The word for bomb shelter is “miklat” in Hebrew (מקלט) but in Psalm 46 we read that God is refuge (machase – מַחֲסֶה), our high tower (misgav – מִשְׂגָּב) an ever-present help in times of trouble. While bomb shelters have been saving lives every day in this war with Iran, God has also rescued many Israelis by His miracles. He is with us.

While a couple of countries in Europe still have nuclear bunkers from the time of the Cold War, there is no other country on earth that has mandated bomb shelters as compulsory by law in order to keep its population safe. Israel has needed bomb shelters for many decades.

“A great miracle” at Beersheva hospital

Although Israel’s defenses like the Iron Dome system are able to intercept most missiles, Iran has been sending powerful weapons at a rate and volume that means some get through. The Iranian regime, not known for their fairness in fighting, have been deliberately targeting civilians. The fact that they actually aimed to hit a hospital, while morally shocking, is not altogether surprising. What is surprising is the fact that not one life was lost after a direct hit.

The director-general of Magen David Adom emergency services (MDA), Eli Bin, said it was “a great miracle.” The Ministry of Health had ordered the evacuation of the whole department at Soroka Hospital in Beersheva just the night before. Health Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman-Tov gave the order which ended up saving potentially hundreds of lives: “Clear the surgery floor in the hospital; it’s not safe.”

We are all praising God for His protection.

 

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It’s surprising what can happen in the bomb shelter

Many people are getting to know their neighbors on a whole new level, huddled together underground in the middle of the night, but rather than being filled with fear, many have been bursting out in song. The first night of bombing was a Shabbat evening, when Israelis were just lighting the candles and getting ready for the traditional blessings and songs. The sirens went off, sending everyone to their bomb shelters, but there are many videos of Israelis singing Shabbat songs, defying the Iranian enemy and refusing to be cowed by fear. Many believers also spent the time in praise and worship, whether privately or openly with other Israelis looking on and even joining in.

Believing reporter, Kayla Sprague, met someone special at in a bomb shelter while she was reporting on the destruction at Bat Yam near Tel Aviv for All Israel News. She was interrupted by a siren, and they all had to go to the (still intact) bomb shelter of the destroyed building. There Kayla met a woman who said she had been rescued by God from the attack. She felt a voice urging her to get out just in time, saving her life. She’s not the only one. There have been wonderful stories emerging of salvation and miracles. More than that, divine appointments, conversations and connections, even in the midst of this war.

In Tel Aviv, another miracle occurred when a bomb crashed into a residential area but killed no one. A woman named Alana posted on Facebook,

“How was it that not one person was killed? How was it possible that the rocket landed in the one patch of empty land, an unused parking lot, in the center of all the buildings? (I often wondered what was the purpose of that empty lot? Now, I know.)”

She continued, “As I was rendered apartmentless, I wandered in and out of other people’s apartments and spaces—some that were utterly destroyed and some that were still functional. Despite the damage to property, there was a tremendous sense of joy in the air!” She ended her post saying, “We trust each other; we trust God, the One God who neither slumbers nor sleeps. During the missile explosion, I was very calm and calmed others. We sang, we prayed, we recited psalms. I knew God was protecting us.”

 

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What a lack of bomb shelters can tell you

I talked to a friend in Jordan shortly after the war with Iran began, when the missiles were on their way, and they were taking shelter in a library. The missiles flew over their heads, and Jordan intercepted them before many of them could reach Israel. However, there were no bomb shelters in Amman to speak of. Why? Because Jordan doesn’t need to worry about Israel – or any other country – bombing it. No other country in the Middle East has so many shelters for their population. The fact that Israel does have so many shelters should tell you, (along with the name of their army: Israel Defense Forces) that the Jewish state is constantly on the defensive against attack. Far from being the aggressor Israel is so often accused of being, the only reason Israel bombs any other nation is in order to defend their own people. The strike on a nearly-nuclear Iran is a perfect example of that reality.

The fact that there are no bomb shelters in Gaza also says a lot about the priorities and values of the Hamas terror group who govern the Gaza Strip. Instead of building infrastructure that would help their population, Hamas have used the billions they receive in aid to build a network of terror tunnels to attack Israel, and to line their own pockets. The people of Gaza are left out in the open while the IDF systematically dismantles the Hamas tunnels and military bases. The same goes for Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Meanwhile back in Israel, an Arab Christian family were murdered by Iranian missiles in the northern town of  Tamra because they didn’t have sufficient shelter. Tamra’s Mayor Musa Abu Rumi said only 40% of the town’s 37,000 residents had access to safe rooms or shelters. Older buildings constructed don’t always have the built-in shelters that are a legal requirement today. While there is always a need for more public shelters, especially in Arab areas, the law that has been in place since 1992, requiring every residential unit in Israel to provide close access to a protected space is not always strenuously enforced. Now the whole nation can see why that law is in place.

How to pray

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah