Why Israel?

 If I was not a Christian, Israel would bother me. Well, of course, Israel bothers most people who are not Christians. Ishmael derided Isaac, and to this day despises Jacob. Shoehorned into a sliver of Palestine by the United Nations, the Arabs have never forgiven Israel for her intrusion.

But that’s not exactly what would bother me. What would make me uneasy is that Israel still exists. After all, hundreds of tin pot nations Israel’s size and larger, with their plasticine gods, have flowered briefly like a desert rose, and vanished.

As Sennacherib’s commander said to Hezekiah, “Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim?” (Is. 36:19). Where indeed! Where are those nations that worshiped them? Gone forever, like a myriad of insignificant nations and major empires of the last four thousand years.

Israel has existed for all that time; despite its genesis in slavery, occupied by foreign forces most of her time in the land, and scattered throughout the world for half of her existence. How could a nation under such privation survive?

So, if I was not a Christian, two questions would bother me. First, how did the Bible foresee Israel—a small insignificant people—as a nation that would exist until today? Second, How did the Bible predict Israel would eventually become the focus of world affairs?

To answer the first: There seems to be no option to a Bible inspired by One who knew the end from the beginning. Second, the attempted destruction of Israel, that has continued throughout her history to the present time—remember the holocaust?—is necessary to prove God a liar and the Bible untrustworthy.

The battle against Israel may be fought by human combatants, but it is spiritually orchestrated by the desperate one who was defeated at the cross. Now, as earth’s history builds to a climax, Israel is surrounded by aggressive nations and an increasingly hostile world.

We may be witnessing the preparation for that final battle for supremacy of the earth. Israel may yet have worse calamities to undergo, but Jerusalem will survive to become the world’s capital, for “He has desired it for his dwelling” (Ps. 132:13).

Hanukkah?

Should Christians be interested in the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah? After all, It celebrates a part of Jewish history that appears to have no relevance to Christian belief. It recalls the rededication of the temple after the Syrian King, Antiochus Epiphanes had desecrated it.

After three and a half years occupying Israel, and following an aborted attempt by Epiphanes to conquer Egypt, he returned in anger to Jerusalem in 167 BC. He forbade the morning and evening sacrifices in the temple for a further three and a half years.

During that latter period, pigs were roasted on the temple altar, and Epiphanes erected a statue to the goddess Diana in the temple precincts. That became known as the “abomination that causes desolation.”

Judas Maccabeus and his band of renegades fought a guerilla war against Epiphanes and defeated his army in 164 BC. Time now for the temple to be rededicated to the Lord. A search began for sanctified oil to light the lampstand in the Holy Place.

Only sufficient oil for one day was found. But the lampstand stayed alight for eight days on that one day’s supply, until a fresh supply was available. This Festival of Dedication (Jesus attended in John 10:22) is now celebrated as Hanukkah.

So what is the significance for Christians? Jesus referred to Epiphanes “abomination” in Matthew 24:15, pointing to that past event as a picture of a similar future event. That future “abomination” would be a sign of His near return at the end of the age.

Daniel himself, while recording prophetically Epiphanes’ first “abomination” in 11:31, referred to one that is still to come, 9:27, 12:11. Revelation, chapters 11 to 13 predict a new occupation will also extend for a period of seven years, with an interruption of the sacrifice at the halfway mark.

Hanukkah gives us a historical event as a picture of a future event. That future event will precede the final coming of Jesus the Messiah to finally cleanse, not only the temple, but also the whole earth of defilement. If we miss the significance of the historical event that Hanukkah preserves, we may not recognize the final events leading to Messiah’s promised second coming to earth.

Check my website at www.pebblepress.ca for more information on this subject.

Sing It!

I went carol singing last evening. Does anyone do that anymore? Fortunately the weather was mild with no wind (In Lethbridge yet!). A piano teacher’s fifty or so kids plus parents crowded into unsuspecting porches and sung a carol and “we wish you a merry Christmas” with gusto.

I wondered what impact that might have on the listeners. Some homes had Christian families, but others probably think Silent Night has about the meaning—or meaninglessness—as Rudolph’s red nose.

But every home opened the door and listened with surprise and welcome, always a friendly wave, even some applause. Several rushed for their phones to take a picture. One lady said she was even brought to tears.

Perhaps the Story of Christmas has been relegated to about the same reality as Santa Claus for most people. But song, especially carols—the words so well known—raise nostalgic longing for better days when Christian values had a guiding place in our culture.

