PHINEHAS, the son of Eleazar, who defended the
honor of God. (1 Chronicles 9:19-20)
NOAH … who stood in the midst of ridicule and
disbelief and obeyed God.
JOSHUA … who faced the rebellion and wickedness
of the entire Israelite camp,
and drew a line to divide those who choose to
obey God from the rest.
CALEB … a man with a different spirit … whose
eyes never left sight of the powerful
arm of God. (Numbers 13:30)
JONATHAN … a man who kept his vows, even when it
cost him.
SAMUEL … a man who stayed in God's wing, unto
death.
NATHAN … who would not be silent when men
disobeyed his Lord.
RUTH … who did not leave her duty, even when the
time was over.
ESTHER … who did the right thing even when it
meant her death.
THE WOMAN OF SHUMEN (1 Kings) … who knew the
power of God in Elijah to bring her
dead child back to life.
JUDAH … who sinned greatly, confessed his
iniquity before his family, took responsibility
upon himself.
ELEAZAR, THE WARRIOR … who held his ground in
battle even when the army ran,
and so the Lord gave him the victory.
When the KINGS OF ISRAEL consulted God, God
provided.
JOAB as a warrior … "Be courageous and act
like men to save our people and the
cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is
best." (1 Chron 19:13)
ISAIAH … who warned the people to depend on God
and to defend their nation by their
own hands in fear of the Lord without going into
political or military alignments with
other nations or kings.
In front of the Temple built by King Solomon were
two brass pillars - one named
"Jachin" and the other
"Boaz". Jachin meant "sustainer", Boaz meant
"smiter" …
God provides for His righteous ones, and punishes
His enemies.
ABRAHAM, ISAAC, JACOB, NOAH, DAVID, SOLOMON … all
first sacrificed on the
Altar of God, then waited for God's voice and
instruction.
ABRAHAM interceded for Lot. MOSES interceded for
the Israelites. ISAIAH
interceded for the Israelites. DAVID and SOLOMON
interceded for their people.
Godly leaders intercede in prayer daily over
their people. Godly leaders defend justice and the oppressed.
KING ABIJAH stood with God and was victorious in
battle.
KING ASA had peace in Judah when he completely
obeyed God, tearing down all idols in Judah, calling on God alone to defend
them.
1 and 2 Chronicles demonstrate God's order,
discipline, and blessing in military affairs. (1 Chronicles 15) (2 Chronicles
16)
MICAIAH the Prophet said, "I vow by God that
whatever God says is what I will say." (2 Chron 18)
JEHOSHAPHAT: 1 and 2 Kings
JEHOSHAPHAT and KING AHAB in battle against the
Syrians: God controls.
JEHU's rebuke to Jehoshaphat for aligning with
heathen King Ahab.
(do not go into ungodly alignments) (do not turn
to other nations for your defense)
JEHOSHAPHAT's leadership of his officials and
personally to the people
(2 Chron 19) … Judges and courts … courts of
final appeal … public prayers …
fasting and intercession … declaring dependence
on God (Irgun structure)
JEHOSHAPHAT called on the promises of God while
walking in obedience to Him,
humbling himself before God … encouraging people
to believe.
JEHOSHAPHAT gave honor to God.
When JEHOSHAPHAT went into alignment with an
"ungodly" ruler, God left him.
The coup to put Prince JOASH on the throne was
achieved step by step in
accordance with Scripture.
HEZEKIAH prayed in intercession for his people
for God to forgive them since
their hearts turned back to God. (2 Chron
30:17-19)
HEZEKIAH organized the priests and Levites, he
personally provided sacrifices
daily for the people at the Temple, he required
the people to tithe, he publicly
blessed and praised the Lord for all He had done
for His People, he organized
provisions for the priests and Levites, … (2
Chron 31:20) … "working very hard to do what was just and fair in the
sight of the Lord, encouraging respect for the Temple, the Law, and godly
living."
EHUD who assassinated the evil King.
