Burunche’s Blog

(There are innumerable sources for the history of Israel. One of these sources is  https://palestinehistorybook.com/ This source contains much more detailed information than I can possibly include in Bible studies, it is excellent for its historical summaries, although many might object to the use of the term Palestine rather than Israel.)

What’s one of the most important things about any piece of real estate? Location! The land of Israel has always found itself being conquered because it was on the way to someplace else. After Ezra and Nehemiah led the progressive reconstruction of Jerusalem, Israel again became a hotly contested property because of the trade routes through it and ocean access.

The Palestine History Book site gives the following information: In 301 BCE, Judea, Samaria, Phoenicia, and the entire coastal plain were captured by the forces of Ptolemy, an Egyptian general who had Egypt as his power base. The Ptolemies, one of the four powers that emerged after the breakup of the Macedonian empire, controlled Palestine for most of the third century BCE. They integrated Palestine’s towns and cities into the Greek culture. Hellenism had been penetrating the Near East for many decades prior to Alexander’s invasion of the region. Northern Palestine’s coastal cities, which were part of the Mediterranean trade routes, were affected the most. Other cities located on the main inland trade routes, such as Gaza and Petra, were also influenced by the Greek culture. Jerusalem had little contact with the Greeks, as it was a poor city lacking the raw materials needed for the development of industry; it was also far from the trade routes.

The Ptolemies, like most of the previous imperial forces who ruled Palestine, did not interfere in the local affairs of the different Palestinian regions. They introduced an efficient administration that was flexible enough to treat each region of their kingdom according to its particular social, economic, or religious situation. They appointed their own governors and installed garrisons in the different cities, but left people to follow their own traditions. Some parts of Palestine were crown lands ruled directly by royal officials. In addition, Greek colonists established their own cities (polis) modeled after the democratic Greek republics in several towns such as Gaza, Shechem, Marissa, and Amman, which were self-governing. Greek soldiers, merchants, and entrepreneurs took advantage of the opportunities that opened to them in the east. At the same time, the local people were eager to learn the Greek language and were attracted to Greek culture.

The Hellenistic culture was secular, advocating the separation of the government from religion. Apparently, the people of Jerusalem initially opposed this secular concept; however, the city was gradually dragged into the Greek world, and by the end of the third century BCE, Jerusalem’s citizens had begun to acquire Greek education and were giving their children Greek names. 

Eventually those pushing Greek culture made every attempt to remove high priests promoting Torah law with their own appointees who would promote the vague worship of any major deity, including the Greek pantheon of gods. The struggle became fierce, prolonged, and complicated, as various forces warred for decades over Israel, Syria, and other nearby nations. Eventually, the Romans finally took over Jerusalem in 37 B.C.E. The year 37 BCE marked the beginning of the Roman rule over Palestine. It was the beginning of the reign of Herod the Great as king over a large part of Palestine, including Judea, Idumaea, Perea, and Galilee. During his reign as a client king, people in Herod’s kingdom did not have to pay taxes directly to Rome. Herod’s administration, rather than the Roman tax collectors, was responsible for collecting taxes from the kingdom’s inhabitants. The Palestinians under his rule were spared the humiliations of the Roman soldiers, as the Roman armies were not allowed to enter the country to demand tribute and sell off defaulters into slavery. Herod was responsible for the protection of the empire’s borders against any attack, and for keeping his kingdom in good order and loyal to Rome. He devoted great effort to keeping the kingdom an integral part of the Roman Empire by suppressing any tendency toward resistance in Judea’s population. As a Jew, he encouraged nonpolitical manifestations of the Jewish traditions, such as the legal studies of the Pharisees, but suppressed any manifestations of Palestinian nationalism. He worked to make Jerusalem a Roman city by introducing “the Actian Games” in the Greco-Roman style, with chariot races, theatrical performances, athletic events, and gladiatorial contests. Several buildings were constructed in the city, including an impressive palace for himself.

During Herod’s reign, Jerusalem became a distinguished Roman city, home to about 120,000 inhabitants. Pilgrims visited the city in massive numbers—between 300,000 and 500,000 every year, especially during major religious holidays. 78

Jerusalem’s temple played a major and essential role in the Jewish life not just in Judea, but in the lives of Jews throughout the world. As one of the most important structures in Jerusalem, it drew Herod’s attention. He provided the necessary funds to rebuild it and expand its platform. It included a spacious plaza where merchants and moneychangers conducted their business. The moneychangers’ mission was to exchange foreign currency for shekels, which were the official currency of the temple. The moneychangers were also in charge of collecting the temple tax. Pilgrims would use their new currency to buy offerings that they then passed to the priests who usually were roaming in the plaza.

