JUL 23

Zechariah 11:1-6
Memorise Daniel 9:27
“Open thy doors, O Lebanon”

HAS GOD FORSAKEN ISRAEL?

The fifth war was waged over Lebanon 1982-85. Israel’s invasion of Lebanon is foretold by the prophet Zechariah. “Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down. There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled; a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled. Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not. For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour’s hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them” (Zechariah 11:1-6).

How is it that the Arabs, like a platoon of soldiers charging on a lone teenage boy, were thrown back one after the other like in a Kung Fu drama? The secret of Israel’s greatness as a nation is God. And as God is behind the descendants of Abraham His “friend”, so has He helped Israel in the epic Entebbe raid, saving over 100 hostages hijacked by Palestine Arabs. Moreover God has enabled His chosen race to carry out the destruction of the atomic plant in Iraq. Iraq may have retaliated in 1990’s Gulf War with Scud missiles, but to no avail, for Israel continues to thrive amidst such heavy persecution and opposition.

Israel continues to be helped by the United States, the greatest power in the world in a new age of peace-making, according to Daniel’s prophecy. That Rabin (then Israel’s Prime Minister) had shaken hands with Arafat (Palestinian leader) under Clinton’s (then US president) patronage surprised the whole world except students of prophecy. All this is in order that Israel might play her role in the coming of Jesus Christ. At His first coming, Jesus was born as a Jew of the nation of Israel, yet He was crucified by the very people he had come to save. At His Second Coming, Jesus will come back not as a suffering servant, but as a judge and King, and will rule the world from his capital Jerusalem.

Thought: Israel versus the Arab nations is a repeat of David versus Goliath.
Prayer: Pray that the Arab nations might turn to the living and true God— Jesus Christ.