KING UZZIAH ... gave in to pride and lost God's
favor
GENESIS
12:6-9 (land)
13 (God showed Abraham the promised
land/descendants)
15:5-6,7,18-21 (number the stars/borders)
17:(8)(20-21) (borders/Ishmael)
19:36-38 (Lot's descendants)
21:12-18 (promise to Isaac ... nation of Ishmael)
22:15-18 (descendants/Israel will bless the
nations)
23:7-9 (Hebron)
25 (Isaac received rights ... many stepbrothers)
26 (Jacob/Esau-rival nations … Isaac to stay in
the land)
28:3-4,13-15 (blessing to Jacob from Isaac and
God)
32:28 (Jacob named "Israel")
35:9-12 (the land)
49 (the blessings on Jacob's sons)
50:24 (promise to go into land)
EXODUS
3:7-10 (the land)
6:2-4,7-9 (the land)
12:25 (passover celebration in the land)
13:3-5 (the land)
17:14-16 (promise/covenant forever/borders)
23:22-23,27-33 *(obedience to receive God's
protection in the land)
25:8 (the Temple)
33:1-3,12-17 (the promise of the land/go with
God)
34:10-17 (obey law to receive promised land)
LEVITICUS
20:22-24,26 (purpose of Israeli autonomy)
20:24 (I have promised you their land ... Negev,
Hebron)
26:3,7-9,12- (total obedience ... God will chase
enemies, shield, protect)
26 (God’s promises to
Israel)
NUMBERS
13:1-2,17,21-29 (in verse 30 is Caleb: the Brit
Habirionim, Irgun, LECHI members
were all "Calebs" ... "Let us go
up and possess it...")
13 / 14 / 15 (Caleb’s faith in God’s promises to
Israel)
(God’s faithfulness to Caleb)
21:1-3,23-25 (battles ... called on God)
23:8-10 (Who can stand against God’s promise to
Israel?)
25:10-15 (Phinehas, who defended God's honor)
25:16-17 (destroy Midianites because they will
destroy Israel with their wiles)
25 (Phinehas’ faithfulness to honor God and God’s
blessing to Phinehas)
31:6-18 (why God requires Israeli autonomy ... no
foreign ways in Israel)
32:1-5,19,28-33 *(borders/Jordan/Gilead)
33:50-56 *(borders/drive out all foreigners)
34 *(Israel's border explicitly defined)
DEUTERONOMY
1:1-8,19-20 *(promised land)
2 (Esau's land/Mt. Seir/Edom/Moabites ... the
earth will recognize Israel)
3:1-18 (battles)
3:28 (Israel's borders)
4:1-8 (nation), 29-31(end times/obedience)
4 (Israel is to be a great nation)
(A remnant will always survive)
(No idols, altars to other gods in Israel)
7 (Israeli autonomy … destroy idols … be a holy
people … detest all idols)
7:2 (cleanse the land of foreigners)
7:-17 (blessing of God on Israel)
7:18,24 (be not afraid - the shield of God on
Israel)
8:13 (pride in Israel ... do not forget God!)
8:17-18 “Beware lest you say in your mind and
heart - My power and
the
might of my hand have gotten me this wealth ....”
8:19-20 (the curse of God on a disobedient
Israel) 9:1-6 *(it is the promise, not Israel's goodness)
11:7-15,22-32 *(obedience for promise/borders
...obey all His laws)
13 (false believers in the Land)
14:2 *(a chosen people)
17 (leadership must be Israeli - no other
peoples)
18 (do not adopt ways of other
nations)
19:1,8 (obey to receive)
20 (Israeli sovereignty/Israeli autonomy in the
Land)
20:4,10 (IDF) -20 *(the "shield of
David")
20:5-9 (soldiers who go to battle and who stay
behind)
20:15 (military ... purpose of Israeli
autonomy)
20:19 (British/Arab destruction ... military
policy)
23:6 (do not live among foreigners)
23:9-10 (soldiers in camp)
26:18-19 (Israel is God's ... be holy, obedient)
29:13-15,29 (for all generations you are the
"chosen people" ... obey forever His laws)
30:2-10 (obey to receive ... He will find you ...
life or death is in Him)
30 / 32 / 33 (obedience to the Torah ... the
LECHI/Irgun philosophies aligned with these words of God for the nation of
Israel.)
