Cary Jarrett in Jerusalem: Defending God's Land: "Now" and "Then"

On Highway 1 in Israel between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, this sign was being erected as we drove by last Tuesday. On May 14th, 2008, the current nation of Israel will be 60 years old. Of course, God Himself initially gave His Land to the Jews approximately 4000 years ago. First, the Land does belong to God. ‘The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me." Leviticus 25:23. Second, God gave the Land to the Jews, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Bible is full of these promises but Psalm 105:7-11 says does phrase it well: He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He remembers His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac, And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant, Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan As the allotment of your inheritance.."

For the nations of world to try and divide Israel and especially Jerusalem is going directly against God's Will for His Land. Their efforts will amount to nothing. He is Lord God Almighty and it is His Creation and His Word. What He has stated will come to pass. So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11.
Tuesday, January 22nd, was the Israeli Holiday of Tu B' Shevat which is the Israeli New Year for Trees. Tu B' Shevat simply means the 15th of Shevat (a Biblical month). Normally trees would be planted in Israel on the this day in a festive occasion. However, this year is considered a Shm'ta Year where the Land is to rest. In the Torah, God told Moses that the Land should rest every seven years (just like we are to rest every seven days on the Sabbath Day). ...‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a sabbath to the LORD. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the LORD. Leviticus 25:2-3. On Tu B' Shevat this year, Karen, the coordinator for CFI's Project David's Shield (outreach to the soldiers) invited me to attend a Memorial Dedication for Paratrooper Unit 551. Below is the monument that was unvieled with the Memorial Building and military vehicles in the background.

To not plant trees one year in seven does not fulfill the requirements that the Lord established. He did not want any planting at all in the Land for an entire year. He promised a double portion in year six before the Sabbath year of the Land. Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years. Leviticus 25:21. Just like today, ancient Israel and Judah did not keep the Sabbath year for the Land for 490 years. However, God did not forget. When Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon took Judah and Jerusalem captive, the time period of the punishment of 70 years was determined by the same number of years that the Land had "missed" the Sabbath. And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon,....to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years. II Chronicles 36:20-21. Below is the actual unvieling at the end of the ceremony.

Paratrooper Unit 551 sacrificed 10 young men in the 2006 Lebanon War. In early December, Karen and I visited this same base with CFI's Care Packages for the soldiers. That's when we learned of a need for some new chairs for today's Memorial Dedication. CFI-America was able to provide these funds for the chairs. After coordinating the purchase and delivery of the chairs, Karen received an invitation for CFI to attend the ceremony. It was quite an honor. Below is the mess tent that was setup for lunch. It was a cold day but we enjoyed a nice, hot lunch of schnitzel (chicken), potatoes, vegetables, and salad.

For the ceremony, Unit 551 parked a few of their vehicles close by.

Some vehicles are for transport, some are for defense.

Below is the wall of photos of Unit 551 that died fighting for God's Land. Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the LORD do what is good in His sight." II Samuel 10:12

A small monument made by the Unit.

Below are the new chairs. The family sat inside and saw video tributes to their sons and daughter and Unit 551. Then because there were so many attendees including all the Unit's Soldiers, the speaking portion of the cermony was held outside.

The 10 young men on the left are the ones who fell in 2006. For You have armed me with strength for the battle;...II Samuel 22:40

During the ceremony, 3 young members of the IDF were singing the Memorial songs.
....A time to mourn... Ecclesiastes 3:4

After the ceremony and waiting for lunch.

Attending the Paratrooper's Memorial was for today's defenders of God's Land. During my Christmas Holiday trip, I visited some sites where other defenders fell. One is Hazor (Hatzor) that Joshua conqueored around 3400 years ago after Moses led the nation Israel through the desert. Joshua turned back at that time and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor was formerly the head of all those kingdoms. Joshua 11:10.

Ruins at Tel Hatzor. The kings of old knew where to build it. Hazor is located on a high hill where you can see your enemies coming from every direction. But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only, which Joshua burned. Joshua 11:13

The view from Hazor.

Ruins headed down sometimes lead to a cistern to hold water.

Joshua's still here.

A large grove of Olive Trees just below Hazor.

Since Moses could not enter the Promised Land, Joshua became God's Chosen leader of Israel to conqueor the Land. And the LORD said to Moses: "Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; ... and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. ... At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation." Numbers 27:18-21.

Several hundred years after Joshua, King Solomon rebuilt and fortified Hazor. And this is the reason for the labor force which King Solomon raised: to build the house of the LORD, his own house, the Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. 1st Kings 9:15

Also at Hazor while I was there was a busload of young Israeli children learning about their inheritance. "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 6:4-7. The first verse for Jews is known as the Shmah. The Lord Jesus quoted this verse when asked asked by a scribe "What is the greatest commandment?" Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:29-31. Very strong words straight to the point from the Lord Jesus.

Below I could not quite make out if that truck was farm equipment or a Patriot 2 Missle Launcher. Both are needed up in northern Israel.

North of Hazor, between Kiryat Shmonah and Metulla stands this granite statue called the Lion of Judah. Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? Genesis 49:9 It's not this statue that will protect Israel when the appointed time comes but rather the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Lord Jesus. But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals." Revelation 5:5

Behind the statue is a very sacred cemetery where many of Israel's soldiers are buried in northern Israel. Herzl Cemetery in Jerusalem would be more like Arlington Cemetery in Washington, DC where prominant leaders and warriors are buried. However, this cemetery is also very well kept and preserved.

Also buried here are eight (six men and two women) Jews who fought against Bedouins around 1920 and lost their lives. Their bravery inspired many. The largest city in northern Israel, Kiryat Shmonah (Town of Eight), is named after them. Because of the close proximity to Hezbulllah in Lebanon, Kiryat Shmonah comes under attack frequently.