Haftorah Shoftim

Is Israel merely the land of the Jews, or is it the land of the G-d of Israel, entrusted to the Jews, rather those of Israel who hold as authoritative the written Torah of the Bible? And does it also belong to the soon to be discovered other 10 tribes who will one day return to their patrimonial land, those only who have left their idolatry and embraced not only the Jewish people but the Eternal G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?

The events over the past few months have split the country in two if we believe the media, that Israel is in a state of Civil Emergency. Yet is this the truth? Much of what Media channels tell us is inflated or outright lies. Is there indeed a struggle between left and right? Yes, there is a struggle and the extent to which this is a problem has much to do with support from those who hate Israel and deny Israel’s right to a true democracy. The struggle is exaggerated and made bigger by the lies being told. The left is claiming they want democracy but the outcome of what they are clinging to is not at all democracy. Democracy is about a country run by it’s elected officials. Judicial reform is the solution to bring the country under the rule of it’s elected government. But what if that government is not following Torah? That is a big IF!

What if the people do not want to serve One who is the Giver and rightful Owner of the Land? What then? Are we creating another self-governed state elected by a populace that does not hold themselves accountable to obey the Torah? Will we create a state run by the secular Zionists who have no fear of Hashem? Or will, perchance those who wish to form another nation, not “Under G-d”, finally see the Arm of the Lord working and pack their bags and multi-million dollar enterprises and return to what they believe is the “Land of Plenty”?

The Haftorah for this week speaks about this problem and the call to trust and return to righteousness. (Isaiah 51). The chapter begins specifying to whom is the call and the blessing:

“1 Hearken to Me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD; look unto the rock whence ye were hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye were digged.”

Those who follow after righteousness are called to hearken שמעו (Shema in the plural). Again we see this in verse 7 and defined as those “in whose hear is My law.”

“7 Hearken שמעו unto Me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law; fear ye not the taunt of men, neither be ye dismayed at their revilings. 8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but My favour shall be for ever, and My salvation unto all generations. 9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times.”

Several people I have spoken with in the past few weeks have reacted negatively to my insistence that Israel does not need the United States anymore (never did really). When I have stated that the Eternal is looking after Israel and that it is time for Israel to rise and shine, they hang their heads and say, “but…”

We saw above that those who know righteousness are not to fear the mocking media and those in the nations and even in Israel who hate the Truth, but rather to trust and watch (שמעו) for the Arm of the Lord. You can see a list of references to who is this Arm in my article: Defining Isaiah 53…An Arm, a Servant and Who is We?

Why is it that the Arm of the Lord is told to awaken and put on strength? Is there someone out there that knows and hearkens to righteousness but is afraid to rise and become strengthened to do the work that he is called to do? Who awoke in times of old, in past generations to lead G-d’s people? If we look at the call of Moses, of Jeremiah, of Isaiah, we will see their timidity in accepting the call to rise and lead. Who will arise and lead today? Are there any agencies who are not paid off by globalists and godless nations and entities that want to divide and destroy this nation and barter it off to those who have no right to it? When we divide the land to make peace (ie the two state solution) we are taking part in the scheme prophesied in Daniel 11:39?

“39 And he shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god; whom he shall acknowledge, shall increase glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price.” What does it mean to divide the land for a price (profit, bribe, money, etc)?

Perhaps the signing of the Oslo Accords by Yitzhak Rabin had something to do with this. And we know he did not last long. He was assassinated by a zealous Israeli Zionist. See article here. The Oslo Accords was clearly an attempt to get Israel to lie down and drink the kool-aid of the nations desire to divide and destroy the Land of Promise.

But the Haftorah continues its wake up call:

“17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, that hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of His fury; thou hast drunken the beaker, even the cup of staggering, and drained it. 18 There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up. 19 These two things are befallen thee; who shall bemoan thee? desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword; how shall I comfort thee? 20 Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as an antelope in a net; they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God.”

The sons of Israel, even the Zionists are afraid, they believe we have to get along with the nations so that we can have our land even when the nations want to take it away and give it to those who never deserved it. And some of those Arabs realize that it does not belong to them. See what Sheikh Ahmad al-Adwan is reported to have said in a publication by MIDA: Read the whole article here.

“ ‘The Palestinians are murderers of children, elderly and women. They attack the Jews, use children as a human shield and hide behind them without mercy, as though they weren’t their own flesh and blood. And all this to deliver a false message, as though the Jews are the hostiles and not them.’ … ‘All should know that the Holy Land is their [the Jews’] land and that Jerusalem is the direction towards which they pray and during their readings and ceremonies, as God said in the Koran; ‘Turn then Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque” (in Mecca) [Koran 2:144]. This verse effectively cancels out the prayer towards al-Aqsa (the Temple Mount) and all traditions regarding al-Aqsa for Muslims.’ His unusual statement was published in the pro-Palestinian daily al-Quds al-Arabi, after which it made its way to hundreds of Arabic websites, forums and facebook pages – all of them fiercely attacking and criticizing him.”

But the good news is that there are some out there who trust YHVH and though they are timid and see themselves as unworthy to stand up and do the work that is before them, they are listening. May they see the Hand of Hashem working so that they will arise and do his bidding! The Haftorah ends with the following verse in Isaiah 51:

“22 Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of His people: behold, I have taken out of thy hand the cup of staggering; the beaker, even the cup of My fury, thou shalt no more drink it again; 23 And I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; that have said to thy soul: ‘Bow down, that we may go over’; and thou hast laid thy back as the ground, and as the street, to them that go over.”

Perhaps what gives those who seek righteousness strength to arise is when they see Hashem place the cup of staggering into the hand of the enemy. Let us watch and see! Hearken שמעו oh Israel!