Asher's Foot

Golda Meir once quipped, Moses dragged us around the desert for 40 years and then took us to the only place in the Middle East without oil.

The Lord clearly speaks in the Bible that in the “Last Days” Israel will be prosperous, her people will multiply and he will pour blessings on his people. The Lord states that Israel’s prosperity will surpass Solomon’s wealth. It is hard for us to fathom this prophecy because Solomon was the wealthiest man in the world in his time and his wealth bedazzled the world.

Israel is now the largest agricultural exporter to Europe; Israel is quickly becoming a world center for high technology. Israel’s defense industry is considered among the best in the world. I think it is entirely possible that Israel will discover some new source of energy. I cannot prove this but the ingenuity and intelligence of the Jewish people never surprise me. For example, in 1945 most people in the world had never heard of atomic energy.

I think Israel will become so prosperous that her enemies, the Arabs,(Ishmaelites) Russia (Prince of Rosh/Gog/Magog), Turkey (Gomer), Persia, and Phut (Libya) and Cush (Ethiopia/Sudan/Saudi Arabia/Yemen) will become jealous of Israel and because of their greediness will attack Israel in order to gain her riches.

Biblical passages describe Israel as a desolate wasteland before she was reborn in 1948. Mark Twain traveled through the Holy Land and described it as a desolate wasteland. During one period of his travels he did not see a human being for two days.

The Israelis are far more prosperous than her immediate neighbors, for example, the Arabs in Gaza, the Egyptians, the Jordanians, the Syrians and the Lebanese. I believe the Lord will heap blessings of prosperity on Israel and in order to satisfy his prophetic plan.

Some scholars, including myself, believe that based on Bible prophesies, Israel will make major discoveries of petroleum in the “Last Days." Consider the passage from Deuteronomy 33:24 below:

24 About Asher he said:
"Most blessed of sons is Asher;
let him be favored by his brothers,
and let him bathe his feet in oil. Deuteronomy 33:24

On January 11, 2009 Israel made a historic discovery of natural gas off the coast of Haifa. Noble Energy Inc. announced that three massive gas reservoirs were discovered 80 kilometers off the Haifa coast, at the Tamar prospect. An exhilarated Yitzhak Tshuva, owner of the Delek Group Ltd, one of the owners of the well, called the discovery “one of the biggest in the world,” promising that the find would present a historic land mark in the economic independence of Israel. Tshuva added, "I have no doubt that this is a holiday for the State of Israel. We will no longer be dependent on foreign sources for our gas, and we will begin to export gas. We are dealing with inconceivably huge quantities; Israel now has a solution for the future generations.” An ecstatic Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said before the weekly cabinet meeting that the discovery was a “historic” one and could “change the face of Israeli industry.” A historic natural gas reservoir found offshore from Haifa is poised to meet Israel's natural gas demand for about 15 years and reduce the country's dependence on gas imports from Egypt and offshore from Gaza. The discovery of the natural gas field, known as Tamar, was made by a US-Israel consortium including the Delek Group, through its subsidiaries Delek Drilling and Avner Oil Exploration, Isramco Negev 2, Dor Gas Exploration and US oil operator Noble Energy Inc. Preliminary estimates indicate that the Tamar field might contain over 88 billion cubic meters of gas. "If the Tamar site succeeds in producing the significant quantities of natural gas predicted, we are talking about a revolution which will have an impact on the Israeli economy for the coming generations," said Dan Halman, CEO of Halman-Aldubi Group. "The vast reservoir is poised to bring down electricity prices, reduce the country's dependence on gas from foreign countries, in particular from Egypt, and thereby turn Israel from a gas importer into a gas exporter." Yoav Burgan, analyst at Leader Capital Markets, believes long-term deals resulting from the Tamar well could generate a potential value of $15.5 billion.

On February 1, 2009 officials with Noble Energy Inc. said the gas find off Haifa was even more massive than first thought. The discovery is actually more than 60 percent larger than originally estimated. The find is now estimated at a potential of 5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The February estimate is up from January’s, at which time the partners believed the well contained 3 trillion cubic feet of gas. The team will keep their drilling rig in the area to explore for two more wells they believe may be present. "The implications of this discovery to Israel cannot be overstated," said Noble Energy Chief Executive Officer Charles Davidson, in a statement issued after following the revision of the estimate.

With the above gas discovery, Israel's agricultural exports, their defense industry and their high technology in mind ponder below what the Lord, tells Moses about he blessings he will pour out on the twelve tribes of Israel.

