Norma Zager
“And the Walls Came a Tumbling Down…” from the story of Joshua and the Battle of Jericho.
In Ari’s last Postcard he discussed the new war facing Israel, coming battles that will require new methods, new strategies and new weapons for Israel’s survival.
This is all true were it not for one small caveat: Israel must return to its ancient battle strategy to defeat its enemies, or it will be lost forever. I suppose at first glance this premise sounds a bit insane. Nuclear weapons will be aimed at Israeli cities, armies will invade them from seven fronts and the war will be swift and sure.
Even as the western world sleeps, Israel’s enemies will level the small patch of ground that is Israel and erase all evidence of a Jewish presence.
Ancient warfare and Sun Tzu be damned. This is a whole new world of war, utter destruction and devastation. Wasn’t it even a Jew, Albert Einstein, who said, “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones?”
So what am I babbling about? Ancient methods? Before you judge my premise, please allow me to explain that they are in no way conflicted with the more modern tools of warfare, but actually an essential addition to their effectiveness.
According to the bible, and despite our enemies’ attempts to rewrite Jewish history, the Torah is Jewish history.
One biblical account describes the “Israelites led by Joshua crossing the Jordan into Canaan and laying siege to the city of Jericho.”
God told Joshua to march the Jewish people around the city once every day for six days and on the seventh to put priests carrying ram’s horns in front of the ark. The operative word here is also “ark.” Must we be so literal any understand perhaps this means the Torah in any form?
On the seventh pass they were instructed to blow the ram’s horns. He also ordered the people to be silent, perhaps prayerful, until he commanded them to shout their war cry on the seventh day during the seventh pass around the city.
At the appointed time the priests sounded their ram’s horns, and the Israelites shouted their war cry. The walls of the city collapsed, the Israelites charged straight in and end of story.
Who cares how true or perhaps a bit hyped this story may be? The real point here is not the battle, not Joshua’s extraordinary warrior skills or even if the city of Jericho is in any way vital in the annuals of Jewish History.
Only three words matter in this story: WAR CRY and ARK.
Even the British, one of Israel’s greatest modern-day enemies, tell of a battle cry motto of the English kings: “Dieu et mon droit,” or “God and my right.”
Our new war cry must be: “God and Israel’s Right to Exist on their own land.”
And that Ladies and Gentlemen is why Israel and the Jewish people are in deep trouble as we speak.
It is not her enemies who are defeating her, but Israel herself who has lost her spiritual voice. Has forgotten her instructions from God, her Torah and how to conquer her enemies.
And that is the secret weapon Israel has dismissed.
Singing God’s praises, giving thanks for his blessings and voices raised to the heavens are the greatest weapon ever devised.
When Joshua won the battle, it was because the Lord told him to instruct his people to raise their voices in praise. What voices of praise are now raised in Israel?
Only voices of criticism, divisiveness, scorn, compromise, disregard for such abundant blessings. Is this a battle cry the Jewish people expect God to reward with renewed strength?
Does this inspire Him to fight for our cause?
In actual fact it diminishes our chances of success and our ability to overcome our enemies and obstacles and sets the Jewish people up for disaster.
Why have we learned nothing from our history?
Why are the Jewish people, who are supposedly so smart and wise, such utter fools? Gripe, complain, constantly remind God of their problems.
OY, enough already, He knows!
When we left Egypt, God showed us miracles. After each event voices were raised demanding more proof. More evidence. So challenges continued to be thrust upon us to make God’s point and receive His ultimate message.
At Mt. Sinai when Moses returned to find his people in the midst of egregious behavior once more, he had had it! He called on Israel to either live by God’s laws or die by them. Many died and those who were left alive did penance for forty years.
Why? Because until the people of Israel learned that it was only by thanking the Lord for His blessings, appreciating His gifts and praising Him in battle, could they end their suffering. No missiles can defeat Israel when the Lord is our shield. No country’s evil agenda can draw Jewish blood when God is protecting us.
This fact has been demonstrated over and over in our history. Seas have parted, walls have fallen and powerful modern armies destroyed by a small air force with God as its co-pilot.
Iran may continue to create evil weaponry to use against the world. It cannot succeed if the world remembers its greatest weapon, faith and thanksgiving for the blessings received.
Mankind is in decline because faith has been disregarded. Good works are no longer performed in God’s name and man has become selfish and all-ego (Edging God Out). This is a certain path to total annihilation and the surest way to anger and turn God away.
Just as the Jewish people marched around Jericho and raised their voices in praise causing the walls to fall; so shall fall the walls of our current enemies.
The Jewish people must stop criticizing, stop identifying with Israel’s enemies and give thanks for the blessings and gifts that are the Jewish State. Israel’s light can only be dimmed through the shouts of negativity that bring on the darkness.
March around the walls once more and shout praises and our enemies will crumble. Their weapons will be rendered useless, for we will have the greatest of all weapons on our side: the might of God.
When we finally remembered this spiritual truth, we survived as a people despite the constant attempts to eradicate us from the earth.
If we dig down and attach ourselves to our roots of faith once more, we shall overcome as in the past. Without the “Jewish Secret Weapon” Joshua used so effectively, our enemies may finally be victorious.
Remember the past and no weapon forged for our harm can be successful. That is unless we let God’s protective shield down and forget our WAR CRY once again.
The series “Postcards from America—Postcards from Israel” by Ari Bussel and Norma Zager is a compilation of articles capturing the essence of life in America and Israel during the first two decades of the 21st Century.
The writers invite readers to view and experience an Israel and her politics through their eyes, Israel visitors rarely discover and Israelis often ignore.
This point—and often—counter-point presentation is sprinkled with humor and sadness and attempts to tackle serious and relevant issues of the day. The series began in 2008, appears both in print in the USA and on numerous websites and is followed regularly by readership from around the world.
Zager and Bussel can be heard on live radio in conversation on the program “Conversations Eye to Eye between Norma and Ari.”
© “Postcards from America — Postcards from Israel,” November, 2011
Contact: bussel@me.com
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