Israel’s Major Problem is
not Her Enemies!
June 12, 2007
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
Former Chief of General Staff Lt. General Moshe Ya’lon’s beginning and closing words in the first and last paragraphs of an article by Etgar Leftovits, which appeared in the Jerusalem Post, were as follows:
Begin Quote
‘Corruption worse than Iranian threat’
By ETGAR LEFKOVITS
First Paragraph
“[The corruption manifest in Israeli leadership and the society as a whole is more worrisome than the Iranian nuclear threat, former chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. (res.) Moshe Ya’alon said Mon day.
]”
Last Paragraph
“[‘This is a war of light versus darkness,’ he concluded.]”
End Quote
Each time that Israel was in the land from Dan to Beersheba, and became so internally corrupt in immorality and covetousness, the Lord would punish them by allowing their enemies to punish them for their internal condition. This is a well documented biblical fact.
Under the Judges it was a consistent pattern that repeated itself in a never ending series. Perhaps the best known is the time of great corruption in every facet of Jewish society, which existed in the days of Nebuchadnezzar before the Babylonian captivity of some 70 years. The words penned by Jeremiah give a very caustic description of Israel’s carnal character at that time, which is not too different from Israel’s character at the present time. In fact, it does indeed describe all of society’s character at this very moment. I believe the words of Jeremiah will once again lead to the Lord allowing Israel to eventually be driven into the Wilderness known as the Negev.
Jeremiah 5:20-31 – Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, [21] Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: [22] Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? [23] But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. [24] Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. [25] Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. [26] For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a tr
ap, they catch men. [27] As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.
[28] They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. [29] Shall I not visit for these things
? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this
? [30] A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; [31] The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
The majority of the prophets of Israel were tickling the people’s ears by telling them what they wanted to hear, assuring them that they, as the children of the Lord, were doing just fine morally, and that their Lord would not allow their enemies to overcome them.
The priests were more like rulers who had become rich by their graft by lowering the standard of the Law, and the people of Israel loved it. They loved it because it allowed them to keep the watered down version of the Law, while they continued in their immorality, and in the assurance their enemies would not prevail over them. Jeremiah tried to warn them that judgment was coming, but the prophets and priests assured them it was not, and they loved them for telling them a lie. He asked them the question: “And what will ye do in the end thereof?” I believe that is still a fair question for both Jew and Gentile?
Isaiah speaks of this coming time of final judgment on Israel before she is restored to greatness by the Messiah she rejected.
Isaiah 26:19-21 – Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. [20] Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
[21] For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
Then Isaiah speaks of the punishment of the evil spiritual forces that have afflicted mankind since Genesis 3:15.
Isaiah 27:1 – In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
Revelation 16:13,14 – And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. [13] And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
[14] For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Then Isaiah speaks of the time afterwards when Israel will be restored to greatness like she has never known.
Isaiah 27:2-6 – In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine.
[3] I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. [4] Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle
? I would go through them, I would burn them together.
[5] Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.
[6] He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.
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