Three thousand years ago God inspired King David to predict that the reborn nation of Israel would be immediately surrounded by enemies, including the Arab nations of Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria.
"For lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken craftly counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Hoab; and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah" (Psalm 83:2-8).
In this incredible prophecy, David described the modern states of the Middle East by naming the ancient nations that have now joined with the Palestinians in their attempt to destroy the Jewish state in the last days.
This ancient prophetic list of nations is fascinating, as it enumerates virtually every one of the nations in the Arab confederacy that oppose Israel's existence today:
Edom.........from Esau, brother of Jacob (Jordan)
Ishmaelites...descended from Ishmael, son of Hagar (Arabs)
Moab.........son of Lot, (Jordan, east of Dead Sea)
Hagarenes....descended from one of the 12 sons of Hagar
Gebal........ancient Byblus, (north of today's Beirut)
Ammon........son of Lot, (capital of Jordan)
Amalek.......descended from Esau (southern Jordan)
Philistines..from Ham, (throughout Palestine, Syria)
Tyre.........a Phoenician city (Lebanon)
Assur........founded Assyria; (Iraq - Iran)
Children of Lot, Moab, and Ammon, (Jordan)
*******
This prophecy reads like today's newspaper (or internet articles) about the nations who are attacking and/or poised to attack, Israel.
Rockets Hit Southern Israeli City in 'Major Escalation'
Of course, we have the typical Syrian blame game against Israel!
Syrian's Al-Sharaa Blames Israel for Escalation in Mideast"
Thank God we have a U.S. President who is a staunch allie and leader who supports and defends Israel...despite the loonies who hate him and America:
Bush: Israel Has the Right to Defend Itself"
And, defend herself she (Israel) will:
Israeli Strikes Beirut Airport in Second Attack of Day"
Photo essay link
Lots more stories at Fox News links:
•France Condemns Israeli Attacks, Hezbollah Kidnapping
•Japan's Koizumi Urges Israel Not to Seek 'Eye for Eye'
•Israeli Warplanes Strike Palestinian Guerilla Camp Near Beirut
•Israeli Troops Kill 12 Palestinians in Central Gaza
•Israel Begins New Incursions Into Southern Gaza
•Olmert Says Prisoner Exchange With Hamas Would Be 'Major Mistake'
•Poll Shows Majority of Palestinians Support Kidnapping of Israeli Soldier
•Israel Rejects Hamas' Call for Cease-Fire in Ongoing Standoff
•Palestinians Flee Israeli Offensive in Gaza
•Official: Israel Might Free Palestinian Prisoners if Captive Soldier is Released
•Israel Rules Out Negotiating for Abducted Soldier
•Kidnapping of Israeli Soldier May Indicate Major Rift Inside Hamas
•Israeli Forces Capture Two Hamas Members in First Gaza Arrest Raid Since Withdrawal
•Palestinian Militants Fire Rockets Into Israel
•Olmert Apologizes to Abbas for Civilian Deaths
•Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas to Meet in Jordan
•Abbas Urges Arabs to Block Israel's Plan to Redraw Borders
WorldNetDaily article and links
Michele Malkin: Rockets Red Glare
Trackback URL: http://www.michellemalkin.com/mt/oct05-tb.cgi/4868
The entire Psalm is a prayer to frustrate Israel's enemies. Take special note of the second part of the Psalm! (in bold):
ReplyDeletePrayer to Frustrate Conspiracy Against Israel (this is the NKJV)
A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.
Do not keep silent, O God!
Do not hold Your peace,
And do not be still, O God!
2 For behold, Your enemies make a tumult;
And those who hate You have lifted up their head.
3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.
4 They have said, "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more."
5 For they have consulted together with one consent;
They form a confederacy against You:
6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;
Moab and the Hagrites;
7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Assyria also has joined with them;
They have helped the children of Lot.
Selah
9 Deal with them as with Midian,
As with Sisera,
As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon,
10 Who perished at En Dor,
Who became as refuse on the earth.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb,
Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 Who said, "Let us take for ourselves
The pastures of God for a possession."
13 O my God, make them like the whirling dust,
Like the chaff before the wind!
14 As the fire burns the woods,
And as the flame sets the mountains on fire,
15 So pursue them with Your tempest,
And frighten them with Your storm.
16 Fill their faces with shame,
That they may seek Your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be confounded and dismayed forever;
Yes, let them be put to shame and perish,
18 That they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord,
Are the Most High over all the earth.
