The Jewish Voice Bible
Summary
Discover how vital it is not only to read and meditate upon the Holy Scriptures but also to study the original Hebrew context to increase your understanding.
Image
URL
“You keep in perfect peace one whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You””
Isaiah 26:3 TLV
It may not be perfect peace, but the deal reached late last week between Israel and the UAE (United Arab Emirates) is one of great significance.
Since Israel became a nation in 1948, there have only been two other peace deals with Arab nations. Below, we’ve put together much of the key information that has come out in the news about this historic agreement.
One interesting note is that this deal includes a suspension of the annexation of the West Bank. But annexation is not completely off the table.
Meanwhile, violence against Israel continues, from ongoing attacks along the Gaza Strip to an attempted terror attack in Jerusalem on Monday that left a Border Police officer injured.
Your continued prayers are appreciated for Israel and the Middle East.
For only the third time ever and the first time in more than 25 years, a peace treaty has been signed between Israel and an Arab state.
Israel and the UAE agreed to full normalization of relations in a phone call last Thursday that included Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, UAE’s Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu called the deal “full, formal peace,” with “one of the strongest countries in the world,” according to The Jerusalem Post.
Trump called it “a truly historic moment” and said, “Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates.”
Previously Israel had no diplomatic relations with Gulf Arab countries. Shared concern over Iran have led to unofficial contacts between them, according to BBC News.
The agreement includes establishing embassies, exchanging ambassadors, investment in the Israeli economy, trade and beginning direct flights between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi. In addition, there will be cooperation in matters of energy, water and environmental protection.
Also planned is an investment in Israeli efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine. And early this week, Israel and UAE stem cell therapy companies agreed to collaborate on COVID-19 treatments.
The historic peace agreement reportedly took Palestinian leaders by surprise. A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the deal amounted to “treason” and the Palestinian ambassador to the UAE was being recalled.
Israel agrees to suspend West Bank annexation plans
Although Netanyahu agreed to suspend the planned extension of sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samarai to facilitate relations with the UAE and potentially other Muslim countries, it is not off the table.
“I will never give up on our right to our land,” said Netanyahu.
The Trump administration is in talks with other Gulf States to reach normalization agreements with Israel, according to sources in Washington D.C. and Jerusalem. Bahrain is likely to be next.
On Twitter, Netanyahu thanked the leaders of the Arab world for their support of the agreement. He wrote, “I thank Egyptian President al-Sisi, and the governments of Oman and Bahrain for their support of the historic peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.”
Tensions are rising amid rocket and incendiary attacks from the Gaza Strip and Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes and fishing restrictions.
On Monday, one attack started a fire outside a kindergarten. Thankfully, no damage was caused to the school and there were no injuries.
This was the latest in a week of incendiary balloon attacks that ignited wildfires in Israel and led to Israeli airstrikes in response. Israel has targeted positions of Hamas, the terror group that runs that Palestinian territory.
The latest tensions meant Israel also closed its Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza and tightened its naval blockade of the territory. This restricts Gaza’s coastal fishing zone.
A statement from Israeli fire services said fire scene investigators had identified 149 blazes in southern Israel since August 6 caused by incendiary balloons floating across from Gaza, according to The Times of Israel.
The Israeli army said dozens of Palestinians had “instigated riots along the Gaza Strip security fence” on Sunday evening.
As we thank God for the historic peace treaty between Israel and the UAE, please pray with me for:
The normalization agreement between Israel and the UAE to be the first of more opportunities for peace with Arab countries
Thank you for praying with us for Israel and the Jewish people. You can also show your support with a financial gift.
Your generous gift will meet urgent needs for the most vulnerable Jewish populations in Israel – who are suffering even more because of the pandemic. You’ll help come alongside elderly men and women, recent immigrants, widows, orphans and others who are struggling with even basic necessities.
Your support today will also be used to reach the “Lost Tribes of Israel,” scattered around the world, with humanitarian aid, clean water and medical, dental and eye care.
Meeting physical needs opens the door to share the love and hope of Yeshua (Jesus) with Jewish people, bringing spiritual healing to hurting hearts.
Your gift will also help engage the Church concerning Israel and the Jewish people through our publications and social media presence, leadership training and more.
Thank you for being a faithful supporter of Jewish Voice and for your love for the Jewish people in Israel and around the world. I’m grateful for your partnership and know you share in my enthusiasm about this new, historic peace agreement. May God open more opportunities for peace!
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.””
James 1:5 NIV
Wisdom. God wants to give it to us if we will ask. Let us not only ask for ourselves, but for leaders and decision-makers around the world. We need wisdom in the ongoing battle against the coronavirus. Israel’s leaders need wisdom to do what is best for their people. And, let’s pray specifically for the people of Lebanon as they need great wisdom to move forward after last week’s shocking tragedy.
