Since the Hamas massacre of October 7th, Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, and their sympathizers have peddled a particular refrain: “History didn’t start on October 7th—this act comes after 75 years of struggle.” Setting the inane, false moral equivalence of the statement aside, it does contain a partial truth. People are correct to say that history did start on October 7th, 2023, but just as importantly, it didn’t begin on May 14th, 1948, either. If we want to think biblically about this issue, we must make the claim that, technically, history started “In the beginning” when God began His creation.
What is the saddest day in Jewish History?
The most solemn day on the Jewish calendar is Tisha B’Av—the ninth day of Av. It is a time for mourning as a community. On (or around) this day throughout history, many calamities have befallen the Jewish people. Consider some of these dark episodes…
You will encounter God in the Holy Land, an experience of God’s presence in the Holy Land, the place of which God said, “I have…put My Name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there every day” (1 Kings 9:3).
Nothing is as precious as the Lord, and no experience is more valuable than being in His presence. As the psalmist declared, “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else” (Psalm 84:11). Time spent in God’s presence—and the intimate relationship with our heavenly Father that cultivates— is something that we should constantly seek.
What lens are you using to read your Bible and view the land of Israel? The questions and concerns of the average person walking down the street in Jerusalem differ from those of a person walking down the street in Los Angeles. To walk the streets of Israel and engage local shop owners (and experience an Israeli breakfast) begins the process of learning to think outside of our own culture and to attempt to understand the perspective of another.
“You could see the wonder in their eyes, much like a young child opening a pop-up book for the first time. The Bible stories coming to life essentially leaped off the page into their personal experience in those powerful moments, an encounter with the Bible and Jesus.”
Why was Jesus' first miracle water into wine? Cana of Galilee Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now [...]
This is a powerful song and prayer asking the L-rd to protect Israel. Performed live by Tracy Thomas at our Fusion Erev Yom Kippur service. SHOMER YISRAEL Shomer Yisrael, sh’mor she’arit Yisrael Ve’al yovad Yisrael, ha’omrim, “Sh’ma Yisrael” GUARDIAN OF ISRAEL Guardian of Israel, protect the remnant of Israel Let Israel not perish, those who […]
It had been nearly a month since the Israelites were set free from their slavery in Egypt. Now they were wandering in the wilderness, and they were growing disillusioned. When they ran out of water, they started to panic. God allowed this to happen in order to test the Israelites, and to teach them more […]