Israel Prayer Update (March 1, 2010)

This week in Israel:

1. A SOUND OF ABUNDANCE OF RAIN.GREENING, FILLING, FLUSHING, REVEALING.

This week's "Haftarah" portion (see "Torah" section below) begins with God directing Elijah, "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth." An abundance of rain would indeed come, but it would be released through the agency of the travailing prayer of Elijah.a "man with a nature like ours" (I Kings 18:41-46; James 5:17). We are so thankful for you who have prayed. Exactly a year ago it was reported that Israel had endured the driest February on modern record-yet this February went out with some of the most persistent and drenching rainfall in years. The Sea of Galilee rose above the "red line" (a line below which it is considered environmentally dangerous to continue pumping water) for the first time in over a year; there was flooding in the south-and Jerusalem topped all major locales with over 170 millimeters of rain. We praise the Lord as we see a wonderful greening taking place throughout our land.

Of course such weather brings with it a certain amount of damage and temporary inconvenience. In a land where there is usually little precipitation continual rain will quickly bring to light certain hidden imperfections. Spreading stains on the ceilings or little puddles on the floor betoken leaks in roofs and window sills whose surfaces had appeared sound. Where wiring has been shoddily installed or negligently inspected, houses and private streets may quickly find themselves in the dark. Where blockage has developed in poorly constructed or maintained drainage systems, waters may swell, bursting forth in supercharged streams spouting down into the roads. (We have noticed all of this in our own neighborhood over the past week!) It is a good time to be reminded of Yeshua's story in Matthew 7:24-27 regarding building upon a good foundation-and perhaps also seeing to its regular maintenance!

These are among the last of what are called 'former rains' in Israel. This coming month Aviv/Nisan, will be a time to continue by "asking the LORD for rain in the time of the latter rain. The LORD will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone!" (Zechariah 10:1).

2. SON OF HAMAS / SON OF GOD!

Tomorrow March 2^nd will see publication in the United States of the book Son of Hamas: A gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices by Mosab Hassan Yousef (Salt River Press). This past weekend Israel's 3^rd largest Hebrew newspaper HaAretz ran a cover article on the author in the magazine section of both its Hebrew and English editions. Mosab Yousef is the son of a joint founder of the militant Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas. Captured by Israeli forces in his late teens for involvement in rioting and unlawful possession of a handgun he was thrown into jail where he underwent harsh interrogation. While incarcerated, he was approached by a member of Shen Bet (an Israeli internal security service) and offered an opportunity to work as an agent for Israel in its fight against terrorism. He agreed, secretly hoping to act as a double agent, bringing revenge against Israel and those who had arrested him. However, during the time of his stay in prison, Yousef was exposed to the incredible cruelty and torture meted out by Hamas leaders also being held prisoner against other Arabs whom they suspected of collaboration with the Israelis. He became disillusioned with the organization and with Islam. Something was working deeply within this man-an awakened conscience against the evil he was continually witnessing, a compassionate desire to help save life, regardless of whose side it was on. He agreed to work with Shen Bet. Thus began an amazing story, only now just coming to public light, in which Yousef went back into the West Bank (where he was still respected because of his famous father), and became instrumental in the saving of hundreds of lives. For ten years, especially during the dark days of the 2^nd Intifada, Yousef would get information out to the Israeli forces when suicide bombers were heading to a certain locale, or when explosive belts were about to be delivered. He was key in the arrest of a number of terrorists, including senior leaders Marwan Barghouti, and Ibrahim Hamed, who alone was responsible for the deaths of 80 Israelis. To this day the Israelis who worked with him speak in tones of profound respect. Says one, "The amazing thing is that none of his actions were done for money. He did things he believed in. He wanted to save lives. His grasp of intelligence matters was just as good as ours-the ideas, the insights. One insight of his was worth 1,000 hours of thought by top experts" ("Adventures of the Green Prince"; Avi Issacharoff, HaAretz Magazine, February 26, 2010, p.7). And it was not only Israeli lives-many of the Palestinian's he fingered would be captured rather than killed only at Yousef's insistence.