When Herod died in 4 BCE, the Pharisees, who adhered to the strictest interpretation of the Bible, led an uprising in Jerusalem. Herod’s older son Arcelaus promptly sent the troops into the temple’s courts and brutally crushed the rebels, killing three thousand people. Arcelaus was then summoned with his brothers to Rome to meet Emperor Augustus. While they were away, Varus, the governor of Damascus, sent Roman troops to Jerusalem to crush any protests. The soldiers robbed Herod’s palace and plundered the temple, carrying off a large amount of money.

Augustus split the kingdom among Herod’s three sons: Arcelaus was appointed governor over Judea, Samaria, and Idumaea; Herod Antipas became the governor of Galilee and Perea; and Philip was given Gaulanitis (modern-day Golan). Arcelaus was not given the title of king; he was put on probation, and after ten years he was removed from his post. With this, Palestine (Israel) was no longer an autonomous princedom; it became a Roman province administered by the Roman governor of Damascus.

“Wait a minute!” you say. “The term “pax Romanus” means “Roman peace.” All the struggles you have just described are anything but peaceful. True. But look what God did during the centuries between the return of Jews from Babylon and the coming of Jesus. Jerusalem and the temple were rebuilt; in fact, Jerusalem underwent numerous building campaigns. Even though the Hellinists were pushing for Jerusalem to become a Greek city, the structures that resulted were excellent. Throughout each rebellion, each religious argument, God was still protecting Israel and still developing Israel. When the Romans finally took over completely, they brought in a strong central government. Wikipedia tells us: At the peak of Rome’s development, no fewer than 29 great military highways radiated from the capital, and the empire’s 113 provinces were interconnected by 372 great roads.^[3][5] The whole comprised more than 400,000 kilometres (250,000 miles) of roads, of which over 80,500 kilometres (50,000 mi) were stone-paved.^[6][7] In Gaul alone, no less than 21,000 kilometres (13,000 mi) of roadways are said to have been improved, and in Britain at least 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi).^[3] The courses (and sometimes the surfaces) of many Roman roads survived for millennia; some are overlaid by modern roads.

By the time Jesus was born, there were Roman roads as well as some common languages. Because of the strong Greek influence in Israel, many educated people spoke Greek. Now because of the Roman influence, Latin also became a widely spoken trade language. Why were all these developments necessary? Although traditionally, many Jews believed that Messiah would come just for them, God had already promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that all the nations of the world would be blessed through them. Through all the years, all the political upheavals, and all the threats to the Jews, God continued to preserve Israel. God had His timing, and nothing could interfere with it.

Reading all this, you might think, “But what about me? God has promised me things, and I am still waiting!” Yes, God has promised. But God’s timing and ours are generally quite different. May God help us so that we trust His timing and remain patient.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust Your timing, realizing that You know all the details while we can only guess. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Ezra 1: 1 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia,[a] the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:

“This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you! Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem.”

Isaiah’s and Jeremiah’s prophecies have come true, and Cyrus has initiated the return of interested exiles to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Sounds fantastic, right? And Ezra continues.

Ezra 2:64-70 So a total of 42,360 people returned to Judah, 65 in addition to 7,337 servants and 200 singers, both men and women. They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

When they arrived at the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the family leaders made voluntary offerings toward the rebuilding of God’s Temple on its original site, and each leader gave as much as he could. The total of their gifts came to 61,000 gold coins, 6,250 pounds[f] of silver, and 100 robes for the priests.

So the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, the Temple servants, and some of the common people settled in villages near Jerusalem. The rest of the people returned to their own towns throughout Israel.

Well, it hasn’t taken long for enthusiasms to cool. Having made donations, most of the returnees leave Jerusalem to settle in their hometowns, leaving Ezra and others to carry on as best they can. This isn’t what Cyrus-or God-has envisioned. David Guzik in his Enduring Word Bible Commentary tells us this: But after 70 years of captivity in Babylon, they were given the opportunity to return to their homeland, the Promised Land. Out of some two or three million Jews deported from the land, only 50,000 decided to return to the Promised Land – approximately only 2%. But they did return, and in the days of Ezra, they rebuilt the temple and laid a spiritual foundation for Israel once again.

