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Weekly Devotional: A King and His Servants

It’s interesting to listen to how people speak about their faith in God. If you pay attention, you may detect that they speak in a manner of what God has done for them. That’s not wrong. The Bible provides people’s reflections on their encounters with God. 

But if we are not careful, viewing our faith through the lens of ourselves—our own experience—can turn our faith self-centered and egocentric.

We who live in Western, democratic societies can be very susceptible to this, where we focus on our liberties and treat God as if He exists for our purpose (even if we wrap it in spiritual expressions).

The biblical mind never lost sight of who God is and what our relationship is to Him. “To you I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens!” God is King. We are His servants.

This is proclaimed throughout the Bible. “As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until He has mercy upon us” (Psalm 123:2 NKJV). 

Within the ancient world, the king took care of his servants, and the servants lived to do the will of their king. The Bible views the world in this way. How different would our lives be if we viewed our relationship with God more as a servant to a king, just like the psalmist? 

We sometimes yearn for such familiarity with God that we can too easily lose sight of His majesty. In our desire for relationship with Him, we can never assume equality with Him; we can never forget that He is the King, and we serve Him.

As the King of the Universe, He takes care of us. He shows mercy to us. We can cry out to Him for assistance and mercy, but we can never forget the nature of our relationship.

He is a good King; therefore, we can look to Him for mercy. We can look to Him for care and provision. But, as servants, we must always stand ready to do His will, for His will matters more than our own.

PRAYER

Father, You are our King, and we are Your servants. We look for Your mercy, and we live to do Your will. Amen. 

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Celebrations and Memorials Israeli Style

By Arlene Bridges Samuels  

To those who are reading this from Israel, know that all of us at CBN Israel were devastated to learn of the massive wildfires that broke out yesterday in the forests between Eshtaol and Latrun and forced evacuations as well as the cancellation of all Independence Day events.  

At sundown today, May 1, Israelis will conclude a trio of important anniversaries. These anniversaries began with Holocaust Remembrance Day on April 23-24 (Yom HaShoah) and include two back-to-back days, Memorial Day on April 30 and Independence Day May 1. Israelis remember their fallen soldiers and victims of terror on Memorial Day, then right away on May 1, joyous celebrations of Israel’s miraculous modern state break out. It may seem unusual to mark the solemnity of Memorial Day and high-spirited Independence Day one after the other. Then again, it is a portrait of Israel’s twin culture, where the strong bond between the sacrifices of the fallen and the miraculous establishment of the modern State of Israel are evident. 

Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron) is set aside to express grief, yet Independence Day (Yom HaAtzmaut) is a time for joy. As is the custom on Memorial Day, the entire country comes to a halt for one minute after country-wide sirens blare. Vehicles stop on highways, drivers get out of their cars, and people stand in silent stillness in stores, on sidewalks, and in homes. The opening state ceremony for Memorial Day is held at the Western Wall. Military events occur to honor the national sacrifices, flags are lowered nationwide, and graves are visited. The end of Memorial Day is officially marked with a torch lighting ceremony on Mount Herzl, site of Israel’s national military cemetery named for Theodor Herzl, the father of the modern Jewish state. This solemn event signals the end of Memorial Day and officially opens the Independence Day celebrations. 

This year, the number of deaths from war and terrorism have increased dramatically amid ongoing terror assaults of every kind. The Defense Ministry’s annual reporting shows that since last Memorial Day, 316 soldiers have fallen and 79 civilians were killed in such attacks. These losses are annually noted in numbers dating back to 1851 and 1860! Since 1851, Arab terrorists have killed 5,229 Jewish civilians. Added together, 25,417 IDF soldiers, police officers, prison wardens, Shin Bet security service, and Mossad agents have been killed defending the land of Israel since 1860—the year that Jewish settlers ventured outside the walls of Jerusalem to build new neighborhoods. And when we include civilians killed in terror attacks since 1851, the total rises to 30,646! 

It is important to note that every Jewish Israeli—almost without exception—knows someone who has died in war, civilian terror, or both. Israel is one of the smallest nations in the world. Its Jewish population is currently estimated at 7.7 million Jews, with a total population of nearly 10 million citizens. Israel’s diverse citizens include 2 million Arab Israelis and minorities of Christians, Druze, and Bedouins who enjoy the same freedoms, including freedom of worship. 

