It’s very interesting because Ezekiel in that prophecy continues and is hinting at a strong friendship with the Arabian Peninsula and, of course, also a weak America and Europe. And it’s very interesting what he says. He says, “Sheba and Dedan.” These are the names of the Saudi Arabian Peninsula today. Sheba and Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, Western Europe, and all the young lions, which are considered to be what America was born of, will say to those that come against Israel, “Have you come to plunder? To take plunder and to gather your armies to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, and to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?” It is the moderate Sunni Muslim countries as well as the European and the Americans that will criticize the radical attack on Israel from the side of Russia, Iran, and Turkey.
And it’s very interesting because they will identify the fact that they’re coming against stuff that we have, such as natural gas, oil, and all of our technologies. And now comes the point, and I want to make it very, very clear. October 7th was a point where many Israelis were shaken to their core because for us, the military was always something almost holy. Something that we trust in levels that we don’t trust anything else in the country. We don’t trust the judicial system, the political system, the executive branch. We don't trust anything even remotely close to how we trust the military. And the crisis was, for many Israelis, that the military failed to defend its people. And it’s interesting because if you think that in the war that Ezekiel describes that is coming next that it is the military of Israel that is going to be so strong and so good in order to bring about a victory, you better kiss that thought goodbye. This will be a victorious ending of a war, but it will be a divine victory.
Nothing is more important to any type of relationship than trust. When trust is broken there are always companion issues that follow. In marriage, heartbreak is often the outcome. In friendships, a severed relationship is usually the consequence. In politics, suspicion is the end result of a breech of trust.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
There has to be significant trust in order to acknowledge the better understanding of someone else to the degree that you allow them to direct your path. That level of trust is not just extended while still unproven. It is the end result of consistent faithfulness to the relationship.
While trust is often broken in this life, there is still one place where we can be assured that will never happen. That is in the word of God and the God of the word, and, yes, they are inseparable. God is never wrong and His word is always trustworthy and true.
As we watch the world spiral out of control we know the end of the story. Israel will not be destroyed, and the devil and his two servants during the tribulation will be defeated by the returning Lord. There will be peace on earth when the Prince of Peace rules it for a thousand years. The best part about all that is that we can live with those assurances even before they happen.
Psalms 119:160
The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
His word says He’s coming back for us, and then later with us. Trusting in that fact alone should change how we view everything we encounter and endure until He comes.
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,