Harvest of Asher
Akko, Israel
At this moment while I write, thanks to the ceasefire in the north, the intensity of the war appears to be lessening. I am reminded of a phrase:
There are three places in the book of Judges where the phrase “The land rested forty years” appears (Judges 3:11, 5:31 and 8:28). The land was quiet following Israel’s victory in battle, after which an agreement was made. When the war ended, the leader of Israel who was victorious over her enemies, ruled in peace.
What is the difference between the Israelites who lived in the Land at the time of the Judges and the Israelis living here now? Sadly, many Israelis are still functioning in selfishness, idolatry, greed and fear. Our instinct is to seek a confident human leader who promises protection and prosperity. We wish people would just “live and let live.”
However, we live in a neighborhood called the Middle East where the mentality is tribal, where individual ethnic groups and extended families rise up against one another. When they see another group living in peace and prosperity, the motivating agenda is to conquer and destroy.
This takes me back to the conflict between Cain and Abel, brothers from the same mother. When Cain killed his brother, I can't help but wonder how Eve (Chava) the mother of us all, reacted to seeing the fruit of her womb killed by his own brother.
So where will this so-called cease fire with Lebanon take us? We in Israel yearn for quiet, but we also know that our neighbors will not stop until they have exhausted their attempts to destroy us. All that to say, now that we have quiet here in the North (and it is a relief!) where are we headed? There is a sense that you cannot let down your guard, and most of us are tired. Yet I believe that even harsher tribulations are still ahead of us.
True and lasting peace will not come by means of a man-made peace treaty. Only when the hearts of men are changed; when the hearts of brothers will be for one another. Only when the Messiah comes will the prophecy of Isaiah 2:4 come to pass and there will be no more war.
“And He will judge between the nations, And will mediate for many peoples; And they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not lift up a sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.” (Isaiah 2:4 NASB)
Meanwhile, we continue to pray for the salvation of Israel and the nations which surround her.
