Christian Friends of Israel
IN TOUCH
No.179
2nd Quarter 2014
“Let us not become weary in doing
good, for at the proper time we will
reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
(Galatians 6:9)
CFI-UK
Area Reps
remember
the
Holocaust
p.4
Simon
Ponsonby on
how his eyes
were opened to
Biblical truth on
Israel p.8
Christians
and Jews
unite to
lobby
Parliament
p.9
In Touch
is the quarterly magazine of
Christian Friends
of Israel UK
CFI-UK seeks to bless Israel by
means of practical and moral
support, and to serve the Church in
teaching about God’s purposes for
Israel and the Hebraic roots
of our faith.
CFI also produces a monthly News
Report, a monthly Prayer Letter and
a Middle East Update CD/MP3.
Please send for full details of the
practical projects and also of the
many teaching resources available.
As an educational charity,
we carry a variety of
resources relevant to our
purpose. We do not
necessarily endorse every
view expressed by our
guest writers or authors
of these resources.
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2 // IN TOUCH
CONTINUITY
AND
CONSISTENCY
Jacob Vince looks at God’s unfolding purposes
concerning the land and people of Israel.
B
ecause the
Bible
that
Christians
use is divided into
two Testaments, it
has the unfortunate
connotation of a
stop and re-start, leading, even if
only subconsciously, to the idea
that God is also divided in two.
Not only this, but as the word
testament is another word for
covenant it wrongly leads to the
assumption that God only made
two covenants, whereas there are,
in fact, five major covenants present
throughout the Bible. In addition,
the grouping of the Bible into two
parts fails to recognise that Jesus
Himself uses the Hebrew grouping
which delineates three sections
of the Hebrew Bible: Torah/Law,
Prophets and Writings/Psalms
(Luke 24:44). Added to this, the
order of these sections and the
books they contain are different
from the order found in the Bible
that Christians use. This has the
unfortunate effect of missing
out on the way God unfolds His
purposes and then recalls and
enhances this unfolding.
The Torah/Law, or instruction,
sets out the parameters of God’s
revelation of Himself, as the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac and
the God of Jacob. The Prophets
speak out God’s words and tell of
a future Anointed One. Typifying
the Biblical way of learning and
remembering, the Psalms (or
Writings) section then recalls and
repeats the message. In fact, some
passages found in Kings, Psalms
and Chronicles are virtually
identical. The Psalms (or Writings),
the third section of the Bible,
ends with Chronicles. Chronicles
contains
genealogies,
which
appropriately link with Matthew’s
gospel, which begins with the
of
Yeshua/Jesus,
genealogy1
showing His ancestry. This final,
fourth section of Biblical books is
best referred to by using the early
Church’s description as found
in the book of Acts, where they
gave themselves to the Apostles’
teaching (Acts 2:42). In similar
manner to how the Prophets tell
of the Anointed One to come, so
the Apostles tell of the Anointed
One Who came, as eye witnesses
of the event of His coming and
His person, in all that He began to
do and to teach (Acts 1:1). So we
arrive at four Biblical sections of
the Bible: Torah/Law, Prophets,
Psalms/Writings,Apostles,
which assist, rather than hinder,
our understanding of God’s
consistency and the continuity of
His unfolding purposes.
Matthew’s
genealogy,
as
noted earlier, seamlessly follows
on from and draws upon the
genealogies found in both Ruth
and Chronicles, as it identifies
Jesus, described as the Anointed
One (Hebrew: Messiah; Greek:
Christos or Christ), as the Son of
David and the Son of Abraham
(Matthew 1:1). However, as the
genealogy2 is completed, there
is a fascinating summary of the
time periods it contains. Fourteen
generations from Abraham to
David, fourteen from David to the
Exile and fourteen from the Exile to
the Anointed One (Matthew 1:17).
Whilst one might expect the Godtimed divisions between historic
ancestors Abraham and David, the
reference to the God-timed division
using the Exile as a reference point,
raises its significance in God’s eyes
as recorded in the Bible. In other
words, God Himself makes the
link between the people and the
land, right here at the start of the
fourth section of the Bible.
