Blessing or Curse; It’s Up to You
I’m reading A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days by Rabbi Jonathan Bernis. The book is more about creating an understanding about Jews converting to Christianity than the last days, but it is a very good read.
In one chapter, the author takes Genesis 12:2-3 and relates it to historical evidence showing how nations who turned against Israel and Jews suffered distinctive consequences. Before I go any further, I’m not saying that God causes bad things to happen, but even as the author states, disobedience to this blessing places the offender out of the protective hand of God. It’s like this: When God instituted the blessing and curse for the manner in which nations treat Israel, this promise became a spiritual law that automatically releases the blessing or the curse depending on how that particular nation treats Israel. Here is the scripture:
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.
Back when Christopher Columbus was busy discovering the New World in 1492, Spain was busy with their Inquisition by turning against the Jews and forcibly expelling them from the country if they didn’t confess Christianity. Almost immediately Spain spiraled down by losing their fortunes, and their respect as a mighty nation was lost and never regained to the point it once was.
Then there was Germany, and not much needs to be said there because we all know how they treated Jews.
The author refers to a work by Bill Koenig where he shows steps the United States took against Israel, and he expounds the results of those actions.
October 20, 1999 the first President Bush opens the Madrid Conference by asking Israel to yield up land for peace. The result of that was a huge freak storm that hit the New England coast, which incidentally, hit President Bush’s home in Main causing great damage.
August 23, 1992 was when the Madrid Conference moved to Washington DC, and Hurricane Andrew followed leaving $90 million in damage.
January 16, 1994 President Bill Clinton meets with Middle East leaders and lines out a peace agreement that would give the Golan Heights to Palestinian control. The next day, the Northridge Earthquake hit southern California.
September 29, 1998 Secretary of State Madeline Albright works out a deal for Israel to give up 13 % of Judea and Samaria and then came Hurricane George causing just $1 billion.
October 15-22, 1998 Texas is hit by a series of tornadoes and torrential rainstorms causing another $1 billion in damage following another land for peace deal.
May 3, 1999 The United States gave blessing to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat to declare a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and was then struck with the most powerful tornadoes on record that hit Oklahoma and Kansas.
October 11, 1999 The very day that Israelis in 15 West bank communities were evicted from their land, America was rocked by a series of disasters with a huge drop in the Dow, the worst in 10 years, and a hurricane slammed into North Carolina. Soon after, a 7.1 earthquake hit the desert southwest.
August 2005 Jewish families are evicted from their homes in Gaza through the Disengagement Plan, a plan supported by the Bush Administration. Katrina then hit the United States.
The author states, “Am I saying that God killed all those innocent people along the Gulf Coast to teach the United States a lesson? Not at all. I don’t think for a moment that God sent these calamities upon the American people. Instead, I believe He merely lifted his hand of protection, and we were battered by one disaster after another.”
It seems to me that the Bible is clear, as long as we are obedient to God’s Word and his promises, we receive protection from the curse that was placed on the earth back in Genesis following Adam and Eve’s deception and disobedience.
Look at what the Prophet Obadiah said:
“The day is near when I, the Lord,
will judge all godless nations!
As you have done to Israel,
so it will be done to you.
All your evil deeds
will fall back on your own heads. Obadiah 1:15
I can’t help now to think that the three feet of snow dumped on Washington DC in February 6, 2010 causing it to be shut down for days was a result of President Obama’s clear and purposeful distancing from Israel. The media even called it “snowmageddon.”
July 23, 2010 the Palestinian flag was flown over Washington DC for the first time in history. A couple of days later severe storms struck DC putting thousands of people without power.
How about the huge BP oil well pouring into the Gulf? Just twenty hour hours previous to that catastrophe, the United States announced that it would no longer automatically back Israel in United Nations voting.
Many economies of the world are suffering. The United States has been hit with nearly 110 bank failures at this writing (see economic chaos), but all I can find about the Israeli economy is that it is “thriving.” It’s ranked as the 17th best economy in the world. Someone needs to get a clue.
It’s all worth thinking about. If it is true that cursing and distancing from Israel results in a southward movement of things everyone wants to go north, then it will be proven by more such catastrophes. The USA’s current Administration so far has done a lot to distance itself from Israel so, unfortunately, if this is all valid, the USA will see more disasters.
The United States is definitely absent in Biblical prophecy. Perhaps the path of separation from Israel will take even sharper turns against Israel resulting in the United States being rendered “unavailable” in the last days. Perhaps when that happens, the US President’s cell phone message will say something like, “I’m not available at the moment, please leave a message.” Too bad they are not hearing the message now before it’s too late.
PD