר) comes from the same root as the word for 'speak', mdaber (מדבר).  It is also the same root as the word for 'word' (דבר).  And who is the Word? God.

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1

The desert is a place where we can draw near to God and hear his voice more clearly, but it is also a place where survival depends upon the barest necessities, water, shelter and food. All the modern conveniences, noise, bustle and our busyness are stripped away and we stand 'naked' before God. It is a place of vulnerability and danger. We are thrown into the hands of God for our very survival. We all need from time to time to 'go back to the desert' to remind ourselves of how desperately we depend upon the hand of God for every thing. 

Prior to the Babylonian Exile, God spoke to the prophet Hosea and told him to take a harlot and adulteress for a wife. This was to be an object lesson for the people of Israel, who had rejected the true God, her husband, in favor her lovers, the Baals, the false gods of the surrounding peoples.

She said, ‘I will go after my lovers,

    who give me my food and my water,

    my wool and my linen, my olive oil and my drink.

Hosea 2: 5

But God blocked Israel's way and she did not catch up with her lovers,  and He took away all her sustenance, the grain, the wine, the wool and linen, and all her cause for celebration. Therefore, disappointed by her lovers, she said, 

"I will go back to my husband as at first,

    for then I was better off than now."

Hosea 2: 7

Then God drew her into the desert places or wilderness and spoke tenderly to her, so that he could restore to her all that had been lost. 

Therefore I am now going to allure her;

    I will lead her into the wilderness

    and speak tenderly to her.

15 

There I will give her back her vineyards,

    and will make the Valley of Achor ** a door of hope.

There she will respond as in the days of her youth,

    as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

Hosea 2: 14-15

Just like Israel, we all sometimes forget who is our true husband, protector and provider. We go our own way for a while, but God, who loves us, will sooner or later draw us back to the desert, to speak tenderly to us, to restore us to himself. This is true for us as individuals and also true for the nations, especially Israel.  Disillusioned with the emptiness of rabbinic Judaism, many in Israel today have turned their back on the God of Israel and are running after false gods, the gods of the far east, Hinduism and Buddhism, the gods of New Age, the gods of witchcraft and sorcery, or the gods of hedonism and materialism. Sooner or later these gods will disappoint, for they are empty. They cannot satisfy.  

Hosea's prophecy related to his time, but was only partly fulfilled at that time. Complete fulfillment will only occur at the end of the age. The phrase 'in that day' of Hosea 2:16 is an indicator that what follows relates to the times of the end. In the times of the end Israel must pass through another wilderness experience, the time of Jacob's trouble (Jeremiah 30:7), such as she has never known until now, but when all is lost, and she has come to the end of her own strength, disillusioned with her false gods, then God will  gently woo her back and she will return to her true husband, the God of Israel, God of the desert.  Sadly Israel, like all of us, must pass through the desert to reach the Promised Land. 

This last weekend our congregation spent three days together in the desert, at Maktesh Ramon in the Negev. We sought to 'go back to the desert' both as individuals and as a congregation in order to stand 'naked' before God and to hear his voice. The desert is also a place, where in spite of all the arid barrenness around, there are springs of living water. In the days of the Temple, during the Feast of Tabernacles the priests would go down to the Spring of Siloam each morning, draw water, and take it up the hill to the Temple where they would pour it over the altar (1).  It was on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, that Jesus proclaimed these words,

 “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

                                                           John 7: 37-38 

And what are these rivers of living water? They are the indwelling Holy Spirit which was to come after Jesus was glorified (v39). We as a congregation considered how we would draw from the well of living water in order to bring it up to Jerusalem.  Our congregation meets right in the heart of modern Jerusalem. We ask, how can we bring the Holy Spirit, the living water, to our so very thirsty city and land? Perhaps first we need to go back to the desert and draw deeply of the wells of living water we will find there. 

Streams of living water in the desert - Ein Ovdat, Negev Desert 

Now for some news:
Tension in the north
On Saturday, the 21st, at 5AM sirens sounded in several Golan Heights towns and people ran into their shelters as five mortar shells fired from Syrian territory landed in Israel, causing no damage to people or property.  Shortly afterward Israel attacked and destroyed the artillery cannons from which the missiles were fired. Just three days earlier, on Thursday, the IDF attacked a Syrian outpost at Quneitra after an errant shell landed in Israel.  These incidents are but the latest of a whole series of 'spillovers' from the Syrian civil war, but there has recently been an upsurge in such incidents as Syrian government forces attempt to retake the Syrian Golan from the rebel groups (2). 

Police sapper with piece of mortar shell fired into Israeli territory on Saturday
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5031606,00.html

Another worrying escalation also occurred earlier the same week. For some time now Israeli Air Force planes have been carrying out reconnaissance missions over Lebanon monitoring the transport of arms, especially missiles, from Iran to the terror group, Hezbollah, via Syria. For the first time, Syrian army forces launched a ground-to-air missile towards the Israeli jets and Israeli forces responded by destroying the Syrian battery's fire-control radar installation. In spite of Syrian claims all Israeli planes returned safely to base (3).