In the first two chapters, there
follows a panoply of specific
proclamations by the Prophets
that are specifically fulfilled by
Jesus. The record refers to both
the rulers and the land of Judah,
from where a ruler will come ‘who
will be the shepherd of my people
Israel’ (Matthew 2:6), quoting the
prophet Micah. Jesus is referred
to as the King of the Jews by the
wise men, and it is Herod, no
less, who makes the link that this
might be the promised Anointed
One (Matthew 2:4). The Chief
Priests and the teachers of the law
refer to Judea, where the town of
Bethlehem is located and the Angel
of the Lord and Matthew combine
to refer to the land of Israel, twice
(Matthew 2:20-21). Matthew, in his
record, highlights that the land of
Israel embraces both the region of
Judea (Matthew 2:22) and district of
Galilee (Matthew 2:22), where the
town of Nazareth is located. Later,
Matthew records Jesus’ move to
the area of Zebulun and Naphtali
by the lake where the town of
Capernaum was located (Matthew
4:13), referring to Jesus specifically
fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah
(Matthew 4:15). Matthew’s quoting
of the prophet Isaiah has the effect
of re-emphasising both the land of
Zebulun and the land of Naphtali
(Isaiah 9:1-2).
Under the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit, Matthew records for
the Church, for all time, the unique
link between the people and the
land. Otherwise, why mention and
repeat so many names for the land
as he does: land of Israel, twice,
and three areas within the land
of Israel named after Israel’s sons.
These are the land of Judah, the
land of Zebulun, and the land of
Naphtali, three of the twelve tribes.
All these names are used, despite
the fact that the land, at the time,
is under a Roman protectorate.
Notwithstanding this, the Bible
records the land as God sees it,
not as the Gentile Romans might
have envisaged or in their later renaming of the land. Likewise we,
as disciplined followers today of
the Anointed One, must take our
primary reference point from the
Biblical record and recognise God’s
unique calling placed upon both
the people and the land of Israel.
God is specific in His revelation,
through the Jews, but His salvation
is universal, ‘for everyone who
believes: first for the Jew, then for the
Gentiles.’ (Romans 1:16) and without
partiality or favouritism, ‘Then Peter
began to speak: “I now realise how true
it is that God does not show favouritism
but accepts men from every nation who
fear Him and do what is right.”’ (Acts
10:34-35). So we see the continuity
and consistency of God’s unfolding
plan.
1
The word ‘genealogy’ is used 23 times in
Chronicles, one time in Ruth, one time in
Matthew and one time in Luke.
The word ‘genealogy’ is used twice by Paul,
once as he writes to Timothy decrying those
devoting themselves to endless genealogies with
the emphasis on endless. The second time when
he writes to Titus to avoid foolish controversies
and genealogies, with the emphasis on foolish.
My discussion deals simply with Biblically
recorded genealogies, specifically that of Jesus,
not endless or foolish. We do not know the
context of Paul’s instruction, but he was clearly
content with the genealogies as recorded in the
Bible, but saw no benefit in going beyond these.
2
Updated booklets...
We have
recently
reprinted 3
study booklets
by Derek White
exploring the
Hebraic roots
of the Christian
faith. They are
priced £4.00
each (incl. UK
p&p). Product
codes (left to
right) are BT25,
BT27 and BT33.
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Hear my prayer, O LORD… For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers. My heart is
blighted and withered like grass… I am reduced to skin and bones... All day long my enemies taunt me; those
who rail against me use my name as a curse. For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink with tears… You
will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favour to her… Psalm 102
Remembering the Holocaust
C
orrie Ten Boom once said, “There is no pit too
deep that He is not deeper still”, yet for many
survivors of the Shoah, the memories are
still vivid. However, we must remember – and
we must tell the children. And so, every year,
hundreds of events for International Holocaust
Memorial Day (HMD) take place across the UK.
It’s a time for everyone to pause to remember the
millions of people who have been murdered or
whose lives have been changed beyond recognition
during the Nazi persecution.
“The
We can honour the survivors of
these times and be challenged
memory
to apply the lessons of their
of the
experience to our lives today.
Holocaust
Sixty nine years after the
is never
liberation of Auschwitz, the soil
surrounding the Nazi death
erased
camp remains so polluted by
by those
the ashes of those who were
Survivors murdered and burned there
who went that little will grow in it. They
through it. say that birds don’t even sing
that place ~ even today. The
Nor should in
memory of the Holocaust is
it ever be
never erased by those Survivors
who went through it. Nor
forgotten
by you and should it ever be forgotten by
you and me.
me.”
