December 28, 2007
Yesterday before going over to our neighbors for our regular Thursday prayer/praise/fellowship time, Rimona's eyes fell on a newspaper (which we rarely buy or read) that happened to be lying on our dinning room table. What stood out were all the horrible things that are beleaguering our country; Old ladies beaten (some robbed) by individuals and small bands of youth and even adults; a sex festival that is in the making in Tel Aviv (not to mention the "love" and gay parades that have already established themselves as part of that city's "cultural" scene). In addition to the above were the tabloids about corruption in high places, which have become our "daily bread". And the list does not end there.
Habakkuk 1:5 says, "Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days-- You would not believe if you were told". How true! Some of the things that are happening on this planet, in our day and age, we would not believe even if we were told. But in order not to take this scripture out of its context, let us take a look at the very precise description, depicted in the previous verses, and compare it to the current situation in Israel and in other countries too: " Why do You [YHVH] make me see iniquity, and cause me to look on wickedness [even if it is in the newspaper and television]? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; strife exists and contention arises [even in the body of Messiah]. Therefore, the law [Torah] is ignored and justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore, justice comes out perverted (Habakkuk 1:3-4). The Hebrew verb for "surround" is "katar" and shares its root with the word for crown, "keter". In other words, what this is implying is that the wicked do not only "surround" the righteous, but they also rule over them. This expresses perfectly our situation today in the nation of Israel, and the so called Christian nations as well.
Secular humanism, along with its self-righteous religions, is leading the people into the valley of YHVH's righteous judgments (ref. Joel 3: 12). But what shocked the prophet Habakkuk was that YHVH decided to grant favor to one of the fiercest people of his day and raise them up to judge His people: "For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, [whose land was in what is today's heartland of Islam] that fierce and impetuous people who march throughout the earth [they are the hunters and fishermen of Hab. 1: 14-17 that YHVH has raised up, favored, and sent into the nations] to seize dwelling places which are not theirs [also the Palestinians' claim on the Land of Israel]. They are dreaded and feared [terrorism]. Their justice and authority originate with themselves [Muslim self-righteousness is second to none]. Their horses are swifter than leopards and keener than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come galloping, their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swooping down to devour. All of them come for violence [Hamas]. Their horde of faces moves forward. They collect captives like sand. They mock at kings, and rulers are a laughing matter to them [mockery is a very prevalent attitude that we have all witnessed in Osama Bin Laden, Mahmoud Ahamadinejad, Saddam Hussein, Nasralla the Hezbollah leader, etc, a trait inherited from Ishmael, Esau, Amalek etc.]. They laugh at every fortress, and heap up rubble to capture" (Habakkuk 1:6-10).
They would not be able to do this had YHVH not given them favor, and this is the point of the prophet's dilemma. How could the Elohim of Israel sanction such a people to carry out His judgments? This is what perplexes the mind of the believers today and what constitutes "not believing this even though you were told". Islam's sword is aimed at the heart of the people of Israel, both the saved and unsaved in Ephraim and Judah. YHVH is using them to bring His people to repentance and return to Torah (His instructions), commandments, the gospel, and the land. The Church's gospel of "we are not under the law" has turned it into a lawlessness entity along with the nations it is established in. There is blindness to YHVH's righteous judgments. The fact that church buildings are being turned into occult centers and mosques, as we witnessed with our own eyes in England and Scotland and on American Christian TV, is not even noticed.
Back to Habakkuk, who took his post as a guard and stationed himself on the ramparts to watch and listen to what YHVH would speak to him, and to consider how to reply to His indignation. And so the prophet heard: "Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay" (Habakkuk 2:2-3).
YHVH's purpose for Islam has been in the making and will come to its ultimate conclusion. It is as sure as are His words, quoted above. The 'how', 'when' and 'where' are in His hands, but Habakkuk's prophecy does not end with the successes of YHVH's accomplices. For when He finishes using them, just as He did other nations in the past, to accomplish His plans for Israel this is what He says: "Because you have looted many nations, all the remainder of the peoples will loot you-- Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, to the town and all its inhabitants. Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house to put his nest on high to be delivered from the hand of calamity! You have devised a shameful thing for your house by cutting off many peoples; so you are sinning against yourself" (Habakkuk 2: 8-10). This is followed by a series of "woes" upon the enemy, but what about us, who are witnessing all of this? Are we on the watchtowers and the ramparts? For this prophecy ends in a very solemn but positive note: "I heard and my inward parts trembled, at the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, and in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, for the people to arise who will invade us. [And here comes the leap of faith:] Though the fig tree should not blossom, and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail, and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold, and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in YHVH, I will rejoice in the Elohim of my salvation. YHVH Elohim is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places" (Habakkuk 3: 16-19 emphases added).
Are we aware of, and prepared for what is coming?
