Fortress Watchman

The Land of Israel has always been a dangerous place. There are always thieves and killers who survive off of the decent people. Of course, for most of history there are many different invaders trying to rule the land. For many years Israel has been known as the land of walls. You can see walls of all styles and descriptions. Simply studying the walls can carry a person back through all of man’s history. During the 11^th and 12^th centuries, many Europeans came on crusades to the land of Israel. They all built great fortresses so that they could sleep at night. The very style of their building can tell you which country the builders were from. (French, English, etc.) Several of these great structures are still standing and we can see how the soldiers lived years ago. Some even have the original mote surrounding them.

Usually there are about four watch-towers to be manned all the time. Most fortresses were built on top of a hill. This gave the watchman a great view of the land. When you climb one of these towers today the view is usually breathtaking.  In the old days if a watchman fell asleep he was put to death. The lives inside the fort were all his responsibility. Many times a fortress would pass from one group to the next depending on who was ruling at the time. Because of modern warfare the forts are no longer used. In fact, the Bible said this so long ago that the people probably thought the prophecy was crazy. You will say, I will invade a land of un-walled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people---all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. Ezekiel 38:11 It does not say it here but obviously there are no serious watchmen looking out for the people.

Our scriptures tell us that each of us is a watchman because we know the Gospel message.  7 “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for the people …. Listen to what I say, and warn them for me. 8 … I say to a wicked person, ‘You wicked person, you will certainly die,' and you say nothing to warn him to change his ways. That wicked person will die because of his sin, and I will hold you responsible for his death. 9 But if you warn a wicked person to turn from his ways and he doesn't turn from them, then he will die because of his sin. However, you will save yourself. Ezek 33:7-9 Not until the Lord takes us away from this world our responsibility will be over. Some people say that these are Old Testament passages and they do not apply today. However, we are told that O.T. Scriptures are the patterns revealing what God wants for us all. Are we really serious about our belief in God?

More Than Once

God told Abraham nearly four thousand years ago that He was going to give the land of Israel to his descendants. The fact is that Israel has been returned to the Jews over and over again. Maybe it is the Devil's persistence but all through history some nation has been trying to make the land of Israel into their possession. Out of the whole wide world, this small piece of land was reserved by God to be known as the center of the earth where His presence is greatest. This is a story of one of the thousands of times God has returned some of the land to His people. There is a five mile stretch of beach on the Mediterranean coast that runs from Tel Aviv to the hill of Joppa. About the middle of this beach is a small building containing the history of the return of Joppa to Israel in 1948. Upon entering you will be greeted by a man who was given the mission during 1948. He will explain what happened just like it was yesterday.

After Israel declared themselves to be a Nation in 1948, as authorized by the United Nations, the Arabs who lived on the hill of Joppa began to rain shells down upon the city of Tel Aviv. This indiscriminate killing in the Jewish neighborhoods had to be stopped. The leaders selected a young man twenty years old to lead 300 men against the hill of Joppa. This young man led his fighters against the hill time after time believing God would give them the victory. After three days, 100 of his men were dead and he had made no progress. Because he had not slept in three days he fell onto a cot totally exhausted and discouraged. God sent a vision as he slept and showed a certain street to him that went straight to the top of the hill. On one side of the street were dwellings built one against the other, all the way to the top of the hill.

 He saw himself and some of his men breaking holes in the walls all the way to the top. He jumped from the cot and ordered his men to attack the hill one last time. He and his chosen few went un-noticed as they worked their way through the houses to the top and surprised the Arabs. The Arabs immediately surrendered and the hill of Joppa belongs to Israel until this day. This is how God returned Joppa to the Jews in 1948. The history of Israel is about the Jews failing their position with the Almighty and then the Lord returning them to His land to start again. God uses Israel as a lesson for all believers. If you have failed God in some way then you must repent and God will show you a way to return to your Christian life. Your godly life is the land God has given you to occupy and enjoy.