In the North East of England
4 // IN TOUCH
by David Soakell
following the success of 2013, Julia and I decided
we should put the powerful Holocaust Memorial
Photographic Exhibition back ‘on tour’.
The
exhibition – entitled, ‘To Bear Witness and Return
to Life’ - is a series of photos with an insight of
the journey of Holocaust Survivors - from the
Ghettos, through the camps and onto liberation
and rehabilitation. The exhibition has been going
from 6th January right through to May 2014 and has
been displayed in libraries, schools and churches.
Cities and towns have included: South Bank,
Ormesby, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Stocktonon-Tees, Gateshead, Birtley and Scarborough.
The response too has been great with lots of school
children attending the exhibitions and excellent
feedback. We already have bookings for January
and February in 2015 with more to follow.
Our CFI Area Reps
have also been involved “We can honour
in Holocaust Memorial
the survivors of
events. In Essex, Moira
these times and
Dare-Edwards
was
be challenged
extremely busy with a
showing of the play “Etty”
to apply the
which was performed
lessons of their
at the HMD Meeting
of Commemoration in experience to our
lives today.”
Brentwood. Along with
this, Moira and her team also presented an exhibition
on Corrie Ten Boom. Created by Tristan McDonald,
the exhibition, which was available for many days,
enabled members of the public and several groups
from local schools to engage with the story of
how Dutch Christian, Corrie Ten Boom and her
family rescued many Jewish people, before being
betrayed, caught and then deported to Ravensbruck
Concentration Camp. About 180 children from local
schools completed worksheets. Philip Aitchison
in the Scottish Borders arranged displays in a local
library and an HMD service in a church; Tony
and Gloria Greenwood (in the East Midlands)
also used their church to remember HMD. In the
West Midlands, David and Chris Walker worked
with the Congregation of the Central Synagogue
Birmingham with speaker Mrs Mindu Hornick
- talking about her journey back to Auschwitz. In
North Wales, former CFI-UK Director Roy Thurley
put on a Holocaust Memorial Day service in
Llandudno with guest speaker Gisela Feldman –
a Holocaust Survivor. In Monmouth, Pam Smith
also had a very busy and successful exhibition with
around 230 adults attending and 5 school groups.
Other events included an HMD service in Louth
(Trevor and Diane Rudkin); an HMD service in
Norwich attended by our Reps there, Bill and Val
Crudgington, and the Stockton-on-Tees events with
our exhibition were enabled and helped by Tom
Richters.
In the hope of not missing out any of our Reps
I would just like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to all
our Reps who have taken the time and trouble to
put on these events. We pray that you will all be
encouraged and that 2015 will see even more events
in remembering the Holocaust.
For more information on our activities during HMD
please email [email protected]
THANK YOU BOB AND DELPHINE!
When the Trustees/Directors met for the annual
“Way Ahead” gathering in late January, Bob Hobbs,
the Chairman of The Board of CFI-UK, felt it was
the right time to announce that, following the Lord’s
leading, he is to lay this responsibility down and to
seek the Lord for new avenues of service.
Bob has given excellent service and leadership
over very many years as Chairman. Throughout this
time he has clearly shown his total reliance on the
Lord for help and guidance, for CFI-UK.
It has been a pleasure to work with him on
the Board, his unique sense
of humour has added to that
delight.
Bob has frequently reminded us
all of the necessity of maintaining
the unity in truth with The Lord
and with each other that Jesus
spoke of in John 17. This emphasis
has, I believe, brought great
blessing from the Lord upon the
work of CFI-UK.
Bob’s message read out at the
Annual Conference last October
is still very appropriate for today:
“He shares secrets with those
who fear Him and draw near to
love, honour, praise, and simply
to speak out, even shout out His
greatness and acclaim Him –
NOT TO GET! Whether you use
Scripture or your own words,
proclaim it! It will result in more fruitfulness – not
less … and with less effort!”
We thank the Lord for Bob and for his long service
with CFI-UK, we also thank Delphine (Bob’s wife)
for her close support for him in all he has done, and
we pray that he and Delphine will continue to know
the Lord’s presence and specific guidance in the
months and years to come.
