Samuel
Posted on 11/20/2012 9:55:03 PM PST by hope_dies_last
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu invoked King David in a statement Tuesday evening – signaling that he is serious about ordering an intensification of the attack on the terrorists of Gaza.
"Our hand is outstretched in peace to those of our neighbors who want to make peace with us," Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office, "and the other hand is firmly grasping the sword of David against those who wish to uproot us from this country.
(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...
I thought the statement was rather interesting and after a short prayerful desire to God to try to understand more about how to sort this conflict out, I opened my Bible and started reading in Jeremiah, chapter 47. The realization then struck me of the weightiness of what is being said in this statement referring to the Sword of David.
The Gaza Strip is the geographical location of the land of the Philistines, the arch-enemies of Ancient Israel and to this very day... are you starting to see where I am going with this?
David slew Goliath, Goliath was a Philistine, the Philistines were defeated before and will be defeated again.
1 Samuel 17:26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
1 Samuel 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
Jeremiah 47:4-7 Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the Lord will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor.
Baldness is come upon Gaza; Ashkelon is cut off with the remnant of their valley: how long wilt thou cut thyself?
O thou sword of the Lord, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.
How can it be quiet, seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the sea shore? there hath he appointed it.
Jeremiah 46:27-28 But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.
Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.
Bingo. The only sword in the passage mentioned is Goliath’s sword, which was the one used to cut off his head. However, in other passages in scripture, the “sword of the Lord” is mentioned and it typically represents God’s reproof of wickedness, Israel’s enemies and even Israel itself when it strayed from God.
Sounds like you are familiar with Scripture. I do believe in a “spiritual” Israel and a “physical” Israel.
God will not forsake the descendants of Abraham, whether they be spiritually or physically begotten.
In contrast, the descendants of that strip of land by the sea, that is Gaza, have been causing trouble and been oppressive in that region way too long and will be dealt with and there will be none to save.
http://www.biblestudy.org/theplainertruth/what-happened-to-sword-and-spear-of-goliath.html
When David was fleeing from Saul, he went to the priests at Nob for food. When they gave him bread he requested a sword. Ahimelech the priest gave him the ONLY sword they had - Goliath’s sword:
“David asked Ahimelech, ‘Don’t you have a spear or a sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s business was urgent.’ The priest replied, ‘The sword of GOLIATH THE PHILISTINE, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth BEHIND THE EPHOD. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.’ David said, ‘There is none like it; give it to me.’ “ (1Samuel 21:8-9)
Notice carefully where it was when the priest fetched it —— behind the ephod. The sword had become a sacred national possession for Israel. We can well guess that the spear was the same.
SHMUEL A
(Book of 1 Samuel)
Chapter 21
9
And David said unto Ahimelech: ‘And is there peradventure here under thy hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.’
10
And the priest said: ‘The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the vale of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if thou wilt take that, take it; for there is no other save that here.’ And David said: ‘There is none like that; give it me.’
Hey, the land belongs to Israel, and the Israelis are loved by the God of Israel.
But this whole sword of David thing might be a stretch. David loved God and worshiped him, but today’s Israelis are largely atheistic. Not so sure God thinks they’re all that cute right now.
God will defend Israel, not so much that they deserve it, but because He promised to do so in his Word. And He always keeps His word.
The Hebrews have often been far from God, and He has punished them throughout the ages. When they repent, He shows mercy. Let us pray this is again the case.
“God will defend Israel, not so much that they deserve it, but because He promised to do so in his Word.”
See Skr’s post following yours. Exile in Babylon, dispersed in 70 a.d., etc. But yes - God DOES watch over Israel.
I wonder when he refers to “David’s Sword”, which was used to lop off Goliath’s head - if he is referring to taking out the leaders of Hamas. (Which is what they are doing - in contrast to lobbing missiles in the general direction of towns like Hamas does).
They are blinded until the time of the gentile be fulfilled.
God made unconditional promises to Israel, He will keep His Word.
The main unconditional promise was to Abraham with regard to his Seed, a promised Land, a blessing to all nations, etc. I imagine there were others as well.
We were just looking at 2Chron Chapter 6 in Bible Study. When Solomon is dedicating the temple, and the Lord responds with a lot of IF/THEN statements (Ch. 7, Vs. 11)
“...When I send a plague among my people, if my people...will humble themselves...I will heal their land.”...
“But if you turn away....forsake the decrees and commands...then I will uproot Israel from my land....and will reject this temple...[and it will be] an object of ridicule among all peoples.”
Of course those times in exile for Israel were meant as a punishment and to turn them back to the Lord. I couldn’t hazard a guess if God will reward the Jews in their current endeavors, or hand them over to their enemies as He has done in the past. I pray that He will make them victorious.
Still, God has Israel’s back.
As a Christian, I completely see your point. The point I am making is that the reference to this historical and monumental event, conveys what I believe, in these negotiations/truce talks, is that I think Israel sends a clear message they’ve had it and will up a notch in their retaliation if Gaza continues in their hell bent, peace breaking intents against Israel and from Israel’s perspective, according to the flesh, being the literal descendants of Abraham, they have every right to drop a history line on them. As I said in my statements elsewhere, I believe there is a literal and a spiritual Israel.
One is a spiritual jew, through faith in Christ. If it comes down to taking sides on the issue, I will have to side with my spiritual heritage and accept them not as the people who rejected Christ, but as the nation loved by God, in spite of their rebellions. There is a point here. God is merciful to everyone of us to a certain point, I agree. Let’s just not be the ones to bet on, or judge, the extent of that mercy.
Amen!
What an enduring sign of God’s mercy and faithfulness.
The whole world will be witness, that in spite of Israel’s rebellions and straying throughout history, God has loved and sustained the nation to this day. The point I see is the fact of how this is so reflective of God’s mercy to humanity in general. We all have gone astray, yet God’s grace is available to us freely.
Through our attitude, support and alliance with Israel, many in Israel will be moved to fulfill the scripture that the Israely army general is encouraging the troops with just this week, it is Zechariah 12:10:
10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced , and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
I am amazed at this verse being referenced, due to the fact that it is oozing with a Christo- messianic message to Israel namely.
My post is the shorthand of what you have posted.
Yesterday I was at the cemetery where my beloved of 21 years together was buried this past September after a very short illness. His first name was David. I had just at the time placed a holiday season cemetery pot of evergreens at his gravesite when I saw on my smartphone what PM Bibi said about “our hand grasps the sword of David.” That gave me confort while I visited my David’s gravesite.
PM Bibi is not afraid to be “blunt”.
The House of Judah along with Benjamin were getting the instruction from Jeremiah, that they were going to go into captivity to the king of Babylon. Now some will claim that the children of Israel, the northern kingdom, the 10 tribes, also called Ephraim long ago rejoined the ‘family’ that is just not the case.
Notice Jeremiah 3 it is both history and prophecy, not all of Jeremiah 3 has been fulfilled. Those two houses have not yet be rejoined. Jeremiah 3:18.
As I reread Netanyahu’s statement I do not think he was talking just to or about the inhabitants of Gaza.
Thank you for the verse. I wonder why Netanyahu did not reference the ‘Sword of the Lord’, instead used the phrase, the Sword of David, given it was not Goliath’s sword that gave David the victory?
David knew God's covenant He made with Abraham and his seeds. It's not about them but how Faithful God is. God has helped Israel before in other wars; otherwise, they wouldn't be here if they were defeated.
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