January 26, 2012
Psalms – Teaches My Hands to War, and My Fingers to Fight – Part 7
This is a very long post.
I invite you first to listen and mediate on this morsel:
Ian White – Psalm 144 from gerrankin
Okay now let’s read Psalm 144: verse 1 in different versions: From: http://bible.cc/psalms/144-1.htm
New International Version (©1984)
Of David. Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.
New Living Translation (©2007)
A psalm of David. Praise the LORD, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle.
English Standard Version (©2001)
Of David. Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
A Psalm of David. Blessed be the LORD, my rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle;
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
<<A Psalm of David.>> Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war,and my fingers to fight:
Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
Blessed is Lord Jehovah who teaches my hands for war and my fingers for battle!
GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995)
[By David.] Thank the LORD, my rock, who trained my hands to fight and my fingers to do battle,
King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
Blessed be the LORD my strength, who teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
American King James Version
Blessed be the LORD my strength which teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
American Standard Version
Blessed be Jehovah my rock, Who teacheth my hands to war, And my fingers to fight:
Douay-Rheims Bible
Blessed be the Lord my God, who teacheth my hands to fight, and my fingers to war.
Darby Bible Translation
{A Psalm of David.} Blessed be Jehovah my rock, who teacheth my hands to war, my fingers to fight;
English Revised Version
A Psalm of David. Blessed be the LORD my rock, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
Webster’s Bible Translation
A Psalm of David. Blessed be the LORD my strength, who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight;
World English Bible
Blessed be Yahweh, my rock, who teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to battle:
Young’s Literal Translation
By David. Blessed is Jehovah my rock, who is teaching My hands for war, my fingers for battle.
Also see:
2 Samuel 22:35 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
This has been a post that has “travailed” in me this past week. Certain words and thoughts burned within my heart. I tried to remove myself from this post, but it kept coming, and coming, and different things were brought before me, and I could not ignore them further. This is not an easy post, but I cannot compromise.
It is true that we as Christians pray for peace, peace in our hearts, in our homes, in our place of work, in our church, in our community, and in our nation, and in our world; and for the most part, many of us as Christians live in a “safe harbor” away from the stark realities a lot of our brethren who labor in the Lord, live everyday. But we cannot ignore the spiritual realm of conflicts the enemy plants like mine fields in the spirit. Spiritual warfare is very real.
Many of our brethren are being persecuted throughout the World, however, I would like to talk about Israel today, since that seems to be burning in my heart for some reason. I believe the Lord is calling us to pray and act for our brethren in Israel, and it calls for a special type of Child of God.
I started this post by telling you that I “travailed” meaning it took arduous prayer to get this post done. First I had the title, then the Hebrew words “Aw-yom” (that’s how I spelled it in my spirit anyway), and another word in latin (cadere), and in Hebrew “Karath”, then with most of the post done, something stirred within me when I received Donna’s weekly prayer list, which in turn led me to the post below.
What stunned me was that the title of the post at that site, was the same as the Hebrew word I had, which was dreadful. That’s what the word “Ayom” means – dreadful – see below:
From http://concordances.org/hebrew/366.htm
ayom: terrible, dreadful
Original Word: אָיֹם
Transliteration: ayom
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-yome’)
Short Definition: awesome
From: http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?strongs=H3772
karath:
- to cut off, destroy
- to cut down, destroy
I share all of this with you, the title “teach my hands to war, and my fingers to fight”, my thoughts on those words and spiritual battle, and the word “ayom” and “karath” leading up to the posts below, not really knowing what it all means, but sensing, that God wants our attention.
I say the above to lead you to a familiar name, Donna Diorio, a friend to “KairosKingdomWomen” whose “voice” we have heard before on this blog, and also of the “family Ortiz” of Israel, whose account you might recall of “Ami Ortiz” and his bravery in “battle” and his miracle (see the posts on this blog dated March 31, 2008 through April 14, 2008).
