Kfar Nachum

Shalom!

Israel is suffering...the Land that G-d calls "The Apple of His Eye" is being assaulted from every corner of the Earth...from the betrayal of the current USA administration to the planned "naksa day" of the arab world on June 5, Her enemies are in full battle array against His Eternal Covenant Children...it is heartbreaking to those of us who love Her so...

One of the Daily Devotionals I use wrote about an article "Two Tales of One City" in which the story of Jonah was recounted...Jonah is the Prophet of G-d who was told by HaShem to "go to Nineveh and proclaim repentance" to those living there...Jonah was so dismayed at this command that he literally ran the other way...all the way to the belly of the great whale...

The prophet Nahum - the sequel to Jonah if you will - ministered in Nineveh 100 years after Jonah had proclaimed repentance to this Assyrian city...but this time the Ninevites had no interest in repenting...Nahum 1:3 tells us: "The L-rd is slow to anger and great in power, and will not acquit the wicked." But he further states in Nahum 1:7 "The L-rd is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him." In between those verses is a very vivid portrayal of G-d and His Character...Nahum 1:2-6 "G-d is jealous, and the L-rd avenges and is furious. The L-rd will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves His wrath for His enemies; the L-rd is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The L-rd has His way in the whirlwind and the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the flower or Lebanon wilts. The mountains quake before Him, the hills melt, and the earth heaves at His presence, yes the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him. The L-rd is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, and darkness will pursue His enemies."

The Hebrew translation of Nahum means "consolation." The prophetic word given by HaShem above would have brought comfort to the Children of Israel because it described G-d's judgment upon their ancient enemy: Assyria; and the city of Nineveh. Some things never change...Syria today is an enemy of Israel...terrorists thrive there and launch many attacks on Israel from within its' boundaries...

The village of Kfar Nachum is called Capernaum by the Christian World...now that we are returning to the very Jewish Roots of our Faith, we refer to this town by its' Hebraic name...Kfar Nachum...this is where Yeshua taught so often...returned to time and again to be refreshed...walked and lived among its residents...performed so many miracles and housed His public ministry...it was a fishing village - "I will make you 'fishers of men' He taught" - this is Kfar Nachum...Kfra Nachum means in Hebrew: village of Nahum...many believe that Kfar Nachum was the hometown of this Prophet...

Just as the book that bears his name records: "The L-rd will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies" so too will the Creator G-d - the G-d of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov - this SOVREIGN G-D wil bring recompense on those who seek to destroy His Land and harm His Children.

There is JUDGMENT forthe unrepentant; but MERCY for the repentant! How do each of us respond to Him?