Israel has let down her defenses. In a nutshell, she has neglected her Defender and Protector, YHVH Elohim. Israel, as a nation, is clear about her history and is one of the places that knows about the God that delivers her time and time again. What is sad is that even though this is true, Israel has become extremely secular. That means pertaining to things that are of the world, temporal. They have become arrogant, relying on their own strength and intelligence to save them. When this happens their God gets their attention.
We see this repeatedly throughout scripture when the One who loves His Chosen People chastises them for their disobedience. Do not be deceived, beloved, YHVH will not turn His back on Israel. Just like a loving Father, He establishes His authority according to His plan and when it gets to the point that His people are not listening, He gets their attention.
YHVH disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights. (Prov 3:12) Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent. (Rev 3:19) Blessed is the man You discipline, O YHVH, and teach from Your law (Ps 94:12)
Numerous times throughout world history, YHVH has had to allow cleansing to take place so that evil would be purged and His purpose could once again flourish. Scripture tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 that the Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness but is long suffering toward us not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. When Yeshua was sent by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 2000 years ago, His primary purpose was to call the Jews to repentance - to return to the faith once delivered to the saints - believers in YHVH as their God.
As the prayers of the saints throughout the world arise and cry out against the atrocities of Israel’s enemies, we need to be as much invested in their repentance (in Hebrew - teshuvah) or return to the faith of their Fathers that brought them out of the land of Egypt to the Promised Land in order to give them a place in the world to project that faith into the world. Sadly, instead of being the vehicle to take YHVH to the nations, Israel has become infested or plagued with the nations/world.
There are two people groups named in Scripture - Israel and the nations (goyim). There is One God the One True Living God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the creator of all things and He has declared Himself to be the God of Israel.
I have been praying for the peace of Jerusalem; I was led to a word YHVH gave me a while back. It is more meaningful now than ever!
“Behold the nations are like a drop from a bucket and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales. All the nations are as nothing before Him. They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless” (Isaiah 40:15-17)
“When the earth experiences Your judgments the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.” (Isaiah 26:9)
“ It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.” (Zechariah 12:3)
The new covenant is not about christians. It is not even about Jews. It is about Israelites - Jews and Gentiles, who have been grafted in through the living Messiah who is poised for return at any moment!
Many “Jews” return to the Land for the wrong reason. The Land is not a refuge from anti-semitism or hatred of YHVH’s chosen people. Study Scripture and history to understand. The call is not to return to the Land, but to the Land of YHVH, the God of the Israelites and His ways. It is here He has chosen to place His Name and the people in whom He has placed His Name. (Num 6:27; 2 Chr 6:6 ) Currently, grafted in Gentiles are not allowed to return. Identification with Yeshua makes them persona non grata according the Law of Return policies. Only Jews who can prove their Jewish descent are allowed to take up permanent residence in Israel. But the Land is being overrun with secular Jews who do not know their God and therefore cannot bring Him honor through obedience.
What is the cost of despising the discipline of YHVH?
“For behold, I am commanding, and I will shake the house of Israel among all nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, but not a kernel will fall to the ground. All the sinners of My people will die by the sword, those who say, ‘The calamity will not overtake or confront us.’” (Amos 9:9-10)
There are two groups of people YHVH discusses in the Scriptures. Israel and everybody else, called the goyim/nations. His love and concern is focused only on Israel, whom He chose because of His love for them. YHVH did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers . . .(Matt 15:24 and Deut 7:7) Anyone from the nations can become His focus by being grafted into Israel, joining themselves to YHVH, the God of Israel, in covenant relationship with Him through His Mashiach, Yeshua. Even before the advent of Messiah 2000 years ago, this God of grace and mercy made a way for outsiders to come to Him. They had to forsake their gods and pagan practices and align themselves with His ways, His People and His Land. This did not change when the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us 2000 years ago. Yeshua did not come to establish a new religion called christianity. He came to call His people, Israel, to repentance. He also included Gentiles/goyim who were willing to forsake (repent of) their idolatrous beliefs and covenant together with the God of Israel, meaning to live in obedience to His instructions.
I know this seems harsh, even cruel to some. At what point do we stop covering for the quasi-believers and expose the lies promoting their photoshopped images of self-righteous existence? In reading through the scriptures, nowhere do I get the sense that other religions or belief systems are acceptable to YHVH. In fact, they are often expunged with a violence that shocks our naive sensibilities. And when human judgement overrides the clear instruction of YHVH, we set ourselves up to become seduced by the very evil that our judgement allowed to remain in direct disobedience to YHVH.
“Now therefore fear YHVH and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve YHVH. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve YHVH, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve YHVH.” Joshua 24:14,15
Although the darkness increases exponentially, the true light also blazes and pierces the darkness with thrusts of force led and empowered by YHVH’s Spirit.