31 (the Song is a permanent testimony against
Israel; a witness)
32:4 (God’s law is perfect)
32:6 (God established Israel as His nation)
32:9-14 (God’s chosen people) 39-40 (forever)
36 “For the Lord will revoke sentence for His
people and relent for His servants’ sake when He sees that their power is gone
and none remains, whether bond or free.”
39-42 (God’s shield - God’s Will over the
nations)
41-49 *(borders)
43 “Rejoice with His people, O you nations, for
He avenges the blood of His servants, and vengeance He inflicts on
His foes and clears guilt from the land of His people.”
46-47 (Israel must set its mind and heart on
obeying God’s Law)
JOSHUA
1:1-5 (the Land given to Israel)
1:6-9 (the Law and the Land/strength and courage
always)
1:8 (quality of leadership)
1:11 (God gives the Land)
1:13,15 (land east of the Jordan River)
1:13-15 (unity of nation to act as one body)
1:18 (rebellion, deserters in battle)
2:1 (spies/intelligence gathering)
2:14 (foreigners who join with Israel)
2:17,19 (treaties “invalid” if one side
‘reneges’)
2:18-21 (symbolisms of Passover)
2:24 (nations fear a strong, courageous
Israel)
3:2-4 (Ark before the people in battle)
3:4 (space between God and people)
3:5 (sanctify self before battle)
3:6 (priests take Ark over people - blessing
before battle)
3:7 (God ‘magnifies’ Israel’s righteous leaders)
3:11 (Ark first over Jordan River - people pass
it into Canaan)
3:13 (Ark separates Jordan River to enter the
Holy Land)
3:17/4:10/4:20 (priests held Ark in dry river bed
until all passed over)
4:3 (12 stones/12 tribes - altar to God from
Jordan River)
4:7 (12 stone altar memorial forever - showing
God’s Hand over Israel)
4:20-24 (testimony to God’s Hand over Israel)
4:20 (memorial in Gilgal)
4:23 (Red Sea - Jordan River)
5:1 (nations fear a godly Israel)
5:2 (circumcise people)
5:9 (Israel is circumcised to
God)
5:12 (no more manna)
5:13-15 (the land is “holy”)
6:2 (God gives the Holy Land to Israel)
6:5-9 (unity of Israel and obedience of Israel in
order to secure the Land)
6:10 (no murmuring against Israel by the
people of Israel)
6:15-19 (God gives the Land and its prosperity to
Israel)
6:21 (Hebrew sovereignty: to cleanse the land
of foreign ways)
6:23 (foreigners allowed to join Israel)
7 (blessings or curses on Israel)
7:12-13 (sanctify Israel if to stand strong)
8:1 (God’s shield)
8:8 (cleansing of the Land of perverseness
against God)
8:9 (Joshua, as leader, kept his eye on the
people - leadership)
*8:10 (“Follow me” principle of military
leadership)*
8:30 (altar to honor God for His shield of
protection over Israel)
8:31 (obedience to Law of Moses)
8:32 (leadership must represent godly order
and obedience)
8:33 (unity of Israel)
8:34 (Israel’s leader must lead people by the
Word of God)
9 (Israel must obey God’s commands - consequences
of foreign alignments)
*9:21 (foreigners against Israel will breed
division of the nation)
*10 (cleansing of the Holy Land for ‘Hebrew
sovereignty’)
(No perverseness against God in Israel)
10:8,10 (shield of God)
10:11-14 (God’s Hand in Israel’s battles)
10:18 (capture and destroy leaders of enemies)
*10:25 (God will defend Israel against all her
enemies when fights)*
10:42 “Joshua took all these kings and
their land at one
time,
because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.”
