When the LORD turned Jerusalem around from mourning into joy and
from ashes to beauty, the world was turned upside down. Who had
heard or seen anything like this? For in just one day, suddenly the
nation of Israel was born again! Even before the birth pains came,
the baby was born! In a moment of time, just as Israel's anguish
started, the nation of Israel had a new beginning!
The LORD asked, "Shall I bring to the point of birth and then not
deliver?" No and never! The prophet Isaiah wrote that the nation of
Israel would be reborn in just one day. This prophecy was written
perhaps between 701 and 681 BC. It was fulfilled in May 14, 1948.
Israel had her Independence Day as a united and sovereign nation for
the first time after more than 2500 years.
On that same day, the United States issued a statement
recognizing the sovereignty of Israel. Only hours beforehand, a
United Nations mandate expired, ending the British control of the
Holy Land. Within those historic 24 hours, foreign control of the
land of Israel formally ceased. Israel declared her independence.
And her independence was acknowledged by other nations. Modern
Israel was literally born in a single day.
Isaiah prophesied that the birth would take place before any
labor pains. This was precisely what happened. Her declaration of
independence was not the result of a war but rather the cause of
one. Within hours of her independence in 1948, Israel was attacked
by the surrounding countries of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq
and Saudi Arabia. She was engulfed in a war immediately after her
birth! But guess what? The LORD was with her. He, Who had brought
her to the time of her birth, would deliver her out of the womb. He
protected Israel and delivered her from her enemies!
This brings me to the remembrance of how Israel was formed in the
first place in Genesis. She went into Egypt to find food in times of
famine. God prospered Joseph and made him the prime minister in
Egypt. The twelve sons of Israel were reconciled. Their father,
Israel, and all their family members were invited to stay in Egypt.
They settled in the fertile land of Goshen. Then a Pharaoh, who did
not acknowledge Joseph's achievements, came to power. The
descendants of Israel were forced to work as slaves in building the
great Egyptian cities.
God heard the desperate cries of the Israelites as they underwent
tremendous sufferings. God sent forth a deliverer in the form of a
baby to liberate His people from bondage. Moses was born in the
midst of the Hebrew slaves. He was set adrift in a basket on the
Nile River in an attempt to save him from being killed by the
Pharaoh's men. An Egyptian princess rescued him, and brought him up
as her own son.
Moses grew up and he had to flee from Egypt because of a crime
that he had committed. In the backside of the desert, Moses met God
in a burning bush. God sent him back to Egypt to deliver the
Israelites. Moses then, with the companionship of his brother Aaron
and the authority of God, confronted Pharaoh and demanded the
release of the Hebrew slaves. Pharaoh's consistent stubbornness and
refusals resulted in the ten plagues. These ten supernatural
phenomena were orchestrated by God! The last one was the death of
all the Egyptian firstborns.
After these plagues, there were more obstacles to conquer before
they finally reached their Promised Land. With more obstacles, they
witnessed more miracles of God. They began to trust their God in the
midst of adverse circumstances. To trust and obey God for there was
no other way! They crossed the Red Sea on dry ground and landed in
safety on the other side of the Sea. But the journey was not yet
completed.
God desired to put His laws in their hearts. He personally met
all of them at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:9-20:21). He desired to enter
into a covenant relationship with them. He was binding Himself to
the nation of Israel, in the form of a covenant - an eternal
contract. This covenant was fundamentally important in the history
of Israel. The Israelites were not to behave just like any nation of
the ancient world. All of them were pagan, following depraved and
corrupt moral practices and idol worships. Unfortunately, much of
the Israelite history was marked by continual disobedience to the
rules and regulations stated in the covenant. Her history began
badly with an idolatrous act. The people made and worshipped a
golden calf on Mount Sinai, the holy mountain of God. After their
punishment, the covenant was renewed. They began to work on the
building of the Tabernacle.
While in their journey to Canaan, the Israelites disobeyed God
through unbelief. They murmured against God in the wilderness for
almost everything, beginning from no food and no water. But God
supplied every one of their needs! Jehovah Jireh - on the Mountain
of God He will provide!
Moses then sent 12 spies to spy Canaan. There were two good
reports and ten bad. Therefore the Israelites refused to enter their
Promised Land because they were fearful of the giants living there.
For their lack of faith in God, they then wandered for 40 years in
the wilderness – round and round in almost endless circles. These
aimless wanderings were summarized in Numbers 33. Then Moses died.
God appointed Joshua to be the one in leading the Israelites to
cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. Therein they had to fight
and destroy their enemies. The walls of Jericho collapsed on the
seventh day after they had marched around it for six days. Then the
sin of Achan and the presumption of Israel caused their defeat in
Ai. On and on throughout the book of Joshua were the records of
conquests and the final settlement in the land which God had
promised to Abraham and his descendants many centuries earlier. At
last, they set up their homes in the Promised Land about 1400 to
1375 BC.
The birth of a baby is a journey of great joys and pains! A baby
can be a dream or a vision that the Lord has placed in our hearts.
But many mothers have ungodly thoughts of giving up their babies
because of the excruciating pains and troubles involved. As a
result, hundreds of millions actually do and have aborted their
children. They give up on their struggles. But they have to live
with those pains for the rest of their lives.
Strength and courage are not measured in gold medals and glorious
victories. They are marked by the struggles and obstacles that we
have overcome. We are more than overcomers in Christ Jesus! In all
these things, we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us
(Romans 8:37). Who knows that victory may be just one day ahead,
just one minute ahead or just one step ahead? Just imagine that
Israel gave up on May 13, 1948. If so, there would not be any modern
Israel today!
Joshua means, "the LORD is salvation," and Isaiah means "Jehovah
has saved." I believe that our Saviour is with us and He will
deliver us into victory!
Therefore I do not run like a man running
aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat
my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to
others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
(1 Corinthians 9:26-27)
And let us
not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall
reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have
opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are
of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:9-10)
Brethren, I
do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to
those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the
prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 3:13-14)
Fight the
good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which
you were called when you made your good confession in the
presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:12)
I have
fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the
faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to
me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have
loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)