Apples of Gold Jul/Aug 2022

There are many ultra-Orthodox organizations here in Israel. Each one is filled with people who want to show how faithfully they work against those who do not believe as they do. They especially try to make trouble for those of us who believe in God according to the Bible and have faith in Jesus.

We put our trust in the Lord, and we go to stiff-necked people to teach them about salvation. This is our obligation before the Lord, and we do this with great joy. But they say we are dangerous!

I have lived among these people for many years, and I know their mentality. I go to their synagogues to speak with them. Some of them know me and even like to speak with me. I never go to them aggressively, but slowly and surely. And I never bring books with me—only one small Book: the Holy Bible.

Before I read from it, I give the Bible to them so they can see with their own eyes that it is the Holy Scriptures. Recently I went to a synagogue where the rabbi spoke about the Messiah, saying that He must come this year!

Many of them listened attentively. I was waiting for the rabbi to finish, as I always do. Then he asked, “Are there any questions?” I am always waiting for him to ask this question.

“Rabbi,” I said, “I have a question.”

“I am so happy that someone among us was listening and has a question,” he replied.

“It is very clearly written that the Messiah was already here,” I said.

He stared at me.

“From which old storybook have you taken this false news?” he asked. “Who told you this? I see you are not one of us,” he said, noticing that I was not dressed like the ultra-Orthodox men. “Tell me, from which book have you found such stories?” he asked.

“From the Holy Bible,” I said. “This is what I have believed. Because we are the people of the Bible, we must bring this Book to the ends of the earth and bring His salvation according to what is written in Isaiah 49:3–6. This is all written here. If you do not believe me, here is the Bible! Take a good look, and see if these are old stories or the words of the Lord written by the Holy Spirit.”

When I said, “by the Holy Spirit,” they started to shout at me. One said, “Of course, you are with those Christians because they speak about the Holy Spirit!”

This time I read to them from Psalm 51: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me” (vv. 10–11).

“What did King David ask from the Lord?” I asked. “He asked for the Holy Spirit. What do you teach your pupils? That they must worship after false beliefs?” I asked the rabbi.

This time I was sure they would cast me out of the synagogue. But they started to ask me questions instead.

“How did you come to this subject?” one asked me.

“I believed in the Lord according to the Holy Bible, which was written by the Holy Spirit. I do not put my faith in a big stack of books that teach false beliefs and are against the will of the Lord,” I said. “You are afraid of the truth. You will not read Isaiah 53.” Isaiah 53 clearly speaks of Jesus.

Now they became angry. “So, you follow This Man!” one shouted, meaning Jesus.

But I was not afraid. I remembered Luke 12:11–12, which always encourages me: “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

It is our duty to go to these people, so that is what I will continue to do. Pray they will read the Holy Bible, written by the Holy Spirit, instead of their big stack of commentaries and that they will put their faith in God, instead of in their rabbis.

From The Friends of Israel archives

Zvi Kalisher (1928–2014) was a Holocaust survivor who was known for his unswerving faithfulness to the Lord and his bold witness in Jerusalem. He was with The Friends of Israel for more than 55 years.