Moses Blesses the Tribes

1 This is the blessing that Moses the man
of God pronounced on the Israelites before
his death.
2 He said:
"The LORD came from Sinai
and dawned over them from Seir;
he shone forth from Mount Paran.
He came with [a] myriads of holy ones
from the south, from his mountain slopes. [b]
3 Surely it is you who love the people;
all the holy ones are in your hand.
At your feet they all bow down,
and from you receive instruction,
4 the law that Moses gave us,
the possession of the assembly of Jacob.
5 He was king over Jeshurun [c]
when the leaders of the people assembled,
along with the tribes of Israel.
6 "Let Reuben live and not die,
nor [d] his men be few."
7 And this he said about Judah:
"Hear, O LORD, the cry of Judah;
bring him to his people.
With his own hands he defends his cause.
Oh, be his help against his foes!"
8 About Levi he said:
"Your Thummim and Urim belong
to the man you favored.
You tested him at Massah;
you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.
9 He said of his father and mother,
'I have no regard for them.'
He did not recognize his brothers
or acknowledge his own children,
but he watched over your word
and guarded your covenant.
10 He teaches your precepts to Jacob
and your law to Israel.
He offers incense before you
and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
11 Bless all his skills, O LORD,
and be pleased with the work of his hands.
Smite the loins of those who rise up against him;
strike his foes till they rise no more."
12 About Benjamin he said:
"Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him,
for he shields him all day long,
and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders."
13 About Joseph he said:
"May the LORD bless his land
with the precious dew from heaven above
and with the deep waters that lie below;
14 with the best the sun brings forth
and the finest the moon can yield;
15 with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains
and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills;
16 with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush.
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among [e] his brothers.
17 In majesty he is like a firstborn bull;
his horns are the horns of a wild ox.
With them he will gore the nations,
even those at the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim;
such are the thousands of Manasseh."
18 About Zebulun he said:
"Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
and you, Issachar, in your tents.
19 They will summon peoples to the mountain
and there offer sacrifices of righteousness;
they will feast on the abundance of the seas,
on the treasures hidden in the sand."
20 About Gad he said:
"Blessed is he who enlarges Gad's domain!
Gad lives there like a lion,
tearing at arm or head.
21 He chose the best land for himself;
the leader's portion was kept for him.
When the heads of the people assembled,
he carried out the Lord's righteous will,
and his judgments concerning Israel."
22 About Dan he said:
"Dan is a lion's cub,
springing out of Bashan."
23 About Naphtali he said:
"Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the LORD
and is full of his blessing;
he will inherit southward to the lake."
24 About Asher he said:
"Most blessed of sons is Asher;
let him be favored by his brothers,
and let him bathe his feet in oil.
25 The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,
and your strength will equal your days.
26 "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
who rides on the heavens to help you
and on the clouds in his majesty.
27 The eternal God is your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He will drive out your enemy before you,
saying, 'Destroy him!'
28 So Israel will live in safety alone;
Jacob's spring is secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
where the heavens drop dew.
29 Blessed are you, O Israel!
Who is like you,
a people saved by the LORD
He is your shield and helper
and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
and you will trample down their high places. [f] "Deuteronomy 33:1-29
Footnotes:
a. Deuteronomy 33:2 Or from
b. Deuteronomy 33:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
c. Deuteronomy 33:5 Jeshurun means the upright one,that is, Israel; also in verse 26
d. Deuteronomy 33:6 Or but let
e. Deuteronomy 33:16 Or of the one separated from
f. Deuteronomy 33:29 Or will tread upon their bodies

20 "Asher's food will be rich;
he will provide delicacies fit for a king.
21 "Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns. [i]
22 "Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches climb over a wall. [j]
23 With bitterness archers attacked him;
they shot at him with hostility.
24 But his bow remained steady,
his strong arms stayed [k] limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
25 because of your father's God, who helps you,
because of the Almighty, [l] who blesses you
with blessings of the heavens above,
blessings of the deep that lies below,
blessings of the breast and womb.
26 Your father's blessings are greater
than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
than [m] the bounty of the age-old hills.
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among [n] his brothers.
27 "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
in the morning he devours the prey,
in the evening he divides the plunder."
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and
this is what their father said to them when he blessed
them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him. Genesis 49:1-28
Footnotes:
a. Genesis 49:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
b. Genesis 49:8 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise .
c. Genesis 49:10 Or until Shiloh comes ; or until he comes to whom tribute belongs
d. Genesis 49:12 Or will be dull from wine, / his teeth white from milk
e. Genesis 49:14 Or strong
f. Genesis 49:14 Or campfires
g. Genesis 49:16 Dan here means he provides justice .
h. Genesis 49:19 Gad can mean attack and band of raiders .
i. Genesis 49:21 Or free; / he utters beautiful words
j. Genesis 49:22 Or Joseph is a wild colt, / a wild colt near a spring, / a wild donkey on a terraced hill
k. Genesis 49:24 Or archers will attack ? will shoot ? will remain ? will stay
l. Genesis 49:25 Hebrew Shaddai
m. Genesis 49:26 Or of my progenitors, / as great as
n. Genesis 49:26 Or the one separated from

2009 has already been dramatic one for those of us who are interested in the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39. Ezekiel 38-39 has a precondition that has to happen before the "War of Gog and Magog" can begin. Israel must be notably prosperous.

What does this mean for the United States? America must stand solidly with Israel. Israel is a vital strategic ally and trading partner for U.S. and Europe. Israel’s interests are our interests. Israel’s blessings will be shared with the U.S. Barack Obama’s and Clinton's “two-state” solution is wrong and imposing the “final status” on Jerusalem is wrong. If we impose these sentences upon the Israelis the road map to peace will turn into one giant pothole.

Keep in mind, in December 2008 the United States imported just under 380 million barrels of oil at a cost of $19.3 billion. In January 2009, according to the Department of Energy, the U.S. imported 408.7 million barrels which cost the U.S. about $17 billion. The transfer of wealth from America to hostile foreign governments continues. January’s increase in oil imports was about 7 percent over December’s imports.