The 17th of Tammuz

17th OF TAMMUZ-BEGINNING OF THREE WEEKS "BETWEEN THE STRAITS"

This Tuesday, July 19th, is a "fast day" for observant Jews (the Fast of the Fourth Month in Zechariah 8:19) commemorating the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The period between this day and the 9th of Av when the Temple was destroyed (9 August this year) has come sometimes to be called "Bein haMetzarim" ("Between the straits", found in Lamentations 1:3 "All her persecutors overtake her between the dire straits.") because of many calamities purported to have occurred to Jews through history during this period. Traditionally, there are no Hebrew weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, and other celebrations during this period. It is indeed a time calling for especial watchfulness over Israel and Jews in the nations.

On this day (Tuesday 19 July this year), observant Jews read a special passage from the Torah, Exodus 31:11-14; 34:1-10 (related to God's mercies after, according to a Hebrew tradition, Moses, on this date came down Mount Sinai, saw the revelry round the Golden Calf and in a fury broke the first tablets of stone). There is also a special Haftarah : Isaiah 55:6-56:8, which begins, "Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."

PLEASE PRAY:

*Pray that Israel be protected from evil seeking occasion to be released against her during these three weeks. Pray for believers to have discernment to divide between the necessary, sober awareness and watchfulness of God, and false superstitions which influence and govern many Israelis during this time: "Guide me in Your truth and teach me for you are my Salvation-God and in You I have hoped all day long" (Psalm 25:5).

*Psalm 118:5: "Out of the strait (metzar) I called to Yah (the LORD). Yah answered me in a wide-open place."

*For Israel-the People: to be brought into the wideness, the fullness that God has for them-and to survive the narrows she must traverse until then. "Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life" (Matthew 7:14). Yeshua came that His people might come into fullness of joy (John 15:11; 16:24).

*For Israel-the Land: to come into the wideness which God has ordained. At present it is too narrow to adequately nurture the Jews God has brought from the nations thus far; yet she is under constant pressure from the nations to become narrower still. "Enlarge the place of your tent; stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left" (Isaiah 54:2-3).

portions taken from Israel prayer list