Thank you Bob and Delphine!
by David Greer (New Chairman)
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PASSOVER – from
P
Prison to Palace
assover always occurs in
Springtime; the lovely time
of year when the Land is
watered with gentle showers;
the winter is past and “the flowers
appear on the earth; the time of
singing has come, and the voice of
the turtledove is heard in our land”
(Song of Songs 2:12). It is a time of
burgeoning new life and its story
is a love story. The Beloved of our
souls calls to us: “Arise, my love, my
beautiful one, and come away with
me...” (Song of Songs 2:10).
Just as the Israelites were called
from the bondage in Egypt to
worship God and witness a
revelation of His glory at Mount
Sinai, so He calls us to walk with
Him from the salvation of Passover
through the forty-nine days of
the Omer that connect it with
Pentecost/Shavuot. Agriculturally
and biblically, the Omer (meaning
a measure of grain) counted
the days of the newly growing
wheat crop that, carefully tended
by the farmer, promises a lifegiving harvest at the end of the
seven weeks. If we count the days
with intention and anticipation
6 // IN TOUCH
“Let us press on to know the LORD; his going forth
is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the
showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”
Hosea 6:3
of a good “harvest”, it can be
a productive time of spiritual
growth in relationship with Him
and of discovering more of who
we are as the beloved children of
our Father in Heaven.
The long days of the Israelite
slaves were filled with hard labour
and their nights with exhausted
sleep. Slaves do not plan their
days. In the life of a slave there is
no creativity, no hope, no future to
contemplate. In contrast, those who
are set free have daily choices to
make along with the responsibility
of being a good steward of one’s
time and resources. This was a key
lesson for the Israelites after their
deliverance from slavery, and
the weeks before arriving at the
Mount on the Jubilee of Shavuot/
Pentecost was the span of time
designated by God to afford the
slaves an opportunity to adjust
their minds to the fact that they
were slaves no longer; they were
free to be…what? How
could they begin to imagine
what this freedom meant?
The concept that one is
moving, as it were, from a
prison to the palace of the
King is a challenging one
to quickly and fully grasp.
How does one make the leap
from the lowly position of
a slave to being ‘royalty-intraining’? Yet we are told in
Scripture: “The saying is sure:
If we have died with him, we
shall also live with him; if we
endure, we shall also reign with
him...” (2 Timothy 2:11-12).
[God] has “raised us up with him
[Jesus/Yeshua], and made us sit with
him in the heavenly places in Messiah
Yeshua” (Ephesians 2:6).
“Blessed and holy is he who shares
in the first resurrection! Over such the
second death has no power, but they
shall be priests of God and of Messiah,
and they shall reign with him a
thousand years” (Revelation 20:6).
As well as the personal call on
our lives, we each share a greater
vision and purpose. We are in
training to be “kings and queens”
in His Kingdom. We are “royalty
in training”! However, like the
Israelite slaves liberated from
Egypt at Passover, we hardly can
imagine what that means. We
need to take the time to prepare
ourselves, to seek and receive
guidance from the Lord, to learn
the ways of life in the Palace,
before we are ready to live up to
that glorious future calling.
Joseph the Righteous
In the context of the deliverance
from slavery to freedom, we can
consider the life of Joseph, Jacob’s
son. Joseph experienced life as
a prisoner and was raised from
prison and established in a palace
as a ruler over the known world.
God had given the young Joseph
a vision in his dreams. As he grew
he remembered and ultimately
lived to see it fulfilled. We, too,
need to receive from our Father the
vision He has for each of us as His
children.
Joseph faithfully nurtured the
crop of life within himself, in loving
obedience to the God of Israel,
and he then became the giver of
wheat, the bread of life, to his own
brothers and to all the nations. His
name in Hebrew is Yosef – from the
word asaf, to increase. It carries the
meaning of an infinite potential for
growth. This can apply to the spirit
God has created within each one
of us; it has infinite potential for
growth. Even when our outward
circumstances or capabilities are
restricted and limiting, our spirits
can mature and grow. While
Joseph was physically limited in
prison he grew spiritually and
illustrated the strength of godly
character, as we read in Genesis
39:21-23: “But the LORD was with
Joseph and showed him steadfast love,
and gave him favour in the sight of the
keeper of the prison. And ...the keeper
of the prison paid no heed to anything
that was in Joseph’s care, because the
LORD was with him; and whatever he
did, the LORD made it prosper.”
