In Mark 10:16 we are told that Jesus took children up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record this event. What was Jesus doing and why was it important enough for the synoptic writers to record this event?

Children are a sign of the covenant. God’s promises spoken over His people include the promise of offspring. God’s first pronounced blessing was to Adam and Eve when He spoke that they should be fruitful and multiply (Gen 1:28). God pronounced the same type of blessing to Noah in Gen 9:1. And then again to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see Gen 17:2, 22:18, and 28:14). Again God promised offspring to David in 2Sam 7:11-12.

It is through our offspring, natural or spiritual, that God’s plan for the future unfolds. He has a plan, not just for today but tomorrow as well. Through our offspring the life of Christ is given to the world.

God instructed Aaron, His first High Priest how to bless. (By the way, if you are a believer in Christ, then you have been called as a priest as well.) God told Moses to speak to Aaron and his sons saying: “Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall SAY (emphasis added) to them: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace. So they shall put My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.” Num 6:23-27. God said if we pronounce the blessing, He will bless. In the Hebrew this is very much in the present tense. Today we hear preachers saying: “May the Lord bless you…” But it is rather: “The Lord blesses you…” He is the Great I Am not the maybe-I-will-if-I-feel-like-it-sometime-in-the-future.

God does not institute rites for the fun of it. There is no wasted motion in what God does, nor is there a lack of purpose. Every thing that God does, he does so to produce life at a higher level when it is observed. This blessing in Numbers 6 was the vehicle God chose so that He could bless His people. He is present in the blessing, when it is invoked, to impart the blessing. “And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them. (emphasis added)” This is the way God chose to impart something of Himself to His people.

Jesus continued to use this rite of blessing to impart life to His followers and to the future generations. This blessing must be spoken; it is not something wished for silently. In fact, everything man ever receives from God is by the spoken word. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. “The word is nigh thee, even in they mouth, and in they heart; that is the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (Romans 10:8-10).”

Simply put, God is present in the blessing when it is spoken. Why would you not choose to bless your children in the same way Jesus did? The building of Godly character is one of the benefits children receive when the blessing is imparted to them by their parents and others.

When you speak the blessing over others the last part is about God imparting “peace” to His people. The Hebrew word is “Shalom,” which means the sum total of ALL the good which the Lord does for His people. Isn’t that what we want for our children and others?

Children as well as others who receive blessings from their parents and others on a regular basis will notice a difference in their lives. It is God who blesses when His name is invoked over our children and friends. In Jewish families, parents will take a dip of honey and place it on the lips of their small children when invoking the blessing and remind the children that the Word of God is as sweet as honey and much to be desired; a wonderful custom that you might want to begin.

Read how Jacob struggled to receive his blessing (Gen 25), how he fulfilled it in Gen 27—29, and just how important the blessing pronounced and received is. The Apostle Peter tells us that we are called for the very purpose of inheriting a blessing (1Peter 3:9). The Scripture is replete with stories of pronouncing and inheriting a blessing. Search them out. You will be amazed.

In conclusion, every blessing in the Bible is a verbal one. The blessing is not just a desire hidden in the heart. It must be spoken. Words have power when they are released. God said it this way: “Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel, You shall SAY to them. . .”

 

 

Apocalyptic literature is an ancient literary form or genre in literature. The word apocalypse means revelation. Please note, the word is singular. Usually, an apocalypse is a first-person narrative in which the author relates one or more revelatory visions about the present, future, heavenly world or all three. Jewish apocalypses often reflect a sharp distinction between the present evil age and the imminent future age of blessing. The conflict between a righteous minority and wicket majority is understood as representing a clash between God and Satan. After a period of intense conflict and great suffering, God will decisively intervene in history to vindicate and reward His people and punish or eliminate their earthly oppressors. Further, most Jewish apocalypses use a great deal of symbolism, often quite bizarre.

Apocalyptic literature as noted above is its own genre. If I told you that a "paid political advertisement" was about to come on the television, you would know what to expect. You would expect to hear the degradation of the opposing candidate along with the adulation of the candidate for whom the ad is written. As another example, if I told you the Star Wars movies were being played, you would know that they depict a universe that has been subjected to evil forces; that the high tech background mirrors our society; and that even though the power of good seems to be reduced to one young man, good will triumph over evil.

If you haven't seen a paid political advertisement or the Star Wars trilogy, you might not know what to expect; and the language, illusions, and symbolism would be lost to you. Apocalyptic literature is the same. It is full of images that have a long history stretching from ancient Near Eastern myth through the Old Testament prophets to Jewish apocalypses like the book of Daniel. These images were also used in the New Testament.

Apocalypse is the Greek word for revelation. From Daniel at the end of the Old Testament to Revelation at the end of the New Testament, we have a wide variety of such visionary writings from both Jewish and Christian circles. Their audiences were familiar with this form of expression, just as people today are familiar with the two examples used above of t.v. ads and movies. Their audiences understood the symbolism used: numbers, colors, horses, messengers, wars, good and evil, names of ancient battle sites, corrupt government, beasts, dragons, lambs, eyes, heads and horns, and so forth. They knew that an apocalypse with symbolic visions of world history was about to unroll the plan of God. The audience understood that they were much closer to the end of history than to its beginning. The apocalypse would reassure the audience that their suffering would visited with divine judgment, that the faithful are not forgotten, and that their reward was to be happiness, fulfillment, and blessings in the future.

