If you have kept up with what has happened in Israel over the past few months then your heart is aching for the families of the recent terror victims. Among the victims were three sets of young Jewish siblings – Yaakov and Asher Paley, Hallel and Yagel Yaniv, and Maia and Rina Dee. These were such gentle and loving people. The best of the best. These murders scream the question: can people like you and I – non-Jewish, lovers of God, Israel, and the Jewish people – do anything to stop the continuous slaughter of God’s chosen people?
The first question we need to answer is: are we okay with not doing anything about it?
I assume that you are on the same page with me. The answer is a resounding, “No!” No, we are not okay with standing idly by. We have learned from history. We know what happens to Jewish people when Christians forsake their biblical mandate to bless Israel. Millions of innocent people have been mercilessly slaughtered as those who claim to serve the God of Israel did absolutely nothing to stop it. We know we cannot carry on the sins of our forefathers. No; we will not. Not on our watch.
However has it actually sunk in that just like during the Holocaust, Jews are being murdered today just because they are Jewish? What are we doing now about what is happening now? We want to do better. We know we must! Are we? These are hard questions. But if we are who we say we are, we need to ask these questions.
What can we do that would actually stop Palestinian Arab jihadists from indiscriminately murdering innocent Jewish civilians?
A friend of mine, Rabbi Elie Michele, recently wrote an article entitled “Fight like David.” In that article he says that Jewish people in Israel should be more bold in their efforts to defeat their internal enemies. He contends that Israel should:
“Send a clear and unequivocal message to all terrorists: when you commit an act of terror, your family will be deported from this land and will suffer for your acts of evil. If the State of Israel fought like David, it would tell our enemies: after every act of terror, we will declare sovereignty over another town in Judea and Samaria, our biblical homeland. And if the State of Israel fought like David, it would use overwhelming force to punish terrorists and all those who protect them and give them shelter.”
That is the role of Israelis. What is our role as non-Jews?
Enter Ittai. You may not have ever heard of this particular biblical character. He is not so famous and only shows up twice in the whole Bible. King David was having a very rough time. Internally, the state of Israel was falling apart. David’s own kin played a successful propaganda campaign against him and drove him out of his capital, Jerusalem. As he was on his way out of the city with those faithful to him, he was surprised to find that Ittai the Gittite was also leaving Jerusalem.
King David says, “Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you.” (2 Samuel 15:19-20)
David tries to convince Ittai that this is not his fight and that he really doesn’t have to follow him. Ittai, however, would not take no for an answer! He replied, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.” (2 Samuel 15:21)
When times got rough for David, Ittai was right there beside him. What is amazing is that just three chapters later we see that Ittai has been appointed as one of David’s top generals! Ittai stood with King David in his weakest hour and helped him to re-establish order in Israel.
The Prophet Zechariah makes a very interesting declaration in chapter 12 verse 8. He says, “On that day the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David.” What he’s saying is that all those who are now in Israel, whether they miraculously made it through the Holocaust, survived the wars of Israel, terrorism, economical challenges, making aliyah and re-settling in the land, no matter how unstable they are, God will make them like David.
How is God going to do that? Let’s read a little further in Zechariah. In Chapter 14 verse 23 it says, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” Psalm 126 tells us that these non-Jews will also help Israel realize that God has done great things for them. Isaiah 61:5 says that these modern day “Ittai’s” will help Israelis with their agricultural endeavors. Isaiah 56 declares that all Gentiles will come to pray and worship the God of Israel in Jerusalem.
I propose that you should find a David and be his non-Jewish Jonathan. You must become a modern-day Ittai to a modern-day David.
If every David had ten Ittais, we would stop terrorism! Especially if all ten emphatically declared that David should, as my friend rabbi Elie put it, “send a clear and unequivocal message to all terrorists: when you commit an act of terror, your family will be deported from this land and will suffer for your acts of evil.” “…after every act of terror, declare sovereignty over another town in Judea and Samaria”, and “use overwhelming force to punish terrorists and all those who protect them and give them shelter.”
The thing is, we have to do it! We cannot stand back and say, “Well, there are a lot of internal issues and I’m not so sure about the modern ‘conflict’ and ‘occupation.’” That is not what Ittai did! It is what many Christians did leading up to and during the Holocaust.
Ittai showed up the day before he made his stand with King David. If you feel like you are behind, or don’t know how to start, the first step is to come to Jerusalem. Relationships and opportunities will grow from there.
Now is your time. For God’s holy name sake, find a David and become an Ittai!
I pray for Israel and Jerusalem every day for peace and protection to God’s people.
I am so sorry Israel and gods people are going through this. I pray for Israel every day.. I am also sorry that this administration in my country, USA has turned their back on Israel. I did not vote them in and we are praying that the next election will make a big turn around. Pray for the USA also.
The first thing is consulting with HaShem Yeshua Mashiach. He may have plans for His own retribution or plans on how to move forward. We cannot assume we must be first to act. Remember the 185K Assyrians? Plagues of Egypt? Remember what happened to Saul when he acted before Samuel arrived? Use caution. We are in end times and the El Shaddai is moving many according to His word.
The book of Revelation is coming through the threshold.
