Swords of Iron Day 1063: From No Blacksmiths to Defending Europe

There was a time in Israel’s history when we had to go to our enemies just to sharpen our farming tools. Today other nations come to Israel for the technology they need to protect their skies. Think about that for a moment. On Swords of Iron Day 1063 that is not a metaphor. Instead, it is a signed defense contract worth billions.

What a reversal. And it did not happen because we were clever. It happened because we were kept.

Israel Once Had to Borrow Its Enemies’ Technology

First Samuel chapter thirteen tells us there was not even one blacksmith in the land of Israel. Not one. The Philistines controlled the technology for making iron weapons, so Israel had to go down to them even to sharpen a plow or an axe.

Now read that again. Our enemies controlled the supply chain. In addition, they set the price. They chose the timing. And they made sure that when the day of battle came, Israel would show up unarmed.

In fact, Scripture says that on the day of battle only Saul and Jonathan carried a sword or a spear. In other words, an entire army with two weapons between them. We were not slightly behind. In every way that mattered, our enemies simply outmatched us.

Nothing Can Hinder the Lord From Saving

Then, in the very next chapter, Jonathan says something extraordinary. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.

Notice that he did not say the odds were fine. He never pretended the Philistines were weak. He looked straight at a hopeless equation and decided the equation was not the point.

I think about that verse when I am out with my friends defending Israel, and I thought about it again on Swords of Iron Day 1063. Some nights you feel strong. On other nights, however, you feel very small. God can give the victory by many or by few. It is the Gideon principle, and it has never stopped being true for this nation.

Swords of Iron Day 1063: Greece Turns to Israel to Protect Its Skies

Now fast forward about three thousand years.

Greece is investing billions in Israeli air defense technology to protect its skies from missiles and drones. The package covers Israeli radar, interceptors and layered defense systems from Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael, and the Greeks have given it a name that fits the moment. The Shield of Achilles.

Remember that Greece is a NATO member. It is a European country with real threats and real choices, and it looked around the world at every available option before it made this decision. In the end, it chose Israel.

Once, Israel had to seek technology from the Philistines. Today nations far beyond our borders come to Israel because Israel has the technology capable of keeping their people alive. That is the story of Swords of Iron Day 1063, and it is far bigger than one contract.

The Reversal Zechariah Described

Zechariah gives us an incredible picture of the future. In those days ten men from all languages of the nations shall take hold of the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

Now, I am not going to tell you that a defense contract fulfills prophecy. But I will tell you that it rhymes with one.

For most of our history the nations took hold of us to expel us, to tax us, to convert us or to kill us. Today they take hold of the sleeve to ask for help. What a reversal. What a testimony.

Technology Changes. The God of Israel Does Not.

Here is the lesson of Swords of Iron Day 1063, and I want to be honest about it, because it cuts against our pride.

Israel’s survival never ultimately depended on having the best technology or the most powerful weapons. God gave Israel victory when we barely had swords. Today Israel ranks among the most advanced defense powers on earth, and that is a gift rather than a guarantee.

So Iron Dome intercepts rockets. However, it does not intercept arrogance. Technology changes. The God of Israel does not change. The moment we forget which of those two is holding us up is the moment we start losing something no interceptor can protect.

Complete the Mission

So what does complete the mission actually mean on a day like this?

It means our soldiers finish what they started rather than stopping halfway because the world got uncomfortable. Furthermore, the hostages come home. Israel disarms Hamas instead of merely pausing it. And we keep building, keep defending, and keep telling the truth about this country while much of the world repeats a story that never happened.

Our strength has never been only in what we build. Ultimately, our victory comes from God. That is exactly why Swords of Iron Day 1063 does not end with a victory lap. It ends with a job to finish.

One more thought before I close. People often ask me whether Israel is winning. The honest answer is that winning is not a single moment on a battlefield. Winning looks like a nation that keeps its promises to its soldiers, brings its people home, builds what the world needs, and refuses to trade its soul for approval. That is the standard I hold this country to, and it is the standard Scripture holds us to as well.

Watch the Full Swords of Iron Day 1063 Update

You can watch the complete Day 1063 briefing on Rumble or on YouTube. For the previous briefing in this series, see Swords of Iron Day 1062, and learn more about the work of the Aliyah Return Center.

Israel is standing. Am Yisrael Chai.

About These Swords of Iron Updates

Swords of Iron Day 1063 is part of a daily series written from Israel by the team at the Aliyah Return Center in the Galilee, drawing on Israeli and international reporting alongside firsthand perspective from the ground. Our work centers on welcoming and supporting new immigrants, training ambassadors for Israel, and helping friends of Israel around the world understand what is actually happening here. If you would like to visit, volunteer, or support this work, you can reach us through the Aliyah Return Center website.