GOD'S ETERNAL COVENANT WITH ISRAEL

 

 

"And God heard their groaning and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. And God saw the children of Israel, and God knew." Exodus 2:24-25

 

 

"But for their sake, I will remember the covenant of their ancestors whom I have brought forth from the land of Egypt, before the eyes of the nations to be their God." Leviticus 26:45

 

 

Thus God's Covenant Remains with Israel:

 

"Thus says the Lord, 'If My covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth, then I will cast away the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, so that I will not take any of his descendants to be rulers over the  descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will cause their captives to return, and will have mercy on them."

 

 

Unconditional Nature of God's Covenant

 

Leviticus 26:42,44, 45; Psalm 89:30-37; Hosea 3:1

 

 

ISRAEL: GOD'S CHOSEN NATION

 

There are only two groups of people in all of history that God has chosen to identify as His very own. The first was the nation of Israel and the second is the Church.

 

 God calls Israel:

 

 "My firstborn son" (Exodus 4:22,23)

 

 "The People I formed for Myself" (Isaiah 43:18-21

 

 "My Delight" (Isaiah 62:4)

 

"My Treasured Possession" (Deuteronomy 7:6)

 

"The Apple of His Eye" (Zechariah 2:8)

 

A Nation Like No Other:

 

"And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name--and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land--before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods?"  2 Samuel 7:23

 

So the question is: Has God forgotten Israel or the Jewish People? I believe the Word is clear.

 

IT IS AN ETERNAL COVENANT WHICH IS NOT BOUND BY TIME, DISTANCE, LOCATION, OR GENERATIONS. NEVER ENDING!!! GOD SAID IT IN HIS WORD NO MATTER IF IT IS RECEIVED OR NOT.

 

GOD'S WORD SETTLES THE ISSUE! HE HAS NEVER FORGOTTEN ISRAEL OR THE JEWISH PEOPLE!!!

 



THE GOLAN HEIGHTS

PART 2

 

THE FOLLOWING VERSES HAVE BEARING UPON ISRAEL'S BORDERS AND THE ISRAELI PRESENCE IN THE GOLAN HEIGHTS. MAY THE LORD GRANT ILLUMINATION AS WE PRAY HIS WILL ON EARTH IN THIS PART OF ISRAEL!

 

"'You have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you,' says the Lord YHVH. 'And I will bring you out of its midst, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and execute judgments on you. You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you at the border of Israel. Then you shall know that I am YHVH for you have not walked in My statutes nor executed My judgments, but have done according to the customs of the Gentiles which are all around you'" (Ezekiel 11:8-10, 12).

 

PLEASE PRAY: For conviction of sin through the Holy Spirit among Israelis. That we realize that returning to God rather than relying upon and trying to become like the nations is our only hope to avoid war and the breaching of our borders.

 

"And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; and they shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; and this One shall be peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land, and when he treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princely men. They shall waste with the sword the land of Assyria, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances; Thus He shall deliver us from the Assyrian, when he comes into our land and when he treads within our borders" (Micah 5:4-6, emphases mine).

"LORD, You will establish peace for us, for You have also done all our works in us. O YHVH our God, masters besides You have had dominion over us; But by You only we make mention of Your name. You have increased the nation, O YHVH, You have increased the nation; You are glorified; You have expanded all the borders of the land" (Isaiah 26:12-13, 15, Emphases ours).

"Praise YHVH, O Jerusalem! Praise your Gold, O Zion! For He has strengthened the bars of your gates; He has blessed your children within you. He makes peace in your borders, and fills you with the finest wheat" (Psalm 147: 12-13, Emphases ours).

 

 

PLEASE PRAY: Clarity in the Holy Spirit regarding "Who is" the Prince of Peace who protects our borders and brings lasting peace within them.

 

"Arise, shine; for your Light has come! And the glory of YHVH is risen upon you. Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise" (Isaiah 60:1, 18).



 

portions taken from Israel prayer list

THE GOLAN HEIGHTS

 

 

Here is a picture of a waterfall in the Golan Heights. This is the ancient domain of Og King of Bashan (the "Last of the Rephaim/Giants"); This area was taken by Moses and later granted as part of the inheritance of Menashe.



NEW THREATS IN THE FIELDS OF BASHAN

"From the family of the half-tribe of Menashe the sons of Gershon were given Golan in Bashan with its common-lands." (I Chronicles 6:71).

