Israel Survives Against All Odds
Early in the morning hours of Saturday, April 13th, my wife and I were in Jerusalem during Iran’s attack on Israel. Our first indication something was wrong was the sirens began to go off, warning of an attack. The fireworks in the sky were quite visible. Iran sent as many as 350 cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and armed drone aircraft to attack Israel. We could see missiles streaking across the sky and Israel’s iron dome firing interceptor missiles from the ground to engage them. While the system is effective, it is a miracle that virtually all of these missiles and drone aircraft were destroyed, saving many Jewish lives. Make no mistake about Iran’s intent in their attack that night. A ballistic or cruise missile has enough power in an urban area to cause 132,000 civilian casualties. The combined 150 missiles had the potential to cause 19.8 million casualties or deaths. This was enough potential damage to wipe out the entire population of Israel. The drones were to destroy bases and buildings.
A few days after the attack, a Jewish couple stopped us on the street and asked if we had been present during the attack and how we responded. They affirmed they went into a shelter. We explained we stood on the balcony of our hotel room to observe and pray. They were shocked at our response. We know scripture and history affirm that a God in Israel defends and protects His chosen people.
One of the greatest examples of Israel surviving an attack by a superior enemy is that of Pharaoh’s army pursuing the unarmed Israelites fleeing slavery in Egypt. After Pharaoh had given them permission to leave, he changed his mind. He led his army against the Israelites. It is estimated at the time of Ramesses II that, the Pharaoh had a force of 100,000 soldiers with horses and chariots. This was an overwhelming force against the Israelites, who had no weapons to resist them. God intervened at the Red Sea. He parted the Red Sea, creating a way for the Israelites to cross. When Pharaoh’s army followed them into the Red Sea, God closed the sea on them, drowning the entire army. Without lifting a finger to fight, Israel won a victory. (Exodus 14:5-29).
There are, of course, other biblical examples of Israel surviving against all odds. Another example would be Gideon’s attack against the Midianite camp and the Amalekites in Judges 7:4-16. There were so many troops that they were described as covering the ground like locusts, so there were too many to count. The Lord had Gideon send most of his army home until he only had three hundred men left to attack a superior force. At the end of the battle, the Lord, Hashem, wanted no doubt that the victory belonged to Him and not man. An unusual strategy was given to Gideon. He divided his army into three groups to attack from three directions during the night. The soldiers were to put a burning branch into a jar, and each soldier carried a trumpet. On command, they were to blow the trumpet, break the jars, hold up their lighted branch, and shout, “Fight for the Lord and Gideon.” The enemies of Israel fled in terror into the night and were defeated.
These examples of God’s intervention on behalf of the Jewish people affirm that the God of Israel (Hashem) plus His people are more than a match for all the armies of the world when they trust in Him. The Rabbis in Israel have a blessing they pray over the Israeli Defense Force before they go into battle. Here is a part of that prayer, “May He (Hashem) lead enemies under our soldier’s sway, and may He grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may the verse be fulfilled for them: ‘For it is the Lord your God, who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you’.” (Deut. 20:4). God plus one, any size of a Jewish army is more than a match against any enemy force. The key to assured victories that the Israeli army has is their prayers and their faith in the God of Israel who goes before them. Against all odds, He fights for Israel. I saw the assured victory Hashem gave Israel during the attack of Iran against Israel on April 13th, 2024, in the skies over Jerusalem. We were reminded that night, “There is a God who watches over Israel who never slumbers or sleeps.” (Psalms 121:4). The preservation of the nation of Israel is a visible reminder that the God of creation is faithful and watches over those who put their trust in Him.
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