Israel and Tisha B'Av

As we have seen in numerous news reports, Iran has threatened to attack Israel on the Jewish day called Tisha B’Av, also known as the 9th of Av. Why would Iran choose this specific day and why is this significant? It is significant because it is a day on which many tragic events have occurred in Jewish history and is the most solemn and saddest day on the Jewish calendar.

• The first of these events was the day on which 10 of the 12 spies brought back a bad report to Moses about the promised land so the Israelites refused to enter. As a result, God had them wander through the desert for 40 years.

• The next tragedy was the destruction of the first temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Then, on this very same day in 70 AD, the second temple was destroyed by the Romans.

• In 135 AD, the Romans killed 500,000 Jews in the Bar Kokhba Revolt and destroyed the city of Betar. One year later, to the day, the Romans plowed over the temple mount.

• The first crusade occurred on the 9th of Av in 1096, killing 10,000 Jews in the first month. This crusade is seen as the first in a sequence of antisemitic events culminating in the Holocaust.

• The tragic events continue to occur in 1290 when the Jews were expelled from England. And in 1492, they were expelled from Spain on this same day.

• In 1914, WWI began which afflicted the Jews throughout Europe, displacing them from their homes because of war.

• In 1941, the Nazis approved Himmler’s “Final Solution” on the 9th of Av, which launched the Holocaust. Exactly one year later, the Treblinka death camp began its operation with the mass deportation of Jews from Warsaw to Treblinka.

• In 1994, a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 85.

With numerous tragic events occurring on the 9th of Av, there is no wonder why this day is commemorated with fasting and mourning within the Jewish community. And this explains why Iran would target this solemn day to launch a violent attack on Israel in order to pour salt in the wound.

In spite of all the enemies which have come upon the Jewish people, Israel lives and will continue to flourish under God's care. Israel will not be defeated nor conquered by it's enemies. Israel is the apple of God's eye and He will come against her enemies. The surrounding ancient nations and dictators have disappeared, but Israel lives on. God created Israel for His purposes and for purposes yet to be fulfilled.

In ‭Genesis‬ ‭12:2‭-‬3‬, God told Abram, the seed of Israel,

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Because of Israel, all the peoples on earth has been blessed through the birth, death and resurrection of our Messiah, Jesus, who was born through a Jewish lineage. And all the peoples on earth will be blessed once again by Israel when Jesus returns on the Mount of Olives to reign on earth.

As Tisha B’Av begins on Monday evening in Israel, it will be late morning to mid-afternoon here in the United States. Let us keep Israel in our prayers and ask God for His mighty hand of protection and to wrap Israel with his shield. Our prayers matter to God. Our prayers are heard. Our prayers are effective.

Let us pray
for their protection,
for wisdom of the leaders of Israel and it's allies,
for strength and encouragement for the citizens, military personnel and the hostages.

As we pray, we can draw inspiration and encouragement from David’s words in Psalms 121:1-8,

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

Amen!!
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