{"id":74,"date":"2011-05-14T11:52:48","date_gmt":"2011-05-14T15:52:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/isittheendoftheworld\/?p=74"},"modified":"2011-05-14T11:52:48","modified_gmt":"2011-05-14T15:52:48","slug":"happy-birthday-israel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/isittheendoftheworld\/2011\/05\/happy-birthday-israel.html","title":{"rendered":"Happy Birthday, Israel!"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Before she went into labor,
\n she had the baby.
\nBefore the birth pangs hit,
\n she delivered a son.
\nHas anyone ever heard of such a thing?
\n Has anyone seen anything like this?
\nA country born in a day?
\n A nation born in a flash?
\nBut Zion was barely in labor
\n when she had her babies!
\nDo I open the womb
\n and not deliver the baby?
\nDo I, the One who delivers babies,
\n shut the womb?” (Isaiah 66:7-9, The Message)<\/p>\n

Well, it’s here. That’s probably what they said at 4 p.m., the 14th of May, 1948, in Tel Aviv. Israel’s declaration of statehood was read by David Ben Gurion, and the United States\u2014or, more specifically, Harry Truman\u2014recognized the fledgling state.<\/p>\n

This was a gigantic miracle, and a gift of God’s grace, for it shows that He keeps His promises. After such a long exile, the Jewish people are back in their ancestral land. <\/p>\n

Israel’s neighbors promised a war was coming on May 15, and they made good on their word, but the baby had already been born.<\/p>\n

On a trip to Israel in 2002, I visited Independence Hall, and was the only tourist there. This was during the Second Intifada, and the Palestinians have promised another one is coming. For today, though, I celebrate enthusiastically Israel’s Independence Day.<\/p>\n

At Independence Hall, I saw a copy of the scroll from which Ben Gurion read. It is a tangible reminder that the Bible’s prophecies are sure, true, and always on time.<\/p>\n

Long live Israel!

\"\"<\/a>
Israel's Scroll of Independence<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Before she went into labor, she had the baby. Before the birth pangs hit, she delivered a son. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? Has anyone seen anything like this? A country born in a day? A nation born in a flash? 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