We can hardly believe it: the living hostages are finally home, brought back in Operation Return to their Border. Can you imagine how many millions of prayers have gone up for this moment? And here we are, watching this extraordinary event unfold in front of our eyes. Needless to say, the joy in Israel is immense!
When the Lord brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us;
we are glad.
(Psalm 126:1-3)
The emaciated hostages are in terrible condition, but they are home. Each one had a message from Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife on their beds welcoming them home. We’re all so extremely happy and relieved that they’re back.
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It feels like we can finally breathe again. As Eylon Levy said, these two years felt like a decade, but at the same time we’ve been living in the same day, October 7, for the entire time. Now it’s the day after. Now it’s “October 8” and we can all start to grieve and heal.
In the Knesset, Yair Lapis quoted the words of an October 7th survivor, who said, “We don’t want revenge. We want redemption”. He said “today the redemption begins”.
It will be a long journey to recovery for the hostages who have endured unimaginable horrors, physically, mentally, and emotionally. The whole of Israel has also experienced trauma in different ways, and with the hostages still in captivity we have all been stuck, unable to move on knowing that they were trapped in the Hamas terror tunnels.
Moreover, Hamas is still withholding several of the dead hostages and reneging on the deal. We are not at the other side of this war quite yet. As peace talks continue, we hope and pray for a better day for the people of Gaza who have also suffered so much.
Operation Return to Their Border
There are many Bible passages about recovering hostages and freeing captives, but the passage that inspired Operation Return to Their Border was from Jeremiah 31:16-17. The end of the passage declares the promise, “Your children [literally, your sons] shall come back to their own border.”
Many have been clinging to the biblical promises about God redeeming captives and setting people free, none more than the families of the hostages themselves. We have been joining them in prayer and standing with them in faith, but it is so wonderful to see this day come to pass.
Some of the families will not be able to embrace their loved ones, and will instead receive only the remains. The heart and spirit of Israel has shone through in these times of tragedy, with many expressing their joy on the behalf of others, even as their own grief is accentuated.
The great love expressed for even dead bodies, caring for them with tenderness and respect, shows the Israeli love of life, and the preciousness of each person.
Many of those who have been impacted by the release of Palestinian terrorists and criminals have been beyond gracious, even if the murderers of their loved ones get to go free, they have expressed their support of the deal in order to save lives today.
We praise God for answering our cries and keeping His promises. Thank you for standing with us in prayer during these terrible two years, and for the love you have shown for Israel.
Now we pray for help and healing both for our broken country and also for God’s message of grace and hope to be delivered to the people of Gaza.
Operation Return to Their Borders marks the beginning of the peace deal, and the beginning of the long road to recovery. We don’t know what the future holds, beyond what God has revealed in His word, but we know that God holds the future. We can go forward in faith knowing that He is there, waiting for us.
Please pray for us:
- Pray for the hostages as they heal from extreme trauma and abuse.
- Pray for the families and friends as they surround their loved ones, unsure of how to best support them.
- Pray for those who will receive only the remains of their loved ones, watching the happy reunions of others.
- Pray for the leaders of nations, making decisions about how to proceed with the peace deal.
- Pray for the people of Gaza to have every chance to hear the Gospel and to have a better future than what lies behind.
- Pray for the nation of Israel as we start to move forward, to grieve the horrors of the last two years.
Here is a prayer that Jewish people have been led to pray, at this momentous time:
“The soul of every living being shall bless Your Name, Hashem our God, and the spirit of all flesh shall praise and exalt Your remembrance, our King, always – from the world and unto the world You are God.
Without You we have no King, Redeemer, and Savior, Deliverer and Rescuer, Provider and Compassionate One in every time of distress and anguish; we have no King who helps and supports but You alone.
He Who awakens the sleeping, arouses those who slumber, causes the mute to speak, frees the bound, supports the fallen, straightens the bent, and reveals that which is hidden. To You alone we give thanks.
Even if our mouths were as full of song as the sea, and our tongues as full of joy as the multitude of its waves; our lips as full of praise as the expanse of the sky, our eyes radiant as the sun and the moon, our hands outspread like the eagles of heaven, and our feet as swift as the deer – still, we could not sufficiently thank You, Hashem our God and God of our forefathers, and bless Your Name, our King, for even one of the thousand thousands and myriad myriads of favors, miracles, and wonders that You have performed for our forefathers and for us.
Our Father, our King, Who frees the captives, we give You thanks for raising those who were fallen from the dust, for restoring souls to the captives, and for returning children to their borders. Bring also all those who are no longer among the living to eternal rest in a grave of Israel.
Until now Your mercy has helped us, and Your kindness has not forsaken us, Hashem our God; do not ever abandon us, Hashem our God, forever.”
Main photo: Netanel Azulay
