Dear Family in the Messiah Yeshua! Greetings and blessing from your brothers and sisters at “Holy Land Ministries in Israel”!
As we approach the festival of Pesach (Passover) and Chag HaMatzot (the festival of unleavened bread) , celebrated in Israel from Monday evening 22nd April through to the evening of Tuesday 30th April 2024, Israel is in the middle of a war that has lasted over 6 months.
Recently Iran attacked Israel directly sending over 300 drones, missiles and ballistic missiles towards Israeli territory.
Miraculously 99% of them were destroyed en-route and only minor damage sustained. One young girl was seriously injured.
Despite the Vicious attacks of the enemy and the wavering support of many of her allies Israel is still standing strong.
As the famous song says “Am Israel Chai” – the people of Israel live and will continue to exist, not because of the IDF, or the government, but because of the covenant promises of the God of Abraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.
“Thus says the Lord: ‘If My covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth, then I will cast away the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, so that I will not take any of his descendants to be rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
For I will cause their captives to return, and will have mercy on them.”
Jeremiah 33:25-26
So as we come near to the celebration of God’s redeeming act in the Exodus from Egypt we can look also to the realization of that redemption through Messiah Yeshua’s death, burial and victorious resurrection and to the final fulfillment in His glorious return to establish His Kingdom on the earth.
“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.
And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,
Who shall stand as a banner to the people;
For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
And His resting place shall be glorious.”
Isaiah 11:9-10
We are pleased to include in this newsletter the following article on the feast of Pesach written by our local Rabbi and dear brother in Messiah Yeshua.
Passover Change
The Children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt and instead of serving HaShem, they were forced to obey Pharaoh. This certainly was not according to the will of G-d and therefore on one particular day, and through one particular element, G-d brought a change not only to the Children of Israel, but one that impacted the entire world. When examining the Biblical account of Passover, one learns that what HaShem brought about provides divine revelation that every human being needs to understand and apply to his or her own life.
The purpose of Israel’s existence is to bring G-d’s blessings into this world. Due to Israel’s sin, selling their brother Joseph into slavery, the entire nation of Israel found themselves also in slavery in Egypt. This meant that what G-d intended to do with the Children of Israel could not come about through natural means. Therefore, G-d acted to bring about a change which would realign not just the Hebrews, but the entire world, in order that G-d’s intended purposes could be fulfilled. This change occurred not only on a specific day, but through a specific element. The day was Passover and the element which G-d used was the blood of the Passover sacrifice.
In the Scriptures, Egypt should often be understood symbolically as relating to the world. In other words, the Biblical Passover account reveals a message that has implications far beyond the borders of Egypt, but will impact the entire world. Egypt was the most powerful nation in the world when it held the people of Israel in bondage. Pharaoh was seen as the most powerful leader in the world. An important part of the Passover account was that the G-d of Israel commanded Pharaoh to send forth G-d’s people from Egypt so that they could worship / serve G-d. Pharaoh’s response was based on two factors. First, he did not know the G-d of Israel and secondly, he did not want to participate in G-d’s will. HaShem did indeed bring a change, not only to Pharaoh’s thoughts, but also to his behaviour. This change did not only relate to the Hebrews, but it is emphasized in the Bible that a mixed multitude of people also came out of Egypt with the Children of Israel (See Exodus 12:38). Before speaking about the specific element which G-d used to bring the people out of Egypt, it is important that one understands how the Bible discussed G-d’s actions in Egypt. In Exodus 12:12 one reads, וּבְכָל-אֱלֹהֵי מִצְרַיִם אֶעֱשֶׂה שְׁפָטִים, אֲנִי יְהוָה “ And with all the gods of Egypt, I will make judgments, I am the L-RD.”
This verse makes it clear that there is a spiritual component in regard to what G-d intends to do to Egypt. It is very significant that the phrase וּבְכָל-אֱלֹהֵי מִצְרַיִם means that HaShem is going to deal with all the gods of Egypt. The last part of the verse is אֶעֱשֶׂה שְׁפָטִים, אֲנִי יְהוָה which informs the reader that G-d will bring judgment upon the false gods of Egypt and reveal to the Egyptians and the world that He is the L-RD. The Hebrew word שְׁפָטִים is in the plural and many the of English translations fail to reflect this. The purpose of the plural is to show the reader that the judgment which HaShem will bring upon Egypt will be abundant, severe and have implications that will go beyond the borders of Egypt.
It certainly was not a coincidence that Yeshua was crucified and died on Passover. All four Gospels state that Yeshua went to the Cross on “the Preparation Day” (Matthew 27:62, Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54, John 19:42) which is another term for Passover day, i.e., the fourteenth day of the first month. It is theologically correct to understand the crucifixion relates to the judgment of G-d. Yeshua’s death on the Cross represents the full and complete judgment of G-d upon sin. However, it is vital that a person comprehends that it is only when one accepts, by faith, Yeshua’s Passover sacrifice, then His full payment is applied and the believer will never experience the eternal wrath of G-d. This point is easy to understand when one considers the Passover account in the book of Exodus.
It has already been stated that Israel found herself in bondage to Pharaoh due to Joseph’s brothers selling him into slavery. Even in Jewish literature, they explain that while the Children of Israel were in Egypt 430 years, they descended to such a level that they had absolutely no merit, in and of themselves, which would cause G-d to redeem them; rather, it was solely the outcome of His grace that He redeemed them through the blood of the Passover sacrifice. The Passover offering is connected to redemption and is known in Judaism as the sacrifice which has a redemptive outcome. Because Yeshua was crucified on Passover, His death has a redemptive purpose and the writer of Hebrews informs the reader that the blood of Yeshua purchased eternal redemption for those who receive Him through the Gospel.
ουδε δι αιματος τραγων και μοσχων δια δε του ιδιου αιματος εισηλθεν εφαπαξ εις τα αγια αιωνιαν λυτρωσιν ευραμενος
“But not by blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered once and for all into the Holy Places, having obtained eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:12
The writer of Hebrews teaches with this verse some very important truths. First, the blood of the Messiah is far superior to that of the blood of goats and calves. Secondly, whereas Temple sacrifices were repeated, the Passover offering of Yeshua does not need to be done again.
The Greek word εφαπαξ is highly significant, as it informs the reader that there was a complete sufficiency to Yeshua’s blood and it purchases for every believer eternal redemption. Biblically speaking, redemption brings two significant changes to those who are redeemed. Redemption brings a change of identity and location. For example, marriage is a covenant of redemption. The groom actually redeems his wife, and she receives a new identity as she becomes part of his family and dwells with him. This means that when a person accepts the Gospel, Yeshua’s death and His blood cause this one to become a member of the family of G-d and a citizen of the Kingdom of G-d.
Passover is only one day, and on this day Israel prepared the Passover offering which was actually partaken of on the first day of Unleavened Bread. It is also during the Festival of Unleavened Bread that there is another important commandment to be observed. This relates to the beginning of the Spring harvest. It was a Biblical commandment for the Children of Israel to bring on the first day of the week after the first day of Unleavened Bread the first-fruits of the harvest to the priest. Yeshua’s resurrection occurred on the same day as this commandment was observed.
When studying the New Covenant, one learns that Yeshua is not just the Head of the Congregation of the Redeemed (Church), but is specifically called the Firstborn from the dead (See Colossians 1:18). This verse also states that He also has Preeminence in all things. The resurrection of Yeshua brought a powerful change to His disciples. Although they had been told that He had been raised from the dead, they struggled to believe this. In fact, they had locked themselves in a room because of fear (See John 21:19-22). Afterwards, the resurrected Yeshua manifested Himself to His disciples and breathed upon them the Holy Spirit. These two things, believing in the resurrected Yeshua and receiving the Holy Spirit, brought about a most significant change upon the disciples. As in the past, before believing in Yeshua’s resurrection, these men were full of fear, but after encountering the resurrected Yeshua and receiving the Holy Spirit, these same men became the very ones who turned the world upside down through preaching our Passover Lamb Who died on Passover, but was raised from the dead victoriously. It is only through faith in Him that one can experience this Passover change and the victory that comes with it.
“We would like to share with you a real answer to prayer. Many of you have been praying for “labourers for the harvest”.
Our dear brother and sister in the LORD, David and Mary, have recently joined the team of HLM in Ashqelon. They are both mature and committed disciples of Yeshua who have a heart to reach out to the needy with the love of Messiah. They have spent many years in outreach in the former Soviet Union and speak Russian fluently which is a great benefit for the elderly people they will be ministering to.
They will be involved with the ministry to the elderly, holocaust survivors and the lone soldier ministry.
Please pray that they will be a blessing to HLM and they will also be blessed as they minister in the LORD’s harvest field.” Please continue to pray for the ministry to our elderly wards in Ashqelon. Some of our wards are pictured below:
Dear Friends, please continue to pray for our ministry to the new Jewish immigrants (“Olim Chadashim” in Hebrew) coming to Israel.
This particular project is very dear to our heart and we have been involved in it for a number of years already.
Due to the tragic events of the 7th of October, immigration to Israel has dropped sharply. Of course, we believe this is a temporary situation and in spite of the shock caused by this disaster the Jewish “Alijah” (the return of Jewish people to their homeland) will be renewed soon.
In the meantime we are asking your prayers for the family of the new Jewish immigrants whom we have already hosted once in our guest house in Beer Sheva. It is the family of Yaroslav and Helena with their little son Rodion. We have introduced them to you then in one of our previous newsletters last year.
The fact is that they left Israel after the brutal terrorist attack on October the 7th. After this the continuous rocket barrages paralyzed life in Israel, at least for the first month. Many citizens left the country at that time being unable to bear this reality.
Yaroslav and Helena also left for Russia, not knowing how to cope and what to do in this, new for them, situation. After their return to Russia, they found themselves home sick for Israel and in spite of the war situation they realized they could not imagine their life anywhere outside of Israel. So they returned to Israel and we have received them in our shelter for the second time at the beginning of this year. Yaroslav and Helena are determined to stay and build their future here.
“For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me, when you search for Me with all your heart”. Jeremiah 29:11-13
For the last few months we have had many opportunities to witness and to minister to this precious family. We are really encouraged to see their commitment and desire to settle in this new country even in a such dramatic times.
They are diligently learning Hebrew and working at various jobs, trying to support themselves and their little son. Things are not easy here, but Yaroslav and Helena are clearly seeing the loving and directing hand of God, Who brought them to Israel, and continues to guide and protect them in many different ways in their life.
The health of their little son Rodion has significantly improved in Israel due to the fervent prayers of all of us and to the latest achievements of Israel’s medical and healthcare system that the Lord has blessed abundantly during the last decades.
Dear friends, please keep in your prayers this precious Family. Please pray that the Lord’s will be done in their lives, for His guidance and healing of their son Rodion and for their establishment and prosperity in Israel, in the land of their fathers and , and of course most importantly, – for the Saving Faith of the Messiah Yeshua for all of them.
We would also like to introduce you all to our dear sister Yasmin (not her real name). She is a believer from Kyrgyzstan who is part of one of the groups partnering with HLM in Kyrgyzstan, in a place called Osh.
She is an ex-muslim who has come to a saving faith in Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ). She runs the small group of believers there and is active in challenging the Islamic authorities and anti-semitic rhetoric in her community.
The Mullah’s there are more active than most in Kyrgyzstan due to Osh being set in a very poor rural area where they have more sway over the populace.
She also has a heart to reach the many poor and needy in her area.
Please pray for her protection, strength and blessing as she seeks to reach out to her community to bring the light of Yeshua and the truth about Israel.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:10-12
Holy Land Ministries 