“Before she went into labor,
she had the baby.
Before the birth pangs hit,
she delivered a son.
Has anyone ever heard of such a thing?
Has anyone seen anything like this?
A country born in a day?
A nation born in a flash?
But Zion was barely in labor
when she had her babies!
Do I open the womb
and not deliver the baby?
Do I, the One who delivers babies,
shut the womb?” (Isaiah 66:7-9, The Message)

Well, it’s here. That’s probably what they said at 4 p.m., the 14th of May, 1948, in Tel Aviv. Israel’s declaration of statehood was read by David Ben Gurion, and the United States—or, more specifically, Harry Truman—recognized the fledgling state.

This was a gigantic miracle, and a gift of God’s grace, for it shows that He keeps His promises. After such a long exile, the Jewish people are back in their ancestral land.

Israel’s neighbors promised a war was coming on May 15, and they made good on their word, but the baby had already been born.

On a trip to Israel in 2002, I visited Independence Hall, and was the only tourist there. This was during the Second Intifada, and the Palestinians have promised another one is coming. For today, though, I celebrate enthusiastically Israel’s Independence Day.

At Independence Hall, I saw a copy of the scroll from which Ben Gurion read. It is a tangible reminder that the Bible’s prophecies are sure, true, and always on time.

Long live Israel!