Nov 19, 1999
This past week has been quite a full one, as almost every day we have taken people and groups into the heart of Samaria. We have traveled along the Jordan Valley to Gilgal, up the steep slopes of the Ascent of Ephraim to the Mount of Blessing and the settlement of Har Bracha, to Joshua’s altar on the Mount of Curse, east to Mount Kabir and to the settlement of Elon Moreh and then over to Itamar a settlement, one of the largest, area wise, which includes a mountain whose view spans the three seas in Israel, then back to Jerusalem via Shilo. It is hard to express what one sees or feels, as this experience penetrates the very depth of one’s soul. Listening to the young and old residents of these Jewish settlements tell of their lives, their hopes and their dreams in these places is certainly a rewarding and educational happening. All I can say is, come, see and touch this piece of Zion.
Yesterday, as a group of about 20 of us stood on Har Bracha looking west over most of the territory of Ephraim and Menashe all the way to coastal plain out into the Mediterranean sea, this scripture came to mind: “And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, ‘You are a numerous people and have great power, you shall not have one lot only, but the hill country shall be yours. For though it is a forest, you shall clear it and to its farthest borders it shall be yours’” (Josh. 17:17-18).
It was hard to imagine that the bare heights all around us were at one time filled with forests, but as we looked to the north we saw the Mount of Curse looming ominously above the Mount of Blessing, it served as a reminder of a Torah scripture which says: "Now the generation of your children who come, your sons who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land, when they see the plagues of that land and the sicknesses which YHVH has laid on it, will say: `The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which YHWH overthrew in His anger and His wrath.' All nations would say, `Why has YHVH done so to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?' Then people would say: `Because they have forsaken the covenant of YHVH God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt; for they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them. Then the anger of YHVH was aroused against this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book. And YHVH uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.' The secret things belong to YHVH our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this Torah’” (Deut. 29:22-29).
The settlers of these areas are keenly aware of these fulfilled prophecies, and that is why they are zealous for the Torah and its strict observance. As far as they are concerned, their obedience will result in YHVH’s blessings, as promised by the prophets of Israel: “Again shalt thou plant vineyards upon the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant, and shall have the use thereof” (Jer. 31:5). “Behold, the days come, saith YHVH, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And I will turn the captivity of My people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them, saith YHVH thy God” (Amos 9:13-15). “And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit, they shall not plant, and another eat; for as the days of a tree shall be the days of My people, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands” (Isa. 65:21-22). “But now I will not be unto the remnant of this people as in the former days, saith YHVH of hosts. For as the seed of peace, the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. And it shall come to pass that, as ye were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing; fear not, but let your hands be strong” (Zech. 11:11-13).
Are we in the day that YHVH is revealing things that He has hidden, those “dark sayings that were only expressed in parables” (Psa. 78;2). Is it us, who constitute the living, revealed, secret testimony of the covenant keeping God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Remember: “Therefore thus says YHWH, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: ‘Jacob shall not now be ashamed, Nor shall his face now grow pale; But when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name, And hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And fear the God of Israel. Those also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, And those who complained will learn doctrine’"(Isa. 29:22-24). "Thus says YHVH: `Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; The city shall be built upon its own mound, and the palace shall remain according to its own plan. Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving, and the voice of those who make merry; I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small. Their children also shall be as before, and their congregation shall be established before Me….’ The fierce anger of YHVH will not return until He has done it, and until He has performed the intents of His heart. In the latter days you will understand this” (Jer. 30:18-20,24).
I think it is obvious which days we are living in, and why it is important to come and see for yourselves, the testimony, both the blessing and the curse, which remain here as a testimony of YHVH’s faithfulness in the heart land of Israel.
Ephraim
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together (shevet achim) in unity” (Psa. 133).
This past week has been quite a full one, as almost every day we have taken people and groups into the heart of Samaria. We have traveled along the Jordan Valley to Gilgal, up the steep slopes of the Ascent of Ephraim to the Mount of Blessing and the settlement of Har Bracha, to Joshua’s altar on the Mount of Curse, east to Mount Kabir and to the settlement of Elon Moreh and then over to Itamar a settlement, one of the largest, area wise, which includes a mountain whose view spans the three seas in Israel, then back to Jerusalem via Shilo. It is hard to express what one sees or feels, as this experience penetrates the very depth of one’s soul. Listening to the young and old residents of these Jewish settlements tell of their lives, their hopes and their dreams in these places is certainly a rewarding and educational happening. All I can say is, come, see and touch this piece of Zion.
Yesterday, as a group of about 20 of us stood on Har Bracha looking west over most of the territory of Ephraim and Menashe all the way to coastal plain out into the Mediterranean sea, this scripture came to mind: “And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, ‘You are a numerous people and have great power, you shall not have one lot only, but the hill country shall be yours. For though it is a forest, you shall clear it and to its farthest borders it shall be yours’” (Josh. 17:17-18).
It was hard to imagine that the bare heights all around us were at one time filled with forests, but as we looked to the north we saw the Mount of Curse looming ominously above the Mount of Blessing, it served as a reminder of a Torah scripture which says: "Now the generation of your children who come, your sons who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land, when they see the plagues of that land and the sicknesses which YHVH has laid on it, will say: `The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which YHWH overthrew in His anger and His wrath.' All nations would say, `Why has YHVH done so to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?' Then people would say: `Because they have forsaken the covenant of YHVH God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt; for they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them. Then the anger of YHVH was aroused against this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book. And YHVH uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.' The secret things belong to YHVH our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this Torah’” (Deut. 29:22-29).
The settlers of these areas are keenly aware of these fulfilled prophecies, and that is why they are zealous for the Torah and its strict observance. As far as they are concerned, their obedience will result in YHVH’s blessings, as promised by the prophets of Israel: “Again shalt thou plant vineyards upon the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant, and shall have the use thereof” (Jer. 31:5). “Behold, the days come, saith YHVH, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And I will turn the captivity of My people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them, saith YHVH thy God” (Amos 9:13-15). “And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit, they shall not plant, and another eat; for as the days of a tree shall be the days of My people, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands” (Isa. 65:21-22). “But now I will not be unto the remnant of this people as in the former days, saith YHVH of hosts. For as the seed of peace, the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. And it shall come to pass that, as ye were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing; fear not, but let your hands be strong” (Zech. 11:11-13).
Are we in the day that YHVH is revealing things that He has hidden, those “dark sayings that were only expressed in parables” (Psa. 78;2). Is it us, who constitute the living, revealed, secret testimony of the covenant keeping God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Remember: “Therefore thus says YHWH, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: ‘Jacob shall not now be ashamed, Nor shall his face now grow pale; But when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name, And hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And fear the God of Israel. Those also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, And those who complained will learn doctrine’"(Isa. 29:22-24). "Thus says YHVH: `Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; The city shall be built upon its own mound, and the palace shall remain according to its own plan. Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving, and the voice of those who make merry; I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small. Their children also shall be as before, and their congregation shall be established before Me….’ The fierce anger of YHVH will not return until He has done it, and until He has performed the intents of His heart. In the latter days you will understand this” (Jer. 30:18-20,24).
I think it is obvious which days we are living in, and why it is important to come and see for yourselves, the testimony, both the blessing and the curse, which remain here as a testimony of YHVH’s faithfulness in the heart land of Israel.
Ephraim
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together (shevet achim) in unity” (Psa. 133).
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