Apples of Gold Sep/Oct 2025
I often take the bus to Jerusalem. The things I hear on my rides are hard to believe.
This week, my wife and I took our seats on the bus next to several ultra-Orthodox men. They believe their duty is to fight against those who do not believe what they believe. A nice man who did not cover his head stepped onto the bus. When the ultra-Orthodox saw him, several of them started to curse him while the others shouted, “Amen!”
Their behavior was a great surprise to me. I could not ignore their curses. I was determined to serve the Lord by bringing the message of His salvation to those who are stiff-necked and far from Him. As I prepared to speak to them, I knew they would curse me; but I was not afraid. I was not waiting for anyone to help me rebuke them because Jesus said, “Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves” (Lk. 10:3).
“Please,” I said to them, “can you show me where these curses are written in your prayer books?”
“Who are you? What do you want with us?” one of them replied.
“I have heard what you are reading from your prayer books,” I said.
“Are you against what is written in them?” one asked.
“I know the One in whom I have believed,” I said. “He is the God of love. He is ready to forgive the sins of all who come before Him and ask for His forgiveness. The Lord speaks not with such dirty curses but with His love.”
“What are you talking about? Where did you learn these things?” one asked.
“From the Holy Bible,” I answered.
“You’re dreaming!” one said. “Show us where this is written.”
I had been waiting for them to say this. “With pleasure!” I said.
I opened my Bible to Isaiah 53 and gave it to them. They had never heard of this chapter before, so they read quietly. When they finished, they gave my Bible to their rabbi who sat among them on the bus. After he read the passage, he asked them, “Who gave you this Bible to read?”
The men pointed me out to their rabbi. So, he asked me the same question they asked me earlier: “Who are you?”
“I am one of God’s Chosen People of Israel. As it is written, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified’” (Isa. 49:3).
“But we are sure you are not really a true Israeli,” one said. “If a war breaks out, you will be the first one to fight against our country.”
“I am an Israeli citizen,” I said. “My duty is to be faithful to the land of Israel, which God has given us.”
“You say these nice things; but when war begins, you will be on the other side,” the man said.
“You call yourselves good citizens and call me an enemy of Israel,” I said. “If you can show me that you have done more for Israel than I have, I will join you. If you cannot, you must understand that you are far from the heart of God, who gave this land to us.”
“We know that you want to show that you are a good citizen, but how can you prove what you have done for our land?” one asked me.
So, I showed them my medal bearing the highest decoration from the Israeli army.
“This demonstrates what I have done for Israel,” I said. “This medal represents not only one war but all of them [1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973] and many other battles. If this is not enough proof for you, you should know that my sons also serve in the army. I have done this not only to be a good citizen but to be faithful to the living God.”
After this, I continued to show them from Scripture what the Lord has done for us all through His Son, Jesus. I pray those men and the others on the bus will understand what they have heard and seek Him with their whole hearts.
From The Friends of Israel archives
