Page 10 - Holyland Magazine - 2020 Edition

small Jewish Kibbutz. All of the houses were a nation that has no border nor land dispute was able to win against seven fully equipped
destroyed, the livestock and the barns were with them? armies. There is no earthly explanation – the
put to flames as the Jewish defenders fortified only explanation is the almighty Hand of God.
themselves in the abandoned British fort. This thought was probably in the hearts and In 2020, Kibbutz Gesher decided to honor
minds of the Jewish defenders, and the answer
After the artillery, there was silence, broken by is in the Bible: God's promises to His people by building a
the war cries of the Arab infantry as they rushed special site next to the Bridge from the time of
in endless waves to capture the fort. The Jewish 2 “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that Jesus where He was baptized, next to the Kings
defenses numbered less than 100, man and sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. highway, and, above all, next to the miraculous
woman with light weapons and no armored Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. battle ground of 1948.
corps, while the Arab forces numbered a few 3 On that day, when all the nations of the earth
thousand including two infantry divisions, two are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem By visiting the site, being at the footsteps of the
artillery brigades, two armor brigades and air an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try Bridge Jesus used, seeing the Jordan River and
support. to move it will injure themselves. 4 On that day the battle ground, one can see the promises of
I will strike every horse with panic and its rider
God right before their eyes.
The battle raged on for hours, while the Jewish with madness,” declares the LORD. “I will keep
defense held back the waves of attack. And a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the The promise of the Dessert will bloom – Isiah
then things began to look strange. The Iraqi horses of the nations. 5 Then the clans of Judah 35.
air strike attacked the Iraqi army by mistake, will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem The promise of God to Abraham – for all the
one Iraqi tank was able to enter the fort but are strong, because the LORD Almighty is their land which you see I give to you and your
was destroyed by the defenders, and by that, God.’” Zechariah 12:2-5. descendants forever. Gen 13:15.
created a new "block" that prevented the Arab
soldiers from entering the fort. The Israelis had won this battle, clearly the hand The promise of protecting His people –
of God was upon them, the same God who
The next morning, while the Iraqis were eating gave His promise to Abraham in Gen 12:3. Zechariah 12:2-5.
breakfast, the Israelis attacked from the east, And the promise that you are not alone, even in
using the sun to blind. The result was a full "I will bless those who bless thy and I will curse the darkest hours.
defeat followed by a massive retreat of the Iraqis those who curse thy." The battle of Gesher
back across the Jordan. was one of the fiercest battles in 1948, but For the mountains shall depart And the hills
not the only one, as many battles won against
be removed, But My kindness shall not depart
One must stop for a moment and think – why all odds in that miraculous war. Even today, from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be
did Iraq, a country that is more than 600 miles modern military historians cannot explain how removed,” Says the LORD, who has mercy on
away from Israel, send their army to fight against such a small, young and poorly armed nation, you. Isiah 54:10.

The Jordan Bridge and the remains of Khan Mamluk at the historic
crossing point, near Kibbutz Gesher. Above: The Roman bridge and
the remains of the Khan in 1918

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