Posted with Permission (You can find Donna at):
A Ministry of Israelprayer.com
Now on Facebook | Donna Diorio & Twitter
arrowsfromzion@gmail.com or donna@d10r10.com
Her Israel Blogs: If your weekly Arrows from Zion email does not come in, check online each Wednesday at Israel Prayer Dot Com | Israel Watcher – A Second Opinion Mostly political or current events commentary | Fruit of the Fig Tree Spiritual insights
Indeed, Donna too has heard from the Lord along these lines of “Mighty Men” coming to the aid of “David”.
From: entry post
http://israelwatcherasecondopinion.blogspot.com/
DREADFUL DREAM
From David Ortiz in Ariel we received an extremely sobering dream he had that we believe is important for the coming year. In his own words:
January 4, 2012 I want to address this crisis because it applies to those of us who live here and those who live outside the country. There are many who are doing an excellent and vital work in Israel, and who are glorifying the Lord in this land. In the Messiah, David Ortiz
16 So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. 17 Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. 18 Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me. 19 Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” 21 So we labored in the work, and half of the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared. Nehemiah 4:16-21
DREADFUL DREAM Last night I had a dream. I heard an announcement that was made from Hell, saying, “There is a sword that has been issued to cut down those that are declaring the message of salvation to the Jewish people that Yeshua is the Messiah. It should cut them down to pieces.”
I could hear that the order was given from far away and from a very deep pit. The believers were in a type of a dark catacomb, caves where there were many passage ways. Soon a very tall man came out who had a very dark shadow on him. He came out running and swinging a machete with all his might. People began fleeing from before him. As he ran towards the groups of people, one of the brothers braced himself as the man was swinging and coming in his direction, but he bypassed this brother and made it clear that he wasn’t the target, but the others were.
As he chased the others, I could hear the clinking sound of the weapon hitting solid rock when the machete didn’t hit its mark, but some were hit. But just because he wasn’t able to hit some, that didn’t deter him from continuing to pursue the people in the catacombs and didn’t stop him from his goal.
The brother that was spared by being bypassed was gripped with fear and backed up to the cold wall behind him in order to not be seen. Once again, the assassin bypassed him, but this time made it clearer that he would not be targeted as long as he didn’t get involved. The brother felt relieved that his life had been spared.
Among the courts of men, people’s motives aren’t always clear-cut and identifiable. Sometimes it isn’t immediately clear if the crime was intentional, 1st degree, 2nd degree, or done out of ignorance, because man doesn’t know the heart and it can take a long period of time or even years before the true motive is revealed. But with God this is not the case. Truth is evident in less than a second because all the intentions of a man’s heart are laid bare and not hidden.
Man stands before God completely naked and without excuse (Hebrews 4:12-13), and in the dream this was plainly understood and evident. The reason why the brother did not get involved and didn’t take interest in trying to save the others is because he was relieved that his life had been spared. It was almost like he was in the heat of a hot a desert with no relief in sight and all of a sudden he was transported to a room that was fully air conditioned and comfortable and had all the amenities he needed to refresh himself from the trauma of what he had seen. At least he thought so, because little did he know that his escape was temporary and he would also meet the same fate.
When I woke up, I was in shock that I had even dreamt something like this so clearly and plainly. These words from the book of Esther came immediately to my mind:
And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:13-14
I am a student of history, like many of us are. As a child I always wondered how people could stand by and let others be mistreated, just so their lives could be spared. I wondered because I was raised in a home and in a certain group of people with the mentality that felt that it was a cowardly act to stand by when others were being attacked and abused especially if it was in your power to do something about it. But my experience growing up and examples in history show us that when people don’t stand up for others, it allows aggressors to hurt whole people groups and communities. The Bible says
But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 1 John 3:17
As we see, read and hear, the Ministry of Interior, other government agencies, anti-missionary groups and non-believing religious groups that purposely target Christian groups to get funds and benefits, are making it clear that all those who work with Messianic believers will be harassed directly or indirectly, and when applicable, visas will be taken away or put into question.