11 *purifying the Holy Land
*Hebrew sovereignty
*Judaic law
*Peace comes in
willingness to defend the Name of God and
His
Holy Land
*God’s demonstration of absolute obedience in obeying His commands by Israel’s
leadership
*God gives the Holy Land
to Israel
*God defends Israel’s
obedience within the Holy Land
11:9 (obedience of leader of Israel)
11:15 (obedience of leader blesses Israel)
(The
Lord commanded Moses, and Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it!)
11:17 (capture leaders of enemies)
11:23 (to fight for Israel brings peace to
Israel)
12:6 (God gave the Land)
“These
Canaanites are proved to have polluted and stained the land with intolerable
crimes; it was merely the holy Judge (the Lord) pronouncing the sentence on
flagrant criminals and (Joshua) the righteous governor executing that sentence
to the letter ... as great mercy to the innocent as justice to the guilty.” (Gray/Adams
BIBLE COMMENTARY)
13 (Land given to tribes of Jacob)
Caleb: “of a different spirit”
*who received his blessing fully during his
lifetime for his unswerving devotion and faith to the God of Israel and
God’s promises to Israel;
*a proven spirit within IZL / LECHI veterans who in their 80's are still
teaching youth today with
their undying spirit and conviction for Israel)
14:6-12 (Hebron to Caleb/Caleb’s
faithfulness)
14:10-11 (Caleb’s strength and spirit
never ceased in all his days)
14:12-14 (Caleb prospers the land by his
faith in God’s Hand)
*Caleb’s hold to Hebron > the settlers in the settlements, like Caleb, hold
the line for Israel
15:13 (Caleb’s land)
15:14 (Caleb drives out the sons of Anak)
15:15-19 (Caleb chooses a husband for his
daughter by ‘willingness to fight for Israel’)
(Land allotment to Judah)
16 (land allotment to Joseph’s sons)
17:14-18 (complaining of tribe of Manasseh)
*Joshua confronted their
complaining by challenging their performance to provide by their own hand’
*Joshua did not tolerate
whining and complaining by the people
*as a leader he demanded
their action to prosper themselves.
18:1 (unity of Israel subdues the Land)
18 Joshua - the model of Israeli leadership
*Joshua demands of tribes to complete in orderly system the land settlements
*Joshua
demonstrates proactive leadership
*Joshua
commands Israel to obey the Law of Moses
*Joshua
organized responsibilities
*Joshua
delegated responsibilities
*Joshua
supervised his people
18:6 (detailed documentation)
18:8 (fairness)
18:9 (accounting of records)
18:10 (fairness)
18-19 (the Land is divided between tribes)
20 (cities of refuge)
21 (cities / farms of Levites)
21:12 (Caleb’s
land)
21:43-45 (the land and peace are to Israel)
22 *Land includes east side of Jordan River
*unity of Israel
*Phinehas, son of
Eleazar
22:5 (heed the Law of Moses in the Land)
22:10 (altar to God by the Jordan River)
23 *God’s promises to defend Israel
*Joshua’s command to
Israel to obey Laws of God
23:2 * the leader of Israel upholds the Law
23:3 (witnesses to God’s promises fulfilled to
Israel)
23:5 (shield of God)
23:6 (courage and faithfulness)
23:7 *do not mix with the nations, nor bow down
to them
23:8 (cling to God)
23:9 (none can stand against godly Israel)
23:10 *God fights for Israel
23:11 (love God)
23:12-13 (mixing of nations in Israel - a snare
to Israel)
23:14 (witness God’s promises to Israel)
23:15 (blessing or curse)
23:16 (if Israel forsakes God ...)
24 Israel’s history
24:7 (remember the Exodus/Passover)
24:8 (remember God gave victory to Israel)
24:10 (remember Balak could not curse Israel)
24:11-13 (remember victories in battles)
24:14 (fear the Lord)
24:15 (Joshua’s line - choose today whom you will
serve)
24:19 (God judges Israel)
24:20 (if you forsake God, He will forsake you)
24:27 (even the stones will witness between God
and Israel)
24:22-27 Joshua as Israel’s leader:
*convicts the people;
*makes covenant with the
people;
*places the Law in stone
before the people
*24:31 The first generation remembers the lessons
...
