The Jerusalem Prayer List – 06 December, 2024
By Joseph Shulam // Mevaserrat Zion
Do you watch the Middle East news? Understanding what is happening here between Israel and the Hamas in Gaza, the Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the bigger mess in Syria, with Russia, Iran, the Al-Qaeda terrorist group, Hezbollah, and other terrorist groups that joined the party is indecipherable at times. Our world is in total confusion, and the world's big powers are like lions watching the hyaenas having a party devouring the last mortals of a nearly dead zebra. The confusion here is so considerable that even Satan can't make heads or tails from this mess.
The reading of this Shabbat is Genesis 28:10-32:3.
From the Prophets (the Haftarah) is Hosea 12:13-14:10.
From the New Testament, the Gospel of John 1:41-51.
We Jewish disciples of Yeshua in this land have our men and boys serving on the front lines of this war to protect Israel as a democratic Jewish Country and the God-given land to the Israelite Nation, the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This publication, called the Jerusalem Prayer List, was started by our dear brothers and fellow founders of Netivyah, Moshe Emmanuel Ben-Maier and his beloved wife, Ahuvah Ben-Maier, in 1956. For many years, one typewriter-written page was mailed to people in Europe and the United States. When our dear brother Moshe Emmanuel died in 1978, I took the challenge and started publishing this weekly prayer list that has grown to several thousand recipients worldwide. Every week, I include teaching from the Torah portions that are being read worldwide by every synagogue. Sometimes, if there is some information that is relevant to the events in the world, I include information that will lead our brothers and sisters to pray for us in Netivyah in Israel and also Netivyah International (formerly Netivyah USA). Netivyah International is now specially dedicated to our associated congregations around the world in places like Brazil and Finland and other ministries that we had a hand in establishing and fellowship, like in Asia, Bulgaria, and our dear brothers in Asia. I write this Jerusalem prayer list every week with an earnest prayer for guidance from the LORD to inspire and give some understanding of how to pray for Israel and the work of the Lord in Israel and around the world.
This week's Torah portion is called Vayetze. Vayetze in Hebrew means, "and he left, gone out, went out." The reading starts with Genesis 28:10, and we end by reading from Genesis 28:10 to 32:3. The introduction to this reading from Genesis 28:1-10 is also essential for us to understand Middle East issues.
Isaac calls his son Jacob and says,
"Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and said to him: "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father; and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.
"Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and said to him: " You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father; and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother. "May God Almighty bless you, And make you fruitful and multiply you, That you may be an assembly of peoples;" (Genesis 28:1-3 NKJV)
We are now living in a very different world! In our world, many people have a small box that fits even in the hands of 10-year-old children, which connects them with the world. A child can be on a school trip in Poland, and their parents can track them, call them, and talk to them, even with a live video picture. We have lost a very important social and spiritual anchor that gave our fathers and families a base of stability and familiarity. This technology that connects us with the world also weakens the home base; the familial connection is always present and ready to help, nourish, and be there for us when needed.
In the introduction to our text, Isaac, now an older man, calls Jacob his son and sends him to northern Syria to the home of Rebecca's family, to Laban, his grandfather's house, with the idea that he will find a wife from the same culture and language. This aspect is vital, in my opinion. I have been happily married for 58 years to Marcia Saunders. We met on the campus of David Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. We are both sick with serious health issues. Life is not easy, but we have a common ground, a glue, and an undeniable connection because it connects our souls through our faith in God and Yeshua, our Messiah. This common faith and commitment is a "bridge over stormy waters," living and teaching and spreading the Good News that God is real and Yeshua's teaching, death, and resurrection is the paradigm that gives us the strength to keep on! We need your prayers for our health and your help in prayer for the Lord to continue giving us the strength and vision to continue teaching His written and Living Word.
In this text of Genesis, Isaac, with Rebecca on his side, is not telling Jacob the whole truth and why they are sending him alone from the center of the land of Israel way up north to northern Syria, on foot only with his staff in his hand. In actuality, Isaac and Rebecca send Jacobs to his uncle Laban, which is hidden from Jacob but evident in the earlier text:
"So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob."
And the words of Esau, her older son, were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob, her younger son and said to him, "Surely your brother Esau comforts himself concerning you by intending to kill you. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice: arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran. And stay with him a few days, until your brother's fury turns away, until your brother's anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?" (Genesis 27:41-45 NKJV)
As you can see in this text, Esau made the decision in his heart to kill Jacob for cheating him out of his inheritance. How did Rebekah know what Esau decided in his heart? Here, the Jewish tradition has declared that Rebekah was a prophet, and God revealed to her Esau's decision to kill his brother after Isaac died. Another fascinating curiosity is Esau's respect for his father. Esau didn't want to kill his brother Jacob while Isaac was living because he didn't want to make his father sad and full of sorrow. This is a single redemptive factor in the personality of Esau, who loved his father enough to save him from the sorrow for both of his sons, Esau as a murderer and Jacob as the victim of Esau's murderer.