The Book of Nehemiah begins 15 years after the Book of Ezra ends; almost 100 years after the first captives came back to the Promised Land and some 150 years after the city of Jerusalem was destroyed. After this long time, the walls of the city of Jerusalem were still in rubble.

Before this, the citizens of Jerusalem had tried to rebuild the walls but had failed. In Ezra 4:6-23, we see that some 75 years before they tried to rebuild the walls but were stopped by their enemies. No one thought this obstacle could be overcome, so the walls lay in ruins, and the people were still vulnerable.

Once more, God’s chosen people have made a half-hearted attempt and have then stopped in the face of opposition. But God is not through with Jerusalem or with the Jews, a recurring theme throughout Jewish history. Guzik continues:

The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”

a. In Shushan the citadel: Nehemiah lived in Shushan, the capital city of the Persians, and he lived in the citadel – that is, the fortified palace of the Persians. Right away, we know Nehemiah is someone important, living in the palace of the king of Persia.

b. I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem: Nehemiah’s body was in Persia, but his heart and his interest were in Jerusalem – 800 miles (1,300 km) away. He wanted to know from those returning how the people and the city were doing.

i. We might think that a prominent man like Nehemiah had more important things to think about than a distant city he had never been to, and a people he was a stranger to. Yet, because his heart was for the things of God, his heart was not for himself, but for others.

ii. Nehemiah had the heart of Psalm 137:5-6: If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth; if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy. If Jerusalem was special to God, then it would also be special to Nehemiah.

c. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire: The news he received was not encouraging. The people were called survivors; this was not a hopeful title. They were in great distress and reproach, and the walls of the city itself were broken down and the city gates were burned with fire.

i. The bad state of the people and the bad state of the city walls were intimately connected. In the ancient world, a city without walls was a city completely open and vulnerable to its enemies. They had no defense, no protection at all.

ii. An unwalled city was always vulnerable, unable to safely house people and valuables. If there were anything of value in an unwalled city, it could be stolen away easily because there was no defense to stop it.

iii. Those living in an unwalled city lived in constant stress and tension; they never knew when they might be attacked and brutalized. Every man lived in constant fear for his wife and children. The temple could be rebuilt, but never made beautiful, because anything valuable would be taken easily.

iv. No wonder the people lived in constant distress, in constant disgrace (reproach), living only as survivors. God has more for us than to be mere survivors. God not only wants us to be conquerors, but more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37).

3. (4) Nehemiah’s reaction to the news about Jerusalem and its people.

So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

a. I sat down and wept: Nehemiah’s immediate reaction was extreme. He didn’t just feel bad for Jerusalem and its people; right away, there was no strength in his legs (I sat down), and he began to weep and to mourn.

b. Mourned for many days: God was going to use Nehemiah to do something about this situation. But first, God did something in Nehemiah. Any great work of God begins with God doing a great work in somebody.

i. God prepared this long ago, with Nehemiah’s important position in Persia, with a heart curious about the welfare of Jerusalem and its people. Now we see that he had a heart that broke over their needy state.

ii. God saw the need in heaven, but little would be done until the right man also felt the need. God would do something great to meet that need through Nehemiah.

iii. But there is no way Nehemiah could do this alone. He had to be a leader – one who influences other people – to get this job done. Nehemiah is a book all about leadership – something we obviously need today. Since leadership is influence, leadership applies to everyone. Everyone has an area of leadership. In some way, each one is a leader; the question is if they are a good leader or a bad leader.

iv. Leaders must prepare themselves for difficult work because it won’t be easy. “There is no winning without warfare; there is no opportunity without opposition; there is no victory without vigilance. For whenever the people of God say, ‘Let us arise and build,’ Satan says, ‘Let me arise and oppose.’” (Redpath)

v. Leaders must have a big vision, and Nehemiah had one. His mentality seemed to be, “Through me, God is going to correct a problem that’s been around a hundred and fifty years. Through me, God is going to do something that completely failed before.” We must have a vision, a goal, that is big enough.”

Nehemiah’s heart is prepared, and he is willing to risk everything, including his life and his extremely comfortable position as cup bearer-and confidant-to the king. Eventually, Nehemiah will travel all the way to Jerusalem and spearhead its reconstruction in a fashion that can only be described as miraculous.