Apocalyptic literature comes from people oppressed by imperial powers. That situation is, of course, another reason that they used highly symbolic language, which only people familiar with the tradition of interpreting such images could understand. Criticism of political rulers could be a dangerous business! In fact, oftentimes in ancient apocalyptic writings, the author would hid behind a pseudonym or ancient sage. In the New Testament book of Revelation we see a "revealing angel" instead.

This type of literature involves then more than just a style. It is a specifically religious response to the experience of persecution from without and erosion from within. In literary terms, apocalyptic answers the question posed by the choice between "king" and God. To those suffering for God, it says, be comforted; to those tempted to leave the faith, it says hold fast. There is tension between conviction and experience. The people of the Old Testament knew the law. They knew that to obey it meant they were blessed. But soon came the experience of persecution. They were being put to death simple because they were obeying the law; not because they were impious but because they were pious! Their children and possession were being ripped away and their own taken. God did not seem to be in control. This conflict between experience and conviction was real. It was usually addressed the literary form called apocalyptic.

The key to a proper appreciation of the apocalyptic tradition lies in the realization that apocalypses are more of the nature of poetry than dogma. They are works of art and imagination which are not in general sources of factual information. They were not written with that purpose. Rather, their value lies in their ability to envision alternatives to the world of present experience and thereby provide hope and consolation. As such, they speak to enduring human needs and are a vital part of our religious heritage and experience.

Shavuot, the Jewish holiday that celebrates God's giving of the Torah to His people, begins at sundown on June 7, 2011. God's law or torah is the spelling out of the details of the Covenant that was agreed upon and sealed at Sinai (see Ex 19:1-23; Num28:26-31). So, it is fitting to ask the question that if the Bible is God's word, did he sign it? Is His signature there? Is it evident? How do we know it is His word, and so on? Let's take a look.

Let's look at 1Kings 7:23. These are instruction for making a cylinder of some sort that has a diameter of 10 cubits. We as moderns know that there is a ratio of radius/diameter to circumference; there is a fixed relationship. Hence when given the radius or diameter of a circle we can find the circumference. We know it is a little more than 3 times the diameter. This is modern geometry.

Ignorant people use this passage in 1Kings to say that God didn't write the Bible (or even worse that there is no God and if there were He is not all knowing). This passage states that the diameter of the cylinder is to be 10 cubits and the circumference is to be 30 cubits. Why, that is impossible, they proclaim. And, indeed, if that were the end, it would be impossible; but it is not.

The Hebrew text reads that cylinder is to be 10 cubits from lip to lip. The word used for "circumference: however has no vowels written with it. This is one of several places in Hebrew Scripture where a word is pronounced one way and written another way. Two meanings can be extracted from the same word. If it is written, the word is kava. If it is spoken, the word is Kav. As you know from my other writings, all letters in Hebrew have a numerical value. Kav equals 106 and Kava equals 111. In Hebrew when a word is written one way and pronounced another; there is a message which comes out of it showing that God is true.

Samuel or the writers of Kings wanted to tell us that there is a relationship between these numbers. Indeed there is. Three times 111 divided by 106 equals 3.1415! We cal that Pi. Archimedes first knew of this relationship about 150-200 years before Christ; but it was Fibonacci who really formulated it around 1200. Yet the Bible describes it years before either of these two men. In fact, 3.1415 is more accurate information than one needs to send a man to the moon!

Modern science accredits the formulation of the water vapor cycle to Bernard Palissy, who lived in the 1500's. Yet the Bible explains this cycle in Gen 2:6 and in Job 37:26, which happens to be the oldest written in the Bible. It is also told again in Amos 5:8. Apparently, God wanted us to understand how He waters the earth!

In the creation story in Genesis, there are 34 verses in the Hebrew to describe it. Those verses are composed of 92 Hebrew words. How many elements do you need to create the universe? Ninety-two! Just as an aside: the elements from 93-115 don't exist naturally. They are made artificially and only last a few seconds. Hence, there are 92 building blocks for everything around you and 92 words used to describe it. There is no word of "coincidence" in Hebrew!

There are many, many more examples of God's signature in the bible. Then why do people insist the Bible was made up by primitive, tribal Bedouins? Did God use man to write it? Of course He did. But He is the author behind it. His signature runs throughout it. And if Bedouins wrote the Bible, where is the rest of their literature they've done since then? There isn't any!

The problem is "cognitive dissonance." Our minds will block out information that causes our hearts pain. To restate: we block out painful information. Recognizing that God is the true author of the Bible means it has to be taken seriously, man is not in control, and someone is watching us all the time! So man sturctures a world view that the Bible is nonsense, a fiction made up by primitive people a long time ago. They believe the Bible is not the instruction manual for life and if you suggest otherwise; you become the idiot, bigot, religious fundamentalist! One point missed is, of course, that there is someone watching OVER mankind, not just watching. Suggesting that someone is watching over us and protecting us might be something we can offer those who deny the authenticity of the Bible. In other words, they don't have to be frightened! We understand their everyday life will change when they accept what is written; but, they can know this is the Word of God. In fact, if anyone studies it enough, they will realize the Bible is a love letter from God and that He is speaking to them directly. The purpose: to fulfill our lives!

By the way, the Hebrew word for learn and repeat are the same. That's how we learn, by repetition. God says that if we want to learn, we do it by repetition. Study, Study, Study His Word!