The next exciting event happens after Jacob leaves his father's home and goes north. Jacob leaves Beer-Sheba and arrives in Beth El, just north of Jerusalem, a distance that walking would take between 15 hours of intensive walking for a normal person. Here is the text that I am talking about. Genesis 28:10-13,
"Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came (The Hebrew word is not "came to a certain place," but"encountered a certain place") to a certain place and stayed there all night because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants."
(Genesis 28:10-13 NKJV)
In Jewish exegetical tradition, this text is challenging to interpret, and many commentators have written mountains of text trying to understand it.
I will do my best to make it simple.
Jacob is tired and worried. He is walking alone through a semi-hostile population. He arrives at Beth – EL (this is the Israelite name of an ancient Canaanite place of worship named Luz). Beth El means in Hebrew the "house of God." For this reason, some of the ancient Jewish commentators are of the opinion that this is Mount Moriah, where Solomon built the temple much later. In a dream, Jacob sees a vision:
"He had a dream; a stairway was set on the ground and its top reached to the sky, and messengers of God were going up and down on it. And standing beside him was THE LORD, who said, "THE LORD, I am the God of your father Abraham's [house] and the God of Isaac's [house]: the ground on which you are lying I will assign to you and to your offspring. Your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you and your descendants. Remember, I am with you: I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
Usually, when you have a stairway on the ground, the messenger (Angels) come down and then go up! This situation is different. God's messengers (Angels) were already on the earth, and when the stairway was set, they went up and then came down. Suddenly, THE LORD (the Tetragrammaton, the expressed holy name of God that is unutterable by religious Jews) has a message for Jacob.
I am not a stranger or a demon; I am the God of your father, Abraham, and Isaac.
You are not a stranger to this land; I am giving this land to you and your offspring.
Your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth. You (Jacob) shall spread out to the west and to the east, north and south. "All the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you and your descendants!" Remember, I am with you on this journey. I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not abandon you until I have done what I have promised you."
Jacob wakes up. "Shaken, " he said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the abode of God ((Beth-EL)), and that is the gateway to heaven.
Genesis 28:10ff is reminiscent of a contract, God's oath to assure and strengthen Jacob on this journey to the unknown. Volumes of history are still playing the central stage of the "divine comedy." Right now, the situation in the Middle East might be a divine tragedy of God's scheme of redemption for the whole world. But we pray every day! "Even though He might be delayed, we still believe that He will come, and we shall continue to wait for Him!"
It always feels good to study and explore the importance and implications of this story:
God's promises to Jacob are fulfilled, even though Jacob had serious problems that would easily discourage any normal person along his journey.
God's promises to Jacob are still in vogue and active throughout human history. Even today! We are still waiting for the final fulfillment of God's promises to Jacob, as He also promised to Abraham, and in the New Testament through Yeshua and the Good News, the Gospel.
Israel and the Jewish nation are like God's promise to Jacob. On this occasion, they are still a blessing to all the nations, even to the nations of our enemies in Iran and Turkey and all our enemies.
You might ask, how are the Jews a blessing to all the world, even to our enemies? There is a simple answer, dear brothers and sisters. Here are some simple answers for us simple people.
The Jewish people, though a small percentage of the global population, have had an oversized impact on the world in numerous fields, bringing blessings in medicine, technology, arts, and more. Below is an overview of their contributions:
1. Medicine
The Jewish people have profoundly impacted nearly every area of human advancement. Their drive for learning, innovation, and ethical responsibility has blessed the world across generations, fulfilling the biblical promise that Abraham's descendants would be a blessing to all nations.
The ChatGPT AI answer above is nice, but it misses the most important contribution of Israel, the See of Abraham, to humanity now and for eternity.
Christians, please wake up and smell the roses. The one that you are worshiping, the savior, the Christ, is the son of David and the son of Abraham (please read your gospels and start with Matthew chapter 1 to see that this is the Bible's Truth).
Yeshua, the Messiah, is Israel's greatest singular contribution to humanity and eternity. Yeshua (Jesus) is the King of the Jews who, even to this very day, is wearing the thorny crown that Roman soldiers have forced on his head until blood ran down his face. Yes! Yeshua was born in Bethlehem, in Israel, the territory God gave to the tribe of Judah. Yes! He was the SON of GOD, but he was circumcised on the eighth day (See Luke chapter 2). Yes! Yeshua died on a Roman cross. A Roman soldier nailed his hands and feet to wood grown in the land of Israel. Yes! He is coming back as the Messiah, Son of David, King of the Jews, to Jerusalem, not to Rome. Yes! In the Book of Revelation, we learn that the saved will be gathered around the great white throne that Yeshua will be sitting on. Everyone will be singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. All the saved will be there, and each record will be available to the judge.
