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All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to Him. And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!” So He told them this parable: “What man among you, who has 100 sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it? When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don’t need repentance (Luke 15:1-7 HCSB).

We often read this parable of Jesus identifying Him as the shepherd and ourselves as the one, lost sheep that the shepherd leaves the 99 to find. While such an interpretation makes us feel good and valued, it actually misses Jesus’ point. He told this parable to explain to the Pharisees who complained about His association eating with sinners (i.e., those who were ritually impure). 

In it He expressed the value of even one lost sheep to the shepherd, with the goal of His listeners understanding the value of one to God—and, by extension, the value that each one, even the lost, should have to them. The purpose of the parable was not to make the “sinners” feel good, but rather to reframe the perspective of the critics and calling upon them to behave in a manner similar to how God behaves—valuing the one. 

When we read this parable, we should find ourselves in the position of Jesus’ original listeners, those who needed to be reminded that God values the one. And, in the same manner that the shepherd sought out the one, lost sheep, we too should seek those who are far away from God. Without reading too much into the parable, the shepherd sought the sheep, not the other way around. The shepherd rejoiced at finding the sheep, and he didn’t scorn it or chastise it.

We tend to read the Bible placing ourselves in the position of the hero or the one God reaches out to; when we do, we often make our faith very self-centered. The purpose of this parable sought to confront the Pharisees with the reality of the value that God places on the one. The hoped-for response was a change in their actions that came to value the lost one instead of condemning them.

Are we seeking out the lost with the sincere hope that they will return to God? Do we rejoice upon finding them? Do we value the one in the same way that God does? If not, then we need to hear the words of Jesus afresh and anew today.

PRAYER

Father, You value the one. You seek the one. You call the one to return to You. May we act as You act manifesting Your mercy and forgiveness in our world. Amen.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels 

An American-based reading-aloud Bible initiative—the Nationwide Bible Reading Marathon—was just completed yesterday morning, July 14, at 7:14 across the world virtually in respective time zones. In Israel, the birthplace of the Bible, the reading uniquely brought Jews and Christians together to recite the assigned chapters 25-66 in Isaiah. American Christian Dianne Bentley began the initiative in Iowa as a local happening a few years ago. It has now grown into an international reading of the Old and New Testaments that takes place in dozens of countries. 

In a “divine appointment,” Israeli Jonathan Feldstein encountered one of the state leaders of the Nationwide Bible Reading Marathon. He then launched the effort in Israel and recruited readers from both communities where each chose their own virtual location. Participants read in Hebrew, English, Arabic, Russian, Amharic, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Feldstein, president of the Genesis 123 Foundation (Genesis123.com), is no stranger to uniting Jews and Christians in various events and projects. 

Indeed, his foundation has created a smorgasbord of connection possibilities between Jews and Christians, including Run for Zion, Art for Zion, Helping Ethiopian Jews, and multiple other ways to connect the two communities. An Orthodox Jew, Feldstein made Aliyah from the United States in 2004 and writes for prominent Christian and conservative websites. He also hosts Inspiration from Zion, a popular webinar series and podcast. 

The date and time, July 14 at 7:14, was specifically designated based on 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If My people, upon whom My name is called, humble themselves and pray and seek My presence and repent of their evil ways, I shall hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.” The modern readings certainly follow oral traditions of Old Testament scrolls being recited aloud in ancient times since few people knew how to read. 

Isaiah is one of my favorite books of the Bible, so I was delighted to read The Jerusalem Post article about yesterday’s Bible reading, completed by the Jewish and Christian participants. If a Nobel Prize for Literature existed in ancient times, the prophet Isaiah would be the unrivaled recipient for his captivating prophetic writings. The book of Isaiah and its 66 chapters overflow with unsurpassed biblical eloquence. Prophecies, prayers, and promises feature a tapestry of images and words that provide the highest-definition picture of Jesus in the Old Testament. The word “salvation” appears in Isaiah 26 times, and the prophet’s name means “Yahweh is salvation.” Chapter 53 describing the Messiah is quoted 85 times in the New Testament, and Isaiah offers us 29 titles for Jesus! 

The just-completed marathon opened a door for me to also learn about Israel’s International Bible Quiz for Youth. Israel’s national pride emerges in the historic competition held annually on Israel’s Independence Day where the televised contest draws a big viewership. The quiz is a key part of countrywide barbecues, ceremonies, flag waving, and fun on Independence Day.  

