Encouragement

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Israel His Vision 11.
Rosh Ha’ Shana!

The call came from Israel! I had been expecting someone to call! In fact Israel is never far from mind. I love Israel. To be precise, I love to minister God’s kindnesses to the people living in Israel.

“Shana Tova!” I recognized the voice..
“Shana Tova! Ve Hag Sameach,” I replied. Translating: Happy New Year! And Happy Holidays!
Please allow me at this point to share with you a little about Jewish and Biblical culture. What people may not know, and this includes many Israelis, especially those who show a marked disinterest in religious themes, is the fact that the Jewish culture embraces two New Years. There is a Biblical New Year and a Civil New Year. The Biblical New Year begins in that month which witnessed, in history, the deliverance of a whole nation from bondage to slavery, tyranny and oppression. I am referring to the thrilling and awe inspiring month, which followed astounding miracles of God, and began the nation of Israel’s journey of freedom from the deadly hold of a powerful but reluctant Egypt. The informed reader will probably recognize the period as leading to and embracing Pesach or Passover. Modern Christians might recognize and identify the same period as Easter; the period which witnessed the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah.

It was the Lord who established the Biblical New Year. It was man who established the Civil New Year. If you have the time, you might like to refer to two biblical passages which define, the Biblical New Year. First, there is found in the Tanach (Old Testament) book of Shemot (Exodus), chapter 12 and verse 2, God’s definition. The first month of the year includes the Passover ceremony, and is God’s commanded New Year. All others are man- made.

Then again, if you are able to examine the Biblical Book of Ester, you will find an informative verse (3:7), which identifies the first month, as the month called Nissan. Personally, I think this is a fitting name because, it sounds very much like that Hebrew word ‘Nissim’ which translates into English as, ‘miracles.’ I often like to refer to Nissan, as the month of ‘Miracles.’ However, whatever our personal opinions concerning this point, we can agree that it was sometime during this month that the Saviour died. I also think, and many may agree, that the greatest miracle is the salvation of a lost soul. This salvation is directly related to Yeshua’s sacrifice on the tree (cross) the eve of Pesach.

The Jewish New Year on the civil calendar and currently referred to as ‘Rosh Ha’ Shana’ (Head (of) the Year), begins on the first day of the seventh month. The bible gives a description of the meaning and importance of this day. It is a day of Zikron Ter’uah, ‘remembrance blowing’ {of trumpets} (Ref; Leviticus 23:23-32; Numbers 10;10). Nothing is said about it being the New Year or Rosh Ha Shana. The Hebrew words are not used in this connection. The sons of Aaron would blow the trumpets and burnt and peace offerings would be sacrificed. The emphasis is on the Lord having His people in remembrance, then saving them from their enemies, (Numbers 10:2-9), as they remind Him of His covenant to save, preserve, bless (burnt offering-Olah; ref, Genesis 8:20-9:17), and bring peace (peace offering- shalamim).

If, we are to embrace the relatively modern, man-made definition of the Jewish New Year, we will notice that the seventh month includes, the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar, ‘Yom Kippur’ or the ‘Day of Atonement’ (10th day ) and this day, is later followed by the feast days called ‘Succot,’ or the Feast of Tabernacles. However the first ten days of the seventh month are referred to as the days of ‘awe’ and modern religious Jews suggest, that they are days in which people should meditate, acknowledge their sins and ask God’s forgiveness.

Both ‘New Years’ embrace a common theme. “New Beginnings.” When a person understands why Yeshua came into the world; that is to save sinners- and accepts God’s free offer of forgiveness of sins and Righteousness by faith in Yeshua, they begin a new life. No longer do they live to please themselves but in gratitude, hand over control of their lives to the One, who purchased their salvation from God’s wrath, at great price. The result is often dramatic, as I have witnessed again and again.

One night at a precise moment, the lady Eugenia decided to receive God’s forgiveness of sins. She stopped working as a prostitute, and sought to find work of a more honourable nature. She experienced change. A change in mental attitude and outward action. In other words, she, and I will use a word which is not so popular in our secular world, ‘repented.’ She turned around! Turned to God.

This change had a number of effects. Not least of which occurred in my life. I was encouraged to work with greater earnestness amongst the ‘women of the night.’