Sometime early in those years, he discovered an Arabic New Testament and began to read. He recounts, "I remember encountering the sentence, 'Love your enemies.' That made me think: These enemies of yours, the Shin Bet, the soldiers, are only trying to do their job. I thought to myself how Hamas would behave in a reverse situation: Would they show mercy to Jews? And I thought: 'Who are you trying to kid? Hamas and Fatah would behave more humanely?' I couldn't define who my enemy was anymore" (Ibid., p.8). Finally Mosab Yousef chose to become a believer in Yeshua/Jesus, a faith which shines forth in the article and the book. In the HaAretz interview (p.11), he says some astounding things:

Regarding the true motive behind terrorism: "Many people think the terrorists' motivation is the Israeli occupation, the corruption, but all that is just the backdrop. It is not the root of the problem. The occupation is like the rain that falls on the soil in which the seed has been planted, but it is not the seed itself. The root of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict does not lie in security or politics: It is a war between two gods, two religions. Between the God of the Torah and the God of the Koran" (Emphases ours).

Regarding a Palestinian state: "That is not a solution. Today we do not have a leadership worthy of ruling, not Hamas and not Fatah.Hamas cannot make peace with the Israelis. That is against what their god tells them. It is impossible to make peace with infidels, only a cease-fire, and no one knows that better than I" (Emphases ours).

Regarding peace in the Middle East: "Israel's problem is not with Hamas or with any other organization, nor with the interpretation Hamas reads into the Koran. It is with the god of the Koran. After all, even a moderate Muslim who reads the Koran must read that the Jews are the sons of apes and that the infidels must be killed. The Palestinians must stop blaming Israel, or the West, for all their problems. If they want true freedom, they must free themselves from their god" (Emphases ours).

Regarding the true care for the Palestinian Arabs by Hamas: "The Hamas leadership is responsible for the killing of Palestinians, not Israelis. Palestinians! They do not hesitate to massacre people in a mosque or to throw people from the 15^th or 17^th floor of a building, as they did during the coup in Gaza. The Israelis would never do such things. I tell you with certainty that the Israelis care about the Palestinians far more than the Hamas or Fatah leadership does." [This from one who by no means tries to whitewash the brutal treatment he has been subjected to or witnessed firsthand in Israeli jails]

It goes without saying, for a former Muslim of such notoriety to say such things publicly, he is placing his life in great danger. At first Hamas hotly denied his conversion. Now, his message is spreading throughout the West Bank and soon around the world. As we wrote earlier, this young man's story, including the testimony of his faith is being published tomorrow.

PLEASE PRAY:
*For the Holy Spirit to nurture the spirits of the many Israelis who will have had the seeds of the Kingdom sown into their imaginations through reading the HaAretz last weekend.

*For Mosab's testimony to fall on fertile ground within the souls of thousands of Arabs in Israel's West Bank and Gaza and around the Muslim world.

* For protection of God's Angels to attend this young man (Mosab Yousef is currently living in an undisclosed place in California), and that he be guided by the Wonderful Counselor in the path he is to take from here.

(Note: A short preview of the major article came out a few days earlier and may be accessed by Googling: Haaretz exclusive: Hamas founder's son worked for Shin Bet)

This week's Torah Portion:

From ancient times there has been a weekly portion from the five books of Moses (The Torah) and from the Prophets (Haftarah-final reading) read on the Sabbath in synagogues around the world. This portion is given a Hebrew name taken from the opening words of the passage. An illustration of this practice appears to have been recorded in Luke 4:16 where Yeshua (Jesus) arrived in the synagogue in Nazareth and was asked to read the Haftarah portion (Isaiah 61) from the Prophets. We have found that in perusing these weekly readings, not only are we provided opportunity to identify in the context of God's Word with millions of Jewish people around the world, but very often the Holy Spirit will illumine specific passages pertinent that week in our intercession for the Land and people of Israel. While it is not within the scope of this Prayer Update to supply a "commentary" on these readings, we will here and there draw attention to certain points which may prove helpful in informing our intercession. [Note: All text citations are those for more-common English translations of the Scriptures.]

The readings for March are called Ki Tisa-"When You Raise-the head (i.e. take a census) of the children of Israel."

TORAH: Exodus 30:11-34:35 
HAFTARAH: I Kings 18:1-39

This week's readings encompass far more than we can but touch on here. The Torah Portion centers on the episode with the Golden Calf, the Haftarah on the confrontation between the prophet of YHVH (Elijah) and those of Baal on Mount Carmel. At issue in all of the readings is the Glory of God and man's relation to it.

