Another Timely Discovery in Israel!

"THE LORD REMEMBERS--GOD SEES!"

On Sunday archaeologists working in Jerusalem's City of David announced the discovery of a pottery shard bearing ancient Hebrew letters and thought to be 2,700 years old (700 BCE). The nine letters form three words which could conceivably form the name "Zechariah Son of Benaiah". An article in The Times of Israel cites II Chronicles 20:14, which mentions someone bearing this name as being the father of Yahaziel, upon whom the Spirit or YHVH fell with a message of hope for Judah, Jerusalem and the king Jehoshaphat during a tie of severe national crisis ("2,700-year-old Hebrew inscription found in Jerusalem": The Times of Israel, 18 Aug    2013, 11:20 am.).

Whether or not the lettering on this particular piece of pottery actually had anything to do with Yahaziel's father, we have learned to take notice when such artifacts surface here in Israel, especially when their appearance stimulates the Israeli news media to the quotation of a passage in Holy Scripture which might be related to it. Might not the Author of that Scripture be through it seeking to awaken the attention of some of His people?

II Chronicles 20:11-12:

"Here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You!"

That is verses 11 and 12. In verse 13 "all of Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children" are standing before the LORD. What immediately follows is the passage called attention to by the inscription on the pottery shard: "Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Yahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah.a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's." (II Chronicles 20:14-15).

The people of Judah under Jehoshaphat (as Israel today) were in a seemingly hopeless situation where nations were "coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit"-but they humble themselves and cry out to God, standing with their families before Him, confessing that they, in and of themselves, "don't know what to do-but our eyes are upon YOU!" And God sends Yahaziel! His father Zechariah's name means "Yehovah Remembers", and "Yahaziel" means "God (El) Sees (Yachazi)"; or "God Gazes Upon". When Israel arrives at the end of her rope, when she comes to a point of desperation so as to confess her inadequacies, and to lift her eyes to seek God's face, she will find that His loving gaze is already resting upon her. And He does know exactly what she "needs to do"-for in the end, the battle is not hers, it is God's!

PLEASE PRAY:

*For the remnant in Israel to raise up children like Yahaziel upon whom the Spirit of the LORD may fall with a message of hope and instruction for Israel and her leaders.

*For a deep desire to seek the Face of the LORD (Psalm 27:4,8).and revelation that His gaze of Love and Hope and Victory is resting upon us.

*For God to raise up leaders in Israel during the last days like Jehoshaphat who will humble themselves before God and hear and honor His prophetic word when it is released.

*For revelation and insight from the Holy Spirit regarding the "signs" he sends His people-and how to interpret and walk in what He is saying through those signs.