The College in Ariel has made it completely clear to Christians that come to study in their programs that if they work with or even fellowship with Messianic Jews, their visas will be revoked. Born-again believers submit to that threat and intimidation, thereby even considering to have their right eye to be removed like in the book of 1 Samuel 11. The Ammonites came against a tribe of Israel, and the Israelites who were badly outnumbered wanted to make a peace treaty with them. The Ammonites said they would consider that only if the Israelites would allow them to gouge out their right eyes, and thus bring a reproach to Israel. In the same manner, believers allow their God-given freedom of choice and worship to be taken away in order to spare themselves. May God give us the strength when the time comes to cling to the words of Yeshua,
Greater love has no man, than to lay down his life (or his self-interest, or his ministry) for his brother. John 15:13
And to stand up for His bride that He gave and shed His blood for.
Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also. Hebrews 13:3
Here are some practical steps you can take to help Jewish Believers who have made Yeshua Lord and Savior of their lives in Israel.
- Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.” Ps 122:6
- Pray for body of the Lord that lives in Israel.
- Adopt a person, family or congregation in prayer.
- Support businesses and buy things made by believers in Yeshua.
- Request newsletters from credible ministries in Israel so you can stay informed.
- Support the more than 120 Messianic Congregations which are spread from the Northernmost to the Southern-most part of the country.
- Read your Bible, understand history, the economy, up to date events, understand disputes, facts about Israel, past present and future, know who are the Ethnic groups and religions that live here.
World War II was won with more than tanks, missiles and an army. It was won also by something called “The Home Front”who were people who took it upon themselves to write letters, make phone calls, send pictures, remember people’s birthdays, send care packages, and in doing so encourage and strengthen the soldiers on the front lines.
There are numerous ministries in Israel that are doing a tremendous work for the Lord in spiritual and physical ways that the home front can strengthen and encourage.
From: entry post
http://israelwatcherasecondopinion.blogspot.com/
ADDITION – added Jan 5 2012 at 7 AM
by Donna Diorio
“Dreadful Dream” is the warning of an assignment from hell that has gone out against those declaring salvation to the Jewish people, and how some believers think themselves “safe” if they just keep out of the way, un-involved. I received the Dreadful Dream early yesterday from a ministry in Israel whose son was miraculously spared by God when he opened a Purim basket that had been rigged with powerful explosives and left on the Messianic family’s doorstep by a religious extremist.
I believe that all word curses spoken out against these are a major factor in David Ortiz’s “Dreadful Dream”.
Words are like arrows – whether intentional or unintentional – speaking evil against someone unleashes an assignment for those words to hit their mark.
I’m not just offended by the lack of backing the Body in Israel gets from the Church – I am alarmed at how vulnerable we leave them. Selah.
January 5, 2012 6:57 AM
Thank You Donna Diorio and David Ortiz.
Beloved, let’s look at Israel as if it were David, and we the “called” as those men who came to the aid of David, as it reads in 1 Chronicles 12. (Donna too had some insight on this, which she will probably share on her site or emails.
The description is amazing, so let’s take a look:
(you can read it here in it’s entirety) – from: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Chronicles+12&version=NIV )
1 Chronicles 12 (in part reads):
1 These were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the warriors who helped him in battle; 2 they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed; they were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin):
8 Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains.
14 These Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand.15 It was they who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west.
21 They helped David against raiding bands, for all of them were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army. 22 Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God.[b]
24 from Judah, carrying shield and spear—6,800 armed for battle;
25 from Simeon, warriors ready for battle—7,100;
26 from Levi—4,600, 27 including Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, with 3,700 men, 28 and Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22 officers from his family;
30 from Ephraim, brave warriors, famous in their own clans—20,800;
32 from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;
33 from Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty—50,000;
34 from Naphtali—1,000 officers, together with 37,000 men carrying shields and spears;
35 from Dan, ready for battle—28,600;
36 from Asher, experienced soldiers prepared for battle—40,000;
37 and from east of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, armed with every type of weapon—120,000.
