Sabbath Stirs Controversy
The law of the Sabbath, while simple in principle, has always had its controversial aspects when applied in practice. When he performed miracles of healing on the Sabbath, Jesus incurred the wrath of the Pharisees even though such activity was lawful according to their own rules. (Matt.12:9-14)
The Jerusalem Post recently reported a modern-day incident reminiscent of this. An organization called The Committee for the Enhancement of Sabbath Observance complained that Tel Aviv municipal inspectors confiscated fruits and vegetables from roadside stands that were illegally operating on the day of rest. Instead of destroying the produce, they donated it to the Ichilov Hospital where Jews ate it.
The complaint also protested the fact that Jewish inspectors were working on the Sabbath, which it claimed was illegal. A spokesman for the committee explained that it was forbidden to enjoy anything that had been involved in Sabbath desecration, including food which had been confiscated and transported on that day.
The manager of the hospital denied knowledge of receiving such food, as did a spokesman for the city of Tel Aviv. The spokesman did say, however, that the municipal inspectors were considered security personnel and, like the police, were permitted to work on the Sabbath.
Euphrates Diverted by Turkey
The 1700 mile-long Euphrates River, one of the world’s great rivers, figures prominently in scripture from Genesis to Revelation. It was named as one of the four rivers flowing from the Garden of Eden. Its yearly floods watered the fertile plains of Mesopotamia where the ancient civilizations of Assyria, Babylonia and Chaldea flourished. It later marked the eastern limit of the Roman Empire. In the symbols of Revelation, this river’s waters are dried up by the pouring out of the sixth angel’s vial of wrath to prepare the way for the kings of the east. (Rev.16:12) In the traditional interpretation of the Apocalypse, this is taken to apply to the decline of the Ottoman Empire, although other explanations have been offered.
From its source in the mountains of Turkish Armenia, the river flows through Turkey for the first third of its length. It then enters Syria, and finally Iraq where it joins the Tigris on its way to the Persian Gulf. Turkey, with aid from other countries, is building a system of power and irrigation facilities in the region that will include some 20 dams when completed. The effort is an attempt to improve the living conditions of the desperately poor inhabitants of eastern Anatolia. The largest facility is the 552-foot high Ataturk Dam, 40 miles from the Syrian border. When operational in 1992, the lake behind the dam will hold a 2-year average flow of the river. Last month, for construction purposes, the entire flow of the river was diverted for 30 days. The diversion was according to a prearranged plan with Syria and Iraq, who accumulated reserves to tide them over. Although Syria and Iraq share the river’s water by agreement, Turkey’s geographical position puts her in control of most of its flow, and gives her a strategic advantage over her neighbors. They illustrated this power last year when Turkey’s prime minister threatened to block the Euphrates if Syria did not restrain Kurdish and Armenian guerrillas who were raiding Turkish villages and who had training bases in Lebanon’s Syrian-controlled Bekaa Valley.
With water resources so limited in this region, observers see the possibility of a struggle for these supplies disrupting the fragile peace among the states to Israel’s north. In 1987, a report by Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies warned that before the 21st century, the struggle over limited water resources could lead to unprecedented upheaval within the area.
Soviets Must Use Force to Quell Unrest
Seventy years of iron-handed rule in the Soviet Union has apparently failed to bring about tolerance and mutual respect among the diverse ethnic and religious groups — attitudes that are necessary for a democratic system to be successful. It was not surprising, therefore, that as soon as strict discipline was eased a little in Azerbaijan and Armenia, repressed nationalism led to attacks on minorities and near civil war between the two so-called republics.
Protecting the rights of minorities is one of the primary functions of government so when appeals to reason failed, President Gorbachev felt compelled to send in the troops to restore order and reestablish the sovereignty of the central government. To many observers, it was clear that if Gorbachev had failed to act, a state of anarchy would almost surely have enveloped the dissident republics.
Even as Gorbachev asks the Communist Party Central Committee to give up the constitutional guarantee of party primacy, the question is still, “Will Gorbachev survive?” Most government leaders in the west are hoping that he will, if only because they know of no other responsible leader as an alternative. In this world of nuclear weapons, stability at all costs is the watchword.
Troop Cut in Europe Proposed
With negotiations to reduce troop strength in Europe to 275,000 on each side already under way with the Soviet Union, President George Bush proposed a further reduction to 195,000 in his state-of-the-union message. Observers see the proposal as having a twofold purpose. First, it would help to accomplish a much-needed reduction in the U.S. military budget, and second, it would provide Soviet President Gorbachev with a tangible U.S. concession to show his party leaders that he is getting something out of his arms cut proposals to the United States.
The President had no sooner spoken when others in congress were suggesting an even smaller troop commitment in Europe in view of removal of the Warsaw Pact nations as a military threat to western Europe. One analyst, however, raised the point that with the prospect of a united Germany becoming more and more likely, the U.S. may soon have to decide who its European forces are intended to contain and structure them accordingly.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One