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Is it the Land? Is it the People?
The Quest for God's Priority of Importance
May 13th, 2012 |
ALFEI MENASHE, ISRAEL
Shalom Dear Friends,
Difficult to imagine, but almost half of 2012 has gone by... Where are the days going?
For us personally, this is a significant year: on June the 6th, we will be celebrating the 10th Anniversary of our Return to the Land (from Ireland).
It is also significant because we know that God's call for us, to return to the Land, is for a purpose, and has quite a few Spiritual reasons attached to it. One of the main reasons is to be "Watchmen": to warn the Nation of Israel on one hand, yet, at the same time, to be the "voice of caution and guidance" to the Body of Messiah, outside of Israel.
So, with all of our love and appreciation for you, dear Family in the Lord, we are going to use this venue, as a Platform to convey some of the issues and thoughts that He has given us - for the People of Israel and for the Church. |
 | | Benjamin Netanyahu and Shaul Mofaz during their press conference announcing a Unity Government on May 8, 2012 |
What does Israel need: Maneuvering-Politicians or True Leaders?
Some of you may have heard of a major, undemocratic stunt pulled recently by our Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
In what some define as a Brilliant Move, and others as a Dirty Trick - Netanyahu managed to expand his governing Coalition to have an overwhelming majority of 94 out of 120 Members in the Israeli Parliament - The Knesset! The essence of it is very simple: secretly, on the 8th of May, in the wee-hours of the morning, Netanyahu pulled the biggest Opposition Party, to his side, creating the biggest coalition that Israel has ever had. Thus leaving the Parliament in a precarious, dangerous place, without any significant opposition to the Government!
Quoting from a leading Israeli newspaper:
Other newspapers have named it: 'The Grip on Power'
This move, whatever you may call it, proves very clearly that our charismatic and eloquently-speaking Prime Minister, is indeed a brilliant politician!! However, it also proves that he is more than able to do everything possible for his own personal gain and interest, and for the benefit of his party.
But is he a Leader? Are the interests of the People and the Land, which God appointed him to first serve, and then govern - at all in the forefront of his thoughts, intentions and decision making?
In these difficult days we are living in, days of clear existential threats to Israel, and ever-increasing Global Economic downfall; days when the entire Middle-East is on fire with the so called "Arab Spring", we can expect an old, familiar result: the Extreme Islamists will use the legitimate struggle for Freedom & Democracy in the Arab Nations, for their own agenda, and take over! This will create a series of Fanatical, Extreme and Totalitarian Sharia-Regimes all around the borders of Israel, purposing to do nothing else, but to devour and annihilate her!
At these crucial times - Israel needs Godly Leaders, not Brilliant Politicians! |
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God's Primary Intent: All Leaders of Israel have to be Godly!
God never intended for His people to have any Leaders besides men who follow Him, and are appointed by Him! He always wanted, and He wants these days too, men that will lead the Nation according to His purposes, according to His ways. In His eyes - there should be no distinction between "Spiritual" and "Political" Leaders. This is why He had the first Kings of Israel Anointed in His Name!
Chapter 34 of Ezekiel spreads before us the fate of Leaders who do not understand this principle, and cheat, abuse, act corruptly and rule over the Nation rather than lead her, in a just and Godly way - according to His Template, Principles & Patterns !
God's Pre-requisites for Providing Safe-pastures
In this chapter, God not only provides us with the understanding of His ways of dealing with unworthy leaders, but also unfolds before us
several promises, to take matters back into His own hands, and to provide safe-pastures and provision. These promises are:
- 34:15-16 - "I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD..." - God Himself will be the Sole Shepherd, who provides safety, stability and healing
- 34:17-22 - "As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats..." - God will judge fairly between the just and the unjust
- 34:23-24 - "I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them..." - God Himself will appoint a single, just and caring Shepherd
- 34:25 - "I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of wild beasts so that they may live in the desert and sleep in the forests in safety." - God will provide a Covenant of Peace, with those abused and suffering sheep
These are indeed His irrevocable promises. Yet, in a very clear way, God is saying another thing: "Before I provide all these wonderful things, something has to be done. I need to do something BEFORE I can bring all these promises about". This pre-requisite is mentioned, very briefly, in Ezekiel 34:27 "The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them". God has to break the Yoke of Oppression - even if it comes from the Leaders! |
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The Land must be Inhabited
This is what God says in Lev. 25:23-24 "The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants. Throughout the country that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land".