In the wake of that devastating explosion in Beirut, massive protests took place against the Lebanese government and against Hezbollah. The country’s economy has been in dire straits for a long time and for many, this incident was the last straw. On Monday, the prime minister and the entire Lebanese Cabinet resigned. We’ll all be watching closely to see what happens next and praying for God to raise up the right people to lead Lebanon forward.
Here is more detailed news about the latest developments regarding Lebanon and the coronavirus in Israel.
On Monday, after a weekend full of protests and anger directed at the country’s ruling elite over last week’s devastating blast in Beirut, Lebanon’s government resigned.
The government has been accused of corruption, incompetence and mismanagement for months. Since October there have been mass demonstrations demanding the leadership’s departure.
“Lets hope a new government will be formed quickly,” Public Works Minister Michel Najjar told reporters. “An effective government is the least we need to get out of this crisis.”
The blast is believed to have been caused by a fire that set off a 2,750-ton stockpile of explosive ammonium nitrate. It had been stored at the port since 2013 with few precautions despite warnings of the danger.
World leaders and international organizations pledged nearly $300 million in emergency humanitarian aid to Beirut in the wake of the explosion. But Lebanese authorities must commit themselves to the political and economic reforms demanded by the people before money for rebuilding the capital would be made available, according to The Times of Israel.
Doctors in Israel fear many lives will be needlessly lost if people who were wounded in last week’s port explosion in Beirut aren’t allowed to go to Israel for treatment.
“It will mean unnecessary suffering and death,” Anthony Luder, a senior doctor at Ziv Medical Center in Safed, told The Times of Israel.
Luder said that if Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based Iran-backed terror group that is also part of the Lebanese government, blocks the treatment, “these people will be the victims of Hezbollah terror, no less than people who are shot by the group.”
“The number of people killed in Beirut indicates there are thousands facing health issues, and they just don’t have the facilities to treat them, while other neighbors aren’t in a good situation to help them,” Luder explained.
In addition to Israeli hospitals offering treatment, the Israeli government offered humanitarian help to Lebanon last week. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “We distinguish between the regimes and the people.”
Israeli government working to ensure its citizens can receive Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it’s available
Biotech company Moderna, working with the National Institutes of Health in the U.S., has started the third and final stage of the clinical trial for its COVID-19 vaccination.
The company’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Tal Zaks, said, “As a former Israeli I'm glad to know that the Israeli government has indeed seen fit to make sure the vaccination will be available to its population.” Zaks confirmed that Israel is one of the countries that has already ordered the vaccine, according to YNet News.
Moderna and the National Institutes of Health are starting mass human trials with 30,000 participants – half will receive the vaccination and the other half a placebo.
There is currently no concrete timeline as to when the vaccination will be made available to the general public.
"We assume that around November-December we will know if the vaccination works," said Zaks.
Just over two weeks into his appointment to lead Israel’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, Ronni Gamzu got his strategic plan passed by the coronavirus cabinet last week.
This victory means at least two weeks without a country-wide lockdown. Gamzu’s plan received top scores from three medical experts.
The Jerusalem Post asked for input from: Cyrille Cohen, head of the immunotherapy laboratory at Bar-Ilan University, Hadassah Medical Center head Zeev Rotstein and Arnon Afek, deputy director-general of Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer.
Cohen said Gamzu avoided what would have been an ineffective and unwarranted lockdown.
“I hear a lot of people saying put lockdown in effect now and end” [the spread of the virus], said Cohen. But if nothing else changes within two weeks of lifting the lockdown, Israel would be back where it started concerning the infection rate and the economy will be worse off than before, he explained.
He added that if we look closely at the data, it is correct that “we are seeing a kind of flattening of the curve.” He said Gamzu is looking not only at the total number of new patients, but the number of critical patients.
Rostein said the number of severe patients and total number of patients is on the decline.
“Under this observation, no more restrictions are needed,” Rostein said, with emphasis on “more,” meaning he would not advise lifting any of the remaining restrictions.
Afek said, “We are trying to recreate an agreement with the public about the importance of doing all the right things to prevent this lockdown. I hope the public understands the need to cooperate to prevent a lockdown.”
We are learning today that Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have just agreed to the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab country in the past 25 years, according to The Jerusalem Post. The peace treaty was decided on in a phone call between U.S. President Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed. Next week, we will present full coverage on the topic.
As we ask God for wisdom for ourselves and others, please pray with me for:
Leaders in Lebanon to do what is best for their people as the country works to recover from the devastating explosion in Beirut, including making sure those who are injured get the medical care they need
Israel’s government to work together in the ongoing battle against the coronavirus
Thank you for praying with us for Israel and the Jewish people. You can also show your support with a financial gift.
Your generous gift will meet urgent needs for the most vulnerable Jewish populations in Israel – who are suffering even more because of the pandemic. You’ll help come alongside elderly men and women, recent immigrants, widows, orphans and others who are struggling with even basic necessities.
Your support today will also be used to reach the “Lost Tribes of Israel” scattered around the world with humanitarian aid, clean water and medical, dental and eye care.
Meeting physical needs opens the door to share the love and hope of Yeshua (Jesus) with Jewish people, bringing spiritual healing to hurting hearts.
Your gift will also help engage the Church concerning Israel and the Jewish people through our publications and social media presence, leadership training and more.
Thank you for being a faithful supporter of Jewish Voice and for your love for the Jewish people in Israel and around the world. I’m grateful for your partnership.
Are we in the End Times? What is God’s plan for the Jewish people? Do Gentile Believers have a role to play? Does understanding the Feasts of the Bible provide insight for our lives today? What is the significance of current events in Israel and the Middle East? How can I share the Good News with Jewish family and friends?
Each of these pertinent questions – and more – is addressed by the JVMI Speakers ministry. JVMI Speakers is part of the third element of our mission, which is to “engage the Church concerning Israel and the Jewish people.”
The Body of Believers throughout the world is precious to the Lord. And God desires us to grow in knowing Him and what matters to Him. This includes the important aspect of understanding His heart and plans for the Jewish people and Israel.
Would you pray for our speakers and church engagement team as we seek to bring congregations into partnership with God in these areas?
Please pray for:
We feel an urgency to see the Gospel proclaimed to the Jew first and see the world’s Messianic Jewish community grow. We know it is critical to both biblical prophecy and Jewish Voice’s ability to fulfill our mission that Gentile Believers understand the significance of Israel and the Jewish people. Thank you for joining us in prayer as we seek to engage the Church!
Let’s pray:
Lord, we have always been called to take the Good News of salvation to the Jewish people. But we also have good news for Gentile Believers and churches as well: news that will help them understand the whole of Scripture, see Your hand in biblical prophecy and current events, and find peace in troubled times. Please prepare the way for our speakers bearing Your message and use us to call the Church into understanding Your heart and partnering with You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.
Coming September 1, 2020!
One is Jewish. One is Gentile. Both believe in Jesus. Ezra Benjamin and Carly Berna from the Jewish Voice team join up on a podcast to explore life, faith and current events from a biblical viewpoint. And with their different religious backgrounds, they’re going to disagree on some points.
You won’t hear this kind of thing in your church or Bible study. Nothing’s off-limits on A Jew & A Gentile Discuss.
You’ll:
In the first few episodes alone, they’ll:
Trust us – you won’t want to miss this podcast!
You and I share an exciting vision: that “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26). And everything we do together, as partners in ministry, is with that goal in mind.
It’s about the Gospel – introducing the Jewish people and their neighbors to Jesus, the Messiah. It’s the greatest and the most important way you can bless anyone.
And it has never been more important than it is now amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Of course, humanitarian works, like our Medical Outreaches, are critical. But without the Good News, these efforts make only a temporary difference.
That’s why ministry work among the Jewish people wherever they are around the world – is never a one-time event. We at Jewish Voice don’t feel called to short-term ministry.
Rather, much like the biblical model, we believe God has called us to build long-term partnerships around the world – to plant, support and come alongside local churches and Messianic congregations. And, through God’s blessing, to help grow these communities as vibrant witnesses for the transforming power of the Gospel.
Linking arms with other ministry partners and congregations helps cultivate each seed of faith sown so that it will eventually bear good, strong, vibrant fruit… especially in areas where there’s little or no knowledge of Jesus. Both in Israel and around the world.
This is a massive undertaking. And I believe it is one of the greatest ways to build God’s Kingdom this year.
Your help will make a big difference…
Even as I write, through your gifts, Jewish Voice supports some 300 other congregations and ministries around the world. This number includes work in Israel, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Russia, Poland, Argentina, United States, Mexico, Canada and more.
In fact, it costs over $3 million to support these ministries for an entire year. And I’m praying you can give a generous gift to help.
But more than that, let’s go even further…
This year, let’s grow the number of ministries and congregations that we support together.
This is a huge undertaking for Jewish Voice. But I’m sure you’ll agree … the potential for building God’s Kingdom is too great and too important to do anything less.
But we can only move ahead with this as the Lord opens doors. And as He provides through His people.
Thank you in advance. You will make such a difference!
