Thank you for stopping by today for a look inside Israel. I’m sharing a short note from J of Jerusalem along with prayer notes from her pastor about the recent unrest there. God bless you for praying for J, her family and her nation and His, Israel. Now, here’s J . . .
GREETINGS in the deep deep love of Messiah Yeshua!
First, I wish to thank those of you who have been remembering our family in prayer as I shared an unspoken prayer request concerning our younger daughter. Today is her 30th birthday and I want to rejoice with you in His gift of LIFE and ask you to continue to keep her in your prayers. Thank you!
As I said, the bus is buzzing with ‘opinions’…in spite of the intense heat, long delays and overcrowding, everyone has an opinion. It is about the the escalating social unrest. Although the growing protest demands are often naive and unreasonable, I felt that the two postings that Ofer (my pastor) sent out today, are very well directed to help us pray into the subject, and I want to pass them along. The first one is below. In the second one, he enclosed 4 ‘links’ to excellent, short video’s that contain a wealth of understanding about the situations that Israel is facing. I am not able to add them in here (I am not very sophisticated at transferring the ‘links’) but if you go on to his website (Israel Prayer Center Jerusalem Ofer Amitai) you can open them, or, ask me to forward them to you individually. That I think I can do. In the midst of the growing unrest here, we are seeing a broken ex President, Hosni Mubarak, on a stretcher in a cage in Egypt going before a court. WE NEED TO APPEAL ONLY TO THE JUDGE ON HIGH WHO JUDGES IN RIGHTEOUSNESS CONCERNING THESE THINGS.
May we TRULY pray with The Spirit and pray with understanding also. Thank you for walking in His will for His glory. love, your sis in Jerusalem
Israel Prayer Center – Jerusalem
Prayer Priority Update
“I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also”
Corinthians 14:15
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He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land
Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will triumph and Israel live in safety. And this is the name the city will be called: THE Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ Jeremiah. 33:14-16
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Israel – in great social turmoil
Israel is being shaken from within. Thousands of people have been sleeping in tent cities erected in major thoroughfares in major cities. Thousands of mothers have marched with baby buggies to protest the high cost of bringing children up in Israel. Doctors have been striking for over 100 days over ridiculously low wages (residents make 25 NIS an hour), long hours, gaping lack of manpower.
Why are people fed up with the situation?
High cost of living has made it impossible for the middle-class to make ends meet. Cost of food, for instance, has gone up 30% in the last few years. Cost of property, both rental, and for purchase, have become so prohibitive, that students and young people can no longer afford it, period. The price of goods in Israel, is one of the highest in the world, while wages are ridiculously low. For example: Police officers make between a bit over 4,000 NIS a month, they do not get extra for overtime. Teachers get about the same, maybe a bit better. The average wage in Israel is about 8,500 NIS compared with 13,000 in the US (17,000 NIS in big US cities), 16,000 NIS in France. Yet, the cost of living in Israel is several times that of Europe and the US. Most people are in the minus in the bank; it’s an accepted norm and the banks treat it as an automatic loan – which gets people into a deeper hole.
Why is the situation so bad?
Although Israel’s economy has done extremely well and the country is prosperous, its citizens have not shared in the bonanza. This is so, because the wealth and benefits of Israel’s prosperity have not trickled down to the people but have been concentrated in the hands of about 20 very wealthy families. These are Israel’s tycoons.
Ten large business groups control 30 percent of the market value of public companies, while 16 control half the money in the entire country! (1)
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According to the central bank’s annual report, published in May, the top families control 25 percent of the listed companies and 50 percent of the total market share in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. The bank warns that this represents one of the highest concentrations of business power among developed economies, posing a “systemic risk” to the financial system and threatening to drag other segments of the economy down should the tycoons falter.” (2)
Naturally, the concentration of so much power and money gives the tycoon families enormous influence on the government and the governing of Israel.
For more background information, read entire articles here and here
Another source for the problem is that the government owns and controls 93% of all the land in Israel. Up to now, there has been no plan in place to develop and build rental property, or build affordable housing. Thus, the little construction that is going on is aimed more at the upper classes, including wealthy Jews from abroad.
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Situation similar at the time of Nehemiah
The people’s complaints to In Nehemiah were very similar in nature to the people’s complaints today. Read passage: Nehemiah 5:1-13
God cares about social justice
– For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the LORD; “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.” Psalm 12:5
– He will judge Your people with righteousness, And Your poor with justice.” Psalm 72:2
– He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor.” Psalm 72:4
In the first message of Isaiah to Israel, God confronts Israel for its social injustice. Interestingly, God’s promise to make Israel as pure as snow and to be blessed in the Land, is tied into this issue:
Isaiah 1:16-26
In the wonderful promise of Israel restoration quoted at the beginning of this Prayer Update, we see that Yeshua executes righteousness and judgment in the Land! Its part of the plan of the restoration of Israel.
Some dangers for Israel at this time of upheaval
It is already clear from what is happening on the ground, that different interest groups are trying to manipulate this movement to their own ends, especially it is true of the left wing parties who would like to use this movement to overthrow the government.
The intention of the Palestinians to declare an independent state: We are one month away from another huge challenge to Israel and that is the unilateral declaration of a state by the Palestinians. Anything can happen at that time: A new Intifada, regional war, uprising of the Arab sector in the Land, another attempt of massive marches into Israel by people from neighboring Arab nations.
PRAYING FOR ISRAEL DURING THIS CURRENT SITUATION
Key players are uniquely qualified to deal with the current issues
Netanyahu has a deep understanding of Israel’s economy and finances. Although he may be a little out of touch with the needs of ordinary people, he is sensible and understands the economy.
Stanley Fisher, Bank of Israel’s Governor is a good man who has been able to secure Israel’s economy despite the world wide down turn.
Please pray
* For Bibi – that this would be his finest hour, that he would rise to the occasion and be inspired to be a true statesman who will stand up for his nation at this difficult hour.
* For the government to rise up to the occasion and serve Israel’s highest and best interests
* For Bib – that he would be protected by the Lord from the pressure of the tycoon families, and will stand up to them where necessary.
* For the government to honestly deal with the underlaying problems in our system, and to have courage to make the fundamental changes, instead of “throwing the populace a bone.”
* For the Lord to keep the tycoon families from paralyzing the process.
* For a just solution in all the areas needed so that ordinary Israelis will be able to live here and make it here in the land and that immigrants will be able prosper here as well. [Did you know that Israel has negative Aliya (immigration)? The number of Israelis emigrating from Israel is larger than the immigration to the land – by 5000 people.]
May the Passion and Zeal of the Living God consume your thoughts and heart to burn in intercession before Him. And may He mightily lead you to pray for His Kingdom to come and will to be done ON THE EARTH as it is done in Heaven. Israel’s restoration is but a key that unlocks untold blessing to the entire earth, and its peoples!!!!
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”
Romans 11:26-27
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Citations:
1. “Is Israel Inc. Too Powerful?” Tova Cohen Ari Rabinovitch, Jerusalem Post, Aug.1st 2011
2. “The Controversy Over Israel’s Business Elite”, David Wainer and Calev Ben-David, Bloomberg, business week, July 29, 2011
ani b’derek
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