In these verses, God is setting His pre-condition for holding on to His Land, and He explains 4 things:
a. He clarifies who the Owner & Landlord of the Land is, b. He explains who the Tenants are, c. He explains what His Tenants are NOT allowed to do with the property, d. He explains what the responsibilities of the Tenants are towards the Land.
The Land is important, but so are the Inhabitants
We saw above that the Land of Israel, being God's "Headquarters" for fulfilling His Plan to Save Humankind, is of paramount importance: "For the LORD has chosen Zion, He has desired it for his dwelling: 'This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it'" (Psalm 132:13-14).
But with God, His Plan does not end with merely holding-on to a piece of Real-estate, which happens to be His chosen Headquarters!
He also appointed a vehicle, to drive His Plan: the People of Israel, with whom He cut an Eternal Covenant, of which He is the sole signee.
In Ezekiel 34:30-31 - at the end of the chapter, God makes sure that all who read - will understand:
"Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Sovereign LORD. You, my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign LORD".
This is God's Punch line: "The Land without its Inhabitants - My chosen Tenants, the Nation of Israel - is of not much use to me. I need them both, in order to bring my Plan about: the Nation residing in Peace and Safe Pastures, provided by Me - in the Land assigned and provided by Me".
Unhappy Tenants will Neglect and Abandon their Abode
Who can drive the Citizens, of any Nation, into a state of hopelessness and despair?
Their Leaders and Government. It is as simple as that. It is the "Shepherds" of the Nation, any nation, who can.
And in Israel of 2012, the Legislators & the Cabinet are Ruling unjustly, rather than Leading. Society is getting disheartened and more disillusioned, morale is going down, poverty is on the rise, and society is getting weaker by the day. It is not only the enemy from without that is threatening us, but the enemy from within!
A weak society, weak spiritually, morally, economically and mentally, will not be able to carry on holding the Land that the Nation is in possession of right now, but it is also at risk of losing it! |
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In Conclusion: no land can be kept without strong inhabitants led by Godly leaders
Pray for the Land, not to be given back or "sold for peace", for a pot of lentils. It is NOT ours to sell and/or give to anybody!
But, PLEASE do not neglect praying for the Nation, who is called to inhabit this Land, and hold on to it!
If the Nation is to hold on to the Land given to it by God - it must have willing, motivated, healthy, strong, content, God-fearing and God-loving citizens to do so! This condition can only be achieved if the Nation of Israel is Lead by Godly, just, fair and upright Governors-Leaders, whom the nation trusts. This is NOT the case in Israel today!
So, dear Family of God, when you pray for Israel, please pray for the following:
- That God Himself will appoint Israel's Leaders
- That Israel's Ruling Politicians will become Godly Leaders
- That the Nation itself will have Faith and Trust in God firstly, and then - that the trust in His Appointed Leaders will be restored
- That the Nation will contain enough Spiritual Resources, NOT to crumble from the inside, but to be able to hold on and accomplish everything God wants her to hold on to and accomplish!
- That all corruption, injustice, power-seeking and greed will disappear from Israel's Government and Parliament: these things weaken society, and demoralize it! The Nation is at risk of loosing its motivation to go on defending her!
"Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Sovereign LORD. You, my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign LORD"
(Ezekiel 34:30-31) |
Blessings and Shalom from both of us,
 Charlotte and Uzi |
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This Newsletter may be forwarded, providing Charlotte & Uzi Lotan and the Ministry of Beit Hallel are mentioned as being the Original Source |
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