Thursday 21 September 2017

The Apple of God's Eye

Scripture:  Deuteronomy 32 v 9 - 10:  " For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. 
 10  He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye."
Zechariah 2 v 7 - 9: "Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.
 8  For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
 9  For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me."

We know that Israel is the apple of God's eye, His most cherished people.  From the time that Jacob wrestled with God, and because he prevailed with God, he was found worthy and was called Israel.

He died in Egypt during the time of famine when his beloved son Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers.  Through Joseph's spiritual dreams he came to Pharoah's attention and became a governor over Egypt.  Joseph was able to save his whole family during the famine.

After the 400 years of slavery under different Pharoahs, Moses came to deliver Israel from a cruel Pharoah, and when the Hebrews left Egypt they took the bones of Jacob with them to be buried in the Promised Land.

Our God poured out terrible judgments upon Egypt including the death of every firstborn of animals or Egyptians, including the son of Pharoah.  Only the Hebrews were spared because the blood of lambs upon the lintels of their front doors caused the Angel of Death to pass over their homes.  From this comes the annual memorial feast of a Passover Seder still celebrated today.

It was part of the legal precedent for the Blood of The Lamb to cover those who believe in Jesus from eternal death.  The Blood is the only substance that can remove our sins.  In the Old Testament, it was the blood of bulls and goats that covered Israel's sins for one year.  In the New Testament, the Blood of Jesus covers every believer once forever.

Israel is the apple of God's eye and those nations that oppose her and want to destroy her will reap what they sow.  Syria is a case in point.  For thousands of years God has patiently watched Syria make war against Israel.  The last time was the Yom Kippur was when Israel was having its most Holy day.  There were only a few hundred soldiers on the Golan Heights that day, and they watched in horror as 2000 Syrian tanks advanced across the plain towards them.

There was an American journalist there too who wrote about this event.  Those tanks could wipe out an unprepared Israel in hours.  I don't know how many people saw it but out of the sky came a cloud in the form of a hand with the index finger touching a place on the ground in front of the tanks.  The order was received from the Syrian command to halt.  The tanks stopped exactly where that finger stopped.

After that short war, aka The Six Days War, which saw Israel regain the Old City and the West Bank, the journalist, Lance Lambert, in his book, Battle for Israel, spoke to the Syrian commander and asked why the tanks had stopped.  They could give no coherent response!   The Finger of God had protected Israel.

However, God has responded by taking His hand of protection off Syria and allowing them to self destruct.  Millions of Syrians have fled the madness of a rogue dictator.  It is a powerful message to those who send their missiles against Israel.  Iran, Hezbollah, Palestinians, Hamas head the list of those whose judgment is near.

All the nations who side with them against Israel will have the same judgment.  America's greatest protection is their love for Israel and their total commitment to the safety of the Holy Land.  What you sow you shall reap.  Protect the apple of God's eye and His hand will stop North Korea and all its missiles from touching America.

Another example is Italy or Rome, who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D.70 under the Roman general, Titus.  In A.D.79, the volcano, Vesuvius, blew its top and destroyed a Roman province and the city of Pompeii.  What you sow against Israel you reap sooner or later.

The United Nations make decrees against Israel to try to delete the losses to Palestinians of the Old City and the West Bank.  They targeted to destroy Israel and will do so again and again, but cannot live with what they lose.  The missiles that they fire into Israel always seem to land where no deaths occur, or little damage.  It's not luck, it is the evidence of a powerful Protector, the hand of God, that stopped the Syrian tanks, that prevents missiles doing harm.

In Matthew 25, Jesus separates the sheep from the goats.  The sheep go to Heaven, the goats go to Hell.  The yardstick of how you are designated a sheep or a goat is your attitude to Israel.  If you love her you are a sheep.  If you hate her, you are a goat.  Life is all about choices.  

The last three and a half years of the Great Tribulation is called the Wrath of the Lamb.
Revelation 6 v 15 - 17: "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
 16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
 17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"

His wrath will be poured out upon everyone still alive on Earth.  The Rapture has taken the believers away.  Everyone covered by His Blood.  Just like the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt, we will escape this planet in its turmoil and tribulation, and forever be with the Lord.

We see the destruction of the Caribbean Islands from one gigantic hurricane after another.  They seem to be aimed specifically at the islands and are the worst storms in a hundred years.  What about Mexico, two earthquakes causing havoc in such a short time.  Plus an earthquake off the coast of Japan last night.

The volcano news is also scary.  We have been watching Yellowstone super volcano but there is another one in Naples that is definitely alarming over 4 million people in its vicinity.  And in North Korea bordering China is another super volcano that is fragile because of all the nuclear tests in that area.  It could erupt at a time inconvenient to North Korea.  

It has 70,000 Christians imprisoned in cages where they cannot sit, lie nor stand, only crouch on their launches, are raped by guards and have communist propaganda screamed at them through loudspeakers without ceasing.  Their cries have also reached Heaven, and they are no less loved than Israel.

Do not threaten Israel or friends of Israel, the One who watches over them never slumbers nor sleeps.  If you touch the apple of His eye expect Him to touch back.  He has consistently warned the world of the consequences of such folly.  I feel the need to remind people as they seem unable to grasp the simplicity of God's love.

Prayer: Father God, the marriage of the Lamb to His Bride draws near and the enemy still wants to destroy her.  Your favour is upon those who pray for Israel, and for the peace of Jerusalem.  Let us continue to bless Israel especially at the time of Rosh Hashanah when the heavens are opened.  In Jesus' name. Amen.