Dear Pastors:
As I write these lines, I am home in Piedmont, Oklahoma where I am preparing to leave this Friday for Memphis, Tennessee where I shall be in "Israel My Glory" meetings this weekend with Pastor Clenton Patterson and the good people of Crossroads Baptist Church. According to Police Officer Tim Taylor, an OBC graduate, Pastor Patterson told Crossroads that WHBC was the first church to take them on for support when they started Crossroads Baptist Church 15 years ago in 1998. Crossroads is a black Baptist church and you can Google up information about them. It is this ole man’s candid opinion that the world’s people can only live in peace, one with another, when they make peace with THE GOD OF PEACE, THE LORD GOD OF THE HEBREWS.
Isaiah 46:13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
It is the intent of this ole preacher-warrior to present to these dear black Christians the historical aspect of "those in the guise of Christianity" who lifted up the hand of anti-Semitism towards the Jews. The Catholic Church is changing "Popes." The Jews have suffered much at the hands of the "guise" of Christianity under Catholicism. They have been massacred by the sword, fire, and the gun, and that was the very reason that those Jewish folks yonder in Newport, Rhode Island contacted George Washington to see what type treatment they could expect at the hands of this new Nation, the United States of America. And, of course, he returned them, as you well know, the answer of Micah 4:4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
Let us look at some news from Israel regarding Mr. Netanyahu and his ‘coalition formation’ preparatory to establishing a new government:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely encounter harsh opposition within his Likud party if high-ranking ministers and Knesset members soon find themselves without a job.
Party officials on Sunday threatened an "intifada", or uprising, over what they call "Netanyahu’s failure to give out positions" to members of Likud and other formerly close coalition partners.
The first conflict involves Netanyahu’s anticipated decision to dismiss Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin from his position. "Netanyahu doesn’t want a liberal Likud, but a Lieberman-style Likud," a party official said, adding, "Netanyahu’s increased closeness to Lieberman at the expense of the liberal camp – Rivlin, [Dan] Meridor and [Benny] Begin – is very worrisome."
Although over the past few weeks Rivlin reportedly received a series of promises that he would keep his position, including a written promise from a third party, on Saturday it turned out otherwise. "Rivlin is the first to be disappointed. He is learning what other high-ranking party members to whom Netanyahu made promises learned – that Netanyahu’s word is worthless," another official said.
"Likud officials do not yet understand the extent of the party’s loss in the elections. Netanyahu has chosen to transfer the important portfolios to the coalition partners. Even the high-ranking Likud officials who were appointed ministers will find that the portfolios they receive will be disappointing and unattractive," another official said.
In addition, the ethnic card is expected to be played once more over the next few days because with Shas out of the government, only three ministers will be from the Mizrahi community. Of them, only one or two – Silvan Shalom and maybe Gila Gamliel – will be from Likud. The others are Eli Ben-Dahan of Habayit Hayehudi and Meir Cohen of Yesh Atid.
"The new government will have the fewest Sephardi ministers," a Likud official said. "Netanyahu knows that very well. The Likud’s membership is very sensitive to this subject. It knows that without Shas, it will have a problem when it comes to the matter of ethnicity, and that problem needs to be solved."
Meanwhile, Netanyahu on Sunday thanked his outgoing cabinet, in what he said was "probably" its last session before the new Israeli government takes over.
"I would like to thank the ministers for their excellent work during the past four years," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu is expected to finalize coalition deals by late Monday and present a new government by as early as Tuesday. His deadline expires Saturday.
Among the biggest challenges facing the incoming government were lowering the exorbitant cost of living in Israel, advancing social equality and security threats, Netanyahu told the cabinet on Sunday.
About the time this ole man thinks he has sorted out "the laws of the Knesset" in Israel, he is thrown a ‘curve-ball’ and has to admit he doesn’t know "the laws of the Knesset."
All that reminds me of a story Jim Corbett, the great Englishman who lived from 1875 to 1955 and did so very much for the people of India in killing man-eating tigers and leopards and also in killing rogue elephants.