 

 

Bashan was the name in Biblical times of a high land rising east and north-east of the Sea of Galilee, before ascending more steeply still in the north along the rocky slopes of Mt. Hermon. Og was the name of the king who reigned there. He was gigantic, the last of an ancient breed of giants known as Rephaim (Deuteronomy 3:8-14; the name also refers to spirits of the dead). He was, in fact, the last giant to be overcome before entering Canaan by the children of Israel before entering Canaan, the land their parents had refused to enter 40 years earlier for fear of giants there. Bashan was then as now a rugged place (Psalm 68:15) used for grazing cattle (Jer. 50:19; Ezek. 39:18; Mic. 7:14). Psalm 22:12 uses "strong bulls of Bashan" as a metaphor for the powers of darkness pressing in upon Yeshua as he hung on the cross. The land eventually became part of the inheritance of the tribe of Menashe (Deut. 3:13-14). Golan is mentioned several times in Scripture as the location of a "city of refuge" in Bashan-and that is the name by which the region is known today, the Golan Heights.


With the fall of the Ottoman Empire in WW I, the area came under French oversight until 1944 when it became part of the newly established nation of modern Syria. In 1967, after years of serving as a staging-ground for conflict with the newly awakened Israel, the Heights were wrested from Syria in the Six Day War. After a failed attempt by Syria to retake them in 1973, a disengagement agreement was reached between the two countries in May 1974, which included establishment of a demilitarized buffer zone between the two nations to be patrolled by a United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). In December 1981, without ever specifically using the word "annexation" the Israeli Knesset voted to apply "Israeli law, jurisdiction and administration" to the Golan Heights-an administration which has never been recognized by the international community, who view the Israelis living there as "settlers." Although at least three Prime Ministers have actively explored the possibility of "giving the Heights back to Syria" in exchange for a peace agreement-this has never been allowed to succeed; Syria remains in a technical "state of war" with Israel. Yet, for almost 40 years now, a relative peace has reigned on the Heights, which have flourished, with over 20,000 Israelis presently make their homes there.

That "peace" may be soon coming to an end, as waves of the tumult enveloping Syria lap closer to the borders. Earlier in the week, in a strongly-worded speech, President Assad had warned that Syria itself was considering opening a new front in the Israeli Golan. So the situation remains extremely volatile. Israel has restated its position of not becoming involved in the Syrian struggle unless fired upon. But already shells from both sides have fallen across our borders. Aware of what the conflicts might burgeon into, Prime Minister Netanyahu recently instructed the release of $350 million to insure that each of Israel's residents is equipped with a gas mask.

 

 

PLEASE PRAY:

That God will set angels at Israel's borders in the Golan Heights, to protect the inheritance of Jacob there. Pray that this territory will remain under Israeli sovereignty.

*For wisdom and discretion to govern the leaders of Israel's government and military-that we will not be drawn into a conflict which is a trap from the enemy.

*For believers in the Golan Heights (there are quite a few, including at least two 'houses of prayer') and throughout Israel, to be guided strategically in their prayers for this situation.

*For a young generation of Israelis to rise who have the courage and spirit of Joshua and Caleb to battle fearlessly in God's power against the giants which have arisen among us.


portions taken from Israel prayer list

 

 

PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM

 

  

Psalm 122:6-9  "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces. For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say,  Peace be within you. Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good."


 Kotel Moment of Truth: Youths Asked to Stay Away (Israel National News)

In an organized response to repeated provocations by the Women of the Wall, thousands of hareidim are expected to participate in a large scale prayer day at the Kotel Sunday.

The prayers will be led by numerous rabbis, including leading Torah sages.

Rabbanit Tviya Eliyahu, widow of Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu ztz”l, made clear on Thursday that the Women of the Wall will not be allowed to pray with tallit and tefillin at the Kotel.

Despite the tone of determined protest that is accompanying the prayer session, the organizers asked Friday that only adults take part in the prayer day. They explained that younger “action seekers” caused damage to the struggle in the last confrontation with the Women of the Wall, through rowdy behavior that caught the media's attention and gave the press an excuse for even more incitement against the entire hareidi public.

"The prayer is intended only for kollel students and adults, who will sanctify the Name of Heaven in their behavior and prayers,” organizers explained in an advertisement. “Young people are requested not to show up for the mass prayers that are being held at the request of our teachers and rabbis shlita, and at the same time, all efforts will be made to keep the fringe elements from carrying out unseemly deeds.”

Shabbot Shalom Everyone!

 

THIS WEEK'S SCRIPTURE:

 

 

The reading for this week 2-8 June is called Korach-"Korah").

TORAH: Numbers 16:1-18:32

HAFTARAH: I Samuel 11:14-12:22

NOTE: Because the coming Saturday and Sunday mark the beginning of a Hebrew month (Rosh Chodesh-Machar Chodesh), the following passages will, in many synagogues, be substituted for the Haftarah cited above: Isaiah 66:1-24, 23; I Samuel 20:18, 42

This week's Portion focuses on the rebellion of Korah.

 

*Numbers 16:3; 16:7b: Korah and His Followers to Moses: "You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" Moses: "Take censers, Korah and all your company; put fire in them and put incense in them before the LORD tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom the LORD chooses is the holy one. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi."