The first generation of the State of Israel 1948
knows the lessons!
JUDGES
1:1-4 (Judah goes first in battle, with the Hand
of the Lord bringing victory
to
cleanse the Land of the Canaanites)
“Then Judah went up and the Lord delivered ...
Jerusalem, the Negeb, Hebron.”
The Israelites do not drive out all the
Canaanites from the Land
2:1 “... I will never break My Covenant with
you;”
2:2 “You shall make no covenant with the
inhabitants of the land; but you shall break down their altars.”
2:3 “They shall be as thorns in your sides, and
their gods shall be a snare
to you.”
2:10 (in only one generation the nation can be
lost)
2:17-19 (when the Israelites obey, there is peace
in the land -
with
disobedience there is oppression of the Israelites by other nations)
2:21 (God leaves the nations within Israel to
test and prove their faith)
3:2 (God teaches Israel to war)
3:4 (God tests Israel to see if the people obey
the commandments given to Moses)
3:9 (Othniel rules in righteousness)
“ ... he went out to
war and the Lord delivered ...”
3:15 (Ehud rules in righteousness)
3:21 (Ehud kills the wicked king)
3:28 (Ehud says “Follow me” into battle)
3:30 (Ehud rules after war in peace)
3:31 (Shamgar rules in
righteousness)
4 (the rule of Deborah)
4:9 (men into battle first)
5 (the Song of Deborah / honor to God for
victories)
5:2 “For the leaders who took the lead in Israel,
for the people who offered themselves willingly ...”
5:9 “My heart goes out to the commanders of
Israel who
offered
themselves
willingly among the people.”
5:31 “So let all Your enemies perish, O Lord! But
let those who love Him be
like
the sun when it rises in its might.”
(and
Israel had rest for forty years)
6 (the rule of Gideon)
6:11 (Gideon is a man of lowly status and God
calls him to lead Israel)
6:25 (God orders Gideon to destroy the idols)
7:2 (God only needs a few men of valor to
accomplish His Will)
7:3 (whoever is fearful cannot go into battle)
7:5 (those men who “lapped” the water at the
river, not releasing their
weapons
and not letting down their guard, where the ones chosen to
go
into battle) (*reference to Nachmias account of battle of
Jaffa)
7:17 (“Follow me!”)
7:20 (the shield of God - “the sword of the
Lord”)
7:25 (the wicked leaders were killed)
8:23 “The Lord will rule over you.”
8:33 (in one generation Israel is lost)
9 (Jotham’s curse)
9:57 “And all the wickedness of the men of
Shechem God repaid upon their heads and caused to come upon them the curse of
Jotham.”
10 (Tola/Jair/oppression by the Ammonites)
10:18 “And the leaders of Gilead (the Israelites)
said one to another, Who is the man who will begin to fight against the
Ammonites? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of
Gilead.”
11 (Jephthah, a mighty warrior who recounts the
lessons of Exodus to Israel)
11:9 ... and the Lord gives (the Ammonites) over
to me ...
11:21 “And the Lord, the God of Israel, gave
Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them; so
Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of
that country.”
11:23 “So now the Lord God of Israel has
dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel, and should you possess
them?”
11:24 “ ... and all the Lord our God dispossessed
before us, we
will
possess.”
12 (Ibzan/Elon/Abdon)
13 - 16 (Samson)
(*reference to Ben-Ami
account of Barazani/Feinstein at the gallows)
16:27-30 “Now the house was full of men and
women; all the Philistine princes were there, and on the roof were about 3,000
men and women who looked on while Samson made sport.
Then Samson called to the Lord and said, O Lord God, earnestly remember me, I
pray You, and strengthen me, I pray you, only this once, O God, and let me have
one vengeance upon the Philistines for both my eyes.
