"Fair Use for Information and Educational Purposes"

Friday, August 01, 2014 | Tsvi Sadan

Israel Today

Operation Protective Edge is exposing a new phenomenon that may prove to be
a source of strength for the IDF and for Israel.

Col. Ofer Winter, commander of the Givati Infantry Brigade, recently wrote
unprecedented words of encouragement to his soldiers: "History chose us to
be the spearhead in the fight against the 'Gazan' terrorist enemy that
defies, blasphemes, and curses the God of the armies of Israel."

They were words that clearly echoed David's own words to Goliath.

Winter added a brief prayer: "I lift up my eyes to heaven and call with you,
'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!'" The letter ended with
a wish for the fulfillment of the verse "The Lord, your God, who goes with
you to fight for you against your enemies and gives you victory."

The content of Winter's letter to his soldiers, as well as the courage it
took to take this position, is yet another clear indication that the
familiar secular discourse regarding Israel's security is not enough to
boost motivation to win the battle.

Some who are still captive to the idea that secular Zionism is the only
adhesive that can unite all Israelis were horrified by Winter's bold
pronouncement that framed the Israeli-Arab conflict in metaphysical terms.

As a secular movement, however, Zionism sees Israel as a refuge for the
Jewish people that must be protected at all costs. This was a strange idea
to begin with, because the Zionist movement itself would have never come
into being without the most profound hopes rooted in the Bible.

Jews returned to the Land of Israel because they believed it was theirs;
otherwise they would have never come. This means that secular as the Zionist
movement is, it never lost sight of the fact that the Jews are the
descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and thus entitled to the land God
has given to their fathers.

For many decades, however, Israelis have been led to believe that the
Israeli-Arab conflict is no more than a national struggle over territory,
and that it will be better for all if God remains in the background.
Israel's existence, the argument goes, is justified on the basis of distant
history and modern values.

But over the past 10 years, a growing number of Israelis have begun coming
to the conclusion that Israel and God are in fact inseparable, and that the
existence of the former depends upon that of the latter.

Israel's existential crisis is naturally most potent amongst the soldiers
preparing for battle. They are the ones who are forced to decide whether or
not security and secular values of democracy, freedom of speech and human
rights are enough to fill them with the courage and determination to risk
their lives for the sake of Israel.

As the Second Lebanon War demonstrated, Israeli soldiers need deeper
motivation than democracy and even national security to risk their lives in
battle. If these are the only values Israel is fighting for, they reason,
why not enjoy them in other countries without the need to go to war every
couple of years?

This relatively new discovery can explain why so many soldiers were greatly
comforted by the sight of Rabbi David Grossman distributing half-shekel
coins and tiny books of Psalms to the soldiers entering Lebanon. It also
explains why during Operation Cast Lead (2008-2009) Golani soldiers wore
tzitziyot (tassels or fringes on their garments - Deut. 22:12), and why the
Givati commander is now reassuring his soldiers by reminding them that the
God of their fathers is their God, too.

No doubt, many Israelis are still baffled by this new invitation for God to
take the front seat. Many of us still believe that fighting in the name of
an old book is the spark that will set fire to the region. These fears are
fed by a failure to see that the Israeli-Arab conflict is a reenactment of
ancient wars.

Indeed, it is a wonder why we Israelis find it so difficult to understand
that rockets are fired towards Ashkelon and Ashdod because the indigenous
people of these cities want them back. Why it is so difficult for us to
understand that the Philistines hated Joshua just as the Palestinians hated
Ben Gurion?

Then and now, wars between the indigenous people of the land and the
invading armies of Israel have nothing to do with Israel's right to exist as
a Jewish democracy. The existence of the Jewish state in this land and its
right to exist can only be justified by divine mandate.

Col. Ofer Winter and many others like him begin to realize that Israel's
uniqueness is something worth fighting for.

Fair Use for Information and Discussion Purposes

There is prayer lifted by many for Israel to recognize God.
One site where there is weekly prayer for Israel is by John McTernan.
This is each Thursday.
Link: Prayer of the Solemn Assembly

God is working in hearts and will fulfill the prophecies about the heart of Israel returning.
Zech 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

Ezekiel 28:A Prophecy against Sidon
(Sidon is north, Lebanon area on the coast). See map

v20 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

21 Son of man, set thy face against Zidon, and prophesy against it,

22 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee: and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her.

23 For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

24 And there shall be no more a ********* brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

The Restoration of Israel
25 Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob.

26 And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.

Thank you Regina for that excellent input on Israel. In the end God will save a remnant of Israel just like the gentiles. Mainly it is Jerusalem in the land of Israel that God fights the nations because from there He will rule forever with His Church.

God Is protecting his people.

Check your Christian book store for a DVD collection called

Against all odds. You may have heard John Hagee talk about the video
on his show. It goes back to some of the things that happened in
each war. Like 48, 67, Yom Kippur and others.

This little piece of land called Israel about the size of New Jersey surrounded by all Muslin nations is protected by God. I often wonder when the other nations see this why this is happening and see that Jesus is the true God and become converted.