Holidays

Purim: For Such a Time As This

March 21, 2019 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

Don’t think that you (Esther) alone will be saved out of all the Jews just because you are in the king’s palace. If you keep silent at this time…relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another source… “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this.”

It was the time when the Jews were in the diaspora in the Persian-Madai kingdom under King Ahasuerus’ rule. The Jews enjoyed religious freedom, and one Jew, Mordechai even served at the king’s court gate. Hadassah was an orphan girl adopted by her cousin Mordechai, who grew up to be a beautiful maiden.

The king loved banquets to show off his riches and fortune. In one of those banquets, he wanted to show off his beautiful Queen Vashti and called for her, but she refused to come. As punishment, the king’s advisors said Queen Vashti must be replaced, and for the king to gather the beautiful virgins in his kingdom from which to choose the queen who would replace Vashti.

Beautiful Hadassah, (Her name was changed to Esther in Persia), was also taken, and her cousin, Mordechai instructed her not to reveal her Jewish heritage. From all the beautiful virgins, she was the king’s favorite and he chose her to be his new queen.

It happened that King Ahasuerus honored a descendant of Amalek called Haman the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. By the king’s order, all who were in the king’s court had to bow down to him. However, one Jew wouldn’t bow. This was Mordechai, Esther’s cousin. That enraged Haman. When Haman found out that Mordechai was Jewish, and as he learned more about the Jewish people, his hatred for the Jews grew.

Haman looked for a way to destroy all of the Jews throughout the whole Persian kingdom. He came before the king and said: “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.” The king took off his signet ring and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. He told him to keep the money and that he could do with the people as he pleased.

The Pur (the lot) was cast and fell on the thirteenth of the month of Adar. In one day all the Jews were to be, according to the words of the decree, “killed, destroyed, and annihilated,” (Esther 3:13) a law that couldn’t be altered because: “in the name of King Ahasuerus it was written and sealed with the king’s signet ring.” (Esther 3:12c)

When Mordechai learned of this terrible decree, he put on sackcloth and ashes. When Esther heard of this, she was very concerned for her cousin and insisted on knowing why he was in such a state. Mordechai informed Esther of the coming disaster for the Jews and urged her to go to the king and plead to rescue them. Esther explained that approaching the king without being invited would risk her life. Mordechai insisted, saying that if she failed to intervene, relief and deliverance would come to the Jews from elsewhere, but that neither she nor her family would survive. Furthermore, he said, “and who knows but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this?”

When Esther heard of the terrible decree to annihilate all the Jews in one day, she realized that the reason she was chosen to be the queen of Persia was for such a time as this; to be used by God for the salvation of His people. She called for the entire Jewish community in the capital city of Shushan to stand with her in prayer and fasting for three days as she risked her life for the chance of saving her people. She would go unlawfully before the king, uninvited. Esther then proclaimed, “and if I perish, I perish.”

God didn’t just use her beauty but also gave her a strategy. On the third day of the fasting, Esther put on her royal attire and stood in the inner court in front of the royal throne in the hall where the king was sitting. When the king saw her, he remembered how much he loved her and extended the royal, golden scepter to her. Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. The king asked her lovingly what her request was, saying that he would grant it even up to half the kingdom. Her plan went into action; first, her request was simply to invite the king and his favorite Haman to a private banquet she had prepared for them that day. As they were enjoying the food and wine, the king asked her again what her request was. Again Esther replied that her request was for him and Haman to come to a private banquet the next day and that she would reveal her request at that time.

Haman was delighted to be invited once again to a banquet with the king and the queen. But when he passed by the court’s gate and Mordechai didn’t bow down to him, his anger and hatred against the Jews arose again. When he got home, Haman boasted with pride to his loved ones about all his riches and the honor he received for being in such a high position that the queen invited only him, besides the king, to her banquet. But, he complained that all this was worthless when this Jew Mordechai refused to bow down and honor him. His wife suggested he build a high pole, and next morning ask the king to hang Mordechai on it. Then he could attend the banquet and enjoy himself. This suggestion delighted Haman, and he set up the pole.