38 All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king.
What picture do the words above draw for you? Do you imagine men cowering with trembling knees, or do you see confident courageous men who knew where they were standing and what kingdom they were fighting for, and what was the cause. They held their weapons with assurance and acted decisively and accurately as a warrior must, not swinging haphazardly as if hitting a piñata. A warrior has his focus on his mark and advances, whereas a “piñata hitter” is wearing a blindfold and is staggering from side to side; a warrior is relentless and uncompromising, whereas the “piñata hitter” compromises; the warrior uses his weapons and his body effectively, but the “piñata hitter” who had a “mighty stick” did not know how to use his stance and hit with force. Are we as Christians ready as warriors or are we “party-goers” or “social clubbers”?
You might have won some spiritual territory already, but that doesn’t mean the enemy has retreated. He is cowering somewhere, planning a counter-attack on another front (another area), so always keep advancing, keeping the shield of faith up, and your armor on. You can’t be on “reserve” status, you have to be on “active-duty.”
You can’t go into war blinded, you have to see where the enemy is coming from, and have a full artillery in anticipation that the enemy will “hit” you with everything he’s got, so you take a powerhouse with you, fully loaded.
This is not just “big” talk, it is knowing in whose authority you come. Don’t grow weary as you face “spiritual warfare” for it exists only on this earth, therefore it is temporary and will not have any place in heaven, where we have eternal life. Let’s read:
2 Corinthians 4:17-18: 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Paul knew the secret hiding place of David, which is reflected in his words, as he said in (2 Cor. 4:8-10) “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” David had God as his defense, and Paul knew Jesus, the “Word of God.” These are three of our mightiest weapon in our arsenal – the “Word” of God, Worship and the “blood of Jesus”.
Teach your hands to war and your fingers to fight – raise those hands up in worship – the enemy cannot take that away from you unless you let him. We need to proclaim as did David who was greatly annoyed and offended, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26)
How about his “blessed assurance” when he boldly proclaimed (1 Samuel 17:45) while holding a slingshot and five stones, but the Word was with him as he said:
45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
Whew, makes me tremble and stirs me up just reading it! Makes me want to shout and sing, “Blow the trumpet in Zion, Sound the Alarm!”
Blow the Trumpet in Zion.wmv from heavenboundcarol
the victory song from LinwelinUK
Let’s look at other scripture which speaks to this (as if David is Israel):
1 Chronicles 12 (in part reads):
16 Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold. 17 David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you.”
18 Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said:
“We are yours, David!
We are with you, son of Jesse!
Success, success to you,
and success to those who help you,
for your God will help you.”
Will we stand with David (Israel)? Will we cry out like David in Psalm 144:1 (teach my hands to war, and my fingers to fight)? David turned his cry to the Lord in his battle knowing that God can give us skills for the arsenal with which He has equipped us. There is a certain skill in placing the arrow and drawing the bow back to strike with precision. Ah, but the same hands and fingers which skillfully drew the bow, and placed the arrow, were also the hands instructed of God to worship Him on the strings of the harp. Our fingers can fit into places where our whole hand cannot.
That same God which equips us with spiritual armor will enable us to stand against the spiritual enemies as we stand with Israel. David not only believed God to release his warring angels, but David also believed that God could enable him, a man, to be a warrior, to use not only his hands, but his individual fingers to war, to fight.
David believed that the shepherd boy in him could be a mighty warrior. Why was his belief so focused and did not deviate? The reason is the same as it is for you and for me, Jewish or gentile, we are “Children of the Most High God,” so put your hands together, intertwine your fingers, not into fists, not the Spirit of anger. Don’t’ confuse the spirit of anger with spiritual warfare, as it can open you up to all manner of attacks from the enemy.
Ephesians 6 reads:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Let us be in careful prayerful resolve as the first part of Psalm 144:1 says: “Blessed be the Lord my strength…”
Let’s join our hands together as we pray for Israel and the Laborers in Christ, Jew or gentile, Messianic or Christian. Selah.
MIGHTY WARRIOR from SCWatchman
