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.

It was a beautiful day in northern Israel.

The cemetery is designed with walkways avoiding the graves.

A small tree adorns this grave.

The Lion of Judah Statue from a distance.

I'm not sure if this is a grave but the yellow daisies in December were pretty.

As was other floral in the cemetery.

Mount Hermon in the background.

Waterfalls, Caesarea Phillipi, and The Golan Heights

Three streams or small rivers come together to form the Jordan River. One of them is the Banias coming down out of Mount Hermon. Very close to Caesarea Phillipi is the Banias waterfall as it heads towards the Jordan. A fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And streams from Lebanon. Song of Solomon 4:15.

Below is Israel's National Park sign. It's about 1/2 mile hike to the descent and then 200 steps down to the waterfall. A good test for an old man.

Zooming in on the waterfall.

The water is moving very fast just past the falls.

He also brought streams out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers. Psalm 78:16.

The pathway back to the top.

Beautiful scenery along the pathway looking over the small canyon where the Banias runs.

That step at the top is the one I have been looking for.

One last photo from the walkway.

If you zoom in the middle, in the distance you will see a Crusader Castle that is named Nimrod's Fortress. I was there in 1997. The ruins are very good and fun to walk around. However, today it is starting to get dark so I better head back to Vered HaGalil. Nimrod had nothing to with the fortress but someone must have wanted to attach a Biblical name to another National Park.
Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD." Genesis 10:8-9.

Sunset over the Lebanon Mountains as I approached the highway.

The next morning I was headed to the Golan Heights with Gamla as my main objective. On the way down to the Sea of Galilee before going up the mountains of Bashan you can see this sign.

The roads up were a little narrow with many curves. Finally I found a place to pull off and take a photo through the olive trees. A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan. Psalm 68:15

Flowers in Kibbutz Gamla.

Again.

The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is scattered all over the Golan. Syria is just a few miles away. Just driving along the deserted highways you will pass an IDF base or two. This sign suggested that it was a tank division or something.

No more guessing. Below are real tanks situated close to the border.

Eventually I found Gamla which is nicknamed "Masada of the north". In the Jewish-Roman War of 67-70 AD just 35-40 years after the Lord Jesus, the citizens of Gamla fought to the death. At Masada, down by the Dead Sea, they actually held out for 3 years and then all committed suicide rather than subject themselves to Roman rule. Masada will have to be another trip.

The Gamla region is known for attracting large birds of prey. After the battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39, there may be a lot of those birds here. You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Ezekiel 39:4. Below as I was walking back to the Gamla waterfall, this eagle was flying over.

A sign at the entrance to the canyon and the waterfall.

The ravine with Gamla in the distance (pointed top). A lot of knowledge about Gamla comes from Josephus who either fought or was wounded there. Or both.

Below if I had more time I would have walked over to this group of Eucalyptus trees just to see if there were some recent ruins. Between 1948 and 1967, the Golan Heights was occupied by Syria. Israel had a spy in Damascus named Elie Cohn. He came to such prominance in the late 50's and early 60's that his suggestion to "plant trees" near the bunkers of all the Syrian defenses on the Golan was accepted. The idea was for Syrian officers to have some shade. Eventually Elie Cohn was caught and hanged (see the book Our Man in Damascus). When the 1967 Six-Day War broke out, the Israeli Air Force had a simple command to "shoot at the trees".
My destination after a nice walk along a rocky path.

My camera lens is not strong enough to get a good photo.

Zooming in.

While I was sitting there, this eagle came swooping down the canyon. I was amazed that I was higher than he was. But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31.

The canyon on the other side. For awhile there were also two young girls doing pre-IDF training. When they asked me where I was from and what was I doing in Israel, I explained to them about volunteering with Christian Friends of Israel. One of them immediately began asking questions that led to a 15-20 minute discussion. Bottom line, the discussion came to a point where I said that "the Lord Jesus is coming back". She thought about that for a minute then said "the Jews are expecting the Messiah and you are also waiting. It's the same!" Pray that seed will be watered. The young kids in Israel do seem to be hungry for the Word of God. The Book of Revelation suggests that the 144,000 could all be young men. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God. Revelation 14:3-5.

A wooden walk bridge on the way back. There were several Israeli fighter jets zooming over. This could be a routine flight to go up to the Syrian border and then turn around just to let the Syrians know that Israel is still here.

As I head to the lookout point over Gamla, there are the ruins of a Byzantine Church.

This sign explains it.

Even if the sign did not have English, I got the point from the picture.

Looking back towards the canyon that I just walked around to see the waterfall.

In the distance, the northeastern tip of the Sea of Galilee.

Below is Gamla. The city was built on the side of a mountain for defensive purposes. According to Josephus, the Romans broke through the gates and there was hand-to-hand fighting all the way to the top of the mountain. There many of the Jews decided to jump to their deaths rather than submit to Rome. Today, the Israeli government does not have the same tenacious attitude for the land that God Almighty gave to them. Ezekiel 36 says the Lord will take care of it anyway. "Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: "I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD," says the Lord GOD, "when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. Ezekiel 36:22-23.

Almost time to start heading home again.

Sometimes you are grateful for signs that are in English.

Below the Golan can get desolate in places. After leaving Gamla and heading to Caesarea Phillipi there were a couple of young men hitch-hiking at a bus stop. I would imagine buses are scarce on the Golan so I offered them a ride. I was headed through the biggest city on the Golan called Katzrin. They got in and we ventured off down the highway. After the first turn, the one who spoke English jumped out said "I have to go the other direction". The one in the backseat, an Ethiopian Jew, did not speak English but pointed to Katzrin so we kept going. Around the next corner was an older lady with some grocery bags. Well you can't leave her on the highway I thought so I rolled down the window and said "Katzrin?" She jumped in. When we got to Katzrin, she pointed at a bus stop and I let her out. Before the door closed, 3 more people wanted a ride beyond Katzrin. One of them was also a young man in the IDF, back packs, gun and all. We headed towards Highway 90 which would take me to Vered HaGalil if I went south. Twenty minutes later at the junction bus stop, 3 of the 4 got out and another jumped in and said "Kiryat Shmonah?" Sure, why not? Except that Kiryat Shmonah was north on Highway 90 instead of south. By the time I got to Kiryat Shmonah, it was almost dark. The last two thanked me and got out. I was laughing with the Lord thinking this is "Christian Friends of Israel". At CFI, I told the story and said I wanted to start my own project, "Taxi Service on the Golan".

The sun beginning to set over the Lebanon Mountains again only further north than yesterday.

Looking north there was still a little daylight.

I finally arriced at Caesarea Phillipi area but it had closed. This is the main tourist site for buses that come this far north. The cave is known as the "Gates to Hell" or something like that. This is where a lot of idol worship took place including some Greek god named Pan. Just across the road behind me are the ruins to Caesarea Philippi. We are at the foot of Mount Hermon which is the largest mountain in Israel. This could have been the location when the Lord Jesus asked his disciples "Who do people say that I am?" When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:13-18.

The ruins at Caesarea Phillipi today.

Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi...

Mark 8:27

Caesarea Phillipi.

Caesarea Phillipi.

Time to go home to Verid HaGalil.