*Exodus 31:2-5. "See, I have called by name Betzalel.and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom in intelligence, in knowledge, and in all craftsmanship, to design artistic works.and I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiav.and in the heart of all gifted artisans [Heb: wise-hearts]I have put wisdom to make all I have commanded."

The name "Betzalel" means, "In the shadow of God." "Aholiav" means, "Father is my tent." The safe place for all creative beings is under the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1)-within the tent of our Father (Psalm 27:5). It is He who desires to fill artists (there are many artistic skills mentioned here) with His Spirit to "make all that He commands." Tragically, at the very time these instructions were being given to Moses on the mountain, Aaron (most certainly not moving under "the shadow of God"), was being coerced by the desires of those around him to use his creative gifts in fashioning an idol (Ex. 32:4). Rather than being used by the Holy Spirit to aid the people in worshipping the true God, the creative fashioning of his hands would itself be worshipped. Please pray for godly "Betzalels" and "Aholiavs" to be nurtured and brought forth in Israel today, that they will move in a humble awareness that their creative gifts, wisdom, intelligence, knowledge and craftsmanship are from God, to fulfill a work for His glory-His is their high destiny. Pray that they seek to be filled by His spirit-and resist the spirit of the world which seeks to divert the creativity of man (who was made in the Image of a creative God) away from honoring his Maker. Pray that they realize that He knows them and, as with Betzalel, calls them by name!

*Exodus 32:11-13. "Then Moses pleaded with the LORD his God [Hebrew: 'yearned after the face of YHVH his God'] and said, 'LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people.Turn from Your fierce wrath and relent from this harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, "I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your seed, and they shall inherit it forever."'" In Exodus 32:32 Moses continues to stand in the gap, pleading that they be forgiven for their sin. Pray for spiritual leaders to have the zeal, unction, love and grace to seek the face of God on behalf of errant Israel; to prevail in intercession to turn away His just wrath that His eternal will for her will be fulfilled on earth as it is in heaven.

*Exodus 32:19. "So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses' anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain." Pray for the souls (Psalm 25:1, 20) of leaders-that they not be controlled by their emotions-that they allow the Holy Spirit to work His self control. There is a place for godly zeal, but the "anger of man does not work the righteousness of God" (James 1:20). It would be an eruption of this same anger some time later which would in the end bar Moses from entering the Promised Land.

*Exodus 33:7-11. "Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the "tent of meeting". And it came to pass that everyone who sought the LORD went out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp.And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tent, and talked with Moses.So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle."

In Exodus 25:22, the LORD had given instructions regarding the disposition of the "Mishkan" (Dwelling Place/Tabernacle) so that He might meet at appointed times with a representative of His people. But here, Moses prepares a place so that he or anyone else might choose to make his own appointed meetings with God. And God honored those times with His presence. Although His face would not be seen (vs 20), He nevertheless met face to face with those who chose to draw near. Alas, besides Moses, only Joshua appears to have taken advantage of this wonderful opportunity. PLEASE PRAY: For Israeli believers, in all the rush and hurry, to go beyond 'head knowledge' of the Law and the Prophets and the Gospel-and avail themselves of the privilege of setting aside a 'place' for private, intimate times Face to Face with God!

*Exodus 33:15. "Then he said to Him, 'If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here." Here the word "presence" is literally "Face". Psalm 44:3 says, "It was not by our sword that we took the land, nor did our arm bring us the victory; it was your right hand, your arm,and the Light of Your Face, for You loved us!"

*Exodus 33:13, 18. "Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people..Please, show me Your glory." Pray for leaders in Israel (both believers and those still secular), to like Moses be moved to call on the LORD for guidance to be shown His way. Pray that we find grace in His sight, that our leadership will be fueled and heartened by longings after his Glory and glimpses of His Beauty (Psalm 27:4).

*Exodus 33:21-22. "And the LORD said, 'Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by." Centuries later, the prophet Elijah fleeing from the wrath of Jezebel would come to this same mountain, and the Hebrew says He went into "the" cave to spend the night-and there the Word of the LORD came to him (I Kings 19:9). Jews traditionally identify this cave with the "cleft" in the above passage.