Grace in the battlefield

After the busyness of the bereavement of my beloved mother in law. I sat alone in bed to take a break from the grieving process.

Having been exposed to more Christian teachings during this period, I began to take a review of my relationship with God. I must confessed that in the busyness of life. My faith has taken a back seat. As I went through the belongings of mother in law, I realize how devoted a Christian she is. I felt guilty for allowing my faith to flounder.

I watch through YouTube an documentary on the Six Day War. It was a lightning fast war in the Sinai Desert between the strong and numerous Egyptian army and the ferocious Israeli Defence Force in 1967.

In all the first hand accounts from the tank commanders who took part in the war. One of the account struck me deeply. It was a scenario that was granted entirely to the grace of God and the grace of man.

It was the account from Lt Col Jacob "Jacky" Even, an Israeli 506th Armored Brigade Commander. It was the last few hours of the war, the Egyptian tanks were retreating towards the Suez Canal after being mauled badly by the ferocious Israel army. Even was