The Bible Quiz contest, which is held in Jerusalem, is sponsored by the Israeli government and the Jewish Agency for Israel. The Jewish Agency’s website says this is a competition that “raises awareness among the general Jewish public, especially high-school students, about the importance of the Bible to Jewish identity and heritage.”

Jewish youth worldwide between the ages of 14 and 18 can apply. Israel’s prime minister, minister of education, Jewish Agency for Israel chairman, and other dignitaries attend the event, giving it high marks of prestige and importance to Israeli citizens and the ancient history of their state. 

This year the competition took place on Israel’s 73rd modern birthday: April 15, 2021. A 16-year-old Israeli, Gilad Abrahomov, won. MyJewishLearning.com describes the winners in a joyous way: “The victor is crowned ‘Groom’ or ‘Bride’ of the Bible and wins a scholarship to study at Israel’s Bar Ilan University. The best non-Israeli champion wins a scholarship to study at Machon Lev, the Jerusalem College of Technology.”

Winners, who studied the 39 books of the Old Testament for months, have proven themselves truly knowledgeable about these finer points. The International Bible Quiz is the official annual event for Jewish youth, but numerous informal Bible quizzes take place between adults around Independence Day. The quiz questions are drawn from the first five books of the Bible (the Torah), from the prophets (including Isaiah), and from Psalms, Job, and other books in the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh). 

The questions are often composed of biblical minutiae. Here’s a sample question: “Where did the false prophet Hananya Ben Azor in the time of King Hezekiah live? (Answer: Givon.) Here’s another: “How much money did the mother of Micah the prophet give a goldsmith?” (Answer: 200 shekels.)

As to the special timing of the International Bible Quiz, Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion chose Independence Day for quiz day. The first quiz took place in 1963. It may not be surprising that he gave the Bible Quiz such a prominent place when he once said, “We have preserved the Book, and the Book has preserved us.” On the other hand, he himself described his outlook in another of his famous comments: “Since I invoke Torah so often, let me state that I don’t personally believe in the God it postulates … I am not religious, nor were the majority of the early builders of Israel believers. Yet, their passion for this land stemmed from the Book of Books … the single most important book in my life.” 

Nevertheless, this brilliant intellectual held a weekly Prime Minister’s Bible Study Circle, was conversant in Scripture, and spoke 11 languages. One year I toured his home in Tel Aviv and gasped at the 22,000-book library he had left just as it was when he sat at his desk.  

In closing, one key reason that the Christian community is robust in its stand with the world’s only Jewish state, is our gratitude for the Bible. The Bible guides our faith in both the Old and New Testaments written in the ancient soil of Israel through Jewish scribes. 

Yesterday’s Bible marathon chapter assignments of Isaiah 25-66 are a powerful reminder of a shabbat 2,000 years ago. When visiting His Nazareth hometown, Jesus stood up in the synagogue and read Isaiah 61. “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the LORD anointed me to bring good news to the humble; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD.” 

After reading the scroll, He astonished everyone by saying, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” How fascinating to note that Isaiah 61 was one of the chapters assigned to Jewish and Christian readers yesterday morning. 

Join CBN Israel this week in praying for the Jewish nation and people:

• Pray for Israel’s new Prime Minister Bennett, for wisdom in making decisions. 
• Pray with thankfulness for the IDF Search and Rescue team that left Surfside, Florida, to cheers of appreciation for their help in the condo tragedy. 
• Pray for alertness in Israel’s cybersecurity personnel for any terrorist plans. 
• Pray that the Jewish people will renew their hope, recalling that for centuries God has “redeemed them, summoned them and says, ‘You are Mine.’” 
• Pray that the Lord will reprimand those in our nation and around the globe who spread lies and distortions about Israel and the Jewish people. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness (Isaiah 5:20).” 

Let us recall Isaiah 43:1-3 in our prayers for Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

Arlene Bridges Samuels pioneered Christian outreach for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). After she served nine years on AIPAC’s staff, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as Outreach Director part-time for their project, American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is now an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel and has traveled to Israel 25 times. She co-edited The Auschwitz Album Revisited by Artist Pat Mercer Hutchens and sits on the board of Violins of Hope South Carolina. Arlene has attended Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summit three times and hosts her devotionals, The Eclectic Evangelical, on her website at ArleneBridgesSamuels.com.

Shortly after her parents emigrated from Bulgaria to Israel, Shoshana was born. Growing up, sadly, her home never felt like “home.” The fighting and screaming… Her childhood was filled with constant anxiety and stress, and she had a difficult relationship with her father. 

So, when it was time for her mandatory service in the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces), Shoshana was thrilled to have a reason to leave home. Serving as a mechanic, she only saw her father every few weeks, which was healthier, and made her visits home more bearable. 

But when she was released from the army with a meager stipend, she was forced to move back with her parents, as most recruits do. After being on her own, it was hard to go back to the place she wanted to escape. She had no peace and knew that in order to save her relationship with her parents, she needed to leave. Yet with little money, where could she go? 

Thanks to friends like you, CBN Israel was there. We sponsor a special home for lone soldiers. It’s a safe place for those without family or a strong support system—and for recently released soldiers in transition, like Shoshana. We gave her a stable, healthy environment, and she is now applying to study biblical counseling in college next year. She says, “The people here are my family. I’m so thankful… You’re truly filling in a gap for so many of us who have felt alone.” 

And your gift to CBN Israel can do so much more. You can deliver compassionate relief to victims of terrorism, lonely refugees, single moms, and more. In these uncertain times, your support is crucial, and can bring food, shelter, financial help, and essentials to the hurting. 

Please join us in blessing those in need across the Holy Land!

GIVE TODAY

By Marc Turnage

In the northeastern corner of the Jezreel Valley sits the dome shaped hill of Mount Tabor. The steep slopes on all sides of the solitary mountain lead to a plateau on top, 1000 meters by 400 meters in area. The tribal territories of Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali meet at Mount Tabor.

Mount Tabor played a prominent role in the story of Deborah and Barak. They gathered the Israelite forces at Mount Tabor prior to their battle with the Canaanite forces of Jabin, king of Hazor, that were led by his general Sisera (Judges 4). The Israelites used the steep slopes of Tabor to their strategic advantage against the Canaanite chariots. So too, their gathering at Tabor prior to the battle may have to do with the connection of the mountain to cultic worship (see Deuteronomy 33:18-19; Hosea 5:1).  

Mount Tabor served as the site for several battles during the Hellenistic and Roman eras. Josephus, who became a historian of ancient Judaism, fortified the mountain as part of his efforts in the Galilee during the First Jewish Revolt against Rome (A.D. 66-73). 

Christian tradition, from the time of the Church Fathers, identified Mount Tabor as a possible location for the site of the event of the Transfiguration. The Gospels do not specify the location of this event, simply calling it “a very high mountain” (Matthew 17:1; Mark 9:2). The earliest tradition identifying Mount Tabor as the location of the Transfiguration comes from the Gospel according to the Hebrews. 

This work no longer exists, but Church Fathers quote passages of it in their works. Origen, citing the Gospel according to the Hebrews, identified the location of the Transfiguration as occurring on Mount Tabor. If this was written in the Gospel according to the Hebrews, then this tradition dates to the late first or early second century A.D. Cyril also knew the tradition that placed the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. 

Both Eusebius and the Bordeaux Pilgrim do not mention the mountain being a sacred mountain. Thus, while some early Christian traditions located the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, it was not treated as a sacred mountain or site within the early Byzantine period. Today, visitors to the mountain find a church on its summit.

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you” (Luke 6:37-38 NKJV).

Matthew’s parallel adds, “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (chapter 7:2). This is perhaps one of the most sobering statements of Jesus. Yet we rarely pause to internalize it.

We often take it to mean that if we do not judge others, others will not judge us, but that misses Jesus’ point entirely. It’s not others who will not judge us; it’s not others who will not condemn us or forgive us; rather, it is God. You mean how God will judge me, condemn me, and even forgive me depends on how I treat others? According to Jesus, the answer is yes. 

So, how do you want to be judged by God? If we desire God’s mercy, we must show mercy to others. If we do not want Him to condemn us, then we cannot condemn others. If we want Him to forgive us, then we must forgive. “Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” And, if we want Him to give, we must generously give to others. 

Jesus understood that between God and us stands another. In the manner we want God to act and treat us, we must behave to another as we would to ourselves. In fact, for Him, we demonstrate our love of God and obedience to Him by how we love others. “With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” 

How different would our world look if we took this startling statement of Jesus’ to heart? How would we relate differently to our families? In our workplaces? To strangers? Foreigners? Enemies? 

If we treated others in the same way that we want God to treat us, what testimony would we demonstrate to a world filled with anger, bitterness, judgment, condemnation, and unforgiveness?

We often water down the impact of Jesus’ words. We need to let them hit us anew—and afresh. How do I want God to judge me? Then I must judge others in the same manner. 

We all hope for God to show us mercy, so let us show mercy to others. When we hear Jesus and truly internalize His words, His challenging message rings just as relevant for us today as it did to His listeners 2,000 years ago. Be merciful as your Father in heaven is merciful.

PRAYER

Father, forgive us for judging and condemning others without kindness and mercy. God, we need Your mercy; let us therefore show mercy toward others like ourselves. Amen.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Most American taxpayers are distressed by the way the United States Congress wheels and deals with our national budget. While members of Congress jockey for political advantage, the unwieldy budgets have now contributed to a colossal $28 trillion debt at this writing. 

Nevertheless, despite its recurring budget power-struggles and often reckless policies, Congress gets it right with one aspect of our budget every year: security aid to Israel. Last Thursday, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee—both Democrats and Republicans—approved its 2022 foreign aid bill, which includes $3.3 billion for Israel’s security aid. It is heartening to know that the U.S. Congress at least operates with wisdom when it comes to Israel’s security. 

While the $3.3-billion price tag may come as sticker shock to some, in fact it is both a bargain and a smart investment. This one expenditure repays more than we contribute in our partnership with the Middle East’s only democracy. In fact, Israel and the U.S. enjoy close, significant cooperation in homeland security, cybersecurity, space, import/export dollars, intelligence, healthcare, scientific studies, energy and water advances, border and maritime security, and much more.

Bipartisan members of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee may not be sitting in their meeting with open Bibles referring to the 2,350 verses about money, investments, and tithing. However, they are blessing the Holy Land in practical ways. They know the partnership is a win-win for both nations. God has historically poured out His blessings upon our nation because we governmentally choose a strong relationship with His land and His chosen people. 

In practical terms, our security aid advances through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). It is an agreement, not a treaty. Yet it has stood the test of time since 1981 with the first MOU recognizing the “common bonds of friendship between the U.S. and Israel and builds on the mutual security relationship that exists between the two nations.” The MOU is reevaluated every 10 years and was signed in 2016 for the third time. Thirty-eight billion dollars over 10 years was agreed upon, releasing $3.3 billion each year. The 2016 signing put the next MOU in place to cover FY2019-FY2028. As is typically the case, 75% stays in the U.S., where weapons-related equipment is manufactured—providing American jobs. 

Our partnerships with Israel generate more than 255,000 American jobs. Israel has contracts with 1,000 companies in most of our states. The U.S. is the largest investor in Israel, the “innovation nation,” where 2,500 American firms do business. In 2019 alone, Israel’s private businesses invested $36.6 billion in the U.S. 

Working together, our military technology has expanded and become more effective when it comes to tunnels, missiles, and unmanned arial vehicles. As a world leader in research into and treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Israel also helps our military and millions of our civilians who suffer with PTSD due to various traumas. 

It is worth noting that Israel’s partnership with the U.S. does not come at the cost of American lives. In one of its important policies, Israel has never requested American boots on the ground, never asking—or expecting—Americans to sacrifice their lives. Instead, Israeli men and women defend their homeland during their compulsory military service right out of high school. 

They do need our security aid, though, because of how much they must spend on their defense. As a frame of reference: In 2019, the U.S. spent 3.4% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense. The world average based on 146 countries is 1.8%. However, Israel—geographically the 152^nd smallest country on the globe—spent a massive 5.26% of its GDP on defense that year. 

On many of my trips to Israel leading small groups of Christian leaders, we met with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel for briefings. On one occasion, just yards away in Lebanon, we saw Hezbollah’s yellow flags flying in the breeze while an IDF tank unit briefed us. On other trips, we sat with a group of soldiers for lunch in the Golan and intently listened to their stories. One year on the Syrian border, we heard bombs falling in the distance at the height of Syria’s horrific civil war.

The soldiers, serving in one of the world’s toughest neighborhoods, inspired us with their youth, skills, and attitudes. At the close of our time with them, I always took the opportunity to speak with them. “We are Christians who deeply care about Israel. Thank you for serving on the front lines of freedom. You are fighting terror on behalf of the United States, too.” I always asked a pastor to offer a prayer for their safety before we left. These young men and women expressed their thanks each time.  

Former General Alexander Haig made the following statement while Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan: “Israel is the largest American aircraft carrier in the world that cannot be sunk, does not carry even one American soldier, and is located in a critical region for American national security.” It is a fitting description. Israel is protecting the U.S. from Iranian aggression through their massive intelligence sharing. Hatred from Iran’s leaders is not only aimed at Israel; the U.S. is also in the crosshairs of the largest state sponsor of terror in the world. 

Israeli fingerprints are thought to be on a growing list of operations designed to disable Iran’s nuclear quest and their military capabilities. “Mysterious” events include a large fire at an Iranian shipyard, an oil refinery fire in Tehran, explosions at an Iranian drone factory, and a covert strike that destroyed centrifuges spinning military grade uranium. Kharg, once the largest Iranian Navy ship, caught fire and sank in the Gulf of Oman. A warship called the Saviz was targeted in the Red Sea. 

A few weeks ago, Venezuela, a close Iranian ally, was set to welcome two Iranian ships crossing the Atlantic loaded with fast-attack boats and missiles. Based on satellite imagery, the U.S. insisted that they change course. They did and never anchored in the port of Caracas. However, we cannot always count on deterrence when Iranian ships attempt to berth in the port of Caracas. 

We cannot forget Iran’s goals of domination, powered by Shia Islam’s desire to welcome the Twelfth Imam, their messiah. Israel is on the front lines of freedom not only for the small Jewish state, but also for Gulf Arab nations, the U.S., and others. 

Lest American citizens ignore Iran, some 7,000 to 8,000 miles away, their leader’s plans to ship weapons to Venezuela should give Americans pause. There are 101 Iranian embassies worldwide. Many are scattered all over Central and South America, giving land-based access to the U.S. through our southern border. Indeed, 11 Iranians raised suspicions when they crossed our southern border recently. And this is not unusual. On March 16, 2021, in a congressional Homeland Security Committee meeting, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, a Democrat, unexpectedly acknowledged that “suspected terrorist migrants routinely travel to the southern border.” 

Thousands of desperate Venezuelans are fleeing from their dictator and crossing our open southern border. Yet we cannot assume that all the Venezuelans mean us no harm. Since the early 2000s, the elite Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has lived and worked with Venezuelan military. If innocent Venezuelan families are making it overland to the U.S. border, doubtless the IRGC will not be far behind. 

In closing, an Israeli company called Xtend has invented small unmanned aerial drones used by IDF special forces. The Pentagon just purchased dozens of them—a specialized drone system for our military called “Skylord.” 

In the Christian community, our God is the true Sky Lord, Creator of the universe and the skies. While we want our own military to successfully defend our nation and to remain safe, let us lift our prayers for the U.S. and Israel for protection.   

Join CBN Israel along with other believers across the globe to pray for Israel:

• Pray with thankfulness that the U.S. Congress remains allied with Israel.
• Pray that bipartisan U.S. support for Israel will continue in the decades ahead.  
• Pray for covert and overt safety for the Israeli military.
• Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and its regional allies in the Abraham Accords. 

Let us rise to Isaiah’s invitation as watchmen in chapter 62:6 (NIV): “I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest.”

Arlene Bridges Samuels pioneered Christian outreach for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). After she served nine years on AIPAC’s staff, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as Outreach Director part-time for their project, American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is now an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel and has traveled to Israel 25 times. She co-edited The Auschwitz Album Revisited by Artist Pat Mercer Hutchens and sits on the board of Violins of Hope South Carolina. Arlene has attended Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summit three times and hosts her devotionals, The Eclectic Evangelical, on her website at ArleneBridgesSamuels.com.

When Huana immigrated to Israel with her husband and two children in 1989, the couple worked in a factory, and for years they were content. They lived in Sderot, and despite rocket attacks from Gaza, the family adapted. But then, her husband started behaving strangely.

One day, Huana got a frantic call from his boss, saying her husband was acting crazy and assaulting people. He was taken to a mental hospital—where he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Added to that, months later, her daughter was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Huana had to work two jobs as the family’s breadwinner. Drowning in debt and despair, she admitted, “I seriously questioned whether I wanted to live…” She made herself keep going for her family. 

Several years ago, Huana’s husband died, and she was now 67. Unable to work, she had difficulty walking, and her 32-year-old daughter needed constant supervision from her. She was barely surviving, weary, and longed for a miracle. And then, you came to her rescue. 

CBN Israel provided Huana with food packages and vouchers, so they could get groceries and other basic essentials during this difficult time. We also purchased brand-new furniture for this widow and her daughter.

And CBN Israel is giving so many like Huana hope in the face of challenges. We are there with compassionate relief, financial aid—and God’s love. Your support is crucial as cries for help persist throughout Israel. You can provide food and necessities for Holocaust survivors, refugees, and more. 

You can bless so many in need—please let us hear from you today!

GIVE TODAY

By Marc Turnage

The city of Hebron played an important role, particularly within the Old Testament narratives. The city features prominently in the stories of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as Joshua and Caleb, and, eventually, David, who reigned for his first seven years at Hebron. 

The prominence of Hebron within the Bible stems from its location along the major north-south road through the central hill country of Israel. Located 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem, Hebron sat at the juncture of two roadways that ascended from the basin of the biblical Negev. One came from Beersheva in the west, and the other came from Arad in the eastern Negev basin. These two roadways came together at Hebron, which sits at 3050 feet above sea level, the highest point in the southern hill country, in the heart of the tribal territory of Judah. 

The hills and valleys around Hebron offer a fertile region with iron-rich soil that enables the growing of grape vineyards, olive trees, fruits, and terraced land for growing wheat and barley. Also, sheep and goats can be grazed in the surrounding region. 

The ancient site of Hebron (Tel Rumeideh) sits on roughly seven and a half acres. A spring on the lower east slope of the tel provided the water for the city. To the east of the biblical tel sits the ancient shrine of the Machpelah, or the Tomb of the Patriarchs. 

The building, whose basic structure dates to the first century B.C./A.D., is built over the cave that traditions ascribe that Abraham purchased to bury Sarah (Genesis 23). Tradition ascribes it as the burial location of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah. For this reason, the site has been revered since ancient times, and is a place of prayer for both Jews and Muslims. No significant excavations have taken place at the Machpelah. 

Hebron played an important role in the stories of Abraham, who lived at Hebron, pitching his tent at the “oaks of Mamre.” Sarah died at Hebron, and Abraham, who was a nomad, purchased land in order to bury her there. The Israelite spies spied out the land near Hebron (Numbers 13). 

The last reference to Hebron in the Bible is as the place of David’s initial reign as king of the tribe of Judah. When he was made king over all Israel, he moved from Hebron, where he had reigned for seven years, to Jerusalem where he ruled over the twelve tribes of Israel. David’s son Absalom instigated his rebellion against his father at Hebron (2 Samuel 15:7-10).

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

“The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; and with all your possessions, acquire understanding. … I have instructed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths” (Proverbs 4:7, 11 NASB).

Our modern world often equates wisdom with our intelligence or as the natural result of our life experience. In other words, we have little control over whether or not we are wise. We either possess it innately or automatically gain it through life experience. According to the Bible, it’s neither. 

In the Bible, wisdom is a skill that can be acquired and learned, but it also requires discipline. Both Psalms and Proverbs attach wisdom with the “fear” of (or obedience to) God. Wisdom dwells with God and in His Word. Yet it is something to be acquired—to grow in and continually learn. 

Wisdom first appears in the Bible in connection with Bezalel and his craftsmen (Exodus 35-36), who were tasked with constructing the elements and vestments of the Tabernacle. They were artisans. They are also the first people to be filled with the Spirit of God. The way the Bible uses the term “wisdom” in the context of Bezalel shows that it is a skill acquired through disciplined, attentive action, and practice. Yes, God filled these artisans with His Spirit, but their ability came from their discipline, their wisdom. 

In the Bible, God does not simply give us a skill or ability that we have not acquired and mastered through discipline. David had practiced his slingshot thousands of times before he confronted Goliath. Bezalel fashioned countless pieces, working on his art and his craft, before God called him to construct the elements of the Tabernacle. Our acquisition of wisdom, skill, and insight enables God to animate what we have mastered and expand its impact exponentially.