Now, Daniel my Jewish friend, was once an alcoholic. For many years, he lived on the streets of Tel-Aviv as a homeless person. He engaged in many other vices. Then one day, he ‘turned around,’ and asked Yeshua to take charge of his life. He then decided to devote the rest of his life towards helping the poor in Israel. God helped him establish the Gates of Righteousness Ministry which helped many needy people. The miracle associated with Eugenia’s change, encouraged me to call him. I was quite ecstatic, as I shared with him the marvelous manner in which God had opened a way to reach out to Tel-Aviv’s lost.

“Daniel, you won’t believe what happened! God has opened a way for us to reach the people in the night clubs!”
“What! Incredible! I’ve been trying to reach that community for the past ten years! How did it happen?”

The question and its answer, begged recognition of God’s hand. Eugenia’s decision to serve the Lord Yeshua, proved that God was very much interested in the “women of the night.”

In fact, the Lord was more interested in them than I could ever have imagined. My ‘team’ of volunteers prayed and planned for further outreaches. Then, during one Hanukkah and Christmas period, we gave away hundreds of bibles. God was proving that He had not forgotten the women whose lives, were being destroyed by satan. It was an exciting time, and I felt greatly privileged to work amongst these people, whom most had declared a public disgrace.
Yes, The Lord wanted to display His love towards them. However, I was yet to understand the full extent of His love. A strange incident developed which was to give me exquisite insight.

One day, I received a call from David, a young man I did not know personally at that time. I found out later on, that he came to Yeshua for salvation, from a background of drugs.
“Hello, are you the brother working with the women?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“I obtained your mobile number from brother ‘B’. There is a lady who has heard about your work and would like to meet you!”
I was busy and pre-occupied with other concerns, so I did not take this request too seriously. However, sometime later, the same information came to my attention from another source. I began to pay attention!
I have subsequently found out that interested parties can be catergorised. There are those people who, although they express interest in projects, are not interested in becoming actively involved. Then there are others who are interested and desire to help in whatever way possible. The latter seek one out, even if it takes time. So it was on this occasion. The woman was seeking me out!

Brother “B” offered to meet with her in my stead. One day he and his wife took a trip to the northern most boarder of Israel where, the woman actually lived. She received them warmly, opening up and sharing her interest in supporting projects to women with special needs. She then astonished them further. She told them that she had a burden for women working in clubs, and that focused concern had spanned more than a decade.
She had been so concerned, that she prayed and worked towards supporting anyone whom the Lord would encourage to reach out to them. At an opportune moment during the visit, she excused herself, disappeared into one of her mansion’s many rooms and reappeared holding a plastic bag.

“Here,” she said holding out the bag. “This bag contains my personal savings over the years. I have been putting aside a little money as often as I can. I have been trusting that the Lord would one day send the right person so that I could give it to them. I want to support outreach to the women involved in the entertainment business. Take it, and please thank your minister for the work he is doing amongst the women!”

When brother and his wife arrived back in Tel-Aviv and narrated the story, I began to tremble- visibly. I thought I had been pioneering an unfamiliar work for which there would be little support from the believing community in Israel. In fact I was absolutely certain, that my teams were the most interested of all parties concerned with night women.

Yet, here I was to learn, that long before I had stepped foot onto the land of Israel, and long before I had even begun to think of ministering to ‘women of the night,’ the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel had already established His concerned agenda. He had loved these lost women before I ever gave them a thought. It was He, who placed compassion for them in my heart, and it was He who gently urged me on.

One woman, whom I am yet to meet, sacrificed day after day, month after month, year after year, patiently and faithfully, so that God’s lost sheep of Israel could be found and saved. I am so proud, I am so privileged, and I am honored to work for such a God!

So now I am certain, that He has had you in mind all the time even though, you may feel as if the whole world has deserted you. Take heart friend! Someone out there cares about you! That someone is Yeshua! He has not forgotten you! Here is a prophetic word for you;

“Thus says the Lord of Hosts. The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts..…(Zechariah 8:19). Life with God includes goodtimes!

I wish you Hag Sameach! Have a blessed Rosh Ha Shana! May you experience new beginnings, and whenever you hear these words ‘’Happy New Year,” please remember, His vision is, joy for you!

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