The Biblical narrative hints at
something very significant in
Genesis 41, “And it came to pass at
the end of two years” that Pharaoh
had disturbing dreams, which
his magicians could not interpret.
Then the cupbearer remembered
the imprisoned Joseph and he
hastily was brought up from the
dungeon.
When Joseph came
before him and interpreted his
dreams, Pharaoh said: ‘Can we find
We are “royalty
in training”!
such a man as this, in whom is the
Spirit of God?”, and he proceeded
to install him as governor over all
Egypt, second only to himself. The
Hebrew word translated ‘at the end
of’ two years is mikeitz. Depending
on the context, the word can mean
either ‘at the beginning of’ or ‘at the
end of’. In Genesis it signifies the
period that marked the end of
Joseph’s trials in prison; however,
it also marked the beginning of a
completely new and productive
life.
Individually, we may find
ourselves in ‘prisons’ of some
kind. In reality, the whole world is
imprisoned in a growing darkness.
Persecution and imprisonment
are real threats to both Jews and
Christians in many parts of the
world. We know, however, that
the darkest period ‘at the end of’
night comes just before daybreak.
In like manner, the darkest, most
challenging and difficult time one
endures can mark the dawning of
redemption in the situation. When
we confront the challenges in faith,
knowing that the Lord is with us
in His loving faithfulness, God’s
Spirit of holiness works with us to
strengthen our spirits. We are able
to persevere in the knowledge that
the dark times herald the glowing
rays of Redemption.
Now, during this Passover
season, let us look back and
recall the mighty acts of God on
our behalf. Let us examine the
present and see it clearly with all
its possibilities. Every day presents
an opportunity and a challenge
to shine His light of truth and
righteousness into the darkness.
Let us also determine to move
forward in our calling as “royalty”
in Messiah - in learning and
growing in understanding of who
we are as the redeemed children
of God and eagerly anticipate the
ultimate redemptive goal of the
establishment of God’s Kingdom
here on earth as it is in Heaven. For
His eternal glory.
Keren Hannah Pryor
Further Study
A 4-part series (pictured left) from
the late Dwight Pryor in which he
explores various themes, principles
and problems relating to Passover as
an historical event for Israel, and as the
Last Supper for Yeshua/Jesus.
CDS100 - 4CDs - £17.50 incl. UK p&p
A 4-part series (pictured right) from the
late Dwight Pryor in which he looks
at the many misunderstandings in
the most dramatic 24 hours in human
history - from the Passover Seder to the
crucifixion and burial of Yeshua/Jesus.
CDS026 - 4CDs - £17.50 incl. UK p&p
You can find more information on the journey from
Passover to Pentecost, including the Counting of
the Omer, in the ‘Appointments with God’ section
of HIS-ISRAEL.com
APOLOGY: Due to technical difficulties with the
production of “master” disks, the release of the
first sets of Desi Maxwell’s teaching DVDs will not
be available until the summer of this year.
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From Rolling
My Eyes to
Raising My
Eyes
At the CFI-UK Annual Conference
on September 20th, one of our two
speakers will be Simon Ponsonby.
Here he explains how he was forced
to rethink his position on the purpose
and place of the land of Israel.
I
t is never comfortable realising
you are wrong. But that was
my growing awareness around
2007, as I was forced to rethink
my position about the purpose
and place of the land of Israel
and the Jewish people in God’s
economy. I was brought up in a
home where the Jewish people
were honoured and prayed for; the
Jewish Chronicle was delivered
weekly; my father was fluent in
Biblical Hebrew and ran classes
in introductory Hebrew attended
by late middle-aged women
with head coverings, filling my
house with Hebrew mutterings. I
attended the odd Prayer for Israel
meeting. But somewhere along
the line I was inoculated against
any hint of a Christian Zionist
Theology. Studying theology
degrees as an undergraduate
and graduate, I avoided learning
Hebrew and gave less attention
to Old Testament studies than
other
theological
disciplines.