Ezra and Nehemiah-two towering figures who only want to do God’s will in rebuilding Jerusalem. Nehemiah will complete what Ezra and his friends have started. For us, one of the most important lessons is that at any given moment, God can choose those dedicated to Him to fulfill His perfect Will. If you could interview either of these men, they would likely downplay their contributions, deflecting the praise to others. But the important thing about both these men is simple: when God called, they answered and continued to answer for the rest of their lives. The signatories to the Declaration of Independence pledged “their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Ezra and Nehemiah did likewise. May we follow their example!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, please help us to follow so close to You that when You call us to risk everything, we will not hesitate but say yes. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Isaiah 9:1-7 Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice.
They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder. For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian. The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire. For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

Those of us who attend church during the Christmas season have likely heard these verses read many times. These verses are some of the first promises of the Messiah, and they are inspiring. And as long as you stop with these verses, everything sounds wonderful….but wait! Isaiah is speaking for God and God follows up these stirring promises with a harsh dose of reality.

Isaiah 9: 8-20 The Lord has spoken out against Jacob; his judgment has fallen upon Israel.
And the people of Israel and Samaria, who spoke with such pride and arrogance, will soon know it. They said, “We will replace the broken bricks of our ruins with finished stone, and replant the felled sycamore-fig trees with cedars.”

But the Lord will bring Rezin’s enemies against Israel and stir up all their foes. The Syrians from the east and the Philistines from the west will bare their fangs and devour Israel.
But even then the Lord’s anger will not be satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike. For after all this punishment, the people will still not repent. They will not seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Therefore, in a single day the Lord will destroy both the head and the tail, the noble palm branch and the lowly reed. The leaders of Israel are the head, and the lying prophets are the tail.
For the leaders of the people have misled them. They have led them down the path of destruction. That is why the Lord takes no pleasure in the young men and shows no mercy even to the widows and orphans. For they are all wicked hypocrites, and they all speak foolishness. But even then the Lord’s anger will not be satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike.

This wickedness is like a brushfire. It burns not only briers and thorns but also sets the forests ablaze. Its burning sends up clouds of smoke. The land will be blackened by the fury of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The people will be fuel for the fire, and no one will spare even his own brother. They will attack their neighbor on the right but will still be hungry. They will devour their neighbor on the left but will not be satisfied. In the end they will even eat their own children.
 

Poor Isaiah! All Isaiah wants to do is to worship and obey God; however, that obedience comes with a shockingly high price. Isaiah is tasked with warning all those around him that God is just and holy and will not tolerate evil and injustice in His people. Even though Isaiah will repeatedly prophesy of a coming Messiah, he will also warn all those around him to repent, least God subject them to a terrible fate, starvation to the point of cannibalism.

The Bible graphically portrays the depths of evil to which the Israelites sink as they enthusiastically embrace every pagan god/demon available. Forgetting the laws God has given through Moses, the Israelites steal and abuse the most vulnerable in their society. Reading much of the Old Testament, you might wonder why God didn’t just give up on the Israelites and find another nation. Reality check: There were no virtuous nations. And God chose Abraham and his descendants to demonstrate His power, not the natural goodness of people. See, God is so holy and so just that only when people are willing to follow Him and serve Him, will they become holy and just as well. God gave the laws of Moses to guide His people into holiness and righteousness. Unfortunately, the Israelites ignored God’s directions much of the time. But God remains faithful, even when people fail completely.

When considering the Israelites, it’s helpful to examine our own hearts. Although we would like to pride ourselves on being virtuous, the reality is far different. We are easily irritated, impatient, and sometimes even vicious. We fail to do the things we should and do other things we shouldn’t. No, we don’t really look better than anyone else. And that is precisely why God has sent Jesus, the Messiah to die for the sins of the world. Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” How short do we fall? Comparing our righteousness to God’s is like comparing a small speck of mud to a huge mass of gold.

God has not given up on Israel and the Jews because that is His nature; He doesn’t give up on any of us. We are the ones who give up on God. Today, the nation of Israel is under fierce attack; yet, the Israelis have created high-tech industries and have done amazing things farming in the desert. God continues to keep His promises.

As we consider Israel, let us consider our hearts, examining ourselves and quietly confessing our sins to God. Remember, if God has not given up on Israel, He has also not given up on you.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are sinners and that it is only by Your mercy that we are made clean and whole. Please forgive us our sins and help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 21:12 God repeats His promise to Abraham. But God told Abraham, “Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. 