Life experience does not alone produce wisdom; neither is wisdom simply something one has or doesn’t have. Wisdom comes through discipline, through obedience. We can train ourselves to be wise. At the same time, wisdom—within the Bible—comes from God’s instructions, and learning His Word requires discipline and skill.

Biblical wisdom does not come to the lazy nor to those who want it quickly. We acquire it through discipline in our lives and in God’s Word. But the promise of wisdom is life.

PRAYER

Father, grant us Your wisdom. May we acquire it and walk in Your ways. Amen.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Even before the expert Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Search and Rescue Brigade arrived in Florida, they had already mapped via satellite the collapsed Champlain Towers South. Carrying with them the hope that their survey would add to the lifesaving efforts of all rescuers on the site, Israel’s “Helping Hand” operation landed near Miami on Sunday. 

Along with 10 reservists from the IDF unit, Israel’s United Hatzalah volunteer organization has placed a team—the Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit—in Surfside to provide emotional support and stability for families whose lives have been shattered, either from the terrible waiting hour after hour or the trauma of known sudden deaths. El Al, Israel’s national carrier, flew the Hatzalah team to Miami. Churches and synagogues are stepping in to help, along with the Billy Graham disaster-trained chaplains. At this writing almost 149 people are still missing and 18 people have died. 

On Monday, Commander Golan Vacham spoke with families at a private meeting. He showed them a graphic that the Search and Rescue Brigade had created, an advanced “methodology to isolate every crumbled apartment unit” and search inside of each. Families wanted to know if the Miami-Dade team had been doing the right things. The Israeli commander did not hesitate to say, “They’ve been doing exactly the right things.” Tragically, despite the heroic efforts on the part of the rescue teams, the unusual complexities involved in this situation are making the task of recovering missing persons a seemingly insurmountable challenge. 

CADENA, a Mexican Jewish NGO specializing in emergency relief, is also on the ground. Moises Soffer, a volunteer with CADENA, echoed the same opinion: “The people [Miami-Dade teams] are doing their best. The structure was unstable; and that’s why it took time to start working.” The IDF, CADENA, and Hatzalah units carry out their missions on a foundational principle of Judaism: “to repair the world” (tikkun olam in Hebrew). In a like manner, Christian groups reach out displaying Jesus’ love in action to those suffering.

On Tuesday, Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett promised, “Nobody is giving up hope here. Nobody is stopping. We are dedicated to getting everyone out of that pile of rubble.” Presently, 80 rescuers are working around the clock in 12-hour shifts in a desperate attempt to recover all missing persons.  

The IDF Search and Rescue Brigade operates as part of Israel’s Home Front Command. The Command activates in various emergency situations in Israel and specializes in civilian protection. In crisis or war, the Home Front Command instructs the civilian population on how to cope with the threats facing that nation. 

The Search and Rescue unit was officially formed in 2013. It serves not only in Israel but has flown to disaster areas globally to help in rescue and recovery from terror attacks and natural disasters of all kinds. This emergency unit operates overseas in disasters under one of the IDF’s four pillars or codes of operation: “Universal morals and values based on the value and dignity of human life.” 

Reaching back decades, IDF personnel have been providing compassionate, humane help since 1953. The IDF has sent 27 humanitarian missions around the globe, with professionals in search and rescue, engineering, and medical skills. They have helped Cambodian refugees, as well as earthquake victims in Mexico, Greece, Turkey, and India. In the aftermath of catastrophic Hurricane Katrina, they shipped 80 tons of humanitarian aid to Americans. Israelis set up a field hospital during the Rwandan genocide in the 1990s. Another field hospital became famous in 2010 when a devastating earthquake hit Haiti; the IDF delegation that quickly set up in Port-au-Prince treated 1,110 patients, performed 319 successful surgeries, and delivered 16 babies. Some grateful Haitian mothers named their babies, “Israel.”

Despite the tsunami of slanders that pour out of the United Nations against Israel, The Times of Israel reported in 2016 that the United Nations’ World Health Organization (WHO) named Israel’s  IDF field hospital unit as the world’s top emergency medical team. Israel was the first country to earn this ranking. 

