A “WHISTLE” … AND A WOE
ISAIAH 5;26 “… He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar …” This is part one of the two part prophecy … the “banner” is the ensign of the Nation, or in simple terms the National Flag signifying the legitimacy of the Nation; in this case the “rebirth” of the Nation of Israel after being expelled from its Land and scattered to the four corners of the earth: Part two of the prophecy is the “inner yearning” the “whistle” to come and settle in the Land.
The “afar” is the extent of distance that the nation wandered due largely to the persecution, Ezekiel in his prophecy of chapter 34 said that many of the Nation would be “savaged” by wild beasts, (chapter 34 verse 8). But amidst the ominous warnings of this repeated persecution there is Hope … Ezekiel 34; 11-16.
Israel in her “scattering” is a mixture of a faith and non faith people … many Jews are humanistic, materialistic and hostile to Judaism and have become, spiritually, hard of hearing. They are dulled to The Voice … but not the Call … that’s why Isaiah says that God will whistle to them wherever they are, locked away in far flung nations.
Many Jews that have made Aliyah have been asked why they returned to the Land: not all of those that were asked are impoverished like many from Eastern Europe. Many have come from advanced Nations, great positions with good incomes but clearly by their disposition, lifestyle and outlook are far from being religious and certainly, do not claim any Divine Call being the reason they came to Israel. They just felt an instinctive urge … The Bible calls it a “whistle” an inanimate, non verbal Call … mysterious and yet very, very “real”.
I asked a secular Jew why they came to settle in Israel, they denied it was fear of anti Semitism where they came from; no fear of danger immediately or in the distant. They didn’t claim to be a Zionist with pride in the Nation or an affinity to the Land and its vivid History: they merely shrugged their shoulders and said, “something within said, “go, come,” and we did!”
Read Zechariah 10; 6-12 it’s amazing … it is such a detailed account of the testimonials by so many Jews who after the Ensign was raised in 1948 felt the inner urge … “the whistle” to come Home.
What can’t be embraced and obeyed because there is little or no understanding from Scripture regarding Aliyah is recognised by an inner urge, nonetheless the Voice and calling and prompting of God, in His eagerness to have them come “Home” … but for what purpose … Think about it … there’s a two fold reason … A vindication and fulfilment of prophecy, validating The Word of The Lord and it is to be a People “called by His Name” to be His welcoming committee when Messiah returns … Zechariah chapters 12 and 14.