Worldwide, the Jewish population stands at 15.8 million. With over 8 billion people in the world, compare these startling numbers: Muslims are estimated at around 2 billion people. Islam is the second-largest religion in the world, topped only by Christianity. A surprising and sad commentary about the world Jewish population is that right before World War II, it was 16.6 million. In 1948, when the modern State of Israel was established, the world Jewish population was 11.5 million.

Jews have slowly regained their pre-World War II population, but it has been difficult amid repeated attempts to wipe the Jewish nation and people off the map. Hours after Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, read their Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948, Jews who had been dancing in the streets were quickly forced into defending themselves with inadequate weapons against Arab aggressions—aggressions that have never stopped. As evident by the biggest conflicts—1948/49, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982, 2006, two Intifadas, Hamas rockets for decades, and the most devastating, October 7, 2023—Israel’s enemies still do not understand: The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in His sovereign plans will win in the end, no matter what. Those enemies include the Islamic Regime—the world’s biggest exporter of terror.  

Despite their seasons of tragic history, the unstoppable resilience of the Jewish people is especially in evidence on Independence Day, with cookouts, music, and dancing. Each year of surviving Jew hatred and celebrating their freedom in their own land is a reminder to those who hate them: That the chosen people, the Jews, are here to stay. Despite runaway antisemitism and war, Israel is still a blessing to the world—with its massive innovations that make the quality of life better on nearly every continent. 

Deuteronomy 7:6 makes it clear: The LORD your God has chosen you to be His own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth. What we owe the Jews is far beyond their modern innovations. God’s chosen scribes for the Old and New Testaments have told us that the pinnacle of God’s love is giving us salvation by sending His Son to earth through the Jewish people and culture, to pay our debt of sin on the cross. All who ask, receive this gift! 

 That, my Christian friends, is why we support Israel. This tiny nation figures large in God’s eternal plans for both Gentiles and Jews who believe in Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection. While we Christians are often wrongly thought to idolize the Jews and Israel, they—like us—are imperfect. We care for Israel because God makes it plain that we are to stand with them, because God chose them in a world-changing role for every imperfect person ever born.  

Despite the Jew hatred, including the digital domain that unleashes its relentless spewing of accusations and lies, Israel still exists amid every attempt by her enemies to erase her existence. 

Meanwhile, Christian and Jewish Zionists must suit up in the mantle of biblical truth found in the Old and New Testaments. Let us make sure we rely on the facts of the Bible that Israel is the ancient and modern ancestral homeland and Jews are the indigenous people. Prayer and helpful advocacy go hand in hand. 

Our CBN Israel team welcomes you with appreciation to join us this week in prayer.  

Prayer Points: 

  • Pray with thanks for God’s eternal promises for Israel. 
  • Pray for our Christian community to maintain our hopes for Israel and the world.  
  • Pray with praises for our Bible, the most factual, trustworthy document in history. 
  • Pray for Israel’s examples of how to maintain resilience and hope amid tragedy. 
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Yom HaAtzma’ut: Israel’s Independence Day

By Julie Stahl

Yom HaAtzma’ut is Israel’s national Independence Day, and this year marks the 77th anniversary of the modern Jewish state!

“Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children” (Isaiah 66:8 NIV).

On May 14, 1948, just before the Sabbath, some 350 guests crammed into an un-air-conditioned, Tel Aviv art gallery for a 32-minute ceremony that would change the world forever.

We, members of the people’s council, representatives of the Jewish community of Eretz-Israel and of the Zionist movement, are here assembled on the day of the termination of the British Mandate over Eretz-Israel and, by virtue of our natural and historic right and on the strength of the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel,” declared David Ben-Gurion, Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization, Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, and soon to be the first prime minister of the fledgling state.

On that historic day, Ben-Gurion spoke for 11 million Jewish men, women, and children around the world who had no voice, no address, and nowhere to go. For the first time in nearly 2,000 years, they finally had their own nation in their ancestral homeland.

“It was promised to us by God. We are the only people in the history of the world that live on the same land, speak the same language, and believe in the same God more than 3,000 years,” says Isaac Dror, who heads the education efforts for Independence Hall, the place where the declaration was made.

Among the crowd of witnesses was Yael Sharett, whose father Moshe Sharett was on stage with Ben-Gurion and was the country’s first foreign minister and second prime minister. At age 17, Yael wrote as her father dictated one of the drafts of the declaration. She shared a chair with her aunt at the ceremony.

“It’s really epic. It’s poetry actually. The only time I was really moved I must say was when the Rabbi Levine made the old age Jewish blessing: shehecheyanu, v’kiyimanu, v’higiyanu la’z’man ha’zeh,” Yael told CBN News.

That ancient Jewish prayer, which is recited on momentous occasions, offers thanks to God “who has given us life, sustained us, and allowed us to reach this day.”

Then they sang HaTikvah (“The Hope”), which is Israel’s national anthem.

The next day, which was the Sabbath, U.S. President Harry Truman became the first world leader to recognize Israel.

“He understood something that most of his top advisors and ministers failed to see. This is truly prophecy being realized,” Dror said.

On November 29, 1947, the United Nations had passed resolution 181 calling for the creation of a Jewish State and an Arab State in British-controlled Mandatory Palestine.

The plan set aside land in the Galilee, along the Mediterranean and the Negev Desert for the Jewish people, while the Arabs were to receive all of biblical Judea and Samaria, later known as the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and other small portions. Perhaps the most controversial part of the plan was that an international body would control Jerusalem.

Still the Jewish people accepted the plan, but the Arabs rejected it. Less than six months later the Jewish people declared independence. The following day, the armies of five Arab nations attacked Israel.

Many countries have fought wars for their independence, but Israel’s war was not common. They had been granted independence by the sovereign, Britain; the decision was confirmed by the United Nations; and the Jewish people were returning to the historic land of their ancestors. But it was their neighbors who did not want them to exist.

A year later, the Jewish state was still standing and had increased its size by nearly 50 percent. Against overwhelming odds, this fledgling State of Israel not only survived but grew beyond expectation.

Israelis commemorate their Independence Day on the 5th of the Hebrew month of Iyar. During a televised ceremony that includes various leaders, Israelis make the transition from mourning on their memorial day to celebrating their independence. 

This year, the nation marks this momentous occasion for the second time since the brutal Hamas invasion and massacre on October 7th. The ongoing war has brought untold suffering. Innocent lives have been lost and the entire nation is living under the shadow of danger.

As of this month, 59 hostages remain in captivity in Gaza, hundreds of Israelis are still internally displaced, and the country continues to face a grave threat from its sworn enemies in the region who seek to harm her people, devastate her land, and erase her existence.

On this special day, may we continue to pray for the Jewish nation and renew our pledge to stand united with Israel.

Julie Stahl is a correspondent for CBN News in the Middle East. A Hebrew speaker, she has been covering news in Israel full-time for more than 20 years. Julie’s life as a journalist has been intertwined with CBN—first as a graduate student in Journalism at Regent University; then as a journalist with Middle East Television (METV) when it was owned by CBN from 1989-91; and now with the Middle East Bureau of CBN News in Jerusalem since 2009. She is also an integral part of CBN News’ award-winning show, Jerusalem Dateline, a weekly news program providing a biblical and prophetic perspective to what is happening in Israel and the Middle East.

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Yom HaZikaron: Israel’s Memorial Day

By Julie Stahl

“The LORD cares deeply when his loved ones die” (Psalm 116:15).

A week after Yom HaShoah (“Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day”), Israelis mark Yom HaZikaron (“Israel’s Memorial Day”) to honor and remember those who died fighting for their country and those murdered in terror attacks.

A televised state ceremony is held at the Western Wall and neighborhoods throughout the country hold their own ceremonies in public places, with the participation of the youth. 

Israelis stand in the streets for an hour or more as the people who died from those neighborhoods are remembered and honored.

Following the October 7th invasion and massacre as well as the ongoing war with Hamas and other Iranian-backed terror groups, this day is more real and relevant than ever for most Israelis.

Many visit cemeteries and attend other ceremonies on the day. Schools are in session but have special programs to honor fallen soldiers and terror victims.

Twice, on the evening before Israel’s Memorial Day and the following morning itself, Israelis collectively stand in silence as a siren sounds calling to mind the sacrifices that were made by family and friends for Israel’s freedom and security. 

“I was thinking about all the soldiers from the beginning of the modern State of Israel up until today who had to fight on the frontlines and on the home front,” said Shai Yosipov, a former IDF combat medic.

“It’s so important that everyone understands the price and the responsibility we have for living in this country. We not only remember our fallen loved ones, but we also acknowledge that there has always been a sacrifice that needed to be made so that we could be here today,” says Yosipov.