Genesis 26:2-5 God repeats His promise to Isaac. The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.” 

Genesis 28:10-15 God repeats His promise to Jacob. Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.

At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”

Sometimes people refuse to believe that God has given the Land of Israel to the Jews as an everlasting inheritance. But look at these promises. Multiple times to three successive generations, God persists in promising Israel to the Jews.

“But wait,” you say. “Didn’t the Jews fall into idolatry, and didn’t the Assyrians conquer the Northern Kingdom, carrying off many of its people? Didn’t the Babylonians conquer Judah, carrying off many of its people?” Yes. You are absolutely correct. But here’s the interesting thing about God: God doesn’t renege on His promises. Romans 11:29 tells us, “^For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.” Even as Jews were being dragged off to Babylon as captives, God knew that there were four young men who would distinguish themselves by their unwavering faith in Him. Daniel 1:6-7 tells us the story. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names: Daniel was called Belteshazzar. Hananiah was called Shadrach. Mishael was called Meshach. Azariah was called Abednego.

Daniel became a mighty prophet as well as an able administrator while his three friends survived one of the most severe ordeals ever demanded of believers, the fiery furnace. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship a huge golden statue of the king, he ordered them to be thrown into a furnace so hot that the guards died from the heat; yet, God sent an angel, possibly Jesus, to walk in the fire with them, and when they came out, they didn’t even smell as if the fire had touched them.

As things were falling apart, God sent Jeremiah to encourage His people. Jeremiah 33:12-14 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: This land—though it is now desolate and has no people and animals—will once more have pastures where shepherds can lead their flocks. Once again shepherds will count their flocks in the towns of the hill country, the foothills of Judah, the Negev, the land of Benjamin, the vicinity of Jerusalem, and all the towns of Judah. I, the Lord, have spoken! “The day will come, says the Lord, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them.

When the Jews in exile were in despair, God sent the prophet Ezekiel to encourage them. Ezekiel 37:11-14 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”

At no point has God said to the Jews, “All right! This is it! You have been so sinful that I am taking Israel away from you.”

You might look at all these Bible verses and wonder. But the point is this: Throughout the ages, God has continued to promise Israel to the Jews and God has never gone back on His promises. As we continue, we will see how God has continued to fulfill those promises.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You and Your promises, even when things look bleak. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 17:1-8 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.”

At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! (Abram means “exalted father”; Abraham sounds like a Hebrew term that means “father of many.”)

“I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

Once again, God promises “the entire land of Canaan” to Abram and his descendants as “a possession forever.” God is so serious about His promise that He even renames Abram, “exalted father” as Abraham, “father of many” and Sarai as Sarah, “princess.” But there’s more. Now that God has made promises, He also requires Abraham to make a concrete response, circumcision of all males in the household, including ninety-nine-year-old Abraham.

The Mark of the Covenant

9-14 Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you. From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant. Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant.”

What is the point of circumcision? For all generations to come, from now to eternity, all of Abraham’s descendants are to undergo circumcision, bearing permanent marks of the everlasting covenant in their bodies. Centuries later, there will be times when Israelites and Jews will be ashamed of circumcision, with those desiring to exercise in Greek and Roman gymnasia even having operations to reverse circumcision. But Jews continue to faithfully circumcise infant males even today, preserving that mark of the covenant.

And God’s grace is not limited to Abraham because He will also give Sarai the name Sarah. While both names mean “princess,” “Sarai” comes from the language of Ur while “Sarah” is the Hebrew form. God is graphically demonstrating that Abraham and Sarah are in a new land with new names and new promises.

Sarai Is Named Sarah

Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah.[Princess] And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”

Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?” So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!”

But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, (“he laughs) and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant. As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.” When God had finished speaking, he left Abraham.

On that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought. Then he circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, just as God had told him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, and Ishmael, his son, was thirteen. Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day, along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him.

Imagine Abraham’s shock when God promises this ninety-nine-year-old man that he will become a father and that his wife will bear a child at age ninety. If the Yiddish language had existed in Abraham’s day, Abraham’s response would likely have been “NU!” as an expression of shock, disbelief, and hope. “Nu” is an all-purpose expression that can mean almost anything without long statements of explanation.

