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.
Jacob, or Israel, died in Egypt during the time of famine. His beloved son Joseph had been sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. He was a slave in Egypt in the house of Potipher whose wife tempted him to sin. When he refused her she cried rape and he was in prison.
Through Joseph's spiritual dreams in prison he came to Pharoah's attention, which led to him becoming the governor over Egypt. Joseph was now able to save his whole family during the famine. His brothers found him when they came looking for food.
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 determined 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.
Their last attack was the Yom Kippur War in 1967 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 pointed.
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" interviewed the Syrian commander. He asked why the tanks had stopped. He could give no coherent response! The Finger of God had protected Israel.
However, God 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.
In the verse above the daughter of Babylon is none other than Semiramis, the witch who declared her son the god Baal, then married him so she could be a goddess! Her influence had fascinated Israel to the extent that God sent them a warning to stay away from her. The fact that Israel will sign a peace treaty with the Antichrist shows that they did not listen to Him.
All the nations who side with the terrorist countries 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.
Just this week with the Storm Shadow missiles the Ukrainians fired into two more bridges that link Crimea to them, the Russian invaders are hindered in their supply chain. They are threatening those nations helping Ukraine, especially the USA and UK. This is the brink of another world war. With fingers on nuclear buttons its time to negotiate a cease-fire.
Another example is Italy or Rome, which 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 reverse 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 too much harm. The Palestinians have complained that God protects Israel to the point that their own rockets land on their own territory causing more losses.
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.
Even the South African government has grievously insulted Israel by closing its embassy there. They are reaping losses at home as even their own party members are rejecting them. Chaos and division a year before the next General Election is fuelling worries of losing it and all the coffers they loot to ward off impending bankruptcy.
Do not threaten Israel or friends of Israel, the One who watches over them never slumbers nor sleeps. If we 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: Heavenly Father Israel is the only nation You promised land to. And much more than the sliver she occupies now. You brought her out of bondage in Egypt, You judged them and now the Syrians with hardship. When will they ever learn?Armageddon is next! Let us love who You love Lord and be safe from eternal harm.
In Jesus' name. Amen.