Many of the hostages seem to have come out of the Gaza terror tunnels with a strong faith in God. What happened down there?
The stories are slowly seeping out. The last living hostages are home, and are on the long road to recuperation from their terrible ordeals. What’s remarkable though is the resilience we are seeing, and the inspiring stories of faith coming through.
The last two living hostages, Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, were finally discharged from Rabin Medical Center, turning off the light as they left to symbolize the end of that horrendous chapter.
It’s hard to imagine the horrors they have had to endure. I’m sure we’ve all tried to put ourselves in their shoes as we interceded for them.
Many of us have been praying for God’s presence to be strongly there with them in the tunnels of Gaza, to bring comfort and encouragement.
It seems like God really heard our prayers.
God answered our requests to be with the hostages deep down in the tunnels, along with the millions of prayers that went up for their release.
Keith Siegel went into the tunnels an atheist, and came out a praying man. He now prays over every meal, and keeps shabbat.
Rom Brazlovski was starved almost to the point of death, cruelly offered food if he would convert to Islam. He refused, and clung to his faith in the God of Israel.
Sapir Cohen recited Psalm 27 every day, holding onto God’s promises to encourage her own soul and also those around her.
Omer Shem Tov experienced God’s presence in the darkness so strongly that he even says he misses it.
Segev Kalfon was biblically illiterate went he was taken hostage, but learned about Joseph in captivity and was blown away to discover his father had been praying through the same story for his release.
Many others have also drawn closer to God during their time in the tunnels, not to mention their families and loved ones who have been praying like they never prayed before.
Miracles of biblical proportions
Segev has spoken about the importance of faith since his release, and what happened to him deep in the tunnels of Gaza. He didn’t know the story of Joseph before he was kidnapped, but Segev learned about the biblical character while in captivity. Joseph is considered a prophet in the Muslim faith, and so Segev was able to see a series in Arabic about how Joseph was thrown into a pit, sold, mistreated, and then imprisoned before being miraculously released.
Remarkably, his father in Israel had been encouraged to read and pray into the stories of Joseph and his father Jacob by a rabbi who assured him they would see their son again.
When Segev discovered that he and his dad had been taking in the very same story at the same time, he was overwhelmed. He got goosebumps as they both realized that they had been led to learn about Joseph, which was such a pertinent story for his situation.
“I didn’t know that story before; I saw it there,” Segev said about his time in the tunnels of Gaza. “They took him, threw him into captivity, they sold him actually… he was in prison… and he went through a lot of tribulations.”
Now, like Joseph, Segev has been lifted out of his time of tribulation and is preparing for a brand new start.
Stories of God’s deliverance and promises to free the captives appear multiple times throughout Scripture. It has been wondrous to watch it happen with our own eyes.
View this post on Instagram
Treasures of the darkness
In a manner that should challenge us all, Omer Shem Tov relayed how he would pray in utter darkness to God. He did something many strong believers forget to do: he asked God how He was doing.
“No one ever asks God how He is. So I would start by saying, “How are you, Abba? How was your day? Do you need anything? If you need something tell me, I’ll do it!” And then I would say thank you. For everything…”
Omer would then thank God for absolutely everything he could think of before anything else — for every breath, for the tiny amount of bread he received, for a plate — absolutely anything and everything.
“And then I would ask him for the big things,” he said. He was able to God’s presence so strongly it made him smile, and he said he knew and felt all the prayer that were being said for him coming from people all over the world. He shared how he tries to experience God as clearly and strongly as he did in the tunnels of Gaza, but hasn’t been able to feel that same strong presence that he felt down there since.
“I miss that connection,” he said. “When I talked to Him, I could feel Him. Really feel Him.”
View this post on Instagram
“I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.”(Isaiah 45:3)
Another former hostage, Elkana Bohbot, now finally free, is seen here hugging his favorite singer, Eyal Golan, as he blasts out the popular Israeli anthem: “Mi she ma’amin” (Whoever believes). The song declares there is one great God, the King of the Universe, who gives us everything including light and life, and who is sovereign over all. The song encourages the family of Israel not to be afraid, but to choose God’s path of life and not to give up.
View this post on Instagram
God-given resilience
Anyone who has been following the stories of the hostages can’t fail to be impressed by the resilience they have shown under such horrific circumstances. Many have talked about prayer and gratitude, and all of them came out still strong in their Jewish identities, refusing to capitulate to the demands to convert to Islam.
How did they do it? How did they survive? Time will tell how these beloved ones process the trauma they’ve been through, but choosing gratitude in every circumstance is a key that helps our souls survive.
“Practice being grateful—even under duress. That’s the beginning of resilience.” ~ Jordan Peterson
But more than human decisions we have to point to the grace of God and His ability to keep His children. Even in the tunnels of Gaza.
Let this be a lesson to us all.
Prayer works.
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
(Psalm 139:7-12)
Picture by Dyu – Ha on Unsplash