The military group’s commander, Lt. Col. (res.) Dr. Ofer Merin, commented that the field hospital is “not just some medics and doctors spread out in the field,” but that it’s a “national treasure”—one with the capabilities of an advanced, permanent hospital yet able to be set up almost anywhere in less than 12 hours. Despite the fact that Israel and Syria have no peace treaty, for example, the IDF set up the “Operation Good Neighbor” field hospital in 2013 at the height of the horrific civil war on the Israel-Syria border. Due to Israel’s “repairing the world” mindset, they ignored the decades of Syria’s attacks on Israeli civilians living in the Golan Heights and Galilee. 

In 2011, under dictator president Bashar Assad, pro-democracy Syrian forces had revolted against his oppressive government, but the end results were—and remain—horrifying. Assad’s cruelty, including the use of chemical weapons, is incomprehensible but true. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians were killed, 6 million were displaced within Syria, and 6 million escaped to other nations creating an enormous refugee catastrophe. One Syrian woman who was treated at the border hospital said, “They teach us that Israel is the country that hates us the most. But we came and saw with our own eyes what they are giving us here. Israel is everything to us as a result of what it is giving us.” 

In a tangible demonstration of humanitarian aid, the IDF gave medical treatment to several thousand who reached the border, focusing especially on children. Here is a short list of additional aid provided: 22 generators, nearly 2,000 tons of food, and over 8,000 packages of diapers. More than 2,000 containers of medicine and 25,000 boxes of medical supplies helped 685 Syrian children who received medical care. 

The IDF help extended beyond their field hospital. Staffing a 2015 trip to Israel sponsored by the American Israel Education Foundation, I saw Israel’s humanitarian outreach to wounded Syrians firsthand. Ziv Hospital in Tzfat (Safed) was the closest permanent hospital for the IDF to transport Syrians in critical condition. The hospital was on our itinerary, and the staff took us to several wards filled with Syrian children and their parents. Through a translator, we talked with some of the seriously injured teenagers, who said they were surprised and grateful to Israelis. They echoed what Syrians at the field hospital said, that they had been “taught to hate Jews.” 

Israel remains a light of humanitarian aid globally, although tensions are escalating with Iran. Tensions are likely to increase with the June 19 election of Iran’s new president, Ebrahim Raisi. The National Council of the Resistance of Iran (NCRI) describes him as “murderer of over 30,000 political prisoners in 1988. In short, Raisi earned his credentials in the regime as a stone-hearted killer who rose through the ranks of ignorant thugs, with a proven 40-year track record for execution and repression.”

In a world where Isaiah 5:20 is manifesting—where “evil is called good, and good is called evil”—we know that God is using Israel for good in the world. In their rescue missions, the IDF units and all helpers on the ground in Surfside, Florida, whether Jewish or Christian, help everyone. Humanity, not skin color, is what matters. No one is profiled. 

We will not see the Iranian, Syrian, or North Korean leaders sending rescue missions to Florida or anywhere in the world.

The next time the United Nations passes its fact-less resolutions, might they consider remembering Florida and the many other examples of Israeli heroism? Will the many nations that Israeli relief teams have helped vote against the slanderous accusations against Israel? Will they remember Israel’s humanitarian aid, merciful boots on the ground, search and rescue teams, field hospitals, and medical personnel? 

Join CBN Israel in praying for Israel as well as those suffering in Florida:

• Pray for everyone affected in Surfside, Florida, during this traumatic catastrophe.
• Pray for the safety of all rescue personnel—including the compassionate Israeli teams.
• Pray for world media to focus on the unity and heroism of the teams on the ground. 
• Pray for Florida’s state and local leaders and engineering experts to make wise decisions about other oceanfront structures. 
• Pray that Israelis will continue to fulfill their God-given calling to help “repair the world.”

As we pray, let us remember Isaiah 58:10: “And if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”

Arlene Bridges Samuels pioneered Christian outreach for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). After she served nine years on AIPAC’s staff, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as Outreach Director part-time for their project, American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is now an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel and has traveled to Israel 25 times. She co-edited The Auschwitz Album Revisited by Artist Pat Mercer Hutchens and sits on the board of Violins of Hope South Carolina. Arlene has attended Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summit three times and hosts her devotionals, The Eclectic Evangelical, on her website at ArleneBridgesSamuels.com.