When Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood before the United Nations General Assembly, he faced down those who seek Israel’s destruction, rose above those who walked out for show, and delivered a powerful defence of Israel at a time when much of the world seems determined to condemn it.
Thankfully, he also acknowledged God’s place in all of this. Israel’s future is secure because of the One watching over her.
“Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:4)
The UN is a mixed bag of nations. There are Israel’s allies, such as the UK, who claim they are acting in Israel’s best interests by sanctioning Israel. Others believe they know better than Israel in how Israel should defend Jews. For many, Israel is just a nuisance that they would rather see the back of. And, clearly, there are some states working overtime to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.
One important point Netanyahu made was when he spoke about Israel’s survival, repeatedly declaring, “We have no other choice.”
He’s right. Throughout history, Jews have been libelled, persecuted, attacked, degraded, expelled, and slaughtered. Yet they have survived. Generation after generation, those who have sought to destroy the Jewish people have themselves been destroyed, while Israel remains.
Netanyahu said: “Over the centuries, the tyrannies that tried to destroy us failed time and again. God willing, they’ll continue to fail. If we muster our courage, if we steel our resolve, we will continue to win. As the Bible says, netsakh Israel lo yeshaker, the eternity of Israel will not falter.”
Netsakh means “eternity,” “perpetuity,” or “everlastingness”. So the phrase can be translated in the way Netanyahu spoke it, or by saying, “The Eternal Victory of Israel”.
However, the verse in the Bible is 1 Samuel 15:29, which says, “The Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.” (NKJV)
Other Bible translations say “the Glory of Israel” or the “Eternal One of Israel.”
Ultimately, it’s speaking of Israel’s existence being linked to God. Israel’s future is not secure because of human ingenuity or strength, but because of God’s faithfulness! Hallelujah!
“This is what the LORD says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the LORD Almighty is his name: ‘Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,’ declares the LORD, ‘will Israel ever cease being a nation before me.’” (Jeremiah 31:35-36)
Thankfully, Netanyahu gave that recognition to the Almighty when he said that the enemies of Israel will, “God willing, continue to fail”. But we will continue to pray for Bibi, that he will truly put his hope in the God of Israel.
With all this in mind, here are this week’s prayer points.
Prayer Points:
Pray for Israel’s leaders: We must continue to lift up Prime Minister Netanyahu and all of his government as they serve the people of Israel through their positions. We pray that God will give them peace in the storms facing Israel, that He will reveal Himself to them and give them great wisdom. We also pray for their protection and for the upcoming elections, that whoever leads Israel today or in the future will be somebody who puts their hope in the God of Israel.
Pray for those affected by the attempted hijacking: We witnessed a miracle in the skies this week, and we are so grateful to God that disaster was averted. We continue to pray for the healing of Captain Smit, the Indian man who became a hero as he fought off the attacker with his last ounce of strength to open the cockpit door. We thank God for the Israelis who subdued the terrorist and the pilots on board who safely landed the plane. And we pray that all those affected, both physically and emotionally, will be restored.
Pray for the UK: The ongoing disdain for Israel by our Government cannot be ignored. Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have continued to demonise Israel, particularly with the way Ed Miliband spoke at the Labour Party conference, spreading false allegations against Israel to rapturous applause. He also honoured the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, who last month claimed Jesus was “the Palestinian gift to the world” and is on video referring to Israelis as “vermin”. Our leaders are being led astray, and we must pray they turn away from hating Israel and instead start to bless Israel. Britain is heading down a dangerous path, and we must be fervent in our prayers.
Praise the Lord for CUFI’s Scotland trip: Last weekend, Alastair was honoured to speak in Scotland. We thank the host Church for their love and support for CUFI and for their hospitality towards Alastair. It is always a blessing to meet with like-minded Christians and to be able to share Biblical truth about Israel with those who have open hearts. If your Church or prayer group would like someone from CUFI to come and speak, then please do let us know.