"And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of elevation offering-the day after the sabbath-you shall count off seven weeks. They must be complete; you must count until the day after the seventh week-fifty days; they you shall bring an offering of new grain to the Lord." Lev 23:15-16

From the second night of Passover (April 20, 2011) until the day before the Jewish holiday of Shavu'ot (June 8, 2011), the Jewish people engage in a time of "Counting the Omer." A period of seven weeks or forty-nine days is counted, as commanded in the book of Leviticus 23:15.

The omer was a measure of barley (approximately 2 quarts) that the Jewish people brought as the afternoon offering on the second day of Passover. All of these numbers have significant meaning. Seven is, of course, the number for "completion." Thus, seven times seven is the superlative way of saying "completion." Fifty is the number used for the year of Jubilee, when servitude and debt were forgiven. The giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai happened on the fiftieth day from the second night of Passover, according to the rabbis. The Torah, word of God, brought jubilee or freedom to God's people.

At the end of the evening prayer on each of these forty-nine nights, the Jewish person recites a blessing and then verbalizes the number of that day. At the end of the counting a special grain offering was brought to the Temple. This offering was waved in different directions, to demonstrate God's all-encompassing presence.

What could possibly be the significance of this counting for us today, you might be wondering. Foremost, this counting expresses one's eager anticipation of receiving the Torah (Law) or God's word on the fiftieth day after experiencing the liberation and miracle of the Passover. The word for Egypt in Hebrew (mitzrayim) means "limitations and boundaries." It represents all forms of conformity and definition that restrain, inhibit, or hamper our free movement and expression. Therefore, leaving Egypt means freedom from constraints. After leaving Egypt, the Jewish people spent the next forty-nine days preparing themselves spiritually for the most monumental experience of all time: the giving of the Torah to Moses and the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. God did not just drop the Torah on the people. There was a journey and the forty-nine day period of the counting of the omer is that journey.

Hence, this forty-nine day period is meant to refine and spiritually prepare ourselves for the event, not unlike the Lenten period which is meant to prepare us for union with the Risen Lord. It is during this period that we strive to grow and mature in our spiritual state. The Torah, as well as other Scripture, does not allow us to become satisfied with our current level of spirituality. Instead, it tells us to set high goals for ourselves and then methodically strive to reach each goal.  It is a forty-nine day spiritual journey from Exodus to Sinai. It is a fixed time, emphasized by the actual, out loud counting of each day, to become fit receptacles for God. During the counting of the omer, the rabbis instruct that there are specific attributes to be contemplated each week: loving kindness, justice, compassion, fortitude, humility, bonding, and sovereignty. Further, each one of these is to be contemplated in light of the other for each day of the week.

After we have accomplished all we can do on our own, through our own initiative and contemplation, they we are worthy to receive a gift from above--God's grace. We receive the ability to commune with the Divine. We made the journey into God's all-encompassing presence. Hallelujah to God for this incredible shalom (peace).

The prophets of the Old Testament were not fortune tellers or predictors of future events. Rather, they were the social conscience of the people; a sort-of Jiminy Cricket of the Disney genre if you will. They pointed out the error of the people's ways, the error of the leaders, and what would be the natural consequences of those errors if the people or leaders continued down the same path.

In order to know how God's word applies to us today, we must first learn what the author was saying to his generation, what was the sitz im leben or the setting in life, the meaning of the vocabulary and idioms, the literary style and so forth. Since God's word is eternal, it has application eternally in every era and with every generation. But first, we must ascertain the meaning as it was written in order to apply it to us today.

Let's see what Micah was saying and how that might apply to us. Scholars tell us that only the first three chapters of the book were written by Micah of Moresheth in the eighth century before Christ. What was his message? First of all, disaster was coming! God was going to strike a blow right into the heart of His people--into Judah and into Jerusalem itself. "For there is no cure for the wounds that YHWH inflicts: the blow falls on Judah, it falls on the gateway of my people, on Jerusalem itself" (1:9).

How shocked his contemporaries were by this message can be gauged by the fact that it was remembered verbatim by the elders of Jerusalem a century later (Jer 26:18-19). This message of Jerusalem's destruction contradicted the prevailing Jerusalem theology of the time (kind of like thinking no harm will come to America). Micah was saying that Davidic kingship and sacred temple worship are no guarantee against an impending Assyrian invasion. When Jeremiah said the same thing, he almost lost his life as a result (see Jer 7 & 26).

Why? Why was this terrible thing going to happen? Like Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah before him, Micah believed that this massive invasion is Gods' response to certain flagrant crimes and sins in Judah. Hence, Micah addresses three distinct groups: the military, the city elders, and the prophets.

The military or the ruling force of government were coveting fields and seizing them. These properties were the inheritance of the families living there for generations. To sell these properties would render the owners homeless and vulnerable to losing their status as free citizens (Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, Countrywide Mortgage, Citi Bank, etc). Without property a man had no alternative but to hire himself out, or become a slave. Thus, a class conflict existed. See the famous story of Naboth's vineyard in 1Kings21. The elite military was seizing the fields that they coveted and taking over houses and owners as well (2:1-2). Actions of this type were explicitly prohibited in Israelite law. Hence, their actions were criminal and their punishment would be in kind: what they seized from others would be stripped from them (2:4).

Not only was this military elite powerful, but also they were very religious! They ordered Micah to stop acting like a madman and to stop offending their theology and piety (2:7)! (Sounds like our elite and church leaders today, doesn't it?) So, it was not apostates, then, to whom Micah was addressing his sharp words, but loyal Israelites who were confident that God was "kind" to them and would not disgrace them.

