The Mighty Hands of God

“But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob… Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee ………” (Genesis 49: 24,25)

Thus, in addition to conferring the awesome responsibilities of the Birthright and the wonderful blessings upon the tribe of Joseph, God offered the descendants of Joseph His personal protection. Prior to this blessing, God had inspired Jacob to select the sons of Joseph as the beneficiaries of the name “Israel” (Genesis 49: 16) and said of them that they would form a “great Nation” and a “company [commonwealth] of nations.” Son Manasseh was to form that great nation and today, the United States of America is the greatest and most powerful nation ever formed. Ephraim was to form the company of nations and certainly, the British Commonwealth of Nations has impacted the world this past few centuries as no other nation.

It’s interesting to reflect upon these words of the late King George VI, delivered to his people on a national broadcast on June 6th, 1944. It is important to know that the king had called for a day of prayer seeking protection for the allied forces in preparation of the Normandy landing of the Second World War. He had said, “Four years ago our nation and Empire stood alone against an overwhelming enemy, with our backs to the wall. Tested as never before in our history, in God’s providence we survived that test; the spirit of the people, resolute, dedicated, burned like a bright flame, lit surely from those unseen fires which nothing can quench. Now once more a supreme test has to be faced. This time the challenge is not to fight to survive but to fight to win the final victory to the good cause. That we may be worthily matched with this new summons of destiny, I desire solemnly to call my people to prayer and dedication.” Of course, as history shows, although the invasion of Normandy was the most perilous undertaking of the Second World War, it was only made possible by a totally unexpected break in the weather. The Germans were caught flatfooted because their meteorologists were predicting a continuance of bad weather. It is a wonderful example of the power of prayer and the ensuing protection from the Lord God Almighty.

Still, it was the king’s next remarks in his June 6th, 1944 address to which we should pay particular attention, “We are not unmindful of our own shortcomings, past and present. We shall ask not that God may do our will, but that we may be enabled to do the will of God; and we dare to believe that God has used our nation and Empire as an instrument for fulfilling His high purpose.” An instrument for fulfilling His high purpose! Do you suppose that King George was reflecting on the Covenant that God had made with Abraham? And particularly to that mandate where Abraham was selected to be a blessing to all nations of the world, a mandate which the Anglo Saxons went a long way to fulfilling, without even knowing who they are. Was the king referring to the company of nations Jacob had bestowed upon Ephraim? Do you think that King George VI knew that he was an Israelite? Most ceratinly he did! In a James Stuart article in the May/June, 1996 issue of “Wake Up”, Mr. Stuart referred to a facsimile of a letter that appeared in The Independent on April 6th, 1996, a letter written by George VI in 1922, when he was Albert, the Duke of York. In it, George VI wrote, “I am sure the British Israelite business is true. I have read a lot about it lately and everything no matter how large or small points to our being “the chosen race.”” So the king knew who he was and as learned as he was reported to be, he knew full well that God would answer the prayers of His People.

Why is it that some notable individuals, like King George VI, or War Hero Squadron leader Phillip Leith, or Professor Roger Rusk, the brother of former U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk, seem to grasp the Israel truth so quickly? Why is it that most subscribers to this magazine know full well that the Israelites of the Bible are the Anglo Saxon, Celtic, Scandanavian and kindred peoples? And yet, someone like Winston Churchill, who was a great student of history and the prolific writer of “The History of the Engish Speaking Peoples” appeared to have no clue whatsoever that he was an Israelite. He certainly sensed something, that’s for certain! Churchill was at the helm of government during two early Second World War examples of the Mighty Hand of God providing protection to the Tribe of Joseph. He held sway when the German forces were pounding his trapped forces at Dunkirk in 1940, pinned down along the rugged seashore amidst the cold, the rain and the German fire power. The cold, cloudy weather had showed no sign of letting up so rescuers could get through and it seemed that death or incarceration were the only two options for hundreds of thousands of valiant soldiers. Prayer brought our Protector to our rescue, as suddenly, a miracle took place. Nine days of calm weather came upon the English Channel, a calm unprecedented in the Channel’s history, and some 338,000 soldiers were rescued as military and small ships and boats made their way back and forth across the English Channel. Then too, Churchill was also there for the Battle of Britain and witnessed as the Royal Air Force turned back the Germans after being vastly outnumbered, valiant action that most certainly prevented an invasion of the island kingdom. Churchill later said, “I have a feeling sometimes that some Guiding Hand has interfered, I have a feeling that we have a Guardian because we have a great Cause, and we shall have that Guardian so long as we serve that Cause faithfully.” You can almost sense Churchill’s booming voice as he continued, “And what a Cause it is!”

