Shalom, Be Still!

“But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream” - Amos 5:24 I have been in deep reflection for some considerable time about the current realities on the ground here in Israel, and how they relate to the nations, too. We are living in seriously challenging times, and all of us who believe in Yeshua are having to navigate our paths and responses both sensitively and with great discernment. My recent three-minute video alluded to these thoughts. In the video, I reference God’s word in Isaiah 59:14: “Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter.” This verse has been gripping me for weeks. As David Davis, our founding pastor on Mt Carmel used to say, “I have been camping out” in Isaiah chapters 58, 59, and 60 for several weeks now. Isaiah 59:14 seems to sum up the current realities here in Israel. After five elections in a period of four years, the elected government, under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu, has within its ranks ultra-right-wing extremists who believe that Arabs should not even live in Israel. Itamar Ben Gvir, and Bezalel Smotrich have been given ministry posts in order to secure Netanyahu’s majority in the parliament. Itamar Ben Gvir is an extremist who openly supports Jewish terrorists such as Yaakov Teitel , the man sent to prison for 90 years for committing murder and for sending a bomb wrapped up in a Purim gift to a Messianic family in Ariel, Israel. The bomb exploded and seriously injured the family’s 15-year-old son, who miraculously survived but required more than 20 surgeries. Ben Gvir served as a lawyer in this case and declared, “we are all Yaakov Teitel” as he sought to justify his client’s murderous intent. Now Ben Gvir has been given authority over Israel’s police force by Prime Minister Netanyahu. A price Netanyahu paid to keep his coalition together, and to keep himself in power. If this isn’t bad enough, Bezalel Smotrich has been given authority over Judea and Samaria, the so called “West Bank.” In recent weeks, sixteen Israelis have been murdered by extreme Islamists. Two were slaughtered by a terrorist who lived in the Arab village of Huwara. The deaths of innocent Israelis continues to enflame the situation and wound the heart of every Jew in Israel, including mine. But this is no justification for the evil attack that Jewish extremists then carried out on Huwara. Jewish settlers nearby burned Arab homes and cars and murdered one resident. This inexcusable violence grieves the Jewish soul. Any self-respecting Jew knows that such barbaric acts committed by fellow Jews is disgraceful and completely alien to Jewish thinking. In a subsequent rant , Smotrich said that the Israeli army should “wipe out Huwara!” When he realized that his words had been recorded, Smotrich apologized! His apology was clearly a public relations exercise and didn’t reflect any genuine change of heart. Now you might react by asking, “Why doesn’t Netanyahu, (who historically is Israel’s longest serving Prime Minister with a legacy of service and an emphasis on security that has been worthy of respect) just sack Smotrich?” The answer is simple. Netanyahu needs these extremists and their parties for his majority in parliament. If he sacks Gvir or Smotrich, he loses his majority and he loses his power. I love Israel. I will continue to be an advocate for Israel and stand for God’s purposes for Israel and the Jewish people. That said, I also know that I represent the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and His truth is sovereign. We who love Israel must be willing to speak out when injustice and hatred infiltrate our nation and government, and not just ignore issues because they make us feel uncomfortable. We cannot excuse such realities or just write them off as a politically inspired left-wing attempt to undermine a right-wing government, as some do. The protests in Israel have brought together hundreds of thousands of citizens across the political spectrum. They are an expression of how deeply unhappy the majority of the Israeli people are with the government’s attempt to neuter the State’s historically independent judiciary. We are called to pray for those in authority, and we do pray for all of our government ministers. But we must also speak out against evil and ungodly behaviour. In recent times I have listened intently to a very brave and courageous Arab woman who loves Yeshua and recognizes Israel’s covenant relationship with God, including the land covenant. At the same time, my Arab friend longs to see the Arab people grow in understanding and hope and is supporting educational initiatives among Arab youth and children. Education will always be critical in bringing about any positive change among people anywhere. As I listened, I was deeply convicted of the need for hope for Jews and Arabs alike and I will seek to practically and spiritually inspire and pray for such hope whenever I can. Even as tensions and violence increase in Israel, and indeed around the world, it is wonderful to identify powerful hope springing up in the midst of growing hatred and darkness. Isaiah declared this powerful hope in great contrast to the realities that existed as he spoke God’s words and revealed God’s heart. "Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you." - Isaiah 60:1-2 People, arise! Get up! Shine! God’s glory and His resurrection power are risen upon us! Yes, the world is gloomy and spiritually bereft. But God’s promise to us is ringing out through His words. The Lord will arise over us and His glory will be seen upon us. This is God’s promise as we continue to long for justice and hope to prevail.