This all serves to warn us that the tension in the north could very easily escalate to out-and-out war, as Assad's Syrian government forces, backed by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, regain control of the rebel-held territories.  There is great concern about the influx of advanced missiles from Iran into Hezbollah's hands. Israel has made it clear it will not tolerate such shipments and has in the past destroyed a number. Hezbollah grows bolder and bolder in its boasting that it now has enough missiles to totally destroy every Israeli city. 

Terror in Israel

The period of the High Holy Days is normally a time we expect an upsurge in terror attacks in Israel. This year however we had  25% fewer attacks in September than the average over the last five years. That said we had ONLY(!) 103 terror attacks in September, resulting in the deaths of three Israelis (4).

Jerusalem March

Jerusalem March 2017 (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5027168,00.html

On the 6th day of Succot tens of thousands of people from all over the world took part in the annual Jerusalem March. This March has taken place now for 60  years but this year was special as it marked the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem's reunification in 1967 (5). 

Ultra-Orthodox Anti-Draft Protests
Traffic flow around the city, and elsewhere around the country, has repeatedly been seriously affected this month by ultra-orthodox men protesting the compulsory draft into the IDF. Although they usually receive an exemption from having to serve, the law requires them to register at the draft offices. Over the past weeks a large number have been arrested for failing to do so prompting large-scale protests. Major arterial roads and the light rail trains have been blocked causing massive traffic disruption and outbreaks of violence.  

On Monday I was twice caught up in these traffic problems as I tried to negotiate my way around the city, but was forced to take long detours and sit for long periods in tail-backs (traffic jams). On the way home from the city later that night, I noticed a terrible stench in the area of the Strings Bridge at the main entrance to the city. I later learned that police had for the first time used this 'odor cannon' to disperse the protestors. It smelled like silage or the effluent from a refet (indoor cow sheds). It stank!!!  I think it is probably an effective measure but I did feel sorry for the people who live in the area. 

These actions are not only alienating the ultra-orthodox even more from mainstream Israeli society but are causing a deep rift within the ultra-orthodox community itself. Most do not identify with the protest and it is only one stream, the Jerusalem Faction,  that is involved. Members of the Jerusalem Faction do not recognize the legitimacy of the Israeli state and therefore refuse to follow the law and will not take part in the IDF(6).  I see this as hypocrisy in its most extreme as they enjoy the safety and protection of the State of Israel, but none of the responsibilities of a citizen. 

http://www.tabletmag.com/wp-content/files_mf/rally620.jpg

UN Boycott
Next month the UN Human Rights Council plans to publish a list of some 150 or more companies accused of violating human rights. The names of the affected companies have not yet been announced but some have been leaked to the Press. Last Thursday the national newspaper, Yediot Aharonot, published the names of 25 Israeli companies believed to be on the list. Those names are Amisragas, Angel Bakeries, Arison Investments, Ashdar, Café Café, Clal Industries, Cellcom, Danya Cebus, Dor Alon, Electra, Hewlett Packard, HOT, Israel Aerospace Industries, Matrix Systems, Nesher, Partner, PAZ Gas, Rami Levy, Remax, Shikun & Binui, Shufersal, Bank Leumi and Sonol. If you are familiar with Israel you know that these are all large, well-known companies in Israel which operate all over the country and in the West Bank. Israel and the US are working behind the scenes to try and stop the UN from publishing this blacklist. As Efrat Council head and chief foreign envoy of the Yesha Council, Oded Revivi, pointed out,

 ...instead of boycotting the companies on the blacklist the UN should hand them Nobel Peace Prizes. 

“These companies are the ones that employ and support thousands of Palestinian families... 

“Jews and Arabs are brought closer together in their factories where they work in the same building. Those who want to boycott these companies only distance coexistence, good neighbor relations and joint economic growth."

The nations may plot harm to Israel but God will have the last word, as it is prophesied,

 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.

Daniel 7: 27

 * Note: the Hebrew word, midbar, usually translated into English as 'desert' is more correctly translated 'wilderness', meaning simply a region outside of towns or cultivated areas, so is not always, strictly speaking, true desert. In Israel however most of the region lying outside of human settlement is either very arid steppe country or true desert. The Greek word 'eremos' also means an unpopulated, uncultivated area.

** Valley of Achor - an actual geographical location east of Jericho, but also literally translates as the Valley of Trouble.

References:

(1) http://www.chabad.org/holidays/JewishNewYear/template_cdo/aid/1971019/jewish/The-Joyous-Water-Drawing-Ceremony.htm 

(2) https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5031505,00.html

(3) https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5029195,00.html

(4) htttyp://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/September-terror-attacks-against-Israelis-dip-to-five-year-low-507992

(5) https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5027168,00.html

(6) http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/WATCH-Haredim-block-traffic-in-mass-protest-over-draft-law-507824

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Haredi-protestors-shut-down-Jerusalem-roads-for-the-second-week-in-a-row-508213

(6) http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Companies-targeted-by-UNHRC-settler-blacklist-reject-wrongdoing-charges-508574

* Note: the Hebrew word, midbar, usually translated into English as 'desert' is more correctly translated 'wilderness', meaning simply a region outside of towns or cultivated areas, so is not always, strictly speaking, true desert. In Israel however most of the region lying outside of human settlement is either very arid steppe country or true desert. The Greek word 'eremos' also means an unpopulated, uncultivated area.

** Valley of Achor - an actual geographical location east of Jericho, but also literally translates as the Valley of Trouble.