ISRAEL UPDATEOctober 27, 2002 – In 1921, America, Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan met to hammer out a naval reduction truce – because all of these nations feared any one nation gaining superiority over another.
As you would expect, the decade of de-escalation gave a false sense of security. Countries like Great Britain honored the agreement, but that put them numerically behind those nations that broke the agreement, therefore they had to scramble to catch up.
One cannot help but think of the fallacy of the 1938 Munich Summit between England and Germany - as Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain stated “peace in our time…” Chamberlain would later resign in shame after feeling the brunt of Nazi aggression.
From the period of 1921 to 1938, the world’s leading nations disarmed and de-escalated their military programs. They were hoping for peace, but were eventually brought into World War II and then into the nuclear era in 1945.
The 1993 Oslo Accord between Israel and the Palestinians has proven to be much the same. The world rejoiced at that time, but now they are forced to deal with a terrorist network that is threatening our very way of life – including war.
Names like Hitler, Mussolini, Hirohito and Stalin have now been replaced by names such as bin Laden, Arafat and Hussein. The Axis powers have been replaced by the oil producing nations and the European Economic Union, but the results are the same. One thing is very likely – the consequences will be more disastrous.
October 27, 2002 – The story of Ruth and Naomi is a touching one that gives us many great parallels to live by.
Ruth 1:22 tells us, “So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.” In this short passage, G-d’s word is rich and full.
Moab is at an elevation of 4,350 feet above sea level. So Ruth and Naomi must descend from the heights of paganism, cross through the Jordan Valley, and ascend to Bethlehem, which is 3,700 feet above sea level – to find G-d’s provision.
First, we can be elevated, yet be in a place of poverty and despair – such as was Naomi’s family, but we have to leave the place of darkness to find G-d.
Second, we will traverse the valley on our way to victory and provision. We will cross the low places as we move towards G-d’s inheritance for us.
Ruth and Naomi, obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit, took all three steps, appearing in Bethlehem (House of Bread) at the time of the barley harvest – from there G-d’s blessings continued to flow.
Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of G-d.” The Savior of the world desires all of us to climb the heights to find the physical and spiritual bread, thereby meeting all of our needs.
To be continued…