Day 172
Chaim starts out by saying that his break from the IDF is almost over and he’s spending his last hours at home with his family contemplating the situation in the world, with Israel seeming to stand alone (with God) against the rest of the nations of the world. Even Israel’s best friend in the world, the United States, abstained on a UN Security Council Resolution vote demanding an immediate cease-fire.
He quotes Psalms 56:1; Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; Fighting all day he oppresses me. My enemies would hound me all day, for there are many who fight against me, O Most High.
Chaim also mentions a political debate going on in Israel over the subject of Ultra-Orthodox men serving in the IDF, which has been an issue in Israel for a long time but lately it’s gotten a lot of extra attention.
But the main focus this week has been on diplomatic efforts to release the hostages that Hamas is still holding in the Gaza Strip. Israel has agreed to American proposals that included the release of hundreds of Hamas terrorists held in Israeli prisons, but Hamas has rejected every offer. Chaim says that Westerners who aren’t used to the insanity of the Middle East and the spiritual forces at play here might be very puzzled by this. But he says the bottom line is that you can’t bow down to terrorists and it’s impossible to reason with them.
As proof of this, Chaim points to the fact that Hamas are not satisfied with a two week truce for Ramadan or even a six week truce, they want a complete cessetion of hostilities and an Israeli retreat from the Gaza Strip, leaving them in power and allowing them to regroup and rearm for the next war.
This is despite the fact that they’ve been utterly vanquished on the battlefield. They still act like they’re the stronger side and have the upper hand which allows them to dictate terms.
Chaim then asks his viewers to compare the number of Israeli casualties on October 7th 2023 to the population of Israel, and then compare that ratio to the population of America. If a similar attack happened there, it would mean there’d be 72,000+ American casualties. Chaim asks his viewers to consider what the American reaction to that would be, citing the examples of the attacks on Pearl Harbor and the Twin Towers in New York, which both produced a bit less than 3,000 American casualties.
He challenges his viewers to do a similar calculation for the population of whatever country they live in, and then ask themselves what they would be prepared to do in response to such an attack.
He then declares that now is the time to be standing in the gap for Israel, to sow into initiatives like the Aliyah Return Center and to otherwise get involved in what God is doing in Israel. He invites his viewers to call forth the blessing on their nations that God promises to those who bless His nation of Israel.
He then quotes Isaiah 43:1-3; But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
