Our Fall Harvest Trip: Prophecy

This is part three in a series.  Part one is here and part two is here.

Our Swedish Guests

While we were in Israel there were several events that really impacted me.  Twice during Sukkot there were tour groups that had heard that our group was helping the farmers bring in their harvest and they wanted to “see it with their own eyes”.  One group was from Sweden and I am not sure where the other group was from, but both groups had been up to the Psagot Winery where there is a wonderful and powerful presentation for visitors focusing on the Biblical Heartland of Israel and it’s significance.  It was there that they heard that our group was in the land and helping out, in fulfillment of Isaiah 61:5

Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;

So twice a tour bus full of people came to visit and we invited them to join us in our succah as we shared with them about what we were doing and why.  Their excitement sure encouraged us!  Since then, our family has spent two evenings with one of the families from Sweden while they were here in the States and the excitement of that visit in the succah hasn’t faded in any of us.

While we were in Israel we were privileged to be guests at a very special wedding, which was amazing and not at all like any wedding I’ve ever attended before.  Oh what fun everyone had that night!!  We were assigned to a table with several young ladies, a single man and a family of four.  We did not previously know any of the people we shared the table with that evening.  During the wonderful dinner that was served the man of the family across the table struck up a conversation with us as we all introduced ourselves.  He began to tell us about how excited he was about the service we were doing in Israel for the farmers.  He talked about how the restoration of Israel is indeed taking place as HaShem promised in the Scriptures and how it’s seemingly centered in the territory of Benjamin, which is where we did a lot of our harvesting.  He said Benjamin (Joseph’s only full brother) was the only one born in the Promised Land, how he was the key to Joseph revealing his identity to his brothers and he only came to Joseph in Egypt when Judah took full responsibility for him. He pointed out that the territory allotted to Benjamin sat between the two prominent and powerful sons – Judah and Ephraim and that Benjamin served as a buffer between the two sons/territories.  He was noting that Judah represents all of Judaism and that the Jews in the territory of Benjamin today are the ones who are allowing us to come, and welcoming us at times even, as we seek to serve and to aid in the restoration of Israel, as well as silently begin to bridge the tremendous gap between Jew and Christian.  He was excitedly telling us that he felt that what happened in Egypt when Joseph revealed himself to his brothers is similar to what is taking place in Israel now, the next step being Judah (or the Jews) taking responsibility for those under Benjamin’s care, and that soon Messiah will reveal Himself to His brothers and the great restoration of the world will begin to take place.  It was truly exciting!  If you’re not very familiar with some thoughts on how Joseph prefigures Messiah, take a look at the blog entry Messiah Son of Joseph, The Suffering Servant.  The subject of the Joseph narratives holding prototype patterns for Messiah is one that has been of growing interest for me over the years so when this gentleman began to share his thoughts, my ears sure perked up.  I left that evening blessed by the wedding but deeply impacted by the thoughts that were shared with us that evening.

While those events were neat, it was an event in a vineyard that left the biggest impression on me.  One day all of the harvesters were working together in one large vineyard, it was the largest single harvest of the season totaling 21 metric tons (46,305 pounds).  As we were working we would talk together, sing together and play riddle games – we had fun while we worked.  Someone noticed a local man walking toward the vineyard and he stopped to watch what we were doing.  He seemed curious, so they greeted him with a friendly “Shalom!”  The man smiled and began to say, “I had heard you were here, but I had to see it with my own eyes.  I just can’t believe it!  The prophets tell us that someday people from the nations will come to help establish us in our land, they will help in the vineyards, and here you are!  When Hashem gave the prophets those visions, it was you he saw, here, now.  I can’t believe it.  This has never happened before.  Baruch Hashem!  Messiah is coming soon.”  He then asked if he could help harvest a little and after a few minutes he quietly walked back in the direction from which he had come.  While I was not part of the conversation and was only told about it later that week, it still has left an indelible mark on my heart.  Apparently similar conversations have happened more than once and in more than one vineyard.

These events have left permanent marks on my very soul.  In fact, sometimes they bring me to tears when I think of them.  The impact has been so significant in my life because I have never before experienced such a deep connection between a task I was asked to do and the Scriptures.  I have never before felt like something as insignificant as clipping grape clusters from a vine could be so tremendously powerful.  I know there are those who wish we would not come to help, and I understand that position.  But I cannot overlook the simplicity of the prophecies and just who it is these servant tasks are assigned to.  It’s our task to simply serve.  While the people we helped may have indeed been blessed, I truly feel that I was blessed the most.