Perhaps we see here one reason for the severity with which the LORD dealt with Miriam and Aaron in Chapter 12. If those in the office of Prophet and Priest are discontent with their "place" in relation to the positions of others whom the LORD has chosen and appointed, will not their behavior be seen as license by their followers to do likewise. Moses had not appointed himself as leader over Israel, God had. Ironically, Korah was speaking a truth when he claimed that "all the congregation is holy, every one of them"-the congregation as a whole was holy (i.e. "set apart") from the other nations, and within that congregation individual tribes and families and individuals were also "set apart". Setting-apart implies boundaries both from without and from within which must be respected by those set apart to other responsibilities.

 PLEASE PRAY: for unity amongst believers in Israel-for humility, respect and honor towards the gifts and callings of each. For realization that it is the Holy Spirit who makes these distinctions; it is 'taking too much upon ourselves' when we criticize or envy them.

 PLEASE PRAY for Godly discipline in the love and fear of the LORD within the Congregations. It may be helpful to read the Book of JUDE in this respect (especially vss 8-11) which prophecies how "rejection of authority" and "speaking evil of dignitaries-the "rebellion of Korah"-will resurface in latter days, and the spirit in which it must be addressed when it does.

*Numbers 16:48: "Then Aaron took the censer as Moses had commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped." Even in the midst of a rebellious people, the LORD is longing to find those who will "stand in the gap" on their behalf and on behalf of His land ("So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found no one. Therefore, I have poured out My indignation on them." -Ezekiel 22:30).

PLEASE PRAY: For sensitivity and readiness on behalf of God's Intercessors-willingness, surrender and resolve to share His burden, so as to be released at just the right time to "stand between the dead and the living" (and to be able to differentiate between the two)-to "make a wall" and stand in the gap so that plague will be stopped.

Numbers 17:10. "And the LORD said to Moses, 'Bring Aaron's rod back before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they die.'" "Rebels" is literally b'nei-meri-"sons (or children) of bitterness". Lest we be too quick to distance ourselves from those who fell in Korah's rebellion and the mutinous disruptions which followed, we would note that in the Hebrew translation of Ephesians 2:1-3, exactly the same words b'nei-meri are used to translate "sons of disobedience"-"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God."

I Samuel 12:21-22: "You must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which cannot profit or deliver, because they are futile. For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself" (NASB). The word "futile" or "emptiness" is in Hebrew ("tohu") the same word used of the state of the earth (Genesis 1:2) before Elohim began breathing His Life into it (Psalm 33:6).

PLEASE PRAY: For Israeli believers and those who intercede for her, that our faith not be distracted into reasonings which are emptiness and void-but rather that we base our hope and prayers on God's faithfulness to honor His Name, that we be encouraged in the knowledge that it is "His pleasure" to make Israel a "people for Himself."



Israeli Prime Minister Indicates Readiness to Consider Land Swap

 

 

This past Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated a readiness to consider a possible land swap between Israel and Palestinians. He is not saying he would consider a return to the 1967 lines that have been proposed for years. That would not be wise, as it would leave Israel indefensible.

 

“We are listening to every initiative – the Arab initiative has been mentioned – and we are prepared to discuss initiatives that are proposals and not edicts,” Netanyahu said in a speech in parliament, according to The Voice of America.

 

Arab states appear to have softened the 2002 attempt at traded land. Sheik Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, Quatar’s prime minister and foreign minister proposed a new trade of land. Netanyahu has never agreed to exchange land, but is open to discussion. In the past Arab pre-conditions have thwarted healthy negotiations. Qatar said Israel and Palestinians could trade land rather than conform exactly to the 1967 “lines.” 

 

Netanyahu has reminded Palestinian President Abbas that he intends to take no moves that would jeopardize Israeli security.

 

 

Although Netanyahu is once again ready to consider a trade, Abbas said, “the ball in in the Israeli court” and then played his familiar card saying, Israel needs to accept the Palestinians’ demand for a settlement freeze so that talks could begin. If Abbas is serious about a land swap, it is my opinion that he should eliminate this precondition.  It has never worked before and it will not work now.

 

 

The Bible teaches us to pray for peace in Jerusalem. One little move can trigger a huge shift in the Middle East. If you will pray for wisdom for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and peace to come to Israel, would you please type your first name in the comment section below.  Thank you!

10,000 Signatures Presented to the Knesset in Support of Jerusalem

 

 

Knesset, Jerusalem, Israel – On June 4th, 2013 Israel365 and Christian Friends of Israeli Communities presented over 10,000 signatures on the Jerusalem Covenant, a pledge to keep the city united, to MK Gila Gamliel, Chairperson of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus. The signatures were gathered digitally over a period of three weeks from May 14 until the first week in June, 2013.

“There is no single issue that unites Jewish and Christian Zionists as much as their steadfast support for Jerusalem as the eternal, undivided capital of the Jewish people. Through the power of social media, we were able to gather so many digital signatures from supporters all over the world from Albania to Zimbabwe,” said Rabbi Tuly Weisz, founder and director of Israel365. MK Gamliel echoed these sentiments on her Facebook page, “While there are many doubts in the world, there is one thing that is clear. That Jerusalem is the undivided and eternal capital of Israel.”

Over the past three weeks, from the Hebrew date of Yom Yerushalyim to this week’s anniversary of the Six Day War, Israel365 has collected over 10,000 signatures from all over the world on the Jerusalem Covenant, a document that is displayed alongside Israel’s Declaration of Independence in the Chagall Hall of the Knesset. The Covenant was drafted by Deputy Chief Justice Rabbi Menachem Elon in 1992 as an acknowledgement of the miraculous return of the Jewish people to Jerusalem and was signed by all of Israel’s political, military and spiritual leadership on the 25th anniversary of Jerusalem’s reunification.

At the event, Rabbi Weisz handed Knesset member Gamliel a famous replica of a 500 year old Holy Land map of Jerusalem from the Judaica Webstore.  According to Arik Barel of Judaica Webstore, “this piece elegantly demonstrates the Jewish people’s historic claim to our capital city and its an honor that it will now adorn the walls of the Knesset.”

To gather so many signatures, Israel365 worked together with Christian Friends of Israeli Communities Heartland. “It has been an amazing privilege for us at CFOIC Heartland to partner with Israel365 on this important initiative to enable Christians from all over the world to show their support for Jerusalem,” said Sondra Oster Baras of CFOIC.  “For more than 15 years, we have been connecting Christian Zionists with Israel and especially with the heart of Biblical Israel – Judea and Samaria.  But the heart of it all is Jerusalem – the spiritual and geographical center of the Land of Israel and the People of Israel.  We will never forget Jerusalem.”


The Words of the Jerusalem Covenant:

We have gathered together in Zion, national leaders and heads of our communities everywhere, to enter into a covenant with Jerusalem, as was done by the leaders of our nation and all the people of Israel upon Israel's return to its Land from the Babylonian exile; and the people and their leaders will dwell in Jerusalem, the Holy City.

Once again, 'our feet stand within your gates, O Jerusalem - Jerusalem built as a city joined together' which 'unites the people of Israel to one another', and 'links heavenly Jerusalem with earthly Jerusalem.'

We have returned to the place that the Lord vowed to bestow upon the descendants of Abraham, Father of our Nation; to the City of David, King of Israel; where Solomon, son of David, built a Holy Temple; a Capital City which became the Mother of all Israel; a metropolis for justice and righteousness and for the wisdom and insights of the ancient world; where a Second Temple was erected in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. In this city the prophets of the Lord prophesied; in the City the Sages taught Torah; in this City the Sanhedrin convened in session in its stone chamber. 'For there were the seats of Justice, the Throne of the House of David', 'for out of Zion shall go forth Torah, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem.'.

Today, as of old, we hold fast to the truth of the words of the Prophets of Israel, that all the inhabitants of the world shall enter within the gates of Jerusalem: 'And it shall come to pass at the end of days, the mountain of the House of the Lord will be well established at the peak of the mountains and will tower above the hills, and all the nation shall stream towards it.' Each and every nation will live in it by its own faith: 'For all the nation will go forward, each with its own Divine Name; we shall go in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.' And in this spirit the Knesset of the State of Israel has enacted a law: The places holy to the peoples of all religions shall be protected from any desecration and from any restriction of free access to them..

 

Jerusalem - peace and tranquility shall reign in the city: 'Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may those who love you be tranquil. May there be peace within your walls, and tranquility within your palaces.' Out of Jerusalem, a message of peace went forth and shall yet go forth again to all the inhabitants of the earth: 'And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war anymore.' Our sages, peace be upon them, said. In the future, The Holy One, the Blessed, will comfort Jerusalem only with peace..

 

From this place, we once again take this vow: "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, may my right hand lose its strength; may my tongue cleave to my palate if I do not remember you, if I do not raise up Jerusalem at the very height of my rejoicing.'.

 

And with all these understandings, we enter into this Covenant and write: We shall bind you to us forever; we shall bind you to us with faithfulness, with righteousness and justice, with steadfast love and compassion. We love you, O Jerusalem, with eternal love, with unbounded love, under siege and when liberated from the yoke of oppressors. We have been martyred for you; we have yearned for you, we have clung to you. Our faithfulness to you we shall bequeath to our children after us. Forevermore our home shall be within you.

 

taken from israel365.com