I am not an Israelite or a Jew, but I am a Zionist (defn. A supporter of the modern state of Israel). It is impossible to be an obedient follower of Christ, a Christian, and not be an ardent supporter the state of Israel. I’ve been reading through the book of Ezekiel and recently read the following:
34:23 I will set one shepherd over them, and he will feed them – namely, my servant David.8 He will feed them and will be their shepherd. 34:24 I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince9 among them; I, the Lord, have spoken!
34:25 “‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and will rid the land of wild beasts, so that they can live securely10 in the wilderness and even sleep in the woods.11 34:26 I will turn them and the regions around my hill into a blessing. I will make showers come down in their season; they will be showers that bring blessing.12 34:27 The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the earth will yield its crops. They will live securely on their land; they will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 34:28 They will no longer be prey for the nations and the wild beasts will not devour them. They will live securely and no one will make them afraid. 34:29 I will prepare for them a healthy13 planting. They will no longer be victims14 of famine in the land and will no longer bear the insults of the nations. 34:30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them,15 and that they are my people, the house of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord.16 34:31 And you, my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are my people,17 and I am your God, declares the sovereign Lord.’”
Look especially at verse 28: “They will no longer be prey for the nations and the wild beasts will not devour them. They will live securely and no one will make them afraid.”
The State of Israel is currently in a state of complete upheaval. Prime Minister Olmert is being charged with fraud, and being pressured to resign for poor results during the Lebanon conflict last summer. PM Olmert has only been in power for a short time since Ariel Sharon fell into a coma; and yesterday Lieutenant General Dan Halutz of the IDF resigned because of the Lebanon conflict. Israel seems to have no effective leadership. Israel seems to be in complete confusion. Along with these troubles, Ahmadinejad is thumbing his nose at the world and his own people by continuing his 12th Imam Mahdi rhetoric and continuing to enrich uranium in spite of UN sanctions and in spite of a poor showing in recent municipal elections. Hamas in Gaza and the Hezbollah in Lebanon are arming themselves to the teeth for another conflict with Israel – they are encouraged by the success of Hezbollah during last summer’s conflict. Syria and Iran have recently purchased hundreds of millions of dollars worth of weapons from Russia courtesy of Putin. Things look very bleak for Israel. IF Israel were not resting in the care of the God of Jacob (Zechariah 2:8), I would agree that things look hopeless for Israel, and that they will indeed be destroyed by the Arab population surrounding them. Rest assured, this will not happen.
I am always surprised and disheartened by the number of people who do not realize what is and has happened with Israel. It is all spelled out in Micah 4:6-13 and many, many other places in the Old Testament. Sadly people do not have eyes to see what the Lord is accomplishing in our day. When I talk about what is happening in Israel to people I know, I'm only met with blank stares and return looks as though I'm totally crazy. I am certainly no prophet, but I can relate to how the minor OT prophets must have felt when the Israelites failed to heed their warnings. That is so sad - pray for these people please.
34:23 I will set one shepherd over them, and he will feed them – namely, my servant David.8 He will feed them and will be their shepherd. 34:24 I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince9 among them; I, the Lord, have spoken!
34:25 “‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and will rid the land of wild beasts, so that they can live securely10 in the wilderness and even sleep in the woods.11 34:26 I will turn them and the regions around my hill into a blessing. I will make showers come down in their season; they will be showers that bring blessing.12 34:27 The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the earth will yield its crops. They will live securely on their land; they will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 34:28 They will no longer be prey for the nations and the wild beasts will not devour them. They will live securely and no one will make them afraid. 34:29 I will prepare for them a healthy13 planting. They will no longer be victims14 of famine in the land and will no longer bear the insults of the nations. 34:30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them,15 and that they are my people, the house of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord.16 34:31 And you, my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are my people,17 and I am your God, declares the sovereign Lord.’”
Look especially at verse 28: “They will no longer be prey for the nations and the wild beasts will not devour them. They will live securely and no one will make them afraid.”
The State of Israel is currently in a state of complete upheaval. Prime Minister Olmert is being charged with fraud, and being pressured to resign for poor results during the Lebanon conflict last summer. PM Olmert has only been in power for a short time since Ariel Sharon fell into a coma; and yesterday Lieutenant General Dan Halutz of the IDF resigned because of the Lebanon conflict. Israel seems to have no effective leadership. Israel seems to be in complete confusion. Along with these troubles, Ahmadinejad is thumbing his nose at the world and his own people by continuing his 12th Imam Mahdi rhetoric and continuing to enrich uranium in spite of UN sanctions and in spite of a poor showing in recent municipal elections. Hamas in Gaza and the Hezbollah in Lebanon are arming themselves to the teeth for another conflict with Israel – they are encouraged by the success of Hezbollah during last summer’s conflict. Syria and Iran have recently purchased hundreds of millions of dollars worth of weapons from Russia courtesy of Putin. Things look very bleak for Israel. IF Israel were not resting in the care of the God of Jacob (Zechariah 2:8), I would agree that things look hopeless for Israel, and that they will indeed be destroyed by the Arab population surrounding them. Rest assured, this will not happen.
I am always surprised and disheartened by the number of people who do not realize what is and has happened with Israel. It is all spelled out in Micah 4:6-13 and many, many other places in the Old Testament. Sadly people do not have eyes to see what the Lord is accomplishing in our day. When I talk about what is happening in Israel to people I know, I'm only met with blank stares and return looks as though I'm totally crazy. I am certainly no prophet, but I can relate to how the minor OT prophets must have felt when the Israelites failed to heed their warnings. That is so sad - pray for these people please.
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