For a better explanation of this wonderful all-purpose expression, go to https://aish.com/the-abbreviated-dictionary-of-nu/ and for a complete explanation, check out Leo Rosten’s book The Joys of Yiddish. “Nu” which rhymes with “coo” is an interjection, interrogation, and expletive. In Yiddish usage it comes in second to “oy” and is equivalent to a sneer, a grunt, a grin, a frown, and can express anything from doubt, pride, disapproval, distrust, and scorn. The difference is in how it’s delivered, and yes, facial expressions count. Here are a few examples:

Acceptance: “OK, she’s not marrying a professional man. When we met you made zippers, nu?”

Aggravation: “Enough with the blinking, and twittzing! Get serious already, nu?!”

Anger: “So nu!? Why do you think it was me who drove the car in the lake?! There’s one other person in this house, nu??” (“OY”)

Boredom: “This speech she’s making about her trip to Israel? Nu, I could’ve walked their already!”

Cautious: “Nu, leave it to you to want to honeymoon near killer bugs? Nu, Niagara Falls isn’t good enough for you like normal people?”

Contentment: “Ai Ai Ai, Sarah darling, nu, this foot bath is such a mechaya. Maybe I’ll buy you one for Hanukkah.”

Defeat: “OK, she wants to join the circus. Irving, we did the best we could with her, nu?

Depressed: “Nu, I’ll just lie here in bed … until she leaves the circus and goes back to N.Y.U.”

Disapproval: “Crumbs under the couch and nu, you call this cleaning?”

Distress: “I must be allergic! NU, take me to Mt. Sinai already before I swell like a watermelon!”

Disturbed: “I need to hear your tsouris (sorrows)?! Nu, darling I’ve got my own. My daughter’s in a circus!”

The list of uses for “nu” is almost inexhaustible, but the take-home lessons are simple: Yes, God continues to promise the land of Israel to the Jews. Yes, Abraham is shocked but obedient. And yes, eventually, Sarah will become a mother at age ninety, Isaac will be the son of promise, and God will repeatedly demonstrate His faithfulness.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, You are the Promise Giver and the Promise Keeper. Please help us to trust You when we cannot see. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 15:1-5 Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”

But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”

Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

At first, when Abram and Sarai married, they expected Sarai would get pregnant quickly; after all, her sisters had had no problems bearing children. But now decades have passed. Abram and Sarai have moved from Haran, where they had a comfortable home, and are living in tents, never certain where their drinking water will come from or if the Canaanites will suddenly choose to attack them. And Sarai has stopped menstruating, a sure sign that this couple will remain childless. Now the same God who has called Abram to journey all the way to Canaan is promising that Abram will have countless descendants. Talk about a test of faith!

6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Think about it. Here’s this old man who has moved twice, first from Ur of the Chaldees to Haran and then on to Canaan. If Abram simply wants good grazing land, he can find it east of the Jordan River, for hundreds of years later the tribes of Reuben and Manasseh will settle that area because of the rich grazing. But Abram has passed right on through that area, crossing the Jordan River and moving up and out of the Jordan Valley, another place with rich grazing land. Only a man of great faith can continue to trust God rather than settling for security and comfort as his father Terah has done.

7-8 Then the Lord told him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.”

8 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?”

Ah, now we’re getting to the point of the discussion. Abram has come all this way on faith; however, that faith is getting a bit shaky. Does God punish Abram for shaky faith? No. Instead, God does something so magnificent that the images have burned themselves into the brains of believers for thousands of years. Before we consider what God will do to reassure Abram, let’s consider all the times when our faith has been shaky. Remember that God has not punished us for our small faith. The same God who can preserve crushed reeds and injured birds has no problems preserving us as well. When Brother Andrew, the man who smuggled thousands of Bibles behind the Iron Curtain, was coming to the Lord, those advising him asked him if he was “willing to be made willing” to believe in Jesus. Andrew said yes, and Jesus showed himself to Andrew many times over. When we offer God even a fingernail’s breadth of faith, God will take that tiny faith and multiply it. That is what God is doing for Abram at this moment. And now God is going to graphically demonstrate to Abram just how serious He really is about this covenant.

9-21 The Lord told him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”  Abram presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; he did not, however, cut the birds in half. Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away.

As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him. Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. (As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.”