Intellectually and practically I
inculcated the prevailing view that
Israel had served their purpose in
being the locus and focus of divine
8 // IN TOUCH
revelation and divine incarnation
and, having launched the Church,
like booster rockets on a space ship,
she could now fall away. The Law
was fulfilled in Christ, the Jewish
religion was redundant, replaced,
superseded, made null and void,
katargesas (Ephesians 2:14). The
New Israel, the true Israel was
the Church. God’s first covenant
people and a modern Israel nation
state became irrelevant. I avoided
several opportunities to visit Israel,
just couldn’t see the point, and I
felt rather superior to those who
returned all gooey- eyed, claiming
they now “saw Israel”.
However,
three
factors
converged to cause my own volte
face. First, I finally went to Israel.
What struck me was the palpable
sense of spiritual darkness,
especially in Jerusalem. You could
almost cut the air it seemed so thick
with demonic oppression. I began
to muse: why was the enemy so
interested in this place? Why was
it so contested spiritually? Was
it the centuries of conflict, the
continual blood letting, the current
political machinations? I began to
wonder whether the Evil One took
a special interest in Israel precisely
because it was still significant to
the Holy One of Israel. If Israel
was strategically significant to
God, then the Enemy would have
a vested interest in securing it.
Secondly, I drove to Somerset to
have a once and for all Bible study
with my dad about Israel. After
some hours of robust exchange,
trying to prove to dad that Israel
as a people and place were
finished with in God’s economy,
my dad hit me with a punch that
had me reeling: “Simon, you are
wrong, you have conflated the
Covenants.” He agreed that the
Mosaic Covenant was fulfilled
in Christ and appropriated by
faith, as Hebrews makes clear –
but pointed out that just as the
Noachic Covenant still stands as
the Jerusalem Council made clear
(Genesis 8, Acts 15) so too does the
Abrahamic Covenant (Galatians
3:17), a covenant anticipating
Christ, for sure, but also promise
of a particular land to a particular
people in perpetuity. Finally he
had my attention. He showed me
Scripture after Scripture on the
End Time promises and prophecies
about the purpose of Israel, people
and place, in God’s economy.
How could I have read the Bible so
many times, taught it for 20 years,
earned two degrees in theology
and missed all this? I recall driving
home appalled. If dad was right,
I was wrong. I needed to rethink
God and Israel, people and place.
This coincided with the third
factor, being asked by my
colleagues to teach a course for
a year on Eschatology. Seeing
trouble ahead I protested, but
reluctantly agreed. It was a
difficult year and I admit I felt I
was having a breakdown. I simply
could not make the jigsaw pieces
fit, without taking more literally
certain Biblical references: Would
Israel need to return to the land
before the return of the Lord? What
factors needed to be in place before
Jesus returned? Would Jesus’ feet
really touch down on the Mount
of Olives - why? What were the
signs that needed fulfilling before
He returned – Israel in the land?
Where would Armageddon occur
– at Armageddon? What did it
mean for “all Israel to be saved” once
the “fullness of the Gentiles” came
in?
And as I worked through these
issues, I saw that only a more literal
interpretation did justice to the
many texts and enabled a coherent
eschatology. This theology made
sense of why Israel was so contested
and why the Jewish people so
oppressed - precisely because they
were central to the End Time plans
and purposes of Jesus, plans the
Evil One would do all he could
to thwart. Far from Israel having
served her purpose, as I once
held, Israel’s finest hour was yet to
come. And I finally stopped rolling
my eyes at the mention of Israel
and the Jews, and began to lift my
eyes up to the mountains (of Zion)
from whence cometh my help, the
maker of heaven and earth.
200 CHRISTIANS AND JEWS
LOBBY PARLIAMENT ON
TERROR FUNDING
A
round 200 Christians
and Jews joined forces
in February to lobby
MPs on the issue of the funding
of Palestinian terrorism.
American
investigative
journalist Edwin Black briefed
advocates on how UK taxpayers’
money is used to support
convicted terrorists in Israel
and the disputed territories.
Thank you to all who came
and spoke to their MP. If you
were unable to be there please
consider writing to your MP.
You can also read Mr Black’s
piece in The Guardian here:
http://bit.ly/1dTEAPy
To join our advocacy mailing list please email: [email protected]
This summer CFI-UK will be exhibiting at...
The Big Church Day Out
24th & 25th May
Steyning, West Sussex
www.bigchurchdayout.com
New Wine
26th July–1st August (Week 1)
3rd–9th August (Week 2)
Bath and West Showground, Somerset
www.new-wine.org
Please come and say hello
to our staff/volunteers and
encourage your friends
to view our selection of
resources.