On second thought...perhaps we should admit it appears that almost the entire United Nations are against Israel!! Did you hear about the latest vote? Only the U.S. declined to admonish Israel for taking necessary action to defend herself!.
ReplyDeleteSheesh! The U.N. = United Nincompoops!
I would surmise that Lebanese people, regulars as few people are of the mortal, violent and unpredictable, yesterday awoke to the kind of news they thought they had put behind them. There is something dangerously akin, in possible outcomes, about yesterday's unoriginal Israeli action. Ever since the Israelis retreated from southern Lebanon in 2000, this weak and comparatively uninfluential country has enjoyed an almost unimpeded respite from the chaos of the region to which it so often becomes a victim of the turbulence therein. However, overnight it has been plunged back into the role it endured for a quarter century and more - that of an unfortunate territory for other people's wars, as well as pawn in the ambitions and machinations of regional players far more potent than itself.
ReplyDeleteHizbullah would doubtless comprehend that serious political and sectarian tensions inside Lebanon, putting the country and its basically Shia constituency at yet more dangerous cross-purposes with other communities who bitterly resent the way in which, with this single, sensational act on others' behalf, Hizbullah may have dragged the country into new miseries of death, destruction and woe. Also it must have known that it has taken the whole of the Middle East another step towards the unprecedented region-wide tumult that very likely awaits it.
Lebanese apart, many Arabs, especially Islamists, are applauding Hizbullah's act, bring what it may - and none more so than its chief intended beneficiaries, the Palestinians, especially those doing battle in Gaza. As for its target, Israel, there could hardly be a more apt example of a nation reaping what it has sown. Israel took 18 years to extricate itself from the Lebanon morass - and only then at the price of leaving in place a triumphant Hizbullah of which, along with Iran and Syria, it justly ranks as a co-founder. Even as, on its new Gaza front, it is likewise turning Hamas and other Islamists into more formidable future foes than they already are, it suddenly finds itself confronted, in alarming and maddening fashion, with this monstrous legacy of an old one.
Richard Dawkins,
ReplyDeleteYour points are well taken. Civilians often suffer at the hands of an Islamic militant leadership (a.k.a. terrorists - Pres. Bush purposely left that out for political reasons) that is bent on going to war. According to this article, Hezbollah has no restraint in announcing its glee that the violence is escalating to an open war. Doesn't sound to me as if these terrorist leaders (I know that there is disagreement about them being labeled "terrorists", but from what I've seen, they are) even care about the suffering of their people. They're bloodthirsty for "death to Israel" as is every nation mentioned in the prophecy.
Even though Bush and Putin disagree about who is at fault for the escalation, there is no doubt that Israel was provoked by Islamic militants.
From 2nd article link:
Mr. Bush says Islamic militants started the fighting to disrupt what he says was progress by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to pursue a two-state solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
"As the vision was progressing, certain terrorist elements began to act to stop the advance of democracy," he said. "The militant wing of Hamas made decisions to attack and to capture. Hezbollah has made decision to stop the advance of a two-state solution."
President Bush has continued to back Israel's right to defend itself against such attacks.
Here we find the real reasons why Hezbollah is steadfast in escalating the violence to all out war. They have been fuming over the advances for peace made through Israel's Gaza pullout (as well as a democracy forming in Iraq). But how has Israel been rewarded? More violence including suicide bombings! Kidnapped soldiers! Rockets sent into Israel!
I agreed with Benjamin Netanyahu when he appeared several times on the Fox News Channel insisting that the Gaza pullout was a big mistake. How correct he was! Israel can give forth all the concessions, appeasements, and "land for peace" deals it wants but it will never be enough in the eyes of her enemies!
With Iran's crazy leader declaring that Israel should be "swept off the face of the map," we know that the Bush administration's dream (as well as the former Clinton one) of the Palestinians and Israelis being "two states living side by side peacefully" will never happen. It will only happen when the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, returns to this earth. As you probably have surmised, as a Christian, I hold a Biblical worldview about Israel and her right to live in the land "as an inheritance from the Lord."
Politically speaking, I think that Israel has finally had enough of this terrorism crap. They have had to deal with it for so long, that I don't blame her leadership for defending the country no matter what it takes! This is not a matter of retaliation (this time; they have done so in the past)...it's a matter of survival.
The article goes on to say:
President Putin says he and President Bush will take every necessary action to try and find common ground between the combatants to reach a conclusion that not only stops the fighting but also creates an enabling environment for Israel within secure borders.
The part in bold is difficult to accomplish when only one side agrees that Israel deserves to occupy the land (any land, if the truth be told! and have secure borders.