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Obama tells the world "The U.S. can't fix it all alone"
The Most High Rules in the Kingdom's of Men
September 25, 2009 - Audio, 15.50 MIN
(Links at bottom of page to download free viewers.)
“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer… to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
“Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.”
That was then, and in a big speech for Mr. Obama, his first at the UN actually, this is now…
“Those who used to chastise America for acting alone cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the worlds problems alone.”
In the words of Reuters: “Obama told the world, The U.S. can't fix it all alone.”
So really as Obama get acquainted with his new position as commander in chief the slogan is feeling more and more like... No we can’t!
Welcome to another edition of the Bible in the News with John Billington!
It can be humbling when you realize that you didn’t quite have all the power and influence you thought you had. Much of what Mr. Obama talked about changing before his presence in the oval office now seems a little more out of reach than he first thought. In Afghanistan the Taliban is proving much more resistant than was ever thought it could be and even changing the health care system seems to be an uphill battle for the poor man. But more importantly for us as we read our Bibles is the Middle East. In relation to the Middle East even the BBC says that “Mr. Obama has suffered because of the expectations that his own words have aroused.” I am beginning to suspect he has not been to well acquainted with the words of the prophets, or at least has not had the time to tune into Bible in the News!
In the book of Daniel and chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar had a hard lesson to learn, he was to be put into the field to eat grass as an ox until he knew that “the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and givith it to whomsoever he will.” So when Nebuchadnezzar had put in his time in the field it says in verse 34 “And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?”
At the end of it all he says “Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.”
Well the initiative taken by the new administration in the US to bring about peace is failing and failing fast! The best they have managed to do is to get a token handshake for the cameras from the two sides. This week Abbas says he sees no prospect of renewed negotiations unless Israel halted settlement expansion and agreed to withdraw from the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem to the line of June 1967. This is something that he knows is nigh impossible, in fact on Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu rejected a return to the 1967 border.
In an interview with the al-Hayyat daily, Mr Abbas stated: “The Netanyahu government is a real problem and there is no common ground for negotiations with it. Construction in the settlements is continuing, Netanyahu is declaring Jerusalem and [Palestinian] refugees topics not up for negotiations, so what is there to talk about?”
Also this week the son of Menachem Begin, the now Israeli Cabinet Minister Dr. Benny Begin, praised Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for not giving in on settlement construction - and said “there is no chance for negotiations while the Palestinian Authority continues to seek Israel’s destruction.” And lets be honest it a fair statement, if the PA cant even bring themselves to say that Israel has any right to exist how can you make peace with that!
Well with all this in the back ground Obama did feel it necessary to tell the audience that he was not naive about how hard it would be to make peace in the Middle East. Well maybe he is not naive but I think he is certainly feeling enlightened!
Well for a long time Bible believers have looked for peace in the Middle East as a sign of the soon return of Israel’s Messiah, and we here have talked about it much on Bible in the News. It seems so elusive that some have tried to say that the passage in Ezekiel 38 does not really mean peace but just some sort of security. Unfortunately the prophecy is to clear for that to be the case, Ezekiel under inspiration defines the peace, it says “the land of unwalled villages” it defines those in the land as those “that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates…” It does not get much more peaceful than that!
Well I dug through my bookshelf to find the oldest copy of Milestones I had, and to see what the author Graham Pearce had to say about the peace at that point. The oldest date that I have is 1978, over 30 years ago. What I found was to me quite incredible as under the chapter on Israel this is what is written:
The scene in Israel has been dominated by the consequences of Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem, leading to the Camp David meeting. The debate in the Knesset (Parliament) as a prelude to approval of the Camp David Agreements, and the agreement to withdraw the settlements and army from Sinai, was a heart searching occasion; and the debate went on from 10:30am on Wednesday until 3:30am the following day. For Begin the decision was a “very painful matter,” and he moved the resolution “with a sorrowful and painful heart, but with quiet conscience.”
Agreement with Sadat over Sinai, leaves the situation largely unchanged on the West Bank. Begin only made minor concessions on the West Bank. Carter tried hard to persuade Begin to allow East Jerusalem to be part of the West Bank, but to no avail. Begin insisted on the complete withdrawl of the American letter of Jerusalem proposals before he would sign and Camp David Agreements. For Begin, quite apart from security considerations, the West Bank provokes deep emotional reactions. It is the Judea and Samaria of Bible times, and an essential part of Israel. Begin asserts that there will be no dismantling of settlements here…” Grahame Pearce continues “Israel holding on to Judea and Samaria, and giving up Sinai is in keeping with the description in Ezekiel, ch 38, that before the great northern invasion, they are a people dwelling “in the midst (Heb. – navel) of the land”
That was in 1978, and since then another vary painful withdrawl has happened, that from Gaza. Many have tried to pressure Israel and it leaders into giving up the West Bank (Something the Roman Catholic church will have something to do with you can be sure. The last people she wants to have control over the holy land and especially Jerusalem and the temple mount is the Jewish people! It is kind of a needle in their eye when for centuries the church fathers said the Jewish people were the cursed people and would therefore wander the face of the earth forever!) But no one has managed to remove the heart of the land from the Jews. Even when the Israeli leadership is convinced to offer Judea and Samaria it seems the so called Palestinians conveniently refuse as was case under the Clinton administration when talks were held with Yasser Arafat and then Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Arafat was offered 98% of the West Bank as well as important areas of Jerusalem but it was not good enough and Arafat walked away from the table!
Ehud Olmert the last Israeli Prime Minister this week in speaking to the BBC actually said “he offered the Palestinians the best deal they were ever and will ever be given” but he laments the fact that the Palestinians rejected the offer. In the case of Sharon he started talking about giving away the navel of the land and has since been taking a time out!
We can ask why would the PA under Arafat or Abbas ever refuse these offers, the only reasonable answer is that it is not in the purpose of almighty God. In the time of Moses God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and now it seems he is doing the same. Unfortunately for Obama he followed Bush down the road of the “two state solution” and is again causing more problems than solutions!
The truth is Rabin failed to bring true peace, Ehud Barak failed to bring true peace, Ehud Olmert failed to bring true peace, Ariel Sharon failed to bring true peace, Tzipi Livni for what she was worth didn’t bring much to the table, George W. failed to bring true peace, Bill Clinton failed to bring true peace and anyone else you can think of and well Mr. Obama is now struggling to bring true peace.
Make no mistake, true peace will come, it will not however come through the removal of Jews from their ancient homeland, through the form of the same old failed policies being pushed by the world leaders today. How and exactly when it will come we do not know but just as the Jewish people returned to their homeland in fulfillment of the promises and as they returned to Jerusalem in fulfillment of the promises all of which seemed improbable to the natural eye, so will peace come to the land of Israel by God’s hand. The temporary peace spoken of in Ezekiel 38 will come but beyond that the true peace spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began will come. It will come in the form of the restored kingdom of Israel, the kingdom that the apostles in Acts 1 were waiting for. So may we say, Yes HE can!
Well lets finish off with the words of Psalm 72:
“Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.
He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.
The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth….
…Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.
And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.”
Thanks for listening and join us again for another edition of the Bible in the News.
Bible in the News provides a weekly analysis of world politics and events
in the light of Bible prophecy — the Bible in the News!
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