Zvi Jan/Feb 2013
Living in Israel is like living on a volcano. We are surrounded by enemies who want to destroy us. Those of us who believe in the mighty Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ, even have enemies among our own people. Most of them are ultra-Orthodox, and they do everything they can to fight against those of us who believe in the Lord according to the Holy Bible.
They try to make much trouble for us. I am on their blacklist. Some of them believe they are fighting a holy war against us. But despite everything they do, I am not afraid of them because I put my trust in the Lord, who said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). So to whom do I speak most about the salvation that is in Jesus Christ? To the ultra-Orthodox!
For many years I went to them to show them the truth from the Holy Bible. I wanted them to read passages they never saw before so that they would understand more about our great God and Savior and go from darkness into light.
Not long ago, some of the ultra-Orthodox came to me at home. Not one or two came, but four! They had never been to our home before, but they all knew about me. And each one wanted to prove himself more active than his friends in fighting against someone who believes in Christ. For me, this was nothing new.
I have lived in this neighborhood in Jerusalem for 38 years. Most of the people here know me, and I am good friends with them. They come to me seeking help with home repairs. The Lord has blessed me with the ability to do carpentry and work with electricity. So I gladly go to people in need and fix their homes for free. I try to treat all of them with love.
The four ultra-Orthodox men first went to my neighbors, trying to turn them against me. They were surprised no one wanted to listen to them and instead cast them out of their homes. My neighbors’ support for me gave me more courage to speak about faith in the Lord. If the ultra-Orthodox knew what a great help they have been to me, they would not come here. They thought they could make people hate me, but instead my neighbors showed me more love.
The four men were not happy. They came to my home and made a great scene, shouting at me. My neighbors began to gather, and the men yelled at them, “Do not listen to him. He is a traitor to Israel!”
But my neighbors defended me. They know I received the highest decoration the Israeli army gives because I fought in all of Israel’s wars until I retired. “If he were such a traitor,” one declared, “why would a general in the army come to him and give him such a decoration? We have seen it.”
The four were surprised. After a while they started to be friendly and wanted to know more about me. I did not have to say anything. My neighbors spoke for me. One said, “He is not a traitor but a great hero in Israel! An Israeli general came to him and gave him a great decoration. We have seen it with our own eyes. You call him a traitor because he has believed in the living God, according to the Holy Bible. And you call yourselves holy, but you are doing what is not right. You follow after your rabbis and not after what is written in the Bible.
“You say he is a traitor. But he fought for the land that the Lord has given to His Chosen People, Israel. And he follows what is written by the Holy Spirit of God.”
The ultra-Orthodox men were extremely surprised. One looked at me and said, “We are very sorry. We have made a big mistake. We have a lot to think about. Please forgive us.”
I replied, “The Lord gave Himself for our sins. So who am I to reject you? I receive your forgiveness.”
How grateful I am to God that He fought the battle for me, and all I had to do was stand still and see His deliverance. What a great God we serve.
