By Ariella Casey

Israel is at war, a war in which the entire world credits Israel with genocide. Genocide has become the dirty label we have gained for fighting against those who slaughtered our innocents and continue to attack us! Most nations are angry with Israel, seemingly without a cause. What is fair for the goose is no longer fair for the gander! The world has been lassoed by Globalist hate-mongering Jew haters, haters of the Land of Israel and haters of anything established as Holy by the God of the Universe! Regardless of one’s connection to Judaism, there is a covenant that was made with the Land of Israel and this could be the dividing line between those who stand and those who fall in this mad universe! 

Yet those who know the Bible, know that anyone who hates the Covenant made with the Hebrews at Sinai, will hate the people of the Covenant and the Land of Promise. 

The warning about cursing Israel was given to Abraham, and reiterated by Baalam:

“I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen 12:3)

“Blessed is he who blesses you, And cursed is he who curses you.”” (Num 24:9)

A few months ago: 

*Ebrahim Raisi, the Butcher of Iran died in a helicopter crash on May 20, 24 after threatening to destroy Israel. 

*Turkish MP, Hasan Bitmez died from a heart attack on December 13 after cursing Israel on stage. He died two days later. 

*And just a few days ago a Haji (pilgrim) in Mecca cursed Israel and died. See here.

Israel is struggling with everything it has to survive. Faith in the God of Israel is held by few. Many, even among Israelis, wonder if the Eternal has abandoned the Jewish people. Others see that this very struggle is what is separating the true from the false, the pure silver from the dross, the people of YHWH from the self-seeking ones who claim entitlement as the chosen people. It is a test for the entire world. At this time, who stands with Israel and who does not? And inside Israel…? Who stands united and who stands critically apart?

The past few weeks have shown wanna-be leaders abandon the government. Some of us were afraid when this happened, others said: “good riddance!” It is time to clean house, my friends, and let us never doubt the Hand of Hashem in all of this! Will we become weaker with fewer? 

Gideon was called to fight Midian during the time of the Judges. He gathered 32,000 men of Israel to fight a massive army of 135,000 Midianites. He was told that his army was too big. Furthermore, he tested those who volunteered time and again until he remained with 300 men chosen to fight against the vast forces of Midian. One of the tests was to ask who was afraid. Then 22,000 went home. The remaining men were tested again at the waters to see how they drank. From this group, only 300 remained. By now, Gideon must have been trembling, for how could he even fight with so few soldiers? Read the story of the complete victory over the Midianites in Judges 7.

In the Torah, Israel was not to enlist men for the army if they were newly married and there were other conditions. Today we see men and women both fighting, and the army does not consider the rules for newly married couples. Maybe the government should look at this a little closer.

The Tenakh reveals many experiences of the Israelites during their wars with different nations. We are not like all the nations. Israel is to stand alone, and not affiliate with the nations. 

“For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: Lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations.” (Num 23:9)

The very name “Israel” gives the description of who Israel is to be. Israel is the name given to Jacob after prevailing over the man in the wilderness. 

“And Jacob remained alone; and a man wrestled with him until the rising of the dawn. … And he said to him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall not henceforth be called Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast wrestled with God, and with men, and hast prevailed.” (Gen 32:24, 27-28)

The word Israel יִשְׂרָאֵל is taken from a word that means to wrestle and to exert power over another? If we look at the two words right next to each other in the verse above, we see the following: 

וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא יַעֲקֹב יֵאָמֵר עוֹד שִׁמְךָ כִּי אִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי־שָׂרִיתָ עִם־אֱלֹהִים וְעִם־אֲנָשִׁים וַתּוּכָל׃

For those who do not read Hebrew with comprehension, I have highlighted the two words: Ysra-el and c- sarit. The root letters are from the same base: Sin and Resh (שְׂרָ). This means that they have the same basic meaning. We remember that vowels do not change the root meaning of a word, thus, the position of the vowel pronounced “ah” is not significant to its meaning. 

Even the context of the story reveals that Jacob alone prevailed over the man sent to struggle with him, be it an angel or YHWH Himself. Read again:  verses 24-28. 

So the name Israel means to struggle with God, to stand alone, by faith taking hold of the strength of YHWH!

Did Jacob know whom he fought with? Apparently he thought he was fighting with Esau or one of his agents. Maybe we think we are fighting Hamas and Hezbollah at the moment. Is that whom we are really fighting? Isn’t Israel really fighting to take up strength so that they can be the formidable power that rules the world? As fear is placed in the minds of the world, this tiny nation, chosen of the Eternal, will rise to power. True, we are fighting those who want us dead, but the purpose of the fight is something else!

Will Israel prevail? The victory is embedded in the name! People may and will fail, but the nation will arise!

“Or let him take hold of my strength; let him make peace with me: yea, let him make peace with me.” (Isa 27:5 )

We are assured of victory, but there must be an almost catastrophic loss of people who support us, even be it those from among us. We will conquer, but not by forcing those who do not love Israel to fight. Now is a time of separation! This will require all the emunah that any of us can muster! Let’s all hang on while YHWH brings the victory through those few that fight with all their god-given strength!

“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” (Isa 60:1-3)