After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt[a] to the great Euphrates River—the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

Why did Abram cut these animals in half? David Guzik in his Enduring Word Commentary gives us the answer: Abram knew exactly what to do with these animals. He understood that according to the custom of his time, God told him to get a contract ready for signing.

i. In those days, contracts were sometimes made by the sacrificial cutting of animals, with the split carcasses of the animals lying on the ground. The covenant was made when parties to the agreement walked through the animal parts together, repeating the terms of the covenant. The Lord made a covenant in Genesis 15:18 is literally, “the Lord cut a covenant.”

ii. Jeremiah 34:18-20 refers to this same practice of a covenant made by cutting animals and repeating the oath of the covenant as one walks through the animal parts.

iii. The symbolism was plain. First, this was a covenant so serious, it was sealed with blood. Second, if one were to break this covenant, let this same bloodshed be poured out on their animals and on them.

iv. When Abram had his doubts and wanted assurance from the Lord, God said to him clearly, “Let’s sign a contract and settle this once for all.”

Think about it! The Lord of the Universe, the Creator of all things, was making an agreement and promising that if He failed to keep His side of the bargain, all his animals would die. Essentially, God was placing the weight of all creation on one side of a scale while balancing it with His faithfulness. All Abram could do was to stand by as a silent witness, gasping as he watched that smoking firepot and that flaming torch move between the pieces of animal carcass. God was demonstrating His sincerity as graphically as possible. And all Abram could do was to believe.

Once more, we see God promising the land of Israel to Abram, whom He later renames as Abraham. And once more, the gift of Israel is a gift rooted in faith on Abraham’s part and assurance on God’s part. Sometimes people lacking Biblical knowledge hold all kinds of misconceptions about Israel, failing to realize that God has already promised Israel to Abraham’s descendants and has pledged His sacred honor to fulfill that promise.

As we consider God’s promises and His care for Israel, let us remember the thousands of years those promises have lasted. Ask God to open your heart and your mind to His perfect will for Israel.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, thank You that when You make promises, You never go back on them but fulfill them. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 12:1-9 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

How did Abram hear the voice of God or even know that it was God who was calling him? Did Abram hear an audible voice or have a dream? And what caused Abram to trust God, pack up his family and all his belongings, and leave the comforts of Haran?

So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South.

What happened when Abram arrived in Canaan and found out that it was already inhabited? How did Abram explain his arrival to the Canaanites? Imagine that conversation.

“Greetings, stranger, what brings you to Canaan?”

“Thank you.” Certainly, Abram could be polite, but he would have to be circumspect about his reasons for coming; after all, if Abram were to announce that some God was going to give him the land these people were occupying, they would probably try to eliminate his party and him as swiftly as possible. It’s likely that Abram explained his travels as part of a search for grazing for his animals, a motive that the Canaanites could understand. Meanwhile, Abram was looking around, scoping things out, and trying to get a feel for the lay of the land.

Notice that God promised the land of Israel to Abram’s descendants. Throughout the Bible, God continued to reinforce that promise. Abram left the comforts of Haran for unknown hardships and dangers in Canaan, and it was that trust and faith that secured Canaan for Abram. Throughout the history of Israel, there were always people of faith who continued to trust that God would allow them to remain in the land if they would obey Him.

What can we learn from Abram’s risky behavior? If we want God’s best for our lives, we must be willing to lay aside everything we treasure, trusting that God will give us something better. We also need to copy Abram, for as soon as he had opportunity, he built altars and worshiped God. Although we might not build altars, we must continue to worship God to receive His best, for true worship means abandoning our will to receive God’s will for our lives instead. May God help us to trust, to have faith, to worship, and to follow His leading, even when things seem risky.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You when You are calling us to leave the familiar and comfortable for the unknown and risky. Help us to realize that Your best is always infinitely better than anything we can devise ourselves. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 11:31-32And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.

By the time Terah left Ur of the Chaldees, he was no longer a young man. Why did Terah leave Ur? An internet search reveals the following: According to Genesis 11:31, Terah took his family, including Abram and Lot, from Ur of the Chaldeans to move to Canaan, though the Bible does not explicitly state his specific motivation. Scholars and commentators suggest the move may have been driven by a divine prompting, a desire to leave a sinful region, or possibly as a response to the loss of a family member. 