“During the siren, I was praying for families who’ve lost so many, and I prayed that God would give them comfort from the pain,” says Sarah Rivka Yekutiel, who moved to Israel from Boston many years ago.

“It’s an emotional time for everyone, whether you’ve lost family or not. This day is very heavy and intense,” said Orital Saban, who recently moved to Israel from Canada.

More than 23,000 Israeli and Jewish soldiers and more than 3,100 terror victims have fallen since 1860. 

At sundown on Israel’s Memorial Day, Israelis make an incredible leap from mourning those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, to celebrating Yom HaAtzma’ut (“Israel’s Independence Day”).

Julie Stahl is a correspondent for CBN News in the Middle East. A Hebrew speaker, she has been covering news in Israel full-time for more than 20 years. Julie’s life as a journalist has been intertwined with CBN—first as a graduate student in Journalism at Regent University; then as a journalist with Middle East Television (METV) when it was owned by CBN from 1989-91; and now with the Middle East Bureau of CBN News in Jerusalem since 2009. She is also an integral part of CBN News’ award-winning show, Jerusalem Dateline, a weekly news program providing a biblical and prophetic perspective to what is happening in Israel and the Middle East.

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Biblical Israel: Megiddo

By Marc Turnage

Situated in the western Jezreel Valley at the foot of the lowlands of Mount Carmel stands the ancient mound of Megiddo. It overlooks where Nahal Iron crosses through the Carmel lowlands, which provided passage for one of the branches of the most important highway in the Ancient Near East, a highway that connected Egypt via Israel’s coastline, through the Jezreel Valley, onto Damascus and Mesopotamia. Megiddo’s importance stemmed from its location guarding this most import roadway. 

Archaeological excavations have revealed twenty layers of civilization beginning in the Neolithic period until the fourth century B.C. Its strategic significance made it the stage for battles through much of its history, with Pharoah Thutmoses III in 1468 B.C., Pharoah Merneptah in 1220 B.C., Pharoah Shishak in 924 B.C., and the battle in which Josiah, king of Judah, died at the hands of the forces of Pharoah Neco in 609 B.C. (2 Kings 23:29-30). 

Megiddo’s strategic importance made it the object of Israelite conquest when the Israelites entered the land (Joshua 12:21). By the “waters of Megiddo,” the forces of Deborah and Barak defeated the Canaanite forces of the king of Hazor (Judges 5:19). Megiddo fell within the territorial allotment of Manasseh (Joshua 17:11), but the Manassites could not take possession of Megiddo. It remained under the control of the local Canaanites (Joshua 17:12; Judges 1:27). 

During the United Monarchy, Solomon is said to have fortified Megiddo, along with Gezer and Hazor (1 Kings 9:15)—all three cities provided overwatch of the international coastal highway running from Egypt to Damascus and Mesopotamia. The final mention of Megiddo within the Bible is the death of King Josiah (2 Kings 23:29-30; 2 Chronicles 35:20-24). Within the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in 722 B.C., Megiddo became an administrative city of the Assyrians, but its settlement steadily declined until it was abandoned in the fourth century B.C., most likely due to Alexander the Great’s conquest of the land. 

Visitors to the site today can visit two multi-chambered gate complexes from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Two separate palace and administrative complexes have been excavated, as well as an area that contained several cultic places of worship from different time periods. The site contains the remains of horse stables, stone mangers, and an exercise corral for the horses. Kings of Israel stationed horse and chariot forces, which were the tank corps of the ancient world, at Megiddo due to its strategic location. 

Perhaps the most impressive feature of the site that has been excavated is the water system. Ancient sites, especially administrative centers like Megiddo, had to provide the water needs for the city in times of peace and war. Most ancient sites sat on hills to offer the protection of elevation from an attacking army. Springs, however, usually do not sit on hills; they are found at their base. At Megiddo, the spring sits at the bottom of the west side of the mound. To bring the water into the city, the engineers cut a square shaft through the earth within the city’s fortified walls that connected to a long horizontal tunnel (80 meters long) that had been dug to the source of the spring. This tunnel brought the water to the area where the shaft had been dug, and the shaft enabled the people in the city to descend and draw water. 

A final word should be made regarding the well-known idea that the ancient site of Megiddo had some connection with John’s mention of Armageddon in Revelation (16:13-14, 16). The usual explanation, Armageddon represents the Hebrew meaning the “mountain of Megiddo.” People will speak about the Valley of Armageddon, yet the Bible never mentions a Valley of Armageddon. This is a modern fiction, which appears for the first time in the nineteenth century. 

