Shalom Fellow Israelite,
O YHVH, our Elohim, How excellent is Your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:9); Let all the earth fear YHVH; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to YHVH, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You (Psalm 22:27); That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. Let the peoples praise You, O Elohim; Let all the peoples praise You. Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall judge the people righteously, And govern the nations on earth. Selah (Psalm 67:2-5).
These words, penned by the psalmist, are still waiting their fulfillment. When traveling in the Far East, where different and diverse "gods" and spirits are worshipped, we came across many people who have not yet heard of the Elohim of Israel, nor were they even aware of the "one God" concept. It was the first time we had ever encountered people whose reservoir of knowledge (or information) did not include this one essential fact that we almost take for granted. There were many other surprises that met us in each of the Asian countries that we traveled in: Myanmar (alias Burma), Sri Lanka (former Ceylon), Japan and South Korea. Yet in spite of the diversities of the cultures and regardless of the state and condition of the populous, it was clear that our Elohim reigns supreme even in the remotest regions of the earth. We also witnessed the sad results of ancient Israel's penchant for idolatry and its dissemination among the peoples of the world, especially as we examined the Shinto religion's customs, ceremonies, edifices, etc. in Japan. Things would have been very different if we, YHVH's people, would have responded to the words of Deuteronomy 4:6: "Therefore be careful to observe them [YHVH's laws and statutes]; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'" As we know, this hasn't taken place, and therefore not only is Israel not recognized, but worse, as already mentioned, Israel's Elohim is not known and has not been heard of. Even in places where they mention "Jesus," many times there is ignorance as to His Jewish heritage.
At the same time, YHVH's latter day plan to restore His people from the "ends of the earth" to Himself and to their inheritance (see Isaiah 41:9) is gathering momentum. In Sri Lanka we were privileged to be hosted by such a group, with whom bonding and family ties were instantaneous. It was a great joy to be with "Israel" who loves YHVH and His son and the Torah, in that beautiful land of lush foliage of every shade of green and rolling hills covered with tea bushes. This was very refreshing after Myanmar (where we met our daughter who like many young Israelis is traveling the world after her three year stint in the army). In the former Burma we traveled for almost two weeks without encountering a single fellow believer, but did witness thousands of pagodas and "stupas" (as they are called), the erecting of which is encouraged by the totalitarian regime. We could not help but feel great compassion toward those who are forced to live in such a hopeless state, but yet show kindness to their fellow man and maintain orderliness as they plug away in their daily toils.
Sri Lanka greeted us with beautiful smiles, so much so that we no longer use "cheese" when posing for photos, but "Sri Lanka". The teaching and sharing there were well received, and even when the opportunity availed itself to have a larger gathering with those who did not necessarily have the same awareness as our "family" group, that too seemed to have gone well. The love, kindness and generosity that were extended to us were over and beyond, not to speak of the absolutely sumptuous home cooking that we were privileged to partake of.
From Sri Lanka to Japan is a long sprint. Much to our amazement, when going through passport control Ephraim was taken to a side room where he was held for a while without any explanation. However, that did not signify the nature of the rest of our encounters with the Japanese people. Helpfulness, cordiality and good will were shown us whenever and wherever we were in that amazing land, not less so by our very special friends who toured with us for the first few days and taught us the ropes of using the wonderful train system. Meticulously clean and beautifully arrayed Japan is thought to have been home to many Israelites who left their mark, as pointed above, especially in the Shinto religion as well as in the language. More firsthand information regarding this topic was shared with us by two pastors who are each involved in researching it. Pastors Atakeda and Arimasa took us around the shrines that were close to their respective homes, explaining various details and customs. This information inspired us to pray in those places and in others similar ones, for the memory of the identity to be stirred up within the large remnant of Israel resident among the Japanese people, and also to occasionally mention this topic to the friendly individuals who approached us. More than once Abba confirmed our prayers by some kind of a sign, contributing to the sense of "mission accomplished".
Our week in South Korea was loaded with meetings with different kinds of groups, each with a slightly different thrust, though most were lovers of Israel. Some welcomed us as family, just as they did in Sir Lanka. When first arriving in Seoul we noted thousands of crosses all over the city, which indicated a strong Christian presence. However, it did not take long to discover that not many have a deep understanding of their connection to Israel, although a great number do pray for Israel, and bless Israel so as to receive the promised blessings to those who "bless Abraham". We pray that the seeds deposited there will take root on the good ground in which they were sown, and that Abba will give the growth as the rain of the Spirit keeps watering them.
It is not easy to assemble the very many pieces that form the colorful tapestry of our Far East journey, as each piece (that is, each day, encounter, and event) was very rich in and of itself, and it would take many words to describe all the details. We are still awed at Abba's continued provision for every need, great and small, along the way and at the manifestation of His love toward us and others whom we were in contact with, and since He is no respecter of persons we can say confidently that He loves and cares for you too in multitude of ways.
Following our journey the next scriptures have taken on an added meaning
Isaiah 41:8-9; Isaiah 42:6-8; Isaiah 43:5-6; Isaiah 66:15-22; Jeremiah 12:14-16 ; Jeremiah 12:14-16; Jeremiah 31:9-11; Zechariah 8:7-8.
Shabbat Shalom,
Ephraim and Rimona
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