Bear with me please, in the telling of this story about Harkwar and Kunthi and "the law of the jungle" in India. Harkwar and Kunthi lived in villages a few miles apart at the foot the great Dunagiri mountain, and had never seen each other until the great day, when, dressed in bright new clothes, they had for all too short a time been the center of attraction of a vast crowd of relatives and friends. That day lived long in their memories as the wonderful occasion when they had been able to fill their small bellies to bursting-point with halwa and puris. The day also lived for long years in the memory of their respective fathers, for on it the village bania, who was their "father and mother’, realizing their great necessity had provided the few rupees that had enabled them to retain the respect of their communities by marrying their children at the age their customs said they would be married, and on the propitious date selected by the priest of the village—and had made a fresh entry against their names in the register. Harkwar and Kunthi were married before their "total ages" had reached double figures.
Now, to be sure, in telling you this story, I am not laying ‘my approval’ to this custom of the poor people of India, simply telling you what Jim Corbett told.
Kunthi went back home with her parents and continued to perform the chores that her mother gave her daily to do. Several uneventful and carefree years went by for Kunthi until the day came when she was judged ‘old enough’ to join her husband. The change from her parents home to her ‘in-laws’ home only meant for Kunthi the performing of chores for her mother-in-law which she had previously performed for her mother. In a poor man’s household in India, young and old have their allotted work to do and they do it cheerfully. Kunthi was now old enough to help with the cooking, and as soon as the morning meal had been eaten, all who were capable of working for wages set out to perform their respective tasks, which, no matter how minor they were, brought grist to the family mill.
Harkwar’s father was a mason and was engaged on building a chapel at the American Mission School. It was Harkwar’s ambition to follow in his father’s profession, and, until he had the strength to do so, he helped the family exchequer by carrying the materials used by his father and the other masons, earning two annas a day for his ten hours labor. After Kunthi had washed and polished the metal pots and pans used for the morning meal, she accompanied her mother-in-law and her numerous sisters-in-law to the fields of the headman of the village, where with other women and girls she labored as many hours as her husband ‘for half the wage’ he received. When the day’s work was done, the family walked back in the twilight to the hut Harkwar’s father had been permitted to build on the headman’s land, and with the dry sticks the younger children had collected during their elder’s absence, the evening meal was cooked and eaten. Except for the fire, there had never been any other form of illumination in the hut, and when the pots and pans had been cleaned and put away, each member of the family retired to his or her allotted place, Harkwar and his brothers sleeping with their father and Kunthi sleeping with the female members of the family.
When Harkwar was 18 and Kunthi 16, they left, and, carrying their few possessions, set up housekeeping in a hut placed at their disposal by an uncle of Harkwar’s in a village 3 miles from the cantonment of Ranikhet. For four years the young couple worked there, but, in November of that year, the building was completed and Harkwar had to find work elsewhere. Winter that year was unusually severe. Harkwar suggested that they should migrate to the foothills at Kaladhungi, where they hoped to procure work, roughly 50 miles away. Sleeping under trees at night, toiling up and down steep and rough roads during the day, and carrying all their worldly possessions, and the children by turns, Karkwar and Kunthi, tired and footsore, accomplished the journey to Kaladhungi in six days.
The built there a hut and their two children, Punwa, a boy aged three, and Putali, a girl aged two, took up residence beside the Jungle, in which to Corbett’s certain knowledge, there were 5 tigers, 8 leopards, a family of 4 sloth bears, 2 Himalayan black bears, which had come down from the high hills to feed on wild plums and honey; a number of hyenas who had their burrows in the grasslands 5 miles away and who visited the Jungle nightly to feed on the discarded portions of the tigers’ and leopards’ kills; a pair of wild dogs; numerous jackals and foxes and pine martens; and a variety of civet and other cats. There were also two large pythons, many kinds of snakes, crested and tawny eagles, and hundred of vultures in the Jungles. Corbett did not mention animals such as deer, antelope, pigs, and monkeys, which were all harmless to humans.
The day after they completed their flimsy hut, Harkwar found work as a qualified mason on a daily wage of eight annas with the contractor who was building a canal headworks, and Kunthi purchased for 2 rupees a permit from the Forest Department which entitled her to cut grass on the foothills, which she sold as fodder for the cattle of the shopkeepers in the bazaar. For her bundle of green grass, sometimes weighing as much as 80 pounds, and which necessitated a walk of from 10 to 14 miles daily, mostly up and down steep hills, Kunthi received 4 annas, one anna of which was taken by the man who held the Government contract for sale of grass at the bazaar. Of the 8 annas earned by Harkwar, plus the 3 annas earned by Kunthi, the family of four lived in comparative comfort, for food was plentiful and cheap and for the first time in their lives they were able to afford meat once a month.