There are no ‘palestinian’ people, never have been. They were created by the KGB for the Egyptian terrorists Arafat and Abbas in the 60s, in the form of the PLO, which the KGB trained and armed. They were given false documents and so began the greatest myth ever. Arabs have no part in Jerusalem. The aim of these people is to take Israel’s land and kill the Jews as can be seen in Judea and Samaria, erroneously called ‘the west bank’. Bible prophecy shows us that we are close to the end times and the return of Christ and the judgement of Israel’s enemies.
So much of this awakens me to the lack of action and accountability of the U.S. and its lack of support to Israel.
You are so right. The US does not support Israel. EXCEPT…the US gives Israel $10 million A DAY in military aid. The US only blocks every UN resolution when the world tries to scold Israel for violating international law. The US does not hold Israel accountable when it kills American citizens.
I do support Israel through
Giving to UFCJ. And praying for Peace in Israel and Jerusalem.
Praise God for people like you.
If I were a young man, and had the means to go, I would do it! But since I am a 75 year old woman who has nothing to her name, has Parkinson’s and lives in a retirement annex nursing home which costs her more than she gets in retirement benefits, it’s impossible. I can pray, and that I am doing and will do the more so after this mail of yours!
This is great Tine, your prayers are shield and arrow to the jewish people and to the land of Israel! Be richely blessed!
Praise God
If I were a young man, and had the means to go, I would do it! But since I am a 75 year old woman who has nothing to her name, has Parkinson’s and lives in a retirement annex nursing home which costs her more than she gets in retirement benefits, it’s impossible. I can pray, and that I am doing, and will do the more of after this mail of yours! I don’t see any duplicates here!
Hi, it’s Zechariah 8:23, not 14:23.
When are you going to address the legitimate grievances of the Palestinian people? My own relatives were ethnically cleansed from their village. Some were killed. Many are still living in refugee camps, waiting for Israel to obey international law and let them return to their land.
It’s easier to lump them all together as “terrorists” than to acknowledge they have been treated unjustly for many decades and are understandably angry at Israel.
I’m hearing/reading stories on Israel being surrounded by enemies and fighting and being on alert every day.
I am a believer of the God of Israel and a Christian in Papua 🇵🇬 New 🇵🇬 Guinea, a small country in the Pacific. I have committed to praying for the Nation of Israel and it’s citizens during this perilous times ahead. One day will visit and see the land of Israel myself.
There are no so called Palestinians. They are Arabs who adopted the identity of a non existing entity called Palestinian in the 60s of the last century when the KGB established the PLO.
Arabs were not ethnically cleansed. That’s a lie. Most of them ran away during the war, some left their homes on the instructions of the invading Arab armies and yes, some were evicted for joining the invading Arab forces.
In wars, people get killed. If you value your life, don’t start wars.
Nearly 1 million Jews were ethnically cleansed from Arab lands as a result of the war in 48. All were absorbed in Israel.
The fact that there are still Arabs living in refugee camps is a result of the Arab nations using these people as a propaganda tool against Israel and to convince useful idiots to do are $billions to corrupt terrorist organizations. These donations do not help the cause of the Arabs.
If any of these people were treated unjustly, it’s by their own brethren and their corrupt leadership.
Remember:
Those who initiate wars of aggression or terror campaigns towards their neighbor, should be ready to pay the consequences.
The reason that the Palestinian faction is not forced to stop is because there is no consequences to their actions. Sure some of their people die and become martyrs for their cause. This is still victory for them. The only thing that will hurt them is to lose territory for the attacks. Push them out of Gaza, decrease the size of their access to the Temple Mount, etc. The world hates Jews anyway. ✡️
It would be interesting to watch you say “there are no Palestinians” to my Palestinian husband. He traces his family lineage in Ibdis, a village that Israel ethnically cleansed and demolished, back to at least the 1500s. That’s a fact. “There are no Palestinians” is, plain and simple, a false statement.
Check international law. Whether an indigenous people run away or are chased away doesn’t matter. When the war is over, they have the right of return – or they should be compensated. We have rules about these things. Israel just doesn’t follow the rules.
I am an 86yr old widow; but I can still pray daily for Isreal. I support Isreal through the John Hagga Ministry monthly. I live on my Social Security and have diminished vision. I listed to the Isreal Guys. I am thankful for their updates. I wanted to buy a Bible they advertised that would help me better understand how God’s plan is detailed in the old Testiment. I believe it was for
$19. If there was a phone # I would use it. Praying God’s Blessing and Protection. I am call ing my representatives in Washing to let them know how very important it is to support Isreal. I am ashamed of our current administration’s lack of support.
When are the Palestinians going to realize that Israel is God’s holy land and make peace with Israel. You can not come up against the God of Israel and win, no matter what. If they did that, forget their grievances (as we all do in different situations,) l am sure the God of Israel will bless them and their families.
When are the Israelis going to realize that you can’t just push someone off their land because you say that your God gave you the land? And the founders of Israel were secular Jews.
Who is this “God of Israel”? Does it include Jesus, who said “Love your neighbor as yourself”? I am a Christ follower, and I can see literally nothing about Christian Zionism that matches up with Jesus’ message. Please explain.