When I once shared these things from the Book of Revelation with an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi in Jerusalem, he said, "This is impossible. How could there be books with all the names and records of the living existing and being read and sentenced?" I told him that one of our friends and supporters from Japan is Dr. Masanori Abe. This Japanese brother in the faith could miniaturize into one square centimeter card 40 Gigabytes of information. Now, you can go anywhere in the world and buy a card or a disc that easily fits in the palm of your hand and holds 4 terabytes. I am not good enough in math to tell you how many millions of bits of information can be in 40 terabytes.
Yes! We all need to be thinking of the judgment day! On this day, all flesh will pass under the judgment seat of The Creator, and Yeshua (Jesus) will be there to say who goes left and who goes to the right!
Following is a text from the Jewish Orthodox Ashkenazi prayer book for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a quotation from Rabbi Amonon of Mainz (not far from Frankfurt, Germany). The last paragraph of Rabbi Amonon's statement in the synagogue of Mainz before he died. Rabbi Amonon was a good friend of the Catholic Bishop of Mainz, who, just before Rosh Hashanah, punished Rabbi Amonon by cutting off his feet and his tongue because he refused to convert to Christianity.
"All mankind will pass before You like a flock of sheep. Like a shepherd pasturing his flock, making sheep pass under his staff, so shall You cause to pass, count, calculate, and consider the soul of all the living; and You shall apportion the destinies of all Your creatures and inscribe their verdict.
On Rosh Hashanah will be inscribed and on Yom Kippur will be sealed – how many will pass from the earth and how many will be created; who will live and who will die; who will die at his time and who before his time; who by water and who by fire, who by sword and who by beast, who by famine and who by thirst, who by upheaval and who by plague, who by strangling and who by stoning. Who will rest and who will wander, who will live in quietude and who will be tormented, who will enjoy tranquility and who will be distressed, who will be impoverished and who will be enriched, who will be degraded and who will be exalted. But Repentance, Prayer, and Charity mitigate the severity of the Decree."
Jews and Christians, all of humanity, must know that everything in this world is in the hands of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose name was changed by the angel to Israel.
Christians have a mandate from God to stand with Israel and the Jewish people.
This doesn't mean Christians should neglect to stand with anyone who is a good person or nation that seeks truth and righteousness and has a positive attitude toward people as God's children, human beings. But, being anti-Jewish, to hate Jews is to hate the brothers and sisters of Yeshua (Jesus Christ).
Now, there are some Christians who, out of ignorance of God's word, blame the Jews for killing Christ. Just think what would be the verdict of humanity if it was not for that Jew born in Bethlehem called Yeshua, who died to forgive the sins of those who believe and accept Yeshua's redeeming sacrifice for our sins!
Stand with Israel – Support Israel — Help us to help Israel and the Jews in the world who are suffering from antisemitism.
Anyone who hates Jews hates Israel, hates Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!
In conclusion, here are just a few words about the reading from the prophets: Hosea 12:13 – 14:10 . This text of Hosea has some of the most vivid instructions for repentance in the Bible. I will not deal with this whole text, but I will take it from Hosea chapter 14:1 -10. I do not need to make too many comments on this text of Hosea, the prophet. It is as straightforward as it can be for any human conscious of his life and sins. Please read it twice or thrice and speak to yourself in light of this ancient Hebrew text. If you have read Hosea the prophet, you will know that he doesn't filter his words or the pictures he paints of Israel. He exposes her spiritual prostitution and betrayal of God. He gives clear instructions about what Israel has to do to gain God's forgiveness and the actions that God will take to bring his wife back to him.
All of us here on Earth are under divine scrutiny, and all that we do and say is recorded and will either stand against us on the day of judgment or stand for us on that day. Please take Hosea's words in his final chapter seriously. Many years ago, after reading the following words of Hosea, I changed my life. Please give it a try with an open heart to receive instructions from God that will help you for the rest of your lives!
"O Israel, return to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to Him, "Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, FOR we will offer the sacrifices of our lips.
Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride on horses, nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, "You are our gods.' For in You the fatherless finds mercy."
"I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him.
I will be like the dew to Israel; He shall grow like the lily and lengthen his roots like Lebanon.
His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree, And his fragrance like Lebanon.
Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; They shall be revived like grain and grow like a vine. Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
"Ephraim shall say, 'What have I to do anymore with idols?' I have heard and observed him. I am like a green cypress tree; Your fruit is found in Me."
Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right; The righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.
The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.
Hear this, you elder, and give ear, all you inhabitants of the land! Has anything like this happened in your days, Or even in the days of your fathers?" (Hosea 14:1-9 NKJV)
I have a serious suggestion after you have read this text. Change "Israel" to your country.
Where there is "you" change to yourself.
Where it says "Assyria," put your own country or, if you wish, the USA, Russia, China, or Israel.
Where it says, "Ephraim," change it to your own clan or community.
Where it says: "Lebanon," it changed to the United States of America.
If it speaks like the wine of Lebanon, change it to the wine of France, Italy, California, or even Chile or Argentina.
But please don't ignore the goodness of our God, who allowed us to repent and change our ways to become better people, husbands and wives, and human beings.
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