Key details regarding Terah’s journey:

• The Original Plan: Terah set out for Canaan but settled in Haran along the way, where he died.
• Call of God: While Abraham is known for receiving a call, some commentators suggest that God may have first spoken to Terah, prompting him to leave the idolatrous land of Ur.
• The Move from Ur: The move was likely intended to be a complete relocation from a city known to be wicked.
• The Halt in Haran: Terah is often portrayed as stopping in Haran due to a lack of faith or comfort, only going halfway on the journey. Perhaps Terah simply stays in Haran long enough to become comfortable; at that point, staying in a comfortable place might be very appealing. While God has spoken to Abraham, Terah might not be completely convinced.
• There’s also another possibility: Terah is not a young man, and travel is arduous. Perhaps Terah succumbs to a combination of grief over the loss of his son Haran, plus exhaustion in addition to old age.  
•  While Terah left to go to Canaan, his journey ended early at Haran, setting the stage for Abraham to complete the journey under a direct call from God. Terah, Abraham’s father, was grieving for his son Haran. Terah, it seems, decided to stay in the northern Mesopotamian “city of Haran,” (no connection with his son Haran) rather than continue the journey to Canaan, which was the family’s original intent. The family were in the city of Haran for five years. The people of Haran served the same moon god as the people in Terah’s former location, the southern Mesopotamian “city of Ur”. Terah, Jewish literature records, was a craftsman who made idols. So he may have found a blossoming trade in Haran.

This seems to be upheld by Scripture: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and served other gods'” (Josh 24:2). The Hebrew word for “served” can also mean to “work,” hence the tradition that Terah was a craftsman who made idols. And later in the story Rachel, Terah’s great-great-granddaughter, does seem keen to hold on to the Teraphim (household idols) as if they were a family heirloom (Gen 31:19). And, it may be worth noting, we see the name “Terah” alluded to in the word “Teraphim”.

When Isaiah received his call while he was in the temple, there were probably many others there at the same time; however, Isaiah was the only one who saw the Lord. God might have called Terah, only for Terah to obey partially.

What can we learn from Terah? Terah remained in Haran and died there while Abraham risked everything, leaving for Canaan with his family, his flocks, and his herds. Terah might have had a comfortable old age, but he missed the Promised Land. Abraham took the risk and gained incredible blessings, as well as securing the Promised Land for his descendants.

The question for us is simple: Will we listen to God, even if it means risk, or will we settle for comfort? We can settle for comfort, but that will never result in our receiving God’s best for our lives. May God help us so that we will risk everything for His Will.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to be willing to lay down our hopes and our dreams so that You can lead us into the futures you have for us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Zechariah 2:6 -9 “Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,” says the Lord; “for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord. 7 “Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.”

8 For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye (the pupil of His eye.) 9 For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.

What does the “apple of God’s eye” refer to? It refers to the pupil of God’s eye. Just as we protect our eyes because they are so precious, so God promises to treasure and protect Israel as if that small country is the pupil of His eye. For the next few days, we are going to look at Israel as God describes it in His Word.

In Genesis 15:18-21 God promises the land of Israel to Abraham. “On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

Genesis 17:1-8 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

In Deuteronomy 11:10-12 God describes the Promised Land. “For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.”

How big is Israel?

Israel is a small country covering approximately 22,000–22,145 square kilometers (8,500-8,600 square miles.) It is about 470 km (290 miles) long and very narrow, ranging from only 15 km to 114 km in width. It is often compared in size to the US state of New Jersey or the country of El Salvador. But was this God’s will for Israel originally? Not at all! God promised the Israelites a vast territory stretching from the Nile River in Egypt to the Euphrates River in modern-day Iraq, and from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River. This included the land of Canaan, encompassing modern-day Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and parts of Syria and Lebanon. 

Key details about the territory God intended for Israel include:

• Boundaries: Defined as from the “river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates” (Genesis 15:18) and from the Mediterranean Sea east to the Euphrates.
• The Land of Canaan: This was the core area intended for the 12 tribes, which they were instructed to conquer and inhabit, dividing it by lot.
• Extent: It included lands occupied by the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, and others, stretching from the Negev in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north.
• Current Possession: Historically, Israel only reached this maximum extent during the reigns of David and Solomon, with many areas remaining unconquered during Joshua’s time.

Romans 11:29 tells us, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”When God gave the land of Israel to Abraham and his descendants, He didn’t make a mistake. Once God gives something, He does not take it back. As we continue to consider God’s Word about Israel, let’s ask God that He opens our minds and hearts to His will for Israel.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, open our minds and hearts to Your land of Israel and Your perfect Will for it. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.