No ancient Church father or Christian source ever connected Armageddon with Megiddo. Moreover, as we noted, Megiddo ceased to be inhabited in the fourth century B.C. The location of the site was forgotten. The first century Jewish historian Josephus did not know of it. In fact, he relocated the death of Josiah to a town he knew on the border between Egypt and the land of Israel. The fourth century Church father, Eusebius, did not know its location, nor did he connect Megiddo with Armageddon. No one, then, knew in the first century, when John wrote Revelation, where Megiddo was. 

Finally, while Megiddo sits on a hill created by layers of civilization, it cannot be described as a mountain. Hebrew has a word for “hill,” a word that accounts for the names of places like Gibeah, Geva, and Gibeon. Megiddo is a hill, and not a mountain. Time does not permit a full explanation for what stands behind John’s Armageddon, but suffice to say, he expected the gathering point for the armies of wickedness to fight against God to be Jerusalem (Revelation 11:1-2; 14:20; and 20:9), the mountain of assembly.

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

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Weekly Devotional: Who is My Neighbor?

“Just then an expert in the law stood up to test [Jesus], saying, ‘Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘What is written in the law?’ He asked him. ‘How do you read it?’ He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. ‘You’ve answered correctly,’ He told him. ‘Do this and you will live’” (Luke 10:25-28 HCSB).

To Jesus’ reply, the lawyer followed up with the natural question, “And who is my neighbor?” In response, Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan.

Have you ever noticed the nature of that question, “Who is my neighbor?” No matter how broad or narrow you make the circle, the question seeks to draw a line and define who’s inside and who’s outside of the line. Who are we obligated to love, and who are we relieved from loving? Jesus, however, turned the lawyer’s question around: “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers” (Luke 10:36)? In other words, it is not for us to define insider and outsider, but rather: We must go be the neighbor.

Jesus drew His inspiration for His teaching from God Himself. He recognized that God does not distinguish in His mercy, and neither can we. “But I tell you, love your enemies … so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:44-45). Jesus saw in nature God’s mercy toward all humanity, and He calls upon His followers to imitate God: “Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36).

But that makes us uncomfortable. We want to believe that God loves us because we’re on the inside. Of course, we want Him to love those like us because they also are inside the line—they are our neighbors. But those who hate us? God must certainly feel differently toward the evil and unrighteous, right? No—not according to Jesus. He sends His sunlight and rain on everyone. His mercy extends to all of humanity without distinction, and we must follow His example.

It’s wonderful to think about how much God loves us, but He loves our enemies the same. He calls us to imitate Him in our mercy toward them. That’s hard. But it’s what we’ve been called to do.

So, who is our neighbor? The person across the street. The foreigner and stranger in our midst. Our worst enemies, and the people who hate us. “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).

PRAYER

Father, You send Your sun and rain on us all to show Your great mercy. May we be merciful as You are merciful to everyone. May we demonstrate our love for You by how we love others who are created in Your image. Amen.

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A Christian Zionist: Father of The Israel Defense Forces

By Arlene Bridges Samuels  

Israel is a nation alive with endless and unexpected stories, both ancient and modern, that are often unknown to (or sought after by) tourists. On one of my trips to Israel, I discovered Yemin Orde Youth Village. After that, this residential school was always on our itinerary when I staffed many trips to Israel hosting Christian leaders through the American Israel Education Foundation.

With Yemin Orde located atop beautiful Mount Carmel in northern Israel, on a clear day one can see the Mediterranean Sea glistening in the distance. The facility is the year-round home to 500 young people ages 6 to 19. Considered at-risk due to varying traumas from dysfunctional homes or being Jewish orphans from other nations, the children live year-round in a setting that serves as a home, school, and safe haven—full of hope and promise for their futures. The youth village was founded in 1953 to help Holocaust survivors and waves of immigrant Jewish children in the 1950s.

A fact sheet about the home discloses that the children’s countries of origin include Ethiopia, Russia, Brazil, Israel, France, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Chad, Sudan, and China. It goes on to state that 25 percent of the children living there are orphans. Learn more here about this amazing place here.