Micah further said to them that they violate and rob innocent people of their clothing; evict women from the ancestral homes, depriving their children of their birthright and honor due them as free citizens; and impose ruthless fines or collateral for small misdemeanors or debts.

Then Micah addressed the uncaring elders in Chapter 3. He is speaking to leaders of the House of Israel, their courts if you will. The duty of the elders was to meet regularly to see that "justice" (mishpat) was done in their communities. Instead the people were subjected to forced labor. The motive behind this blatant disregard for the welfare of the people--money and more money. Instead of justice, the elders were building their cities and fortunes with "blood" and "iniquity." But the elders rejected Micah's warning being confident that God was among them and therefore no disaster was going to overtake them (3: 10-11)!

Then Micah, in a very satirical way, addresses the compromised prophets of his time. Just like everyone else, they were motivated by money. This is the reason they were insensitive to the evils all around and thus, they led the people astray (3:5). Micah tells them that their capacity to hear from God will grow weaker and weaker. Prophets can be a genuine source of guidance, but only if God truly inspires them, not when they are forsaken by Him due to their corruption.

The courage and energy with which Micah stood up and accused the leadership groups of his time for their crimes testifies to his love for his people. It is doubtful that someone would endanger himself in this manner for a people he thought were hopeless. Apparently Micah saw a longer range future for his people even though it was not his task to speak it.

Is there ongoing relevance from Micah today? We might ask: does our government use our military justly? Do our leaders seize property from others less fortunate because of greed? Do we mistakenly presume that we are so good and righteous that God will not bother us? When God's grace alone is stressed, it can become an opiate, leaving us feeling safe yet on the brink of disaster. Would that within the governing bodies of every town, city, state, and nation of our world there were at least one elder like Micah, responsible yet bold, wise yet courageous, energized by God to stay awake and help us see what the consequences of OUR most blatant sins and hypocrisies are.

Purim, very simply, is the celebration of the Book of Esther. In a nutshell, the story involves a wicked man named Haman, whose job was to advise the absent-minded King Ahashuerosh of Persia. When the king met Esther, a beautiful Jewish woman, he fell madly in love with her and made her his queen. All was well until Mordecai, Esther's uncle, refused to bow before Haman since Jews only bow to God, not to people. Haman became so infuriated that he told the king to have all the Jews killed, and the king agreed, not knowing Esther was Jewish. Before Haman could carry out the king's orders, Esther told King Ahashuerosh the truth about herself and her uncle. As a result, the king ordered the Jews to be spared and Haman to be hanged. There are more details to the Biblical story that I hope each of you will read.

Purim is a holiday of laughter, costumes, puppet shows, plays, and the giving of delicious treats to friends. On Purim the story of Esther is read in the synagogues and at the mention of the name Haman, every one screams, stomps their feet, and makes all sorts of noise to drown out his name. Purim is the story of what it is like for God's people to live in many countries throughout the world and throughout the ages. Too often, they have been blamed for the country's problems. Overnight in many countries they were no longer citizens of the countries in which they lived, in many instances for centuries. Hence, for Jews living outside Israel, the Purim story has special meaning. They understand the fear and helplessness of Mordechai and Esther when faced with a powerful villain.

In the Book of Esther, God's name is never mentioned. Instead of God talking to the people and offering an outstretched arm, Esther, after prayer and fasting, speaks to the king and saves her people. The word Purim means casting of lots (as in a lottery). Haman was going to choose the day the Jews would be killed by using this manner. What seemed random however had already been decided by God. Proverbs 16:33 tells us that "The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord." So what seemed happenstance was already determined by God.

There is an underlying principle of Purim found in the Abrahamic Covenant. God promised Abraham: "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you" Gen 12:2-3. In a general sense, God deals with mankind in the same way that they deal with the Jewish people. One's attitude toward the sons of Abraham is reflective of one's attitude toward the God of Abraham. To curse Israel, who God has blessed, is to set onself in direct opposition to God. This is not to say that Israel is always righteous or correct. However, to hate Israel and the Jewish people is to hate the God who created her. Again the Lord says concerning the Jewish people, "He who touches you touches the apple of His eye" Zech 2:8.

In light of this, the Abrahamic covenant exhibits something of a boomerang effect. God blesses men to the exact degree that they bless the sons of Israel (especially Israel's greater Son, Jesus); and the curses that are hurled against Israel, He brings back upon the heads of her enemies.

This explains the irony of Haman. Haman built the gallows for Mordecai, but he himself was hanged on it. Haman sought to solidify his position, but his position was given instead to Mordecai. Haman sought to kill Mordecai's people; but he, his whole family, and all those who hated the Jews were killed instead. Haman sought to wipe out the worship of the one true God; but instead "many of the people of the land became Jews, because the fear of the Jews fell upon them" (Esther 8:17).

The path of anti-Semitism is a well-worn path that always leads to the destruction of its traveler. The Hamans of history and of this present hour are many. Even as the fate of Pharoah, Antiochus Epiphanes, Hitler, Nasser, Khomeini (whose name actually was "Haman" in Farsi); so too will be the fate of Qadafi, Ahmadinejad, Assad, Nasrallah, and the host of others who dare to curse Israel and thereby curse God. God has emphatically declared "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn" (Is 54:17).