Early yesterday morning, the news came through of yet another dreadful terrorist atrocity that involved two bombs laden with nails and placed at two bus stop areas at the entrance to Jerusalem. I have driven on those very roads countless times. Later, it emerged that the first pronounced death from this attack was Aryeh Schupak, a dual Israeli/Canadian citizen who was on his way to religious studies. Aryeh was only 16 years old and was buried this afternoon in Jerusalem. Earlier in the night, a 16 year old Arab teenager, Ahmed Shehadeh was killed in Nablus. Ahmed was involved with other men in terrorist activities that were attempting to stop Jewish worshippers going to the tomb of Joseph. Two 16 year olds are dead. One Arab teenager who should be studying and looking forward to life, but was instead involved in extreme violence, paying the ultimate price, and a Jewish teenager who was on his way to Yeshiva to study, and had his life cruelly taken from him. Such losses are simply devastating. I was deeply affected by the news of the terrorist attack and, although I don’t want to be emotive or condemning in this article, I feel compelled to write as I see a clear unmistakable connection between the acts of terror that killed a perpetrator and a student within hours of each other, and the football World Cup in Qatar. Qatar is currently hosting the World Cup event with much fanfare, and many of my friends are caught up in the frenzy of the games. Everyone who knows me knows how much I love football, but when I heard that Qatar was being allowed to host the tournament, I and many others were outraged. The secular media has emphasized the anti LBGT stance of Qatar, and the shameful loss of life among migrant workers being paid a pittance to build the stadiums. They have primarily ignored Qatar’s funding of Hamas and Al Qaeda, and their clear anti-Semitism. Qatar’s history and current activities read like an unspeakable crime record. I decided some weeks ago that I would quietly boycott watching the tournament. The players have no choice but to participate, but as I wrote a few days ago on social media, I don’t have to watch it! I certainly didn’t want to be a killjoy by telling all my friends to join me in boycotting watching the games. Qatar funds Hamas, a terrorist organization based in Gaza that hates Israel and recruits young Arabs to commit acts of terror. Hamas and other similar groups were an inspiration for the 16-year-old Arab boy, Ahmed Shehadeh, whose terrorist activities ultimately led to the end of his young life. When the 16-year-old Jewish boy, Aryeh Schupak, was killed in the terrorist attack yesterday, Hamas were quick to rejoice. As I was reflecting on these disturbing realities, I felt that I must speak out my horror that so many people seem to be oblivious to the connections that are staring me in the face. I have watched every World Cup that has been played during my lifetime, but I cannot watch this legitimisation of a nation that it responsible for so much bloodshed. I cannot accept the notion that it is OK to turn a blind eye to these realities either. Please take a stand in prayer and intercede for the nation and people of Qatar. Pray for an increased awareness of these grim connections. Pray especially for those who are grieving the loss of two 16-year-old boys who should have their whole lives ahead of them, but today are gone! As Jews and Arabs are weeping, I cannot shout, “goal!”  Please pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).

It is often said that the greatest gifts come in small packages. In March 2020, after I finished speaking at the Sunday service in De Rivier Church in Gouda, Holland, an older woman came up to me and placed a small package in my hand, carefully wrapped in tissue paper. The woman was very emotional, and it was clear that she was giving me something precious. As I removed the tissue, I saw that I was holding a yad. The yad (or pointer) is used in synagogue services when the Torah scrolls are read. Readers use it to follow the text on the scroll and avoid putting their fingers on the parchment. The yad signifies the holiness of the Torah. It preserves the scrolls by preventing the damage that could be caused by human hands. This reverence for the Torah resonates deeply with all of us who hold the Bible as God’s Word and understand its holiness and the powerful truths contained within its pages. I have many childhood memories of attending my synagogue in East London and seeing the yad that was used there, including at my own bar mitzvah. 

Yesterday, here on Mount Carmel, I stood up to pray for the dangerous developments on the Ukraine/Russia border, and the serious and wide-ranging implications for the rest of the world. Our world stands on the precipice of events that could lead to a third world war.

The reports and images we have been seeing from Afghanistan have given us just a glimpse of the evil and barbaric rule of the Taliban. The slaughter at Kabul airport has added to the sense of utter chaos and devastation. To see babies being handed over barbed wire fences by desperate parents to US and UK soldiers in Kabul airport to ensure their children’s escape is to witness an agony few of us will ever have to experience. It is unspeakable torment. It reminds me of the Jewish parents who sent their children from Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport to England to escape death in the concentration camps.

During the recent 11-day war with Gaza, during which Hamas fired over 5,000 rockets at my nation, Israel , and after the dreadful riots in several Israeli cities between minority groups of right-wing Jews and Arab Muslims, I was crying out to God from our home on the slopes of Mount Carmel.

Helen and I have now been living and serving in Israel for over twelve years, during which time, we have witnessed changes within Israel, and indeed further afield which can be likened to a massive shift in our world, of such seismic power it feels as if we are experiencing the effects of a massive earthquake.

For the upright will dwell in the land, And the blameless will remain in it; But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it. - Proverbs 2: 21-22

The debate about the vaccines is alive and well here in Israel, as it is around the globe, and seems to be a heightened example of the very long-standing tensions that have always been evident among believers with regards to spiritual healing and medical treatment.