Psalms 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.
Isaiah 62:6-7 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent, 7 And give Him no rest till He establishes And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
This past weekend saw an unprecedented assault on Israel by Iran; 185 drones, 36 cruise missiles, and 110 surface-to-surface missiles were launched in successive waves from the eastern enemy nation devoted to the destruction of the Jewish homeland. More than 99% of these objects were intercepted by Israel and her allies. Israel’s military is extraordinarily capable and her allies’ support significant, yet I believe there is a bit more to the story.
A study of the history of wars reveals that God has intervened in military conflicts, and not just in biblical accounts of war.
The war of 1812 is one example, when the fledgling American nation was facing a devastating challenge from the British. Francis Scott Key peered across the harbor in Baltimore at the siege of Fort McHenry, witnessing the scene that would inspire the words in his national anthem, and wondering would the young nation survive “the bombs bursting in air”; would we find that “our flag was still there”? As the war progressed, British troops marched into Washington D.C. capturing the city as American forces retreated, and finding the dinner table set, sat down to dine before setting the White House ablaze, while First Lady Dolly Madison fled her presidential home by carriage, taking with her the rolled-up portrait of George Washington. The British troops continuing their destructive spree, entered the Capitol building, where they mockingly held a vote in the lawmaker’s chamber to decide whether to burn it down. Then they torched the Capitol, the Library of Congress, the Navy Yard, and other significant public buildings.
However, soon afterward, the sky darkened and fierce winds began to howl, a hurricane and tornado unleashed chaos in Washington, D.C. The storm’s ferocity threw British soldiers from their horses, killed others with flying debris, and sent cannons airborne. Torrential rain extinguished the raging fires across the city as a tornado swept down Constitution Avenue. The tempest forced two British ships ashore and prompted a retreat. Overwhelmed, a British admiral exclaimed to an American woman, “Great God, Madam! Is this the kind of storm to which you are accustomed in this infernal country?” Her response underscored the storm’s timely intervention against the invaders: “No, Sir, this is a special interposition of Providence to drive our enemies from our city.” Someone must have been praying; perhaps we’ll eventually find out who….
According to a British historian, “More British soldiers were killed by this stroke of nature than by all the arms the Americans could muster in the feeble defense of their Capitol.” It was shortly thereafter that President James Madison, recognizing the hand of God in saving his nation, declared a ‘Day of Fasting and Prayer.’
While many in Israel may attribute its survival against a barrage of missiles to its military defenses and allies, the unfolding conflict had mobilized millions of saints around the world to pray for the “Peace of Jerusalem”, doubtless invoking the aid of powerful angels in whatever ways their divinely guided activity impacts the course of missiles and weapons of war.
Never underestimate the effectual prayer of the saints as it works in the affairs of men! Let the recent conflict in Israel serve as a testament to the efficacy of spiritual warfare, and that God’s intervention works in tandem, fulfilling His purposes in earthly affairs, and protecting all that belong to Him. Let us continue to pray and stand in faith as this Middle East conflict develops, praying for the salvation of Israel and her enemies, as He desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. The gospel will reconcile even the bitterest of enemies, until Yeshua (Jesus) returns to finally bring peace on Earth.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]As we continue our study of the men who followed David, another characteristic was their ability to war.They learned how to battle with both the right hand and the left hand for hurling stones. If you have ever thrown a ball, you know that you can aim effectively with your dominant hand — but try it with the opposite hand — it’s far more difficult to throw accurately. But the men that followed David learned to throw with both arms effectively! It must have taken months of training to develop such skill.
When David was a fugitive from Saul, the men who followed him recognized his rightful place as King of Israel, and they developed a deep loyalty to him, this little band. As we read yesterday, these men were transformed from distress, debt, and discontentment [1 Sam. 22:1-2] into becoming mighty men of war. Having joined David, they quickly realized that they were joining a conflict.
Last night, Jewish people around the world will mourn Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the fifth month of the Hebrew calendar year. Some of you may know that a lot of bad things have happened to the Jewish people on this date, the first of which was when the spies returned with an evil report of Canaan, the Promised Land, recounted in Numbers 13 and 14. Both the first and the second Temple were destroyed on this exact date, hundreds of years apart. The Crusades began on this day in 1095. The Jews were expelled out of England on this day in 1290, and again were expelled from Spain and Portugal on Tisha B’Av in 1492. And there are many more examples of this infamous day in Jewish history!
An ancient legend tells of a king who walked into his garden one day to find almost everything withered and dying. After speaking to an oak near the gate, the king learned that he was troubled because he was not tall and beautiful like the pine. The pine overheard their conversation and added that she, too, was upset, for she could not bear delicious fruit like the pear tree. The pear tree heard his name and began to complain that he did not have the lovely odor of the spruce. And so it went throughout the entire garden.
In the midst of a serious heat wave, wildfires are spreading across Europe causing thousands to evacuate. This reminded me of a story I once read.
I can’t begin to tell you. So many people I’ve shared the Gospel with have answered, “Well — I don’t need that, I’m a good person.” No, we’re not. We have a tendency to compare ourselves with our neighbor, thinking how nice or how giving we are compared to him or her. But none of us are good by God’s standards. Our good works are like filthy rags, according to Isaiah.
If you look at the ant you will find that they dwell in colonies. Each colony consists of approximately 60,000 – 90,000 ants — they really can’t prosper on their own. They need each other. How does a colony of that many ants to work together? The only reason it works is that they operate in unity. Each ant shares the same purpose, the same goal, and the same aim.