By Esther Korson
When Mark Twain visited Israel in 1867 he later published his impressions of the country in his book, Innocents Abroad. Believe it or not, this is what he saw and this is what he wrote:
“A desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over
wholly to weeds… A silent mournful desolation is here that not even
imagination can grace with the pomp of life and action…hardly a tree
or shrub anywhere. Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends
of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country…Palestine sits in sackcloth and ashes. Over it broods the spell of a curse that has withered the fields and fettered its energies…and renowned Jerusalem, itself the stateliest name in history, has lost its ancient grandeur and is become a pauper village.” He saw no hope of it blooming again.
But the God of Israel had other thoughts on the matter, promises that were waiting to be fulfilled:
“The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them,
And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as a rose;
It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice…
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
The excellency of our God…
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness
And streams in the desert,
The parched ground shall become a pool,
And the thirsty land springs of water”…Isaiah 35:1-2; 6-7
For a modern day example of God’s literal fulfillment of His word to Israel, I’ll quote from an article in the Jerusalem Post by Meital Sharabi concerning a river in the Negev desert. “Despite the infinitesimal amount of rainfall in the area, Nahal Habesor is full of water, and the views of the hills are gorgeous. It is one of the longest rivers in the Negev, and attracts huge numbers of Israelis during the holiday and festival seasons. People flock to this region to enjoy the green landscape and beautiful views. …It’s amazing to see how successful farmers have been recently in engaging in brackish water agriculture….In the last few weeks the fields have been covered in pink and purple anemones and vibrant desert colours…”
“On that day I will raise up the Tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages, I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old. “
“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed (which indicates several crops each year). The mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and all the hills will flow with it. “Amos 9:11, 13
“Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers;
You shall be My people; and I will be your God.
And I will deliver you from all your uncleanesses,
I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you”.
Ezekiel 36: 28-29
“Israel shall blossom and bud and fill the face of the earth with fruit.”
Isaiah 27:6
In so many ways, Biblical prophecies are being fulfilled before our very eyes since Israel has become a nation once again. It wasn’t that long ago that this land truly was desolate and bereft of life. And now? Every year, Israel not only grows enough for national consumption, we export annually more than 2 billion dollars worth of produce to the markets of the world. And as if that weren’t enough, Israel also exports millions of flowers! On Valentine’s Day, for example, Israel exported 60 million flowers to the markets of Europe—the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and England! We are able to grow flowers year-round, which helps fill international demand for flowers in all seasons.
Not only that, everything grows beautifully. To quote Israel 21c org/environment, “Every year Israel exports more than $2 billion worth of produce—tomatoes are its fourth-largest commodity—and is among the world’s top developers of better-tasting, better-looking, disease-resistant and more nutritious varieties.”
When I was only four years old, we lived in a house in the countryside near Grafton, Massachusetts, that had a huge vegetable garden in the back yard. As a child with a vivid imagination, the garden enthralled me. It felt magical. And from then on, I’ve always had a child’s wonder at God’s creation.
When my granddaughters were still living in /England (before the family returned to Israel), I was visiting them there. One day I went to an Italian market and purchased a great variety of produce—one of each—and put them all in a large brown paper bag. And then, during the day, every once in a while I would have each of them pick an item out of the bag. We would study the detail, the texture, the taste, marvelling at God’s incredible imagination as He invented these items that were meant to fill us with delight. It was a fun day!
The details, the variety, the perfection of each thing in this world that He created still fills me with awe. And so even now, in Jerusalem, all these years later, I love walking down the produce filled lanes of the Mahane Yehuda outdoor market. Everything imaginable is grown in Israel now. Because of varied climates even in such a small land, we can grow everything. And since Israelis invented the drip irrigation system etc. it makes up for the scant rainfall each year. And so the market is even more magical than that little childhood garden I remember so well! And not only that, every single thing in it is the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to us in the Scriptures. So I leave the market each time with a bag full of goodies and a heart full of praise! We serve an amazing God. And we live in an amazing time in the history of the world! Wouldn’t you agree?!
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James Francom says
My recent ancestors The Mormon Pioneers had a very similar experiance; Driven from state to state they finanaly made a break with the eastern states of the US and migrated nearly 2000 miles in covered wagons, handcarts, and on foot to Utah, where they settled ina sagebrush desert next to an inland lake of salt water similar to the dead sea. God helped them to build it into present day Salt Lake City Utah, and surrounding citys up and down the western side of the wasatch range of the Rocky Mt.s