The children, Punwa and Putali, had, in the beginning been in anxiety, for they were too young to accompany Harkwar and Kunthi in their daily journeys to work. So, a kindly old crippled woman living in the communal hut a few hundred yards came to their rescue by offering to keep a general eye on the children while the parents were away at work.
One particular Friday, fair day in Kaladhungi, Karkwar and Kunthi returned to their hut early, after making purchases in the bazaar on cheap food, fruit and vegetables at reduced prices before the booths closed down for the night, buying a pound of goat’s meat, but finding Punwa and Putali absent from the hut when the arrived. On making inquiries from the crippled woman, they learned that she had not seen the children since midday. The woman suggested they had probably gone to the bazaar to see the merry-go-round that had attracted all the local children. Harkwar searched the bazaar while Kunthi returned to the hut to prepare the evening meal. A rumor ran about at that time that Gypsies were kidnapping Hindu children and selling them at the North-West frontier for immoral purposes.
Karkwar and Kunthi then went to the police station, where an elderly police constable who had children, and was kindly towards them and their lost children, said that nothing could be done that night, but that the next morning he promised to send "the town crier" to all the 15 villages in Kaladhungi to announce the loss of the children. The night being cold, Karkwar and Kunthi kept a fire burning all night, and went out periodically to call for Punwa and Putali but to no avail.
They searched all day Saturday with Kunthi walking 28 miles to Haldwani and Karkwar 36 miles to Ramnagar. Many friend, who feared for the safety of the children, were waiting at the hut to express their sympathy for the lost children. On Sunday, Kunthi went 30 miles north to Naini Tal while Harkwar went 32 miles south to Bazpur. That evening they gave up hope of ever seeing their children alive again. The ‘anger of the gods’ in allowing their children to be stole by Gypsies in broad daylight, was not to be explained.
Monday found the pair too dispirited and too tired to leave their hut. There was no food and would be none until they resumed work. That Monday, a simple, poor man herding buffaloes in the Jungle knew the danger from tigers, and near sundown he collected the buffaloes and started to drive them to the village. He had heard the town crier come and tell of the lost children and the "rich man’s" offer of 50 rupees for their return. His buffalo, each when they got to a certain point ahead of him, turned its head to the right and looked at something lying in a little depression. When he got to the spot he saw the bodies of the children, both naked, and clasped in each other’s arms. But, why had they been murdered and brought to this spot? The herdsman descended into the depression and squatted down on his hunkers to determine, if he could, how the children had met their death. He was convinced that the children were dead, yet now as he sat closely scrutinizing them he suddenly saw that they were breathing; that, in fact they were not dead, but sound asleep. He was a father himself and very gently touched the children and awakened them.
The dear ole man loaded a child on each shoulder and set out to walk the six miles to their home. Putali was beyond speech, but Punwa gave the explanation that they had been playing and had gotten lost.
Harkwar was sitting at the door of his hut staring into the darkening night, when he saw a small crowd of people appearing from the bazaar. At the head of the procession was a man walking, carrying something on his shoulders. "Harkwar’s children!
Harkwar’s children" was the excited murmur of the crowd. Kunthi had reached the end of her physical abilities and was curled up in the corner of the hut asleep, Harkwar quickly awoke her, and they went out to tearfully greet little Punwa and Putali. To the poor herdsman the 50 rupee reward was wealth untold, but the rescuer said the blessings and thanks that had been showered upon him was reward enough for rescuing the children. Two-year-old Putali, and three-year-old Punwa were lost at midday on Friday, and found by the herdsman at about 5 PM on Monday, a matter of seventy-seven hours.
There was not a single mark of tooth or claw upon them. The ‘law of the jungle’ had protected those 2 youngsters. Had the Creator made the same law for man as He has made for jungle folk, there would be no wars, for the strong in man would have the same consideration for the weak as is established in the ‘law of the jungles,’ SO SAID JIM CORBETT.
PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.
JIM VINEYARD
YEDIDIM OF ISRAEL