Thank you to all those who
give to enable us to exhibit
at these events. This
year there will also be an
opportunity to contribute to
this work on our stands.
Momentum
22nd–26th August
Bath and West Showground, Somerset
www.momentum.co.uk
facebook.com/cfiuk
twitter.com/cfi_uk
Hebrew Word Study by John C.P. Smith
xj;B' Batach
M
y job as a postman has
emphasised
to
me
the
importance of trust. I handle
many oversized packets, too big for the letterbox, or items
requiring signatures from people who are not at home.
Royal Mail encourages postal workers to try to leave
such items with a neighbour, or in a safe place. For this
to work effectively, there has to be trust between me and
my customers, and their neighbours. The risk is clearly
too much for some mail-order businesses, as I recently
had a package on which was printed the message: “Do not
leave safe or with neighbour”! Thankfully, however, most
items find their way safely to the intended recipient. And
it helps that trust can be built up as relationships deepen
over the course of time. So it’s nice if a postman can stay
on the same round, as I have done for over eight years.
Civilised society depends and thrives upon trust. And
a sure sign of social breakdown is the disintegration
of trust. For instance, as fraud and identity theft have
increased, banks have constantly had to improve security
(e.g., introducing “Chip and PIN”) so that their customers
continue to feel safe. This stands in sharp contrast to
examples of communities—such as in times of revival, or
remote close-knit populations—in which the level of trust
is so high that cars and homes are regularly left unlocked.
Yet trust can also easily be misplaced. So it’s important
that the focus of our confidence is truly trustworthy.
The Bible teaches a lot about trust. The verb commonly
translated as such is xj;B' batach (with the ‘ch’ pronounced
as in ‘Bach’ and ‘loch’). Its core meaning is ‘to feel secure, be
unconcerned; to rely on, or have confidence in someone or
something’. From the same root are derived the following
words (but note that there is inevitably some overlap in
meaning, and different lexicons/dictionaries give slightly
different definitions):
• xj;B, betach ‘safety’, used colloquially in Modern
Hebrew to mean ‘certainly’, or simply ‘Sure!’;
• hx'j.Bi bitchah ‘trusting, confidence, assurance’;
• !AxJ'Bi bitachon ‘security’, hence the Defence Minister
in the Israeli Knesset is called !AxJ'Bih; rf; Sar Ha-Bitachon,
literally ‘Minister of the Security’;
• xj;b.mi mivtach ‘confidence, reliance’;
• x;WjB' batuach ‘safe, secure; confident, sure, certain’;
• xj'b.mu muvtach ‘assured, promised, guaranteed’, hence
tx;j;b.Muh; #r,a'h' Ha-Arets Ha-Muvtachat means ‘the Promised
Land’.
The Bible warns against relying on idols, riches, houses,
fortifications, cities, chariots and horses, weapons,
warriors, princes, international alliances, other humans,
even friends, even the Temple in Jerusalem; and even
one’s own strength, appearance, intelligence, and seeming
righteousness. That’s not to say we should be untrusting,
sceptical, or cynical. And we should also take care not to
abuse or take advantage of people’s direct or indirect trust
in us (see, for example, Proverbs 3:29). There is a healthy
balance between avoiding credulity and gullibility on the
one hand, while on the other hand placing our confidence
in people and things that are trustworthy. For example,
the noble wife is rightly trusted (batach) by her husband
(Proverbs 31:11).
Many times we are urged in the Bible to trust in Yahweh,
because He is faithful and reliable, and willing and able to
help those who call upon Him. For example, in Psalm 37
David urges several times that we “do not fret” because
of evil, but rather that we trust (batach) in Yahweh (vv. 3
and 5), take delight in Yahweh (v. 4), commit our way to
Yahweh (v. 5), be still before Yahweh and wait for Him
(v. 7). Similarly, Shlomoh (Solomon) instructs his son
with the well-known words of wisdom: “Trust (batach)
in Yahweh with all your heart, and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and
He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own
eyes; fear Yahweh and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5–7).
My own dear, elder brother Paul can testify to the truth
of these words. After acknowledging the Lord as a young
man, for many years he drifted away. He was a very
successful, self-made businessman, feeling no particular
sense of reliance upon anyone or anything. Then suddenly
and wonderfully in 2008, the Holy Spirit powerfully
convicted Paul of God’s love, and he returned to the Lord
wholeheartedly. It changed his life, and now his trust and
confidence is placed firmly in God and His Word.