In 1996, this extraordinary facility was distinguished as a Guardian of the Child, Israel’s highest honor, bestowed by the Prime Minister’s office. “Yemin Orde” means “In memory of Orde,” named after British Major General Orde Wingate. In the 1930s, General Wingate was stationed in the Holy Land in what was then called Palestine, a region ruled by the British Mandate between 1922 and the establishment of the modern Jewish state on May 14, 1948, when it was rightly named Israel.  

I discovered this remarkable leader’s story when I stepped into the Yemin Orde foyer, which displayed a large, framed black-and-white photo of a handsome man in uniform. The man pictured was Orde Charles Wingate, a senior British officer who became known as the father of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). 

General Wingate not only pioneered training Jews as soldiers in the 1930s—he was also a Christian Zionist! Theodor Herzl, viewed as another kind of father—the Jewish father of the modern Jewish state—used the term “Christian Zionist” at the First Zionist Congress in 1898. A Christian Zionist is simply defined as a Christian who views the Bible as the highest standard for the Jews’ right to return to their ancestral homeland. That right is clearly and frequently outlined in the Bible amid God’s unbreakable promises to His chosen people.  

Wingate’s background leading to his lasting IDF legacy in the world’s only Jewish state stemmed from his parents, who were British missionaries in India where he was born in 1903 and grew up in a strong Christian family.

When he joined the British military, he was assigned to its intelligence branch as a captain. In September 1936, he was transferred to British units in Haifa. There he developed a love and admiration for the Jewish people and their devotion to their promised land. Orde always carried a Bible in his deployment to pre-state Israel, and he believed in the scriptural claims that the Land belonged to the Jews. He learned Hebrew and set about training Jewish volunteers who served in units called Special Night Squads, a joint British–Jewish counterinsurgency unit.

Their missions were necessary to protect Jewish communities from Arab terrorists after the Arab High Command launched a violent uprising in 1936 against the British and the Jews. The Mufti—Nazi collaborator Haj Amin al-Husseini—led the Arab Revolt (1936-1939) and also attempted to sabotage an oil pipeline running from Iraq to Haifa.

Wingate promoted the concept of engaging the enemy directly. The unarmed Jewish farmers were highly vulnerable, that is until the Christian Zionist military expert trained them in groundbreaking strategies that also saved the oil pipeline. The British Mandate continued to be enforced for another decade, then left the Holy Land amid God’s divine intervention to reestablish Israel as a modern state in one day. Isaiah 66:8 describes it, Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.

Orde Wingate devoted himself to training Jewish volunteers, although the British Mandate grew into an anti-Zionist status. Wingate was removed from pre-state Israel early in 1939, described as too “pro-Jew” by his superiors. It did not matter that his military successes against Arab terrorism were historic measures. In 1944, he was assigned to a Burma combat mission, where he became best known for his military achievements in the Second World War’s China-Burma-India Theater. He died in a combat mission in Burma on March 24, 1944, and was initially buried with the American and British crew of his B-25 Mitchell Bomber. After the war, these heroic men received a group burial in Arlington National Cemetery.

Israelis never forgot him.

In my multiple visits to the outstanding youth village at Yemin Orde, I learned about Israel’s high regard for Orde Wingate as the father of the IDF. In towns and cities throughout Israel, many squares and streets honor his name. A few years ago, my husband and I visited his grave in Arlington National Cemetery. First, we witnessed the somber and inspiring honors enacted by our American military stationed at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We then located the tomb, where I saw the names of each military personnel—including Orde Wingate.

In a special ceremony in 2023 in Arlington National Cemetery, an event took place hosted by retired Army Colonel Barry Lischinsky, the national commander of the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A. It included the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthems of Great Britain, Israel, and the United States. Rabbi Chesky Tenenbaum honored General Wingate’s ultimate sacrifice, proclaiming, “There is no greater mitzvah [good deed] than this.”

Today, I am grateful for the strong alliances between the United States and Israel and for the legacy of a Christian Zionist whose training strategies in pre-state Israel live on today in the foundation of the Israel Defense Forces. 

We welcome you to join CBN Israel this week in prayers for American and Israeli soldiers. Let us focus on Psalm 46:7, The Commander of the armies of heaven is here among us. He, the God of Jacob, has come to rescue us. 

Prayer Points:

  • Pray with thanks for excellent cooperation between Jewish and American military.
  • Pray for safety for IDF members fighting terror on the front lines. 
  • Pray for American pilots who are freeing the Red Sea shipping lane from Houthi terrorists.   
  • Pray for American and Israeli military families in their support and sacrifice for both our nations.