And Samson laid hold of the two middle pillars by which the house was borne up,
one with his right hand and the other with his left.
And Samson cried, Let me die with the Philistines! And he bowed himself
mightily, and the house fell upon the princes and upon all the people that were
in it. So the dead whom he slew at his death were more than they whom he slew
in his life.”
20 (perverseness of Benjamites avenged by all of
Israel)
20:18 (the Israelites asked God’s counsel / Judah
into battle first)
1 SAMUEL
2:9-10 “He will guard the feet of His godly ones,
but the wicked shall be silenced and perish in darkness; for
by strength shall no man prevaiL. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken
to pieces; against them will He thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge all
peoples to the ends of the earth; and He will give strength to His king
and exalt the power of His anointed.”
2:10 (those who fight against the Lord will be
broken)
2:30 “For those who honor Me I will honor ...”
7 (serve the Lord only and He will deliver Israel)
7:9 (Samuel looked to God in battle)
8:7 “ ... for they have reject Me, that I should
not be King over them.”
9:21 (God empowers those who obey and serve
Israel)
“Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the
tribes of Israel? And is not my family
the least of all the families of the clans of Benjamin? Why then do
you speak this way to me?” (Saul’s reply to Samuel)
11:7 (God controls)
12:22 (God will not abandon His chosen people)
12:25 (no God ... no cover)
13:19-23 (Israel must secure her own devices)
14:12 "Follow me." (Jonathan and his
servant)
15 (God regrets making Saul a king as he is not
obedient)
(Israel does not
destroy the Ameleks) (*reference Rabbi Waldman article)
15:22 (to obey God is better than sacrifices)
15:23 (rejecting God’s word as leader of Israel)
15:29 “And also the Strength of Israel will not
lie or repent; for He is not a man, that He should repent.” (God is truth ...
He does not lie)
16:7 “But the Lord said ... Look not on his
appearance or at the height of his stature ... For the Lord sees not as man
sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the
heart.”
(*the underground fighters were men of
valor/vision/faithfulness to Israel) 21:5 (purity in army camp)
17:32 “David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart
fail because of this
Philistine;
your servant will go out and fight with him.”
17:37 “David said, The Lord Who delivered me out
of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out
of the hand of this Philistine.”
(*the faith of the underground fighters amidst
Holocaust, Arab massacres, British oppression, and a battle for independence)
17:45 “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and
a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the
ranks of Israel ...”
(“With His little finger God can smite giants” -
Y. Nachmias)
17:47 “And all this assembly shall know that the
Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's and He
will give you into our hands.”
(*recount the victories of the Irgun and LECHI
without needed arms and armies)
28 (the army lives or dies by the virtue of it's
leader)
30:23-25 (some go to battle; some guard
equipment)
30:6 (turn to godly counsel in war)
31:11-13 (honor)
31:2,7 (take out the leaders and the rest will
fall)
1 Samuel and 2 Samuel (military leadership)
2 SAMUEL
10:9-12 (Joab's courage in battle against two
fronts)
15:33-36 (David sends Hushai to Jerusalem to
network information for intelligence gathering)
17 (God controls)
20:16-22 (Joab's tactics to complete his mission)
*Annals of the Kings demonstrate that the virtue
of the leader affects the stability of the nation.
1 KINGS
3:9 (Solomon's request for wisdom to lead the
nation)
l CHRONICLES
5 (God blesses/curses in war)
29:17 (God tests men)
29:5 (lead by example)
2 CHRONICLES
7: 14 “If my people, who are called by My name,
shall humble themselves ... I will hear and heal their land.”
7:16 (“this house ... My name ... forever)
7:19-20 (“but if you turn away ...”)
12: 8 (bondage - to know the difference)
15: 2-4 “The Lord is with you while you are
with Him ...”
16 (King Asa lost God's favor by disobedience)
16: 9 (Lehi/IZL obeyed God’s commands for Israel)
16:9 (the eyes of the Lord ...)