Ephraim
Yesterday before going over to our neighbors for our regular Thursday prayer/praise/fellowship time, Rimona's eyes fell on a newspaper (which we rarely buy or read) that happened to be lying on our dinning room table. What stood out were all the horrible things that are beleaguering our country; Old ladies beaten (some robbed) by individuals and small bands of youth and even adults; a sex festival that is in the making in Tel Aviv (not to mention the "love" and gay parades that have already established themselves as part of that city's "cultural" scene). In addition to the above were the tabloids about corruption in high places, which have become our "daily bread". And the list does not end there.
Habakkuk 1:5 says, "Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days-- You would not believe if you were told". How true! Some of the things that are happening on this planet, in our day and age, we would not believe even if we were told. But in order not to take this scripture out of its context, let us take a look at the very precise description, depicted in the previous verses, and compare it to the current situation in Israel and in other countries too: " Why do You [YHVH] make me see iniquity, and cause me to look on wickedness [even if it is in the newspaper and television]? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; strife exists and contention arises [even in the body of Messiah]. Therefore, the law [Torah] is ignored and justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore, justice comes out perverted (Habakkuk 1:3-4). The Hebrew verb for "surround" is "katar" and shares its root with the word for crown, "keter". In other words, what this is implying is that the wicked do not only "surround" the righteous, but they also rule over them. This expresses perfectly our situation today in the nation of Israel, and the so called Christian nations as well.
Secular humanism, along with its self-righteous religions, is leading the people into the valley of YHVH's righteous judgments (ref. Joel 3: 12). But what shocked the prophet Habakkuk was that YHVH decided to grant favor to one of the fiercest people of his day and raise them up to judge His people: "For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, [whose land was in what is today's heartland of Islam] that fierce and impetuous people who march throughout the earth [they are the hunters and fishermen of Hab. 1: 14-17 that YHVH has raised up, favored, and sent into the nations] to seize dwelling places which are not theirs [also the Palestinians' claim on the Land of Israel]. They are dreaded and feared [terrorism]. Their justice and authority originate with themselves [Muslim self-righteousness is second to none]. Their horses are swifter than leopards and keener than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come galloping, their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swooping down to devour. All of them come for violence [Hamas]. Their horde of faces moves forward. They collect captives like sand. They mock at kings, and rulers are a laughing matter to them [mockery is a very prevalent attitude that we have all witnessed in Osama Bin Laden, Mahmoud Ahamadinejad, Saddam Hussein, Nasralla the Hezbollah leader, etc, a trait inherited from Ishmael, Esau, Amalek etc.]. They laugh at every fortress, and heap up rubble to capture" (Habakkuk 1:6-10).
They would not be able to do this had YHVH not given them favor, and this is the point of the prophet's dilemma. How could the Elohim of Israel sanction such a people to carry out His judgments? This is what perplexes the mind of the believers today and what constitutes "not believing this even though you were told". Islam's sword is aimed at the heart of the people of Israel, both the saved and unsaved in Ephraim and Judah. YHVH is using them to bring His people to repentance and return to Torah (His instructions), commandments, the gospel, and the land. The Church's gospel of "we are not under the law" has turned it into a lawlessness entity along with the nations it is established in. There is blindness to YHVH's righteous judgments. The fact that church buildings are being turned into occult centers and mosques, as we witnessed with our own eyes in England and Scotland and on American Christian TV, is not even noticed.
Back to Habakkuk, who took his post as a guard and stationed himself on the ramparts to watch and listen to what YHVH would speak to him, and to consider how to reply to His indignation. And so the prophet heard: "Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay" (Habakkuk 2:2-3).
YHVH's purpose for Islam has been in the making and will come to its ultimate conclusion. It is as sure as are His words, quoted above. The 'how', 'when' and 'where' are in His hands, but Habakkuk's prophecy does not end with the successes of YHVH's accomplices. For when He finishes using them, just as He did other nations in the past, to accomplish His plans for Israel this is what He says: "Because you have looted many nations, all the remainder of the peoples will loot you-- Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, to the town and all its inhabitants. Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house to put his nest on high to be delivered from the hand of calamity! You have devised a shameful thing for your house by cutting off many peoples; so you are sinning against yourself" (Habakkuk 2: 8-10). This is followed by a series of "woes" upon the enemy, but what about us, who are witnessing all of this? Are we on the watchtowers and the ramparts? For this prophecy ends in a very solemn but positive note: "I heard and my inward parts trembled, at the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, and in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, for the people to arise who will invade us. [And here comes the leap of faith:] Though the fig tree should not blossom, and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail, and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold, and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in YHVH, I will rejoice in the Elohim of my salvation. YHVH Elohim is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places" (Habakkuk 3: 16-19 emphases added).
Are we aware of, and prepared for what is coming?
Ephraim
No comments:
Post a Comment