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Yom HaShoah: Holocaust Remembrance Day

By Julie Stahl

Israel is commemorating its national Holocaust Remembrance Day against the backdrop of the October 7th massacre. Although the scale was much smaller, it brought many back to the murder of Jews during the Holocaust and many Israelis felt the spirit was the same.

It’s more important than ever that we all remember the Holocaust. We must remember how the viral poison of anti-Semitism in Germany and throughout Europe led to the genocide of 6 million Jewish men, women, and children.

Yisrael Meir Lau, a former Israeli Chief Rabbi, is a Holocaust survivor who was born in Poland. He described anti-Semitism like this: “Anti-Semitism you can explain, but you cannot find a reason for it. It’s against dialogue. It’s against logic. It’s a spiritual madness.”

In 1959, Israel set the 27th of the Jewish month of Nisan, about a week after the end of Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as Yom HaShoah or Yom HaZikaron laShoah ve laG’vrurah (“Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day”).

That day marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, when the Jews in the ghetto in German-occupied Poland resisted the Nazis’ attempt to transport the remaining population there to concentration camps.

Each year, Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem opens the events with a large ceremony addressed by both the President and Prime Minister. Six Holocaust survivors, often accompanied by a family member, light six giant torches in honor of the 6 million murdered by the Nazi death machine.

The following day, air raid sirens blare, and the nation comes to a standstill to honor the memory of those who perished at the hands of the Nazis.

The name Yad Vashem is taken from a passage in Isaiah, where God declares, “I will give them, in My house and within My walls, a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters. I will give each of them an everlasting name that will never be cut off” (Isaiah 56:5 HCSB).

In 2005, the United Nations established International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27. This day marks the anniversary of the liberation of the largest concentration camp—Auschwitz-Birkenau—where it is estimated that more than 1 million people died, most of them Jews.

This Yom HaShoah, please continue to pray for Israel and her people in the aftermath of October 7th, the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

Julie Stahl is a correspondent for CBN News in the Middle East. A Hebrew speaker, she has been covering news in Israel full-time for more than 20 years. Julie’s life as a journalist has been intertwined with CBN—first as a graduate student in Journalism at Regent University; then as a journalist with Middle East Television (METV) when it was owned by CBN from 1989-91; and now with the Middle East Bureau of CBN News in Jerusalem since 2009. She is also an integral part of CBN News’ award-winning show, Jerusalem Dateline, a weekly news program providing a biblical and prophetic perspective to what is happening in Israel and the Middle East.

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CBN Israel’s Resilience Center Helps Trauma Victims

Just as Israelis were finally emerging from the trauma of COVID, they were suddenly thrust into the horrors of the October 7 terrorist attacks—and the war with Hamas and Hezbollah. Since then, the nation has been running on adrenaline, with families still in shock and survival mode.

And with the war winding down, most Israelis will face complex emotional, psychological, and financial challenges in adjusting to a “new normal.”

Thanks to caring donors, CBN Israel is addressing the nation’s need for healing by opening a “resilience center.” Manager Yonathan Ameida, who is also a clinical psychologist and pastor, observed, “Many resilience centers exist around the country. But we understood that after the war, the need for these was going to skyrocket.”

The CBN Israel Resilience Center will serve as a hub that matches patients’ needs to a pool of counseling professionals, including psychologists for both adults and children, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, social workers, and financial and parenting coaches.

While the government does provide therapy for direct victims, often the victims’ family members, such as the families of hostages, are outside the loop. The Resilience Center can fill that gap for them, by reaching people who are not eligible for government therapy programs.

And since the war began, donors have already created trauma recovery groups through CBN Israel, and offered courses and private counseling. The Resilience Center will be doing that same work, but on a much larger scale, as well as offering support for the therapists themselves.

Plus, Almeida plans to assist the faith community, saying the war brought up spiritual questions for everyone about why this happened—even many believers, whose faith has been shaken.

He sums up the center’s mission, saying, “People can begin to think coherently again….We are here to help them find an explanation that will give them peace, and give them new tools.”

And your gift to CBN Israel can offer compassionate relief to hurting Israelis in other ways, including hot meals, shelter, and basic essentials.

Please help us bring healing to those in crisis! 