That night the king couldn’t sleep and asked his servant to read to him from a book of records. The servant read to him about the event when two of the king’s officers and guards conspired to assassinate him. It was recorded that Mordechai had exposed their plot and saved the king’s life. The king asked what was done to give Mordechai honor and recognition for this act, and the answer was – nothing. So the king asked who was in the court, and at that moment Haman entered the court. “Bring him to me,” ordered the king. Then the king asked Haman what should be done for a man whom the king is very pleased to honor. In his pride, Haman assumed the king must mean him, for who else was there that the king would rather honor than himself?

So Haman recommended that the person whom the king delights to honor be dressed in a royal robe the king had worn and put on a royal horse the king had ridden, and a royal crest be set on his head. Then, he should be taken on horseback through the city streets, with a high official proclaiming in a loud voice, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor.” The king commanded Haman to go at once and do exactly as he suggested for Mordechai the Jew who sat at the court’s gate, without neglecting to do anything that he, Haman had recommended.

Haman had to do for Mordechai the Jew, what he thought should be done for him. He was so humiliated that afterward, he rushed home to tell it to his wife and loved ones. His wife Zeresh and his advisers said that this would be the beginning of his ruin because if Mordechai was a Jew, Haman would not be able to stand against him, and in the end, he would be ruined. At that moment, the king’s servants came to take him to Esther’s banquet.

While they were drinking wine at the banquet, the king asked Esther, “Now tell me what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

Esther revealed that she was Jewish and her request was for the king to spare her life and the lives of her people, as it was ordered to annihilate all the Jews in his kingdom. Apparently, the king had forgotten all about it and asked who would dare to do such a thing. Queen Esther pointed to Haman and said, “It was that wicked man, the enemy of the Jews who ordered it.’’

When the king learned it was the wicked Haman who ordered the killing of his beloved queen and the queen’s people, he was furious and went out to the royal garden to cool off. Haman was horrified and fell on the sofa the queen was reclining on. As he was pleading for his life, the king entered the room and saw Haman on top of his queen. The king was furious thinking Haman tried to molest Esther in his own palace. One of his servants spoke about the high pole Haman had set up on which to hang Mordechai the Jew, the very man who had saved his life. The king ordered his servants to take Haman and hang him on the pole meant for Mordechai. So they did, and the king’s anger subsided.

God always does what He says He will do in His Word. Hundreds of years before the story of Esther, the Lord told Moses, “I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” (Exodus 17:14) King Saul disobeyed God and didn’t kill all the Amalekites but spared the life of King Agag. Even though the prophet Samuel did kill him, apparently some of his family lived on. Haman was the descendant of Agag the Amalekite.

The king promoted Mordechai to a high position and gave him his signet ring to reverse the decree and save the lives of the Jews. God has turned the mourning of His people to ecstatic joy. Purim “should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, and that the memory of them should not perish among their descendants.” (Esther 9:28)

Hanukkah Miracles, Then and Now

December 7, 2018 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

“Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You,
glorious in holiness, awesome in praises, doing wonders?” Ex. 15:11

Shalom Dear Friend and Prayer Partner, Happy Hanukkah.

Hanukkah (dedication) is a holiday of miracles. It commemorates the miraculous victory of the small army of brave Jews over the much larger and better-equipped Syrian/Greek army and the liberation of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem from the hands of the pagan ruler Antiochus Epiphanes. [Read more about the historical account of Hanukkah in our blog.]

One of the benedictions Jews say when lighting the candles of the Hanukiah (Hanukkah candelabra) is: “We light the candles for the miracles that You have done for our forefathers in days of old, and are still doing today.”

There is a top (called a dreidel) that children use to play a game during the holiday. The top has four sides. On each side there is a Hebrew letter that represents the sentence, “Nes Godol Haya Poe,” which means, “a great miracle happened here.” In all the wars Israel had to fight against surrounding enemy neighbors, there were many miracles that enabled the tiny nation to survive and thrive. Presently Israel is facing fierce and violent enemies from the north and the south, whose aim is to wipe Israel off the map of the Middle East.

