Influencers Weekly Devotional

Israel Returns

By

Rocky Fleming

“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus, it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.

And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come upon it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

Excerpts from Isaiah 35

There are times when some words take higher priority over others. They need to be highlighted, emphasized, stressed, and underscored. This is a case in point. God’s word from Isaiah 35 needs to takes center stage in this devotional. But, it is not just the reading of the words, or the pleasant thoughts that come from them that I want to focus on. Rather, it is the prophetic nature of what they say about Israel that I want to address. In the words above, one can read how a dry land will be blessed with water, a desolate land will be given abundant crops, and a revival given to the “ransomed of the Lord,” as these people return to Zion. Deserts will be turned into fields of plenty. Crops will abound, and gladness and joy will flourish. Surely this passage is not talking about Israel, is it? If you are like me, your thoughts about Israel as a country would envision a dry, desert landscape, and justifiably so, for we have read enough passages in the Bible to convince us that water is a rare commodity, except for the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. By the way, the latter waters are dead because of its extreme salinity. Nothing lives in it, and it cannot sustain any kind of life. There is a reason why it has always been called the Dead Sea. But, there is good water elsewhere. There is the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River that runs through the center of the Country, and a myriad of springs that dot the land that bring good water. Still, much of the land is desert, or at one time regarded as worthless land by the Arabs who previously owned it. They laughed at the “stupid Jews” who bought the swampland of the plain of Megiddo, which is also known as the Valley of Armageddon. But, when the Israelis drained the land and cultivated it, and made it into a cornucopia of agriculture, they wanted it back. Yes, that is at the heart of much of the strife between the Palestinians and the Israelis … jealousy that has been perpetuated for about 4,000 years. You might say to me “Say what?” to the part in scripture about Israel coming back to the land being full of “gladness and joy, and their sorrow and sighing fleeing away". After all, have you read the news about Israel in the last 60 years? Can anyone have joy in a place whose survival and existence is threatened every day? Sure can. I’ve seen it. But, there is still something lacking that will help the Israeli people find their true identity. What these very special people lack will be found when they embrace their Messiah who came over 2,000 years ago to make the passage to the Promised Land complete for them. The passage says, “the redeemed shall walk there…the ransomed of the LORD.” As with you and me, these beloved people have had their redeemed souls secured by the ransom paid by their Messiah Jesus the Christ, if they will accept Him. Even so, the majority of Israeli Jews have no spiritual bearing of any kind. They are not religious, even as Jews living in Israel. It is my observation that the closest thing they relate to as a religion is the extreme nationalism they have for their Country, and their commitment to survive. I can understand what has driven them to see themselves as they do. But, unless something big happens, they will continue to miss the boat with embracing their Messiah similar to the way the Jews did in Jesus’ day. So, pray for Israel. Pray for peace in Jerusalem. That spot alone is an eruption ready to happen, and if it does, as an Israeli brother in Christ who lives there told me, it will be the place where WW3 will start. But most of all, pray for the souls of the Israelis, that they will embrace Jesus Christ as their hope and redemption. Then, we will see the rest of Isaiah 35 fulfilled. If you haven’t figured it out, my wife and I just returned from a Bible tour of Israel. It was life changing for me in many ways. I am very impressed with what the Israelis have done. On each side of the Jordan River, all the way down the Jordan Valley that runs through Israel, crops are planted. This massive agriculture extends all the way to the Dead Sea. No doubt this Nation is a super-power of agriculture. I’ve never seen anything like it, and was amazed beyond words. But, I was also saddened by what I saw representing Christ to the people who desperately need to know Him. There, in what is called the Holy Land, I saw sites being venerated and even worshipped by people who are called by Christ’s name. I saw competition among Christian churches to see who could hang the most ornate decorations over a humble stable, or a declared site of crucifixion or tomb, while failing to understand that this doesn’t adequately represent the Jesus who was born, died and resurrected in these places. He has a much greater appreciation with how His resurrected Spirit lives and acts in one who calls himself a Christian, than how he shows off his pedigree. Sadly, what I did not see were servants of God who represent the ideals of Christ by the way they behave or communicate. Rather, I saw church officials rude and impatient with people who didn’t bow to their traditions, or bow to them. I guess that was the most disturbing and confusing aspect of my trip. I went to a land that is the birthplace of my faith, but when I got there, I didn’t find Christ there. I went with the hope of connecting to Christ in a deeper way. But, I found myself being driven away from Him by frantic religious commercialism that was all around me. But, I did come away with a clear understanding of what must be overcome for the Israelis people to know the truth of what Jesus secured for them on that cross. They need Him, not the religious stuff that clouds their view. At this point, I would say the “money changers” are winning, especially in Jerusalem. So, let’s pray that Jesus will once again turn over their tables, so that the Jews who are there will see him as He really is, and not the way He is represented by an imitation. If you will Google it, you will find a lot of information that references Israel being “God’s time clock”. This would include several You Tube recordings, quotes, books from various authors, pastors and contributors. I first heard Corrie ten Boom use the phrase, “God’s time clock,” back in the 1970’s. As far as I’m concerned, she is the first to recognize the connection of Israel becoming a Nation in 1948 with a clock rushing toward the zero hour of Christ’s return. After all, Corrie and her family were clock makers back in Amsterdam. So, I guess she could make this connection more clearly than most of us. When I read the passage I’ve included in Isaiah with today’s events in mind, I “connect” with how the deserts of Israel that are now blooming and producing great quantities of food connect with the way Corrie connects Israel with a clock. I believe we are seeing a clock of sorts striking frequently by the current events in that land, to remind us that Christ is nearing His return, and we, as His disciples, have much to do. What is our greatest need? To make disciples is Christ’s last instructions to His disciples, and remains our instructions today, and all the more as His return draws near. I don’t know how things will play out for Israel’s future. Who does? However, I do know that there is only one hope and one way to be redeemed from death and hell, whether he or she be Jew or Gentile. It is only through the Jew who came and died for us on that cross, so that we may be redeemed. I don’t know if the exact site of that hill He was crucified in front of, or the tomb they laid His body in, or the stable He was born in is really known. So what if we do or do not know its exact location? What difference does it make? I know that Jesus was born in a humble stable somewhere over there, His mission was to save mankind by submitting His own life to a cross, He was laid in a tomb after He died, and three days later He came back from death to life. I worship the One who is alive and lives in my heart today, not a place where His feet once touched. Like He told the Samaritan woman at the well about where true worship is held, His temple resides in the heart of the Believer, not in a Temple that was torn down and hauled off by the Romans a few years after Christ resurrected from the grave. When that place was removed, there was a message from God that was given to all of us, including the Jews. The message “connects” with why the Temple was removed. I think the message is: “All of that is now over. Behold, My Son. A living sacrifice is no longer required, for HE is that sacrifice. Worship Him in the new Temple, the Temple that is now found within your heart. He waits for you there. Go abide with Him.” Download file