The return of mall singer videos posted on Youtube and Facebook betrays this. Shoppers stop to listen to that Story again, certainly with joy at the music, but perhaps a re-awakening of the longing in each heart for something beyond our finite, physical existence.

Even the CBC, that most secular of institutions, plays the Messiah at Christmas—a forthright, presentation through Scripture of the Gospel. I often wonder what impact those words have. It’s not possible to praise the music and deny the message; it’s the words that give the music its majesty.

And it’s still possible to hear those carols, usually interspersed with Rudolph’s red nose and a White Christmas, in most stores. Most importantly, their message rings loud and clear in those of us that have embraced the King in the crib as our Saviour and Lord.

The Mideast Conundrum

I find it hard to understand the logic of those in the western world who support Hamas and their attacks on Israel.

It’s not as if the Islamist mindset is only on Israel; Israel is only a symbol of the wider western world that Islamists regularly target. If Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Al Qaida affiliates had their way, rockets would be raining down on European and North American cities also.

Considering the often stated Arab desire to destroy Israel, Netanyahu’s statement summarizes the situation: “If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel.”

While we are all relieved at the ceasefire between Israel and Gaza, it can only be temporary. Hamas has said they will continue smuggling arms to build up their arsenal, in violation of the aims of the ceasefire, but they will expect Israel to conform and loosen the blockade of Gaza to facilitate them.

Every concession that Israel makes as a gesture of peace, Hamas trumpets as a victory of war. As such it emboldens the Islamists that Israel’s destruction is nearer, and every cessation of hostilities provides time to rebuild their arsenals with ever more sophisticated and dangerous weapons.

Establishing peace in the region is intractable as long as the Islamists can find excuses to attack Israel, although 1000 rockets a year are lobbed into Israel without excuse, purely as provocation. They clearly underline the desire of Hamas to harass and goad Israel into war.

The greater sophistication of Islamist weapons will increasingly undermine Israel’s ability to protect her people. Perhaps this is the leading edge of Scripture’s prediction that Israel will be dominated by “the ruler that will come.” He will offer peace but eventually break the covenant, Daniel 9:26–27.

If so, it is a time of rejoicing that the return of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Israel’s Messiah, is near. Israel’s suffering will be finished and Zion will finally be the Lord’s chosen throne room.

For the LORD has chosen Zion,

he has desired it for his dwelling:

“This is my resting place for ever and ever;

here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it—”

Psalm 132:13-14

See You Next Week!

Well, extensive travel and sickness this weekend have dented by usual determination to blog weekly.
So its going to be a wave of the hand until  next Sunday.
God bless and have a great week.
Bryan

DEBT

The Presidential election may be over, but financial problems still facing the United States are staggering. Before the last vote was counted, the US “fiscal cliff” became the major news topic. Debt is the most urgent problem facing the country.

Currently, the US has over 16 trillion dollars of debt, and pays over 250 billion dollars annually in interest. The country spends over one trillion dollars more than it brings in yearly, increasing the debt by that amount every year.

The US may have the greatest dollar amount of national debt, but most countries in the west have high debts. Canada’s debt is almost 600 billion, about one third of US debt per capita. Unchecked, these debts will produce greater havoc than any other threat the west may face.

Riots in Greece, Italy and Ireland responded to governments trying to reverse the trend. Reducing debt hurts. Some individuals suffer great hardship. But the final choice is enforced austerity measures, or financial collapse. Either will trigger harsh times for us, our children, and those yet unborn.

But can we fully blame the governments that face this crisis? Democratic governments simply carry out the will of their citizens. Why shouldn’t governments live on debt? After all, Canadian personal debt continues to rise because many consider it normal to live on credit. Read this man’s story:

I was brought up believing you always lived on credit. If there was room on your line of credit you had buying power. My wife took over our finances 10 years ago and we are now debt free (no mortgage either). We live a modest lifestyle, so when people ask how we did it I start with, "Well, you give up cable/satellite" and the response is always, "We can't do that!" so I walk away. People do not want to give up anything. Walk, bike, bus. Shop for groceries on sale. Dump cable/satellite. Get a talk only cell phone plan. Buy used. Drive a smaller car. Live in a small home. Turn down the heat. Turn up the AC. Stop saying you can't; no one wants to hear you whine!

One voice is opposed to most common financial advice from banks, financiers, and credit card companies that market debt. Nowhere does the Bible suggest debt as a financial tool. It goes further. “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant (or slave!) to the lender,” Proverbs 22:7.

We boast about our freedom in the democratic west, but we drive deeper into financial slavery with every purchase we make. If every citizen determined to become debt free, perhaps our governments would follow their example and avert a pending catastrophe.