Of course, for us, the answer to the afore-mentioned question is simple. For as great a man as Churchill was, the blindness in part spoken of by the Apostle Paul (Romans 11: 25) was not lifted from him. He was one of the vast majority of Israelites referred to in Isaiah 44: 18, “They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.” This is why it seems so exasperating for those who know their identity to get others to understand. Yet, someday they will, but only when God so deems. For those of us blessed through having the blindness lifted, we can but plant the seed in others. It is a responsibility we must not shirk, regardless of the frustration. And we do have the confidence that no matter how sorrowful this world becomes, and it is has become very much so these past two decades, that the Mighty Hands of God will see us through.

Look what He did in Elizabethan times! It was 1588 and Spain had finally decided to descend upon Britain with the might of her military. Dispatching an overwhelming force of some 130 heavily armed ships and more than 30,000 soldiers, the Spanish Armada set off for battle. Great leader as she was, Elizabeth I rushed to the anticipated landing site of the enemy. And inspired her troops with her stirring speech, “…I have come amongst you, as you see, resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all, and for my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust…” England’s great generals, John Hawkins, Sir Francis Drake and Lord Howard, provided superior leadership and did much to rout the enemy. Yet, history has shown that it was the promised mighty hands of the Lord God Almighty who came to the aid of His Israel People by invoking weather conditions that crippled the Spanish forces, sent many of their larger vessels to the deep and sent the rest limping back to a Spain that would never again pose such a threat. A medal struck to commemorate the war said it all, “Affidavit Deus et dissipantur”, meaning, “God blew and they were scattered.” The gratitude toward God Almighty reached a peak in the few years after the battle. Indeed, religious emotion ran through the land as British Israel paid homage to the source of their greatness. It was a time of such triumph and pride for the entire English nation that it inspired Shakespeare to later write his immortal words, “Come the three corners of the world in arms, And we shall shock them, Nought shall make us rue, If England to itself do rest but true” (The Play “King John”). Oh, but if only this national awareness was rekindled today!

Many more examples of God’s protection of Ephraim Britain have been chronicled but now, what of Manasseh America? Of course, the great American war leader and future president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, was quick to point out God’s participation when he said of the 1944 D-Day invasion, “If there were nothing else in my life to prove the existence of an Almighty and Merciful God, the events of those next twenty-four hours of the invasion did it.” Still, there is nothing in Eisenhower’s life to indicate he had any inkling that it was the Mighty Hands of God protecting the Birthright tribe. President Harry S. Truman came even closer to the mark, when, in 1951, he made these comments in a speech, “I do not think that anyone can study the history of this nation of ours without becoming convinced that Divine providence has played a great part in it. I have the feeling that God has created us and brought us to our present position of power and strength for some great purpose…..” Although he correctly alluded to America’s great destiny, Truman too was seemingly not aware of his identity. In fact, as an aside, not many great men of history were aware. It seems the lifting of the blindness was reserved primarily for individuals like the majority of our subscribers. As the Apostle Paul said, “For ye see your calling, brethern, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (1 Corinthians 1: 26). As the Amplied version points out in verse 27, “No, for God selected – deliberately chose – what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame.” Simply put, “follow God or follow the world.” One of this century’s great evangelical leaders was brought to Christ by an identity pastor, yet never acknowledged the Israel truth. As effective as he was, either he was left blinded by God or diliberately chose the power and prestige of the world as his ministry flourished. I choose to think the former because, particularly in his earlier ministry, God used him most effectively.

There are also many incidences where God has come to the aid of America Manasseh but space prevents too much discussion. Still, the one that stands out in my mind, yet is little known to Americans, came to me from a visiting professor from the eastern United States who is aware of his identity. I know you will agree that this the event outlined below is most certainly a powerful demonstration of the Mighty Hands of God. As the article sent to me suggests, Reverend Jonathon French, a New England man of God, recorded it in a sermon in 1798. He began by quoting Psalm 40: 5 to demonstrate the power of prayer, “Many, 0 Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” Then Reverend French proceeded to tell the story of God’s intervention on behalf of the American colonists, who were then still a part of the British Empire. He began his sermon with the statement, “What cannot a people do when the Lord is on their side.” He related that the French were filled with resentment against the British over the loss of Louisburgh, in Nova Scotia, on June 17,1745. And that they had sought revenge. The French plan was to raise a fleet and whatever armaments were necessary to recover their possession, to make a conquest of Nova Scotia, and from there to lay waste to the whole seacoast from Nova Scotia to Georgia. They made intense preparations; they gathered together fourteen of their most modern vessels, twenty smaller ships, and a number of transport ships, vast quantities of bombs and ammunition and eight thousand fighting men. They placed the fleet under the command of the great military strategist, the Duke d’Anville, and made plans to set sail at the beginning of May 1746. It all looked so promising during the early planning stages. Yet, it propbably should have been considered a bad omen when the unusually unfavourable winds delayed their departure from France until nearly the end of June.

When they did set sail, the British detected their presence as they sailed past the British coast. Nevertheless, the British Navy, under the command of Admiral Lestock, unsuccessfuly tried sailing out of Britain on seven occasions to pursue the French but each time was driven back by adverse winds. So the French were able to sail by unmolested. Then, an unexpected hazard. The fleet steered too far south and fell into the hot climate of the heat of summer. The tremendous heat, along with the lengthy three-month passage, caused a terrible sickness, thought to have been scurvy. In any event, thirteen hundred men died at sea. The rest were so weakened, they lost their appetite for battle. Yet, worse luck awaited them. The plan had called for four French vessels stationed in the West Indies to join them prior to the commencement of military action. These four important vessels arrived sometime before the main fleet and were met by severe storms and fog. They were unfamiliar with the coast and after searching unsuccessfully for the main fleet; they grew disillusioned and returned to France. The main fleet was left on its own to carry out the grand design, notwithstanding the weakened condition of the troops. Sadly for them, God wasn’t finished.

In the colonies, the settlers grew very alarmed at the news of the approaching fleet. The streets filled with men marching for the defence of the seaports and those who later recorded their impressions talked about the feeling of fear amongst the settlers, particularly the women and children. But they also remembered that the Lord Jesus Christ never appeared more important to the settlers than at that very moment and prayer was constant. Looking at succeeding events, Reverend French was to state, “God heard their prayers and stretched forth the arm of His power, and destroyed that mighty French armament, in a manner almost as extraordinary as the drowning of Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea.”

As Reverend French related the story, as the French ships neared the coast, a tremendous storm erupted, which threw the fleet into total disarray. Five ships, along with one of the transport ships, were lost and most others incurred some damage. Then, an uncommon fog for that time of year enveloped what was left of the fleet and they spent several days drifting. More ships were lost. When they finally entered the harbour of Halifax, then called Chibucto, they were in such shattered condition, with so many dead, that the Vice Admiral, who had taken over from the Admiral, a casualty, himself committed suicide. Even when the remaining French decided to leave after another eleven hundred fighting men succumbed to sickness, they somehow learned that Admiral Lestock was close to intercepting them. This meant they had to destroy some of their own ships because those crippled vessels would be too easy a prey . Their only goal at this time was to put their bad experience behind them and escape to France. Yet, God was still not finished inflicting His wrath upon the forces invading the possessions of the sons of Joseph. As the fleet passed Sable Island, one final devastating storm brought more havoc on the remaining fleet. What ultimately limped back to France was only a pittance of the original massive fighting force.

Thus, Nova Scotia and the settlements along the coast of America witnessed the Salvation of God and the great power of prayer. The colonists probably had no idea that God was simply fulfilling His promise to the Birthright tribe of Joseph. Nevertheless, they prayed and He answered. He demonstrated the Mighty Protective Hands of God.

Today, the great nations formed by the descendants of the tribe of Joseph are in dire straits. It is the time of Jacob’s trouble. Whether one lives in the U.S.A., Great Britain, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand or Canada, it’s difficult not to sense the punishment from Almighty God for our indisgressions and fall from His Law. Sadly, we are reaping the whirlwind of the curses of Deuteronomy 28 because we have turned our backs on Him and have permitted other gods to rule our lives, including the god of materialism. Strangers now control almost every aspect of our lives and the enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ are taking every opportunity to blaspheme His Glorious Name. The great falling away has reached its zenith and comparatively few are the Christians today who respect what we were and what got us there in the first place. Why the Lord God chose to enlighten those that he did is probably a mystery to each and every one of us. Still, He did and it has enabled us to clearly see the workings going on today in an attempt to frustrate His Kingdom Plan. Of course, those involved will fail and will ultimately pay for their wickedness. Still, we believers must feel a little like the soldier on the beach at Dunkirk, we have our backs to the wall and the blanket of ungodliness which covers most of our world is akin to the cold, dark and hopeless atmosphere at Dunkirk. But, we must take heart. For just as the sun unexpectedly shone and calm prevailed to rescue the hundreds of thousands of soldiers, the atmosphere will change for today’s world. For the Mighty Hands of Almighty God will one day reach out again as the Lord Jesus Christ intervenes. Make no mistake about it, Israel will awaken. Of this we are sure because the fourteenth chapter of Hosea tells us so. “0 Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord, say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously. ” The Lord will say, “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely. for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found Whoever is wise, he shall understand these things? Whoever is prudent, he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them; but the transgressors shall fail therein.”