In Isaiah we read the following familiar words: “The
steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace (shalom
shalom), because in You he is secure (batuach). Trust
(batach) in Yahweh forever, for in Yah, Yahweh, is an
everlasting rock” (Isaiah 26:3–4). Even in times of great
distress and opposition, those who trust in the Lord can
know incredible peace (Philippians 4:6–7). Consequently,
David could testify, “I will both lie down in peace (shalom),
and sleep; for You alone, Yahweh, make me dwell in safety
(betach)” (Psalm 4:8 [Hebrew Bible: v. 9]).
Each one of us has a choice to make about trusting.
What are we going to rely upon? Where is our security?
In what, or in whom, is our confidence placed? It’s a bit
like Yeshua’s parable of the wise and foolish men. Will we
build our lives upon the shifting sand of false security, or
upon the sure rock of putting into practice His teachings
(Matthew 7:24–27)? Or as Psalm 115 puts it, are we trusting
(batach) in idols (v. 8), or trusting in the Lord (vv. 9–11)?
The storm is coming, so we’d better make the right choice.
“But as for me”, said David, “I have trusted (batach) in
You, Yahweh; I have said, ‘You are my God’. My times
are in Your hand” (Psalm 31:14–15a [Hebrew Bible: vv.
15–16a]). This statement is beautifully encapsulated in the
lovely Hebrew name whyxjbm Mivtachyahu, which appears
on an ancient inscription from Lachish in Israel, and which
means ‘Yahweh is [my] confidence (mivtach)’.
“Yahweh is my strength and my shield, my heart has
trusted (batach) in Him” (Psalm 28:7)
10 // IN TOUCH
Conversation about
the
Arab-Israeli
conflict usually starts
by asking if God is for
or against the Jewish
state - or Palestinians,
Arabs or Muslims.
With
gracious
honesty and solid
Biblical insight, this
unveils the mystery
and controversy of
Israel.
This updated edition
of the book “Why
Care About Israel?”
shows why many
Christians are asking
the wrong questions
about Israel - by
taking you into the
Lord’s passion for all
humankind.
In stunning detail
this
programme
shows God’s grand
story of redemption
for
the
entire
world through the
sacred feasts of
Passover, Shavuot
and Sukkot which
reveal Jesus at the
centre of it all - His
death, resurrection
and the promise of
His return. Today
in Israel and throughout the Jewish world
the annual cycle of holy days continues to be
observed. In this 4-part presentation, Michael
Rydelnik, Avner Boskey, and Michael Brown
spend time in Israel uncovering the historical,
agricultural,
sacrificial,
and
prophetic
understanding of the sacred feasts.
D122 // 100 minutes // DVD // £10.00 (incl. UK p&p)
B461 // 282 pages // Paperback // £13.00 (incl. UK p&p)
Ken Hepworth has
spent many years
of his Christian life
learning the effects
of curses on people
and the land we live
in and how we can be
released from them.
The
manifestation
of these curses can
seriously hinder the
work of the Church
if the spiritual roots
of the problem are
not dealt with. He
argues
the
point
that the Church has
much to answer for
its lukewarm attitude
to the everlasting
promises
and
prophecies of God
towards the Jews and
Israel.
B462 // 160 pages // Paperback // £11.50 (incl. UK p&p)
Webshop: www.cfi.org.uk/shop
DVD documentary featuring interviews
with: Jacob Vince (Christian Friends of Israel
UK), David Hathaway (Eurovision), Daniel
Bacall (Embassy of Israel in London), Amir
Sagie (Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs),
Mark Regev (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s Spokesperson), Luke Akehurst
(We Believe in Israel) and more.
D121// 48 minutes // DVD // £13.00 (incl. UK p&p)
facebook.com/cfiuk
twitter.com/cfi_uk
Those booking for the first week will also have the opportunity to enjoy the CFI Jerusalem
Conference which runs from May 25th-27th. For more details visit: www.cfijerusalem.org
All bookings need to be made directly with Keshet Tours, but please let the CFI-UK office know if
you are going to the Jerusalem Conference and/or on the tour.
12 // IN TOUCH