17 (military readiness - leadership)
17:6 (Jehoshaphat did not tolerate idols in
Israel)
18: 13 (Micaiah)
18:16 (today)
18:21 (Ben-Gurion/Jewish Agency leadership)
18:27 (Micaiah spoke to the king and the people,
laying his life down for truth)
18:30 (military principle of going after the
leader, not masses)
19 (gatekeepers of the Temple and Holy City)
(God’s commands to the Judges
of Israel)
20 (united Israel)(the Hebrew fighters)
21 (Israel must be in Hebrew sovereignty)
23 (godly order/Bible and sword together/entire
command/weapons)
24 (with God - without God)
24:20 (forsake God and He will forsake you)
26:5 (the King's loyalty to God prospers the
nation)
26 (Uzziah “builds” Judah: in defense, cities,
farming, water)
(“conscription” of tribes to
military - Mosaic Law)
(“brains” to build innovative
weapons ... verse 15)
27:6 (King Jotham carefully followed God)
28:19 (God punishes disobedience of Israel)
29:24 (Hezekiah's godly leadership of the nation)
32:20 (God covered King Hezekiah and Isaiah)
32:31 (God tested King Hezekiah)
32:7-8 (be brave ... IZL/LECHI)
34:24-33 (King Josiah turned back to God)
EZRA
*Fidelity to God is Israel’s strength
*The Temple is rebuilt
*The survivors return
*Always there are the “gatekeepers”
*Anti-Semitism of nations against Israel and
Jerusalem
*Encouragement of the Prophets to the Jews
*Justice in Israel by Laws of God
*Israel’s self-reliance
*”Transfer” of non-Israelis out of the Holy Land
*NOTE: Similarities of Irgun and LECHI
principles/actions and this accounting
1:5 “Then rose up the heads of the fathers’
houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites, with all those whose
spirits God had stirred up, to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord in
Jerusalem.”
2:68 “Some of the heads of families, when they
came to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, made freewill offerings for the
house of God to rebuild it on its site.”
3:11 “ ... because the foundation of the house of
the Lord was laid!”
4 “You have nothing to do with us in building a
house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the Lord, The God
of Israel ...”
“ ... the people of the land (Samaritans)
continually weakened the hands of the people of Judah and troubled and
terrified them in building and hired counselors against them to frustrate their
purpose and plans ... and wrote to Ahasuerus (Xerxes) an accusation against the
returned inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem ... later (they) and their
associates wrote a letter to the king ... the Persian commander and Shimshai
the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem ... and with the rest of the
nations ... they went up by force and power made them (Judah) cease.”
5 (Haggai and Zechariah encourage the Jews)
(Zerubbabel and Shealtiel rise up to
begin again to rebuild the Temple)
“The Eye of their God was upon the elders of the
Jews, so the enemy could not make them stop ...” (as did the Irgun and
LECHI)
“Who authorized you to build this house and restore these walls?”
“We are servants of the God of heaven and earth,
rebuilding the house which was erected and finished many years ago by a great
king of Israel.”
6 “Leave the work on this house of God alone;
let the governor and the elders of the Jews build this house of God on its
site.”
“May the God Who has caused His Name to dwell
there overthrow all kings and peoples who put forth their hands to alter this
or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem ...”
7 “For Ezra had prepared and set his heart to
seek the Law of the Lord - to inquire for it and of it, to require and yearn
for it - and to do and teach in Israel its statutes and its ordinances.”
“Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let
it be done diligently and honorably for the house of the God of heaven, lest
His wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons.”
“ ... set magistrates and judges who may judge
all the people west of the River; choose those who know the instructions of
your God, and teach him who does not know them.”
“I (Ezra) was strengthened and encouraged, for
the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered together outstanding
men of Israel to go with me to Jerusalem.”
8 “Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river
Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a
straight and right way for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.”
“For I was ashamed to request of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to
protect us against the enemy along the way, because we had told the king, The
hand of our God is upon all them for good who seek Him, but His power and His
wrath are against all those who forsake Him.”