Weekly Update: Coming home to God
Tomorrow, 27th March 2021, is the beginning of Pesach: the season in which the Jewish people remember that the Lord brought them out of slavery in Egypt. He led them by the hand, through the desert. He gave them the law. He taught them to rely on Him, and led them into the land He had promised to Abraham.
Later, the Jewish people were sent into exile, in Assyria and Babylon, because they did not obey the Lord. But God in His mercy promised to bring them back, in the last days. And that is exactly what He is doing today: bringing them home from the north, south, east and west, and planting them in the land.
Why? In order that His name will be made holy in the midst of the nations of the earth. Israel is called to be a light to the nations.
‘So you will be my people, and I will be your God.’
Israel is in crisis. The elections this week have failed to produce a clear winner. Worse, it is impossible, humanly speaking, to see how so many widely diverging parties will ever be able to cobble together a stable coalition whose interests sufficiently align and who are willing to work together.
The fourth elections in two years has only made the divisions in Israeli society appear deeper, and the electoral system weaker, than ever.
It is important to remember that Israel, in this sense, is no different from other countries. In The Netherlands, for example, the elections last week have also resulted in a very splintered political landscape, with no clear coalition of parties. Worldwide, we see nations suffering from moral decay, political instability and social unrest.
It all seems to point towards the truth that the Prophets of Israel foretold millennia ago:
“My God will reject them because they have not obeyed him; they will be wanderers among the nations” (Hosea 9:17).
What is true of Israel is true of all nations: unless and until our leaders turn towards God, we will never be settled, we will never experience true peace and security.
In the coming days, as the Jewish people are celebrating Pesach, let us pray that the leaders of Israel – Jews and Arabs, religious and non-religious – put aside their differences. May they seek their wisdom, strength and unity not in man-made schemes or philosophies, but in serving the Lord G-d who created Israel, is bringing her home, and promised to be her Redeemer – as a light to the nations.
The Editorial team
Israel & Christians Today
Israeli politics has now moved from farcical to surreal; insanity is looming
David Horovitz in Times of Israel: Four inconclusive votes in less than two years, with no state budget and a crippled parliament, would indicate that our electoral system is dysfunctional. For now, at least, the pillars of our democracy are holding firm.
Read more..
Workable unity government needed to keep Israel from a fifth election
JPost editorial: If Israel goes to an astonishing fifth election, the results will be the same as in the previous four. This is who we are right now.
Read more..
And the waters were divided…
Elena Kovarsky writes: Shortly before Passover, we welcomed four planes with olim families from Russia, Ukraine, the USA, Argentina and South Africa. It felt like a blessing and a real miracle after a long break. It seemed as if the seas parted and opened the way home for thousands of people. All those families had different reasons for making aliyah: anti-Semitism, injustice, their political situation, a tribute to ancestors.
Read more..
Right or wrong | In the Footsteps of Abraham with Johannes Gerloff
“You may prove from the Bible whatever you want”: that’s what some people think. However, the Bible shows us a very realistic picture of societies and human beings. The message of the Bible is quite clear and unambiguous.
Scripture for the week: Jeremiah 30:4-11 These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah:
5 “This is what the Lord says:
“‘Cries of fear are heard—
terror, not peace.
6 Ask and see:
Can a man bear children?
Then why do I see every strong man
with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,
every face turned deathly pale?
7 How awful that day will be!
No other will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,
but he will be saved out of it.
8 “‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,
‘I will break the yoke off their necks
and will tear off their bonds;
no longer will foreigners enslave them.
9 Instead, they will serve the Lord their God
and David their king,
whom I will raise up for them.
10 “‘So do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;
do not be dismayed, Israel,’
declares the Lord.
‘I will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,
and no one will make him afraid.
11 I am with you and will save you,’
declares the Lord.
‘Though I completely destroy all the nations
among which I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only in due measure;
I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’
