Rain Fell in Jerusalem on Holocaust Remembrance Day

May 6, 2024

by: Janet Aslin

Monday, 6 May 2024 | Dark clouds filled the Jerusalem skyline as the Holocaust Day siren blared. Earlier this morning, there were sporadic downpours that sent streams of water down the hilly streets of the city. It was as if God was also marking this day when Israel stops to remember Jewish lives lost in the Nazi death camps of Europe over 80 years ago.

Sunday’s weather was clear so when I listened to the news at 8 p.m. last night and heard that rain was in the forecast for today, I was a bit surprised. Israel has two distinct seasons; the rainy season should have ended a month ago. Although there are exceptions, the rains typically arrive after Sukkot (Feast of Booths) in late October and end in March. Cloudbursts outside of the normal seasons are often considered a special blessing or communication from God.

Throughout the Bible, God has made no secret of His love for the Jewish people and the Land of Israel, the inheritance He covenanted to give them “forever.” Therefore, it should not surprise us when we see demonstrations of His love in nature, like this unusual rainfall on a day of mourning and remembrance.

In all the earth, the Land of Israel is like no other. A well-known passage from Deuteronomy gives us a glimpse of its significance in the eyes of the Lord:

“For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year,” (Deut.11:10–12 emphasis added).

As we stand with Israel during this difficult season, especially on this day of sorrow, it is encouraging to remember we do not stand alone. These words were written thousands of years ago, “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth” (Deut: 7:6). They have not been changed.

Posted on May 6, 2024

Source: (Bridges for Peace, May 6, 2024)

Photo Credit: Precious Fleming/bridgesforpeace.com