The following accounts are two recent incidents that are viewed as miracles that happened on the Gaza border this year close to the time of Hanukkah.

Lt. Bar Vaknin

Lt. Bar Vaknin of Israeli’s elite Givati Brigade was shot in the stomach by a Hamas sniper a few months ago, he said he was, “saved by a miracle.”

*Gazan crowds burn tires, so clouds of smoke prevent the Israeli guards from seeing their actions.*

Lt. Vaknin was stationed on the security fence, separating Israel from Gaza, protecting Israel from the Hamas-led ‘March of Return’ that has brought tens of thousands of Gazans, including old men, women, and children to violently riot along the border every Friday. For eight months crowds of Gazans have stormed the border fence, throwing explosives, firebombs, and rocks at Israeli soldiers. They flew many kites with flaming objects attached with the goal of damaging the fence and other Israeli targets (many Israeli fields nearby were burned to the ground.) They burn tires, so clouds of smoke prevent the Israeli guards from seeing their actions. Youth tug at barbed wire along the fence to cut it and go through into Israel.

Vaknin saw a group of children at his section of the fence who began to approach the border. He fired several warning shots in the air to disperse the crowd. Suddenly he felt an explosion in his stomach when a Palestinian Hamas sniper shot him. “I fell backward down the embankment. The first thing I did was to call on the radio while I was still falling.’’ They rushed him to the hospital and operated on him. “I am so thankful for my comrades’ quick reaction”. He considers it “a miracle.” Vaknin was released from the hospital but faces a long period of rehabilitation.

Bus Bombing

The other miracle happened on the evening of November 12, just before Hamas fired about 500 rockets at nearby Israeli areas, including the city of Ashkelon that suffered most of the hits. A Kornet anti-tank guided missile (they are very precise) was fired from the Gaza Strip at an Israeli bus just several kilometers from the Gazan border. The precise hit caused the bus to explode and burn.

Just minutes before the bus suffered the direct hit, it had dropped off some 50 Israeli soldiers. The Hamas terror group had stalked the bus for several minutes until it was fully exposed to them from the Strip. Only then did they fire the missile, hitting the bus and setting it on fire. The soldiers didn’t know it when they left the bus, but God knew. These few minutes were the miracle that saved their lives. The burning bus was empty.

One 19-year-old Israeli soldier was severally injured while he stood next to the bus. He was taken to Beersheba’s hospital in life-threatening condition and successfully underwent emergency surgery. The Arab bus driver was also taken to the hospital suffering from shock. Later on, he told doctors at the Beersheva hospital that it was a “miracle” that the soldiers on his bus were not killed and that the incident proves that “God loves the Jews.” He said: “I just let off 50 soldiers from the bus. A minute later the bus was hit. [if it was] 60 seconds earlier you would have had 50 dead soldiers.”

We thank and praise the Lord, God of Israel for His awesomeness, for He is good and His mercies endure forever. Please continue to pray for Israel’s protection.

We love and appreciate you very much. We would love to hear from you – any comments, questions and/or prayer requests. Again we would like to thank you for your prayers and financial support. We pray for you too from Zion, for God to supply all your needs and bless you greatly.

For the salvation of Israel and the nations,
In His love,
Simcha and Bella Davidov
Ashdod, Israel

The Hanukkah Miracle

December 5, 2018 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

Hanukkah is mentioned in the New Testament, John 10:22-23: “Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple…”

The story of Hanukkah begins with the reign of the Syrian rulers from the dynasty of the Seleucids who followed the Greek/Hellenistic lifestyle. After the death of Alexander the Great, the Greek Empire was divided into four kingdoms; the Syrian Seleucid kingdom was one of them (see also prophecies of Daniel 11).

The Syrian/Greek rulers tried to force Hellenism on the Jews living in Israel. Hellenists emphasized outward human beauty and the worship of the physical body, whereas Jews emphasized inner spirituality and morality, as the God of Israel commanded. Unfortunately, there were many Jews who adopted Hellenism and turned away from the God of Israel.

In 174 B.C.E, Antiochus IV took over the reign of the larger Syrian/Greek kingdom. He was a cruel tyrant, contemptuous of the Jewish religion and the worship of their invisible God. He proclaimed himself a god by calling himself Epiphanies— meaning “manifestation of a divine or supernatural being.”

Desiring to unify his kingdom through a common religion and culture, Antiochus Epiphanies tried to eliminate the unique relationship of the Jewish people with the God of Israel by abolishing all the Commandments of God to the Jewish people. He removed the righteous High Priest, Yochanan, who opposed the influence of the Jewish Hellenists and their Greek/Syrian customs. He was later assassinated and replaced by a series of corrupt so-called High Priests, who were favorable to Hellenism.

Antiochus, in his rage and hatred of the Jews, sent his armies into Jerusalem. The Holy Temple was invaded, desecrated and plundered. Antiochus arrogantly entered into the temple and took the silver and gold, the precious vessels that were in the temple, and the hidden treasures which he found. He issued a series of harsh decrees against the Jews, forbidding Jewish worship; sacrifices and atonement according to the Law of God, Sabbath rest and the celebrations of the Jewish holidays. Learning and teaching Torah was forbidden and Torah scrolls (which contain the first 5 books of the Bible) were confiscated and burned, circumcision and the dietary laws were prohibited under penalty of death.

An unclean pig, forbidden by Jewish law was sacrificed on God’s Holy Altar. The Temple was dedicated to the worship of Zeus Olympus. An altar to Zeus was set up on the high altar, and the Jews were forced to bow before it under penalty of death.

Many Jews were massacred for refusing to eat pork that was forced on them by Antiochus’s servants, who went from town to town and from village to village to force the citizens to worship pagan gods. Jews who refused were whipped with rods and their bodies were torn to pieces. Some were crucified while they were still alive. Male babies who were found to be circumcised were killed and their bodies hung on their mother’s necks, which caused the death of the mothers. Torah books that were found were destroyed and their owners killed. Jews who survived the massacre were heavily taxed.

However, there were many Jews who complied with the king’s commands either voluntarily, or out of fear of the penalty.

Mattityahu and the Maccabees

Mattityahu was an old priest who lived in the village of Modiin with his 5 sons. They were all God fearing and loyal to the covenant of the God of Israel, obeying His commandments.

One day Syrian officers built an altar to the Greek gods in the marketplace of the village and demanded that Mattityahu offer sacrifices to the foreign gods. Mattityahu refused, and when one of the Hellenistic Jews approached the altar to offer a sacrifice, Mattityahu killed him, and also a Syrian officer, with his sword. Together with his sons, they chased away the rest of the Syrian officers and destroyed the altar.

Mattityahu, together with his sons, his friends and many who were zealous for God and His laws and answered His call to follow Him, left the village of Modiin and fled to the hills of Judea to escape the fury of Antiochus. They formed a small guerrilla army and from time to time left their hiding places to attack enemy outposts, and to destroy the pagan altars.

Before his death, Mattityahu appointed his son Judah to be the commander of the fighting force against the oppressing Syrian/Greeks.

Judah the Maccabee

Judah was called “Maccabee,” a word composed of the initial letters of the four Hebrew words Mi Kamocha Ba’eilim YHWH, “Who is like You, O God.” Exodus 15:11.) Maccabee also means “hammer” in Hebrew. Judah’s attacks were hard as a hammer.

Antiochus sent his Generals to wipe out Judah and his followers, the Maccabees. The great and better-equipped army of wicked Syria/Greek soldiers came against the small Jewish Maccabees army, determined to destroy the rebellious Jews. When the Jews saw the size and strength of the enemy’s army, they said to Judas: How can we, being few and less equipped, fight against such a great and strong army?

Judah answered them:
“Fear not their multitude, for the success of war is not in the multitude of the army, but strength comes from heaven. The Lord himself will overthrow them before us.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he attacked suddenly and destroyed the Syrian army, killing many of them, and the rest fled. Fear of Judah and his brothers the Maccabees fell upon the nations around them, as they heard the stories of Judah’s victories.

When Antiochus heard about the defeat of his soldiers, he was enraged. He ordered a powerful larger army consisting of more than 40,000 men and 7,000 horsemen to go into the land of Judah and to destroy the small Maccabean army. The great Greek army commanders were sure they could defeat Judah and his Maccabees. Merchants from the nations who heard of the battle were also sure of the Jews defeat and came with large quantities of silver and gold ready to buy the children of Israel for slaves.

Judah and his brothers, zealous to defend the Holy Temple and willing to fight unto death, gathered in Mitzpah, which was a place of prayer (where Samuel, the prophet of old, had offered prayers to God) to prepare for battle; and to pray, and ask mercy and compassion. They fasted that day, and put on sackcloth and ashes upon their heads, renting their garments and they cried with a loud voice to God in heaven:

“For your holies are trodden down, and are profaned… The nations are coming together against us with the intent to destroy us. How can we stand up to them, unless you, O God, help us?”
Judah appointed captains over the people. He ordered the builders of houses, the newlyweds, the planters of vineyards, and all who were fearful, to go back home. And the remaining army left the camp in Mitzpah and camped on the south side of Emmaus.

The next day, Judah arrived for battle with only 3,000 men. When they saw the size and strength of the enemy’s army, Judah prayed to God and said:
“Blessed are you, O Savior of Israel, you destroyed the fierce and mighty giant by the hand of your servant David… Now give up this army into the hands of your people Israel, let their army and horsemen be confounded. Strike them with fear, cause the boldness of their strength to vanish. Cast them down with the sword of the ones who love you, and let all that know Your Name, praise You with hymns.”

Then Judah turned to his men and said: “Fear not their multitude, neither be afraid of their assault. Remember how our fathers were saved in the Red Sea when Pharaoh pursued them with a great army. And now let us cry to heaven, and the Lord will have mercy on us, and will remember the covenant of our fathers, and will destroy this army before us this day. And all nations shall know that there is One that redeems and delivers Israel.” Then they sounded with trumpets, and cried out with a loud voice, and went out to fight the enemy who wanted to destroy them. The bold Maccabees were ready to either live or die bravely.

Thousands of the Syrian soldiers fell in the battle, and the rest fled from fear of the Jews. Then Judah and his men set fire to the enemy’s camp, and the remaining Syrian soldiers were struck with great fear and fled.

Judah and the Maccabees returned to the camp to take the spoils. They got a lot of gold, silver, and great riches. Returning home they thanked the Lord for the great victory He gave them by singing a song from the psalms; bless the Lord for He is good, His mercy endures forever.

Hanukkat HaBait – The Dedication of the Temple

When the victorious Maccabees entered Jerusalem and the Holy Temple, they saw the place desecrated, the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned from the idol worshipping. Judah chose God-fearing priests who started to cleanse the holy places. They rebuilt the Temple and restored its interior, and repaired the Temple courts.

They renewed the sacred vessels and the lampstand and brought the altar of incense and the table into the Temple. They burnt incense on the altar and lit the lamps on the lamp-stand to shine within the Temple and they put the Bread of the Presence on the table and hung the curtains.

They destroyed the altar that had been defiled and built a new one from uncut stones according to God’s instructions in the Torah and offered a sacrifice according to the law of God upon the new altar.

On the twenty-fifth of the month of Kislev in the year 3622, (164 BC), the temple was rededicated with music and celebration. And all the people fell upon their faces and worshiped God. The joyous celebration of the dedication of the altar lasted for eight days, in memory of the feast of Tabernacles they were forbidden to celebrate. Judah, and his brothers, and the people of Israel decreed that this day of the dedication of the altar (Hanukkah in Hebrew) would be celebrated every year for eight days starting on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev, with joy and gladness. (Kislev is corresponding, approximately, to early December in the Gregorian calendar.)

The Legend of the Miracle of the Small Container of Oil

The Hanukkiah represents the legend of the oil lasting 8 days. It has 8 candles plus the servant candle. The Menorah from the temple has 6 candles plus the servant candle. — The Hanukkiah represents the legend of the oil lasting 8 days. It has 8 candles plus the servant candle. It is only used during Hanukkah. The Menorah of the temple, used year around, has 6 candles plus the servant candle.

This legend, which does not appear in the historical account in the book of the Maccabees, was written in the Talmud (Oral law) by Jewish sages in the 3rd century AD. It tells of the event of the cleansing of the Temple before the dedication, that the Maccabees looked for oil to light the lamps on the Menorah (lamp-stand) but found only a small container of pure olive oil bearing the seal of the High Priest Yochanan. The oil was sufficient to burn only for one day. By a miracle of God, it continued to burn for eight days, until new oil was made available. The story of the oil miracle has been retold for generations to give the holiday a more spiritual meaning in addition to giving thanks for the miracle of the restoration of the Holy Temple.

Purim 2018

February 7, 2018 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

“Don’t think that you (Esther) alone will be saved out of all the Jews just because you are in the king’s palace. If you keep silent at this time…relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another source… ‘Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this.’”
The very famous verse from the book of Esther is a call also for us today. Are we going to be silent or rise up to the occasion to be used by God as an instrument for the salvation of Israel, both physically and spiritually, in prayer and supplication with faith and confidence in the God of Israel – who is Israel’s protector.

The beautiful Jewish virgin Hadassah, known by her Persian name Esther, was chosen by King Ahasuerus, out of all the beautiful virgins in the Persian Empire to be his queen. She obeyed her uncle Mordechai’s instruction not to reveal her Jewish heritage.

The king raised Haman the Agagite (descendant of Amalek) to a powerful position above all the other princes and ordered all who were at the king’s court to bow down to him. Mordecai the Jew, who sat at the king’s gate was the only one who refused to bow down to Haman and aroused his anger. When Haman learned that Mordecai was Jewish, he manipulated King Ahasuerus into ordering the genocide of the all the Jewish people throughout the empire.
Haman said to King Ahasuerus: “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom, their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not worthy it for the king to let them remain…let a decree be written that they be destroyed…“(Esther 3:8-9)

The Pur (lot) was cast and fell on the thirteen of the month of Adar. In one day all the Jews were to be, according to the words of Haman’s decree, “killed, destroyed, and annihilated.” (Esther 3:13) It was done, a decree that could not be changed because “in the name of King Ahasuerus it was written and sealed with the king’s signet ring.” (Esther 3:12c)

When Esther heard the terrible news of the decree to annihilate all the Jews in one day, Mordecai gave her two options; to remain silent and perish with the rest of the Jews, or to risk her life by going before the king, uninvited, to plead for her people’s deliverance.

Esther realized that the purpose she was chosen to be queen of Persia was for such a time as this, to be used by God for the salvation of His people. She decided to take a bold step of faith and go to the Higher Authority in prayer and fasting. She called for the entire Jewish community in the capital city of Shushan to stand with her in prayer and fasting for three days as she risked her life for the chance of saving her people. She was going to go unlawfully before the king, uninvited, and “if I perish, I perish.”

God always does what he said in His word He will do. Hundreds of years before the story of Esther, the Lord told Moses: “I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” (Exodus 17:14.) King Saul disobeyed God and didn’t kill all the Amalekites, but spared the life of King Agag. Even though the prophet Samuel did kill him, apparently some of his family lived on. Haman was a descendant of Agag the Amalekite.

In a turn of events, the gallows Haman built in order to hang Mordecai was used to hang Haman after the king heard that he was the wicked one who ordered the killing of his beloved queen’s people. He promoted Mordecai to a high position and gave him the king’s signet ring to reverse the decree and save the lives of the Jews. God had turned the mourning of His people to ecstatic joy. Purim “should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, and that the memory of them should not perish among their descendants.” (Esther 9:28)

At present, Israel is facing another Haman also from Persia, which is modern-day Iran. The Iranian regime has announced time and again that Israel will be wiped off the map of the Middle East. Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu has warned continually against the existential threat to Israel, posed by the possibility of a nuclear Iran.

The question today is the same one that Mordecai asked Esther. Will the believers choose to be silent while Israel is in danger? Or will they take a step of faith to come before the God of Israel in prayer and fasting for the salvation of Israel?

We know from the word of God that salvation will come to Israel. The question is what role will the body of Christ play? We ask you to stand with us in prayer and supplication, in the face of the evil and wickedness of Israel’s enemies once again. And “who knows whether you have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this?”

For a more complete story, go to: http://yeshuatami.com/the-story-of-purim/

The battle against anti-Semitism is fierce, the enemy is relentless, but victory belongs to the Lord. Please stand with us at this time of spiritual warfare as Israel is facing Iranian aggression. Pray for our leadership to have Godly wisdom and strength in facing of these attacks. Please stand with us in faith on the promises and word of God.

God’s Blessing of Israel

June 20, 2017 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

God, the creator of the universe, calls Himself “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”. He is a covenant God, so His promises are in the context of His covenants. God’s covenants are not negotiated between equals (=) God and man, but are the type of agreement as sovereign to subject.

Psalm 105:6-11 is one of numerous references to this covenant, including the Land of promise:

“O seed of Abraham His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones! He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He remembers His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance’.”

A map of the portions allotted to the tribes of Israel — *The Descendants of Israel Possessed the Promised Land.*

The promises and blessings to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel) and their descendants are eternal and unconditional. God promised Abraham, “I will give to you, and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojourning, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession.” God also gave a promise to Ishmael, regarded as the father of the Arab people. However, that promise was for him to be a great nation in a different land. The land of Israel was promised exclusively to Abraham’s son Isaac.

God made it very clear that Isaac was the Son of the Promise:

“But God replied, No, but your wife Sarah will give birth to your son, and you are to name him Isaac. I will confirm my covenant with him as an eternal covenant for his descendants. (Gen. 17:19)

Just as the Lord had said, a year later Sarah gave birth to Isaac. God told Abraham to send Ishmael away to Arabia (where he settled in Paran), and that He would make him a great nation also:

“God said to Abraham, “Do not be grievous because of the boy (Ishmael) and because of your slave woman…For from Isaac will your seed be called.”

The Land of Israel was not just a Divine promise; it was the home of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their wives, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah, and their descendants – the people of Israel.

The Promises

To Abraham:

“Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you,” God told Abram. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:1)

“For all the land which you see, to you will I give it, and to your seed forever.” (Gen: 13:14-15)

“On the same day, the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: ‘To your descendants I have given this land…”‘ (Genesis 15:18).

To Isaac:

“And the LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.” (Gen. 26:2-3)

Isaac had twins by his wife Rebecca. God revealed to her while pregnant:

“The Lord said to her, ‘Two nations are in your body. Two tribes that are now inside you will be separated. One nation will be stronger than the other. The older son will serve the younger one.’” (Genesis 25:23)

Esau crossed over the river Jordan to Edom, (today Jordan) and became a great nation there, but to Jacob God reaffirmed the promises He gave to Abraham and Isaac.

To Jacob:

“The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, And I will give the land to your descendants after you.” (Gen. 35:12)

God is always faithful in His promises. God began His unique relationship with the people of Israel and the planning of their destiny with His covenant relationship with Abram. Later God changed the name to Abraham, meaning “father of many nations”. (Genesis 17:4)

As God had promised him:

“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)

God later passed these promises on to Abraham’s son Isaac, his grandson Jacob and then to Jacob’s 12 sons—from whom came the 12 tribes of Israel.

With the passage of time, God’s people did wrong in His sight and even broke the covenant.

“The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.” (Isaiah 24:5)

However, because Israel is His firstborn of the nations, to whom he said: “I have loved you with an everlasting love,” His punishment and discipline of His beloved children would be temporary. He said in His word that foreigners would invade the land and Israel would be their slaves. Eventually, they would even be expelled from the land and be dispersed throughout the nations of the world, but at some point in time, their punishment would be over and He would bring them back to the land He promised to their forefathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob as an everlasting possession.

The Invaders Who Conquered the Land of Israel

*The enemy neighbors still surround Israel to this day.*

In 332 BCE the Macedonian Greeks under Alexander the Great conquered Israel, starting a long religious struggle that split the Jewish population into traditional religious Jews and Hellenized secular Jews.

In 165 BCE after the religious Maccabean Revolt, the independent Hasmonean Kingdom was established for a short period of time.

In 64 BCE the Romans conquered Israel, turning it into a Roman province. Although various empires ruled Israel and a variety of ethnicities lived in the land, the land of Israel was predominantly Jewish until the Jewish–Roman wars of 66–136 CE.

In 70 CE Roman emperors Vespasian and Titus crushed the Jewish revolt and conquered Judea and Jerusalem. The Romans destroyed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and confiscated the Menorah and other Temple artifacts and brought them to Rome.

In 131 CE Emperor Hadrian named Jerusalem Aelia Capitolina and constructed a Temple of Jupiter on the former site of the Jewish temple. Jews were banned from Jerusalem and Roman Judaea was renamed Syria Palaestina, from which derived “Palestine” in English (from then on it was called Palestine until Israel became a nation in 1948).

In 132–136 CE the Simon Bar-Kochba revolt was crushed by Romans Julius Severus and Emperor Hadrian. The Romans expelled most of the Jews from the area and replaced it with the Roman province of Palestine. This was the beginning of the Jewish Diaspora.

Byzantine Period (324–638 CE)

Early in the 4^th century, the Roman Empire was split and Constantinople (today Istanbul, Turkey) became the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Under the Byzantines, Christianity, dominated by the Greek Orthodox Church was the official religion. Judea was ruled by the Byzantine Empire and Jerusalem became a Christian city and Jews were banned from living there.

In 638 CE the Islamic Empire conquered Israel (Palestine).

In 691 CE the Muslims constructed the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount, and in 705 CE they constructed the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Muslims established the Temple Mount as an Islamic holy site. The dome enshrined the Foundation Stone, the holiest site for Jews. Before Omar Abd al-Aziz died in 720 CE, he banned the Jews from worshipping on the Temple Mount.

In 1517 the Turkish Ottoman Empire conquered Palestine along with Egypt, parts of Arabia, parts of N. Africa, and in 1534, Mesopotamia (today’s Iraq) was added.

In 1917 the British conquered the area and ruled it under the British Mandate until 1948 when the Jewish State of Israel was established.

Under the foreign rulers, the land of Israel did not prosper. In 1264, after the Mongolians from the Crusaders conquered the land, most of the land was desolate, neglected and ravaged. Also in the 18^th century, with the decline of the Ottoman Empire, the land of Palestine was in a state of widespread neglect. By the end of the 18^th century, much of the land was owned by absentee landlords and leased to impoverished tenant farmers, and taxation was crippling. The land was plagued by swamps, sand and rocky places.

None of those foreign rulers stayed in the land to establish a nation. Arabs and Bedouin lived in the land. They lived in Palestine for about 1,300 years mainly as peasants but never became an independent nation in the land. This is in fulfillment of the prophecy in Leviticus 26:32:

“And I will make the land desolate so that your enemies who settle in it shall be desolate over there.”

The Lord fulfilled His Word and brought His people back from all corners of the world to the Land of Promise. In 1948 the state of Israel was established, and the land was called in the name He chose – Israel. It is prospering once more, according to His prophecy, and the desert is blooming. Today there are Jews in Israel from many countries of the world where they have been dispersed for over 2000 years. God is true to His word.

[Next: Read about Roman Rule in Israel]