Quarantine

We are now in Israel and we have the opportunity to cease from what we’re doing and simply rest for the next two weeks. By government standards this is a “quarantine” to isolate us from others for 14 days to ensure we didn’t contract COVID-19 during our travels. By God’s standards though, I have absolutely no doubt that it has been designed by Him to give us this time to cease from our labors for a time.

For the next two weeks Earlene and I are blessed to be with secluded with each other, but also secluded with God. We’re not sure what the two weeks will look like yet. We will definitely be seeking God’s face and seeking to hear His voice in preparation for the coming weeks and months. No words are sufficient to communicate the mountains He moved to bring us here. No less than a dozen people tried to convince us that we weren’t coming and the entire world went nuts to prove them right. We made it only 1 week later than our initial plans.

What is His purpose in all of this? Why us? This is prayerfully what we will be seeking to understand more over the next 14 days.

One thing is certain. God’s timing is phenomenal and awe inspiring!

During our plane trip I studied this weeks Torah portion which is Nitzavim/Vayelech and reads from Deuteronomy 29:9 through the end of chapter 31. We are growing so near to the end of this year’s Torah cycle and we will emerge from our seclusion during the last standard weekly reading of Ha’azinu. We will be secluded for the Day of Trumpets and Rosh Hoshanah, but we will emerge in time to observe Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) the holiest day on the Biblical calendar and we will be in the Holy Land to do so. There is no coincidence in this and it’s elicits tears in my eyes to see how HaShem has orchestrating things.

If you don’t read the Torah portions and follow that annual journey, I encourage you to take that step. God will fill your cup in a new way and you will no doubt learn a great deal about our Messiah Yeshua (Jesus). If you follow along the cycle, never overlook the events in your life as you walk along the path of Torah. It will reveal both world events and personal life testimonies. It’s *so* fascinating to see how God knits it together.

This week we are blessed to enter Israel during a double portion. It’s a week of double blessing as we wade through the words of God and explore His heart for His people. The Torah can be seen as a condensed version of the rest of Scripture. Everything you see in Scripture has its roots in the first five books of the Bible. In another sense you can even lay the first five books out as a timeline of history in the making. Right now, you are venturing through Deuteronomy 30 on the pages of history.

Two weeks ago we read Earlene’s birth portion (the Torah portion that was read the week of her birth) Ki Tetze or “when you go out.” She shared on that already. Last week we studied through the portion Ki Tavo or “when you come in” which spoke about when the people enter the Land of Israel. That was the week we received our visas and official clearance to enter Israel during the COVID lockdowns.

This week we get to study “Standing” where Moses is saying “Today you are standing, all of you, before Adonai your God…” where He lists out that various societal subgroups that were standing in equality before HaShem to accept the covenantal appointment to stand before God and carry out His teachings. Those that stand with Israel are mentioned too as Moses said “your foreigners here with you in your camp.” This is who we are. We are gentile believers who choose to stand with Israel and support her in the call to serve God.

I know a lot of the believing community has been taught a theology that the Jewish people were replaced with the Christian church. That’s not what Scripture actually says though. In Deuteronomy chapter 30 we are told that the Jewish people would be reestablished in their land after “all these things have come upon [them].” This is where you are in history. The ingathering is taking place and the Jewish people are returning home and the rate of ingathering has significantly increased with COVID. The Jewish people are still close to God’s heart and right now is our time to stand with them. It doesn’t end there! In verse 6 we see God promising to circumcise their hearts after the ingathering. That’s New Covenant language – it didn’t start at Matthew! It’s something to take note of.

We are at such a fascinating time in history and Earlene and I get to experience a piece of that while dwelling in the Land for a time. It’s far more exciting than anything I’ve ever experienced. We see only a small amount of the picture, but in that dim view we see that God is softening the hearts of the Jewish people to accept His son Yeshua. The people that welcomed us into the land are part of that remnant that has already accepted their Messiah and for a time we get to be with them working for the Kingdom.

For the next 14 days we will be fervently seeking the face of our Father in Heaven to ask why He moved mountains for us to come here. The world said “no” but God Himself opened that door. For those of you inclined to do so we would ask that you would pray with us to understand His purposes. We also will continue praying for you as well as we’re building our prayer list day by day. Share your hearts with us so we may petition God on your behalf.

There’s something stirring in the realm of faith. Something significant. There’s been prophetic words shared and dozens of people have expressed in our presence that they sense it too. Is it our generation to see the return of Messiah Yeshua or just a time to revive the wayward Bride with repentance? Time will tell. One thing is certain regardless of timing or circumstance returning back to the King of Kings will never be a bad choice. It’s time to return to His words and speak them diligently – “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”