Comment By Torchlight

Israel Mourns

The sudden death, on 26th February, of the Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol occurred at a crucial hour in the history of modern Israel. With David Ben-Gurion, Eshkol came to Palestine as a penniless youth nearly 50 years ago and helped to lay the foundations of the Jewish state. He took over the Premiership when Ben-Gurion resigned in 1963, and steered the nation through many crises including the six-day war in June, 1967. He was a great patriot and known to be a man of moderation. A few weeks before his death he made proposals for peace in the Middle East which included handing back to Jordan areas seized in the six-day war. His colleague, General Allon, paying tribute said, "He was a man' without a shred of hatred in his heart, security and peace were his chief goals".

What now? We referred here last month to the continuing deterioration in Arab-Israeli relations. In February this trend was confirmed by the attack by Arab guerillas on an Israeli jet at Zurich airport, and by a bomb outrage in a Jerusalem supermarket. This was followed by the Israeli bombing of the El Fatah installations near Damascus in Syria. So it goes on. Who will call a halt to these acts of war and bring the contestants to the conference table? The question baffles all serious students of the Middle East problem. No one knows the answer. The Great Powers, deeply involved, eye each other warily. The United Nations Special Representative for Middle East affairs indicates his frustration at the repeated failure of all his efforts at mediation. The situation cries out for divine intervention. This will come, but not yet.

To God's people the message of these events is clear:

"Stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord is at hand" (James 5.8).

"Be Still ... "

"To every thing there is a season" (Ecclesiastes 3.1).

In Christian experience there is a time for action and a time for stillness. The Psalmist's counsel, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46.10), appears in a context of catastrophe. Such times are occasions to repair to the secret place and to "be still" in the divine presence. Whether it be world-moving disaster, national distress, family misfortunes, or calamity in personal circumstances, composure of spirit will be preserved in seclusion with God. Men and women of God know the solace of silence in His presence - the silence of complete trust in an all-wise God. They do not propose to Him how He should resolve the problem, much less do they doubt His love and His wisdom. In the deep fellowship of worshipping trust they are endued with spiritual strength. There is about them.

"... the calm and settled peace That nothing can destroy".

There are, too, times of crisis among God's people when pause and stillness are appropriate rather than activity and haste. Such an occasion occurred early in the history of the children of Israel. As Pharaoh and his hosts pursued after them the position seemed hopeless. The human assessment was, "They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in" (Exodus 14.3) Then came the word, "Fear ye not, stand still, ... the LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace" (Exodus 14.13,14).

We need spiritual discernment lest we place undue confidence in our own plans and ideas. We cannot organise our God. Our concern should be to move forward with Him. This is the age of the planner, when men are becoming immeshed in statistics and red-tape. In spiritual experience there are times of perplexity and crisis when all our plans and projects fail us. We are left with no one but God. Blessed helplessness! Fear and foreboding recede as we are thrust upon the rock of divine omnipotence. The waves may roar and the mountains quake but above the tumult floats the assuring word,

"Be still, and know that I am God".

unknown | Apr 1969
Comment By Torchlight