Gather or Scatter

Shalom Fellow Israelite,

That Scriptures’ quality of freshness never ceases to amaze me.  Their timelessness, just like that of their author’s, is full of life’s beauty.   Regardless of the number of times read, there is always something hidden within its pages waiting to be revealed or understood in a different way, depending on what the Spirit of the Word (Yeshua) happens to be enlightening to the heart at a particular moment. 

One such passage hidden in the pages of a “minor prophet” suddenly became “major” for this time:

“The one who scatters has come up against you. Man the fortress, watch the road; strengthen your back, summon all your strength.  For YHVH will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, even though devastators have devastated them and destroyed their vine branches” (Nahum 2: 1-2).

For thousands of years the heartland of Israel, Samaria, testified to the reality of the devastation of its inhabitants and of the destruction of their vineyards.   But today there is a different reality that stretches across the hills of Menashe and Ephraim.  The vineyards are back and the farmers are on the mountains again gathering the grapes at the time of the Fall harvest and feasts. 

As we know, the scriptures have a very literal meaning, but not without a spiritual counterpart.  The words may have a message for us individually, and/or corporately.  The above word from Nahum, spoke to me a warning, namely that when YHVH is in a season of restoring and gathering His people, the enemy will work in opposition, in order to scatter them or keep them scattered.  We can see this very plainly in the recent history of the house of Judah (the Jews).   The Hebrew Roots Movement within the Christian world is YHVH’s declaration that He is gathering the House of Joseph while turning them back to their forefathers (see Malachi 4:6), and writing the Torah on their hearts (see Jeremiah 31:33).   However, the scatterer has been working overtime to prevent this ingathering from taking place.  Yeshua warned:  “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters”.  

Some of those causes for scattering and shattering are enumerated by Paul in his warnings to the congregations, and they are:  pride, jealousy, envy, strife, and contention, fear etc., all of which are contrary to “love”, and could result in maintaining and even adding to the devastation.  Therefore encouragement is a much needed commodity. So, with this in mind, I would like to rephrase Nahum’s words:   

Even though devastators have devastated us and destroyed our vine branches, YHVH is restoring the splendor of Jacob and the splendor of Israel. However, the one who scatters has come up against us. Therefore man the fortress, watch the road; strengthen your back, summon all your strength.   

Yom T’ruah is coming soon. May we hear the same clear sound of the T’ruah that our ancestors heard as they/we stood before the burning mountain in the Sinai desert.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ephraim