Not only is Purim the defeat of God's enemies, but also it is the story of the deliverance of His people. As we know, deliverance can only be found in the Lord. God has often delivered Israel in the past; but her full deliverance awaits the coming of The Deliverer (Romans 11:26). For only when the Messiah comes will the yoke of Gentile oppression be forever removed from Israel's neck. This truth is proclaimed in song each Purim from Isaiah: "Take counsel together,m but it will come to nothing; Speak the word, but it will not stand, For God is with us" (Isaiah 8:10). Why will the plots against the Jewish people always eventually fail? Because "God is with us," or literally in the Hebrew, because of Immanuel, the Messiah of Israel. He will destroy Israel's greatest Haman and He will deliver Israel from destruction. It is He and He alone who delivers Israel.

Before Esther entered the King's presence, she called upon her people to fast and pray for three days. Esther had to know God's will and how to please her king. She could only ascertain that information supernaturally through prayer and fasting. The Fast of Esther this year is on March 17, 2011 (Purim begins the evening of March 20th.). If you believe in the God of Abraham (Jew or Gentile), I would urge you to fast and pray for these three days. Any kind of fast you choose will do as long as you do it unto God to seek His will for His people. As you know, Israel is surrounded by enemies bent on destroying her and is in need of God's intervention as she was during the time of Esther. Pray for God's people, His beloved, the apple of His eyes, and for the destruction of His enemies. "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; and let those who hate Him flee before Him...So let the wicked perish before God" (Psalm 68:1-2).


You were born for such a time as this.



A warning to you.


Please remember that like Esther, you were born and called for "such a time as this." You have a duty and obligation to speak out against the evil of today and to ask God to save His people. Frankly if God's people, The Church, had been doing His will, Satan would not have the advantage he has today. We have used our privilege for our own greed and self-indulgence rather than for furthering the Kingdom of God. Three days of a fast with a heart to seek God on behalf of others is really minimal. I beg you to join me in the Fast of Esther from March 17-20 and to pray this Hebraic prayer each day:
                   He who makes peace in His heavens May He make peace for us and for all
                   Israel, and let us say Amen. (Oseh shalom bimromav hu ya-aseh shalom aleynu v'al
                   kol Yisrael, v'imru amen.)

Hopefully you have read Part I and II. If not just scroll down to find them.

I would first of all like to discuss the issue of refugees in the Mid-East. It seems that everyone who wishes to re-write the history of the area neglects to write about the Jewish refugee problem that was created when Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria with the help of Iran attacked Israel beginning in 1948. At that time the Arabs who abandoned their homes numbered around 587,000. The UN took charge of them and began to house, feed, care for, and educate them. They did not resettle Arab lands but rather chose to become wards of the UN. Ah, but the second group encompasses the Jews who, between 1947 and 1963 were uprooted from African and Middle Eastern countries where their ancestors had lived for generations and where they were full-fledged citizens until they suddenly became anathema. They numbered about 650,000 at that time. They or their offspring are now productive citizens of Israel. Generally they were poor; but collectively they left behind property valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. All arrived in Israel penniless but they are not a “problem” for the UN or anyone else. Instead, they are home, secure under their own flag, protected by their own laws, wandering Jews no longer.

The world has not overly concerned itself with the Jews who were constrained by forces beyond their control—discriminatory laws, persecutions, physical violence, and purposeful exclusion from Arab societies—to flee “to a place of safety,” thus meeting Webster’s definition of “refugees.”  Attention has been concentrated instead on the plight of the Arabs who left Palestine voluntarily, persuaded by their own military commanders and politicians that the war against the Jews would be short and their victorious return would be sweet with booty. Hence, they might be categorized more properly as “fugitives” rather than “refugees.” The Arab states rejected every proposal by Israel (and by various international bodies) for absorption and rehabilitation of the former residents of Palestine. Their refugees do not represent for the Arab states a human problem to be resolved at the earliest possible moment but a propaganda weapon to be preserved at all costs, regardless of the consequences to the people involved.

We can definitely see the results of that today. The only “solution” for the refugees according to the Arab states, is the complete annihilation of Israel and its Jewish population. Meanwhile the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) has spent nearly a billion dollars, most of it contributed by the U.S., in providing housing, food, medical care, and education for these so-called refugees. What started out as relief for approximately one-half million people is now “relief” for 4.7 million Arabs in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and occupied Palestinian territory (whatever that is). The Arab states have refused to absorb their own people into their societies or to contribute to their welfare. Their only answer is war with Israel; as if that would solve their problems. For decades, Israel has been offering compensation for the landed property left behind by Arab “refugees” and taken over by Israel. The Arab governments will have no part of these offers.

All problems, including the so-called refugee problem, arising from Israeli-Arab tensions remain problems only as long as the Arabs continue to insist that they want to kill every Jew and wipe out Israel as a nation. The moment the Arab states and the “Palestinians” recognize the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state, problems disappear. It is not difficult to imagine railway and highway communications running from Haifa to Beirut, Damascus, and Istanbul; from Amman to Cairo; from the Nile Valley to the Fertile Crescent. Israel could be a bridge between these areas. With peace, the Middle East, a geographic crossroads of three continents, could be a great communications center. In fact, there are no limits to what peace could mean and bring to the region.