GIVE TODAY

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Biblical Israel: Church of the Holy Sepulchre

By Marc Turnage

The traditional location of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which sits within the heart of the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. The origin of the church goes back to the Emperor Constantine. His mother the Empress Helena on a visit to the Holy Land (326 A.D.) was shown this location by local Christians and identified as the place where Jesus’ crucifixion and burial took place. Upon that site, her son built the first church, which was called the Church of the Resurrection. 

Archaeological excavations within the church have uncovered the history of the site. In the 8th-7th centuries B.C., the location of the Holy Sepulchre was a large limestone quarry to the northwest of the walled city of Jerusalem. According to the excavator, the site continued to be used as a quarry until the first century B.C. when it was filled in with soil and stone flakes from the quarry. The site at this time became a garden or orchard that contained fig, carob, and olive trees. At the same time, it developed into a cemetery. Within the complex of the Holy Sepulchre, tombs dating to the first century have been discovered.

One of the challenges for modern visitors to the church is its location within the modern Old City of Jerusalem and its walls. Jesus was crucified outside of the city walls. The modern Old City walls, built in the 16th century, however, have nothing to do with the walls of Jesus’ Jerusalem. Jews did not bury within the walls of city, but rather outside. The presence of first century tombs within the Holy Sepulchre complex indicates that this location stood outside the walls of Jerusalem in Jesus’ day. 

Jewish tombs in the first century consisted of two types: kokhim and arcosolia. The most common being the kokhim. A kokh (singular) was a long, narrow recess cut into a rock tomb in which a body, coffin, or ossuary (bone box) could be laid. The typical kokhim tomb was hewn into the hillside and consisted of a square chamber. The entrance to an ordinary kokhim tomb was a small square opening that required a person entering to stoop. The height of the chamber was usually less than that of a person, so they often cut a square pit into the floor of the chamber. This pit created a bench on three sides of the chamber where the bodies of the deceased could be prepared. 

After the chamber and the pit were cut, the kokhim were cut level with the top of the benches and perpendicular to the wall of the tomb in a counter clockwise direction, from right to left, in every wall except the entrance wall. One to three kokhim were usually cut per wall. The kokh had roughly vaulted ceilings and were the length of the deceased or a coffin. After the deceased was placed into the kokh, a blocking stone sealed the square entrance of the tomb. Small stones and plaster helped to further seal the blocking stone. The tomb was sealed in a manner that it blended into the surrounding hillside. 

In addition to the kokhim tomb, arcosolia tombs began to appear sporadically during the first century. The arcosolia is a bench-like aperture with an arched ceiling hewn into the length of the wall. This style of burial was more expensive since only three burial places existed within a tomb chamber instead of six or nine, as typically found within kokhim tombs. Approximately 130 arcosolia tombs have been discovered in Jerusalem and over half of them also contain kokhim. Ossuaries (bone boxes) could be placed on the arcosolia benches.

The tomb identified within the Holy Sepulchre as the tomb of Jesus was originally an arcosolium (singular) with an antechamber; however, the centuries of pilgrims and the various destructions of the church have deformed and obliterated the tomb. What visitors see today is a later structure; nevertheless, the tomb originally contained a first century arcosolium tomb. 

The Roman Emperor Hadrian built on top of the quarry-garden-cemetery a raised platform with another platform on it where he built a temple to Venus/Aphrodite in the second century. This pagan temple was removed when Constantine built his church. 

Constantine built a rotunda around Jesus’ tomb. The rock of Golgotha was exposed to the open air in a garden, and on the other side of the garden, Constantine built a basilica church. 

The question arises whether or not the Holy Sepulchre contains the location of Jesus’ tomb. What we can say is this: 1) The site was a cemetery in the first century with first century tombs. 2) From the second century until the arrival of the Empress Helena, the actual tomb had been covered for 300 years. The fact that the local Christian memory remembered this location, where a first century cemetery existed, even though it was covered by the Hadrianic temple strongly suggests the authenticity of the site. 3) When Helena was shown this site, it sat like now within the walled, urban city of Jerusalem, which would have seemed strange to ancient pilgrims as it does to modern. 

Yet, the memory of the local Christian community remembered that this location once lay outside of the walls of Jerusalem. Ten to fifteen years after Jesus’ death and burial a wall was built in Jerusalem that enclosed this area into the city. 

Pilgrims to Jerusalem often wonder if the Holy Sepulchre marks the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. The archaeology and tradition of the site support its claims. 

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

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