No progress can be made, however, if one side is not ready to negotiate. So far, the Arabs have uncompromisingly declined to recognize the right of Israel to exist let alone have peace with her. Nasserism with its overriding theme of pan-Arabism, has remained the principal obstacle to peace between the Arab states and Israel. The kind of Arab oneness which Nasser (previous dictator of Egypt) sought has little support in Arab history. Indeed, Arab unity has been the exception rather than the rule. Egypt (prior to 1/25/2011) had a unifying element with the Arab world—a common religion and language—but these are not sufficiently strong to persuade Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Iraq, and Yemen to accept centralized domination by Cairo. Now with the revolution in Egypt the question remains if there will be a unifying element throughout the Arab world strong enough, i.e. the Muslim Brotherhood, perhaps. If they unify only to destroy Israel, will that be sufficient or will they continue their inter-Arab rivalry with the other Arab oil nations or between Egypt and Syria (a historic rivalry)? Also, contrary to “Nasserism,” the Middle-East is not exclusively Arab. There is Turkey, Iran, Ethiopia, Libya, Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc. Is religion enough to unite them? Further, what about the influence of other countries in the area such as Russia? Will that unite or create even more conflict? These are question I suppose only the future will answer.

But back to the claims of “Palestinians” for the moment. The “Palestinians” never sought statehood when they were occupied by Jordan and Egypt. Historically they wanted to be part of Syria. The claim of Palestinian statehood and independence began as a tactic to eliminate the Jewish state of Israel.  Moreover, its claim to statehood is no stronger, and in some cases far weaker, than the claims of the Tibetans, the Kurds, the Basques, the Chechens, the Turkish Armenians, and other such groups. The terrorism emanating from the Palestinians has brought them world-wide attention. Nevertheless, neither Israel nor the U.S. has been willing to reward terrorism in the way that the United Nations, the European Community, the Vatican, and others have. With Barak Hussein Obama as President of the U.S., the question is whether that policy will substantially change. It looks like it has.

Palestinians have been denied statehood by their own leaders, who have rejected--time after time--offers that would have led to statehood. Israel has stood ready, and stands ready today, to offer that statehood in exchange for recognition as a sovereign state and in exchange for the cessation of terrorism and acts of war. Palestinian groups on the other hand are committed only to continuing their crimes against humanity until Israel is destroyed. Would any other nation demand less than Israel? I think not.

Well, what about the settlement issue (settlements in Judea and Samaria often called the West bank), you might ask. Palestinians refused to make peace when an end to the settlements was proposed by Ehud Barak. The real barrier to peace, and no other, is the Palestinian refusal to accept the existence of a Jewish state in any part of the world let alone in Israel. From a purely legal and moral point of view, there is no good reason why ancient Jewish cities like Hebron should be without Jews—Judenrein. The Jews and their descendants who were forced out of Hebron by anti-Semitic massacres should have the same right of return or compensation as the Arab refugees are claiming. But the Jews have never been given equal opportunity in the area.

What then is the real issue here that prevents peace?  Is criticism of Israel tantamount to anti-Semitism? Of course, not. Israel is not alone in the commission of mistakes. Indeed, the harshest critics of the Israeli government have been her citizens.  But is the real underlying hindrance to peace anti-Semitism? My answer: a resounding YES. Anti-Semitism takes many forms from genocidal to political, from ideological to theological, from cultural to economic, and from holocaust denial and racist terrorism against Jews to denial of Israel’s right to equality in international law. Certainly, denying the Holocaust, or blaming it on the Jews, which has been the staple of Palestinian rhetoric, constitutes anti-Semitism or bigotry. Here is an excerpt telecast on Palestinian Authority Television by Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiya:  “Have no mercy on the Jews, no matter where they are, in any country. Fight them, wherever you are. Wherever you meet them, kill them. Wherever you are, kill those Jews and those Americans who are like them—those who stand by them. . .”  Just as an aside, I wonder if under Barack Hussein Obama America will continue to “stand by them.”

In conclusion it would be wise to remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoken less than two weeks before his assassination. He said: “. . . peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity. I see Israel as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy. . . I solemnly pledge to do my utmost to uphold the fair name of the Jews—because bigotry in any form is an affront to us all.”

Happy is the man who has not followed the counsel of the wicked, or taken the path of sinners, or joined the company of the insolent; rather, the teaching of the Lord is his delight, and he studies that teaching day and night.
He is like a tree planted beside streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, whose foliage never fades and whatever he does prospers.
Psalm 1:1-3

 

Tu B’Shevat simply means the 15^th of the Hebrew month Shevat (Jan.20, 2011).  It is the New Year for Trees.  Although it is a non-Biblical holiday, it does date back to Talmudic times.  The Talmud regards Tu B’Shevat as the New Year for agricultural laws that relate to tithing.

Why is this date the New Year for trees?  In Israel most of the annual rain has fallen by this date.  The trees have used up that rain and have begun to form their fruit.  Thus, this holiday is seen as a harbinger of spring and gives Diaspora Jews a connection with the land of Israel as well.  So besides planting trees on Tu B’Shevat (both at home and in Israel), the Jews eat fruit associated with the land of Israel.  Deuteronomy 8:8 describes the land of Israel as a land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey (this is date honey rather than bee honey).  Further, besides eating these four fruits, the almond is also given a place of prominence during the holiday since it is believed to be the first tree to blossom of all the trees of Israel.  Also, carob or St. John’s bread is popular because it could survive the trip from Israel to Jewish communities in Europe and N. Africa.  According to another Jewish tradition, God decides how bountiful the fruits of the trees will be for the coming year on Tu B’Shevat.

What has this to do with Christianity you might ask.  Deuteronomy 20:19, as well as many other Scriptures, describe trees as a symbol for humans.  “For a human is like the tree of the field.” And again in Psalm 1:3 “He (a man) is like a tree. . .”  In John 15, Jesus compares us to branches that bear fruit. And He is the one who prunes the branches (us) in order that we bear more fruit.  Did you know that trees can be grafted?  The apostle Paul explained in Romans 11 that the Gentiles (a wild olive branch) were grafted into the Jewish root.  Furthermore, Revelation 22, explains the tree (the Tree of Life—Jesus) as eternal life bearing fruit and healing. What a wonderful day and subject to celebrate! 

Furthermore, the Sabbath before Tu B’Shevat this year, is a special Sabbath called Shabbat Shirah—the Sabbath of song or praise.  In synagogues around the world the Song of Moses (Ex 15) is chanted to a special trop or cantillation.  The crossing of the Sea is celebrated as the final step of liberation.  Again, what a wonderful day and week to celebrate!

Tu B’Shevat has continued to be a time to reflect upon our connection to the land of Israel.  Jewish people traditionally give money to the Jewish National Fund to plant a tree in Israel (www.jnf.org). The current price is $18.00 which is the numerical equivalent for the word “life” in Hebrew.

Finally, consider the words of Cedric Wright:

            Consider the life of trees.

            Aside from the axe, what trees acquire from man 
                       is inconsiderable.

            What man may acquire from trees is immeasurable.

            From their mute forms there flows a poise,

                        in silence, a lovely sound and motion 
                        in response to wind.

            What peace comes to those aware of the voice  
                        and bearing of trees!

            (Words of the Earth, 1960)

A series of general armistice agreements with Israel were entered into after her war of independence. These agreements were concluded under the UN auspices and were signed by Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. The first agreement guaranteed the right of each party to security and freedom from fear of attack by the armed forces of the other. This agreement claimed that threats to peace were to be eliminated. Besides these armistice agreements, the UN appointed a commission represented by the United States, France, and Turkey which first attempted to bring the Arab states and Israel together to find a common ground for a final peace settlement. The Arab states refused to sit with Israel’s representatives. Meetings were thus held separately and eventually separate protocols were signed by the affected parties. Even though these agreements and protocols were signed back in 1949, eighteen years later by 1967, no peace treaty had yet been drawn up. Israel repeatedly drew attention to the fact that these agreements were not permanent and volunteered time and again to enter into negotiations for a permanent peace.

These are some of the unilateral peace offers to the Arab states that Israel made. In 1951 Israel proposed a nonaggression pact. Israel offered to negotiate compensation to Arabs who abandoned their land and dwelling places in Israel. In 1953, Israel released accounts held by Arab refugees in Israeli banks. In 1954, Israel offered Jordan free port facilities at Haifa as part of a peace settlement. Also in 1954 in an Arabic broadcast over Israel’s official radio station, Israel expressed willingness to serve as a land bridge between her neighboring Arab states, offering passage across her territory.

Israel even went so far as to offer the Arabs complete disarmament in the Middle East with mutual inspection or in the alternative Israel would offer political, economic, and cultural relations along with a non-aggression pact. Israel has sought only to have the chance to live in peace with her Arab neighbors. This effort continues to this day; but like the others, is ignored or scorned. Instead of peace a cacophony of hate pours from the Arab press and the Arab peoples. Their two main themes are genocide and “politicide. ”No other people in the world has been obliged to contend, day in and day out, with so real a threat to its existence as the Israelis are forced (by international pressure) to do.

In 1967 Egypt closed the Straits of Tiran by military force, knowing this was an act of war against Israel. Egyptian president G. A. Nasser boasted, “We knew the closing of the Gulf of Aqaba meant war with Israel…the objective will be Israel’s destruction.” Nasser stated publically that the ensuing war would not be over the Straits of Tiran but over Israel’s “existence.” This was to be a war of extermination, a situation Israel and the Jewish people face continually. This was not rhetoric. Arab armies were massing along Israel’s border poised to strike. Egyptian battle plans included the massacre of the Tel Aviv civilian population. The Egyptian army was equipped with poison gas according to Israeli intelligence. Further, Egypt flew surveillance missions over Israel. The question was who would attack the other’s air fields first. Israel answered the question. On June 5, 1967 the Israeli air force attacked Egyptian, Syrian, and Iraqi military airfields. Israel did not attack Jordan, hoping it would stay out of the war. Israel sent several messages to King Hussein in Jordan promising not to attack Jordan unless it was attacked first. Israel made it clear that it had no designs on the West Bank or even on the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem with its Western Wall, unless it was to be attacked. It was the Arab legion that initiated the hostilities between Jordan and Israel.

Hence, Jordan attacked. It began shelling Jewish civilian population. Six thousand shells were fired into Jewish residential areas, wounding 1000 civilians. 900 buildings were damaged. Jordanian planes joined those of Egypt and Syria, as well as Iraqi MIGs in bombing civilian population centers.  Damascus radio proudly announced the bombing of civilian cities. It was a repeat of 1948 in which the Arab armies deliberately and unlawfully targeted Israel civilian population centers, while the Israel army attacked legitimate military targets. Only after Jordan’s air force began bombing residential neighborhoods in Israel did Israel finally attack Jordanian military airfields. The Israelis accepted a cease fire proposed by the UN but the Jordanians kept fighting. Only then did Israel capture the West Bank and the Old City of Jerusalem.

When you look at the above events, the history, and the circumstances surrounding Israel today, has anything changed in the last 43 years? With one exception, instead of Iraq supplying arms and pilots, Iran is doing it now. The entire Arab world is poised against her and it is more than rhetoric again. The threat of a nuclear attack from Iran or Syria is real. Israel and the Jewish people are faced once again with the diabolical threat of annihilation. Who will attack first this time? In all honesty, I pray it is Israel without regard to American political opinion and for the preservation and protection of the Jewish people.

Around the Fourth Century BC, Alexander the Great with his Greek armies conquered the Near East including the area now called Israel. After his death, his empire split apart. The land of Israel came under the control of the Seleucid dynasty, which ruled in the region of Syria. In the year 167 BC, King Antiochus Epiphanes decided to force all the people under his rule to Hellenize (to become like the Greeks). The practice of Jewish rituals such as observance of the Sabbath and circumcision was outlawed. The worship of Greek gods and the sacrifice of pigs replaced the traditional worship in the Temple. Some Jews eagerly flocked to the gymnasium. the symbol of the Greek emphasis on the beauty and strength of the body. Others resisted Hellenism and died as martyrs.

One day, the Greeks came to the village of Modi'in and set up an altar. They commanded the Jews to bring a pig as a sacrifice to show obedience to Antiochus. Mattathias, an old priest was so enraged when he saw a Jew about to kill the pig on the altar, that he killed him. He and his five sons then fought the Greek detachment, retreated to the mountains, and began a guerrilla war against the Greeks and their Jewish allies. Before he died of old age, Mattathias passed on the leadership of the clan to his son, Judah the Maccabee. Judah led his forces against a series of armies sent by Antiochus; through superior strategy and bravery he defeated them all.

Finally, Judah and his followers liberated Jerusalem and reclaimed the Temple from its defilement by the Greeks. They could find only one small cruse of oil, enough to last one day. But when they lit the Temple Menorah (the oil lamp) with it, a miracle occurred. The Menorah burned for eight days. Thus, we celebrate Hanukkah to remember the Maccabees' successful fight for justice and to remember the miracle of light.

There are two very special themes and symbols that pertain to Hanukkah. They are the number eight and the theme of light. In chapter 10:22 of the Gospel of John, Jesus went into the Temple to teach. The Gospel tells us it was the Feast of Dedication or Hanukkah.

The major ritual associated with Hanukkah is the lighting of the Menorah--the purpose of which is to make known the miracle of light. Originally the Menorah was lit outside near the doorstep so that all passers-by could see it. It is still customary to place the Menorah in the window so that passers-by can see the lights (this little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine!). Jesus taught in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5: "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, who is in heaven."

A note about Menorahs: usually eight candles or oil holders are place on one level, with the shammus (servant) candle being the singled-out one that is used to light the other lights. Wow, that speaks volumes of Jesus, doesn't it? After all, it was Jesus who came as a servant to relight the light in mankind. Menorahs are also called Hanukiahs in Israel and on the Israeli ones, it says: "a miracle happened here." On the U.S. ones, the saying reads "a miracle happened there."

Traditionally, the shammus is lit and then before the other candles are lit, the following prayers are said:  "Praise are you, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who sanctified our lives through his commandments, commanding us to kindle the Hanukkah lights. Praised are you, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who performed miracles for our ancestors, in those days, at this season." On the first night an added prayer is said:  "Praised are you, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and helping us to reach this moment." Then the shammus is used to light the other candles. The candles are lit from right to left.

The Hanukkah lights are sacred for all eight days. It is forbidden to make use of them, except to look at them in order to praise God for his miracles, wonders, and triumphs.

There are two customs associated with Hanukkah: the giving of "gelt" (money) to children and the playing of the game "dreidle." The gelt is usually in the form of chocolate coins. Driedle is a top that is spun and on each of the four sides are the Hebrew letters: nun, gimel, hel, and shin. This forms an acronym for the phrase "neis gadol haya sham" or "a great miracle happened there." Once again, in Israel the letter shin is replaced with  the letter peh standing for the word "poh", so that it reads: "a great miracle happened here." Another interesting fact is that each of these letters has a numerical equivalent that adds up to 358, the same number as the letters of the word "messiah." It is the Messiah who is the author of miracles!.

The second custom is to eat foods fried in oil, to remind us of the miracle of the oil. So we eat "latkes," potato pancakes. These are usually eaten with applesauce or sour cream.

During the eight days and nights of light, the Maccabees cleaned, purified, and rededicated the Temple. In the Torah (the first five Books of Moses), dedications take place on the eighth day--remember the first-born are consecrated to God on the eighth day. Hebrew boys are circumcised on the eighth day. Even today, before a sanctuary can be rededicated (in the Jewish faith), it must undergo a seven-day period of purification, and then dedication on the eighth day. Thus, the word "Hanukkah" means re-dedication and also the number eight signifies the same in Hebrew tradition.

The final night of Hanukkah has a special significance. It is called "zot Hanukkah" which literally means "this is Hanukkah." This is the time when the Menorah is at its brightest (Psalms tells us that the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that grows brighter and brighter until the full day). This brightness is what the fully lit Menorah represents.

Further, this number eight carries a special meaning. It is one beyond completion. Seven is completion. When creation was complete, God rested. Seven marks the limits of time and eight is beyond time. Eight signifies the eternal. Thus, the eighth day is the essence of Hanukkah and a reminder of the light that is ever present in this world.

Again, Hanukkah is the time of dedication and renewal. The old altars that have become impure, are torn down and we rededicate ourselves and our temple to the service of God.

Since Jesus said He was (and is) the light of the world (and the Menorah represents Gods' gift of light) I would like you to consider the following: light gives of itself freely, filling all available space. It does not seek anything in return; it asks not whether you are friend or foe. It gives of itself and is not thereby diminished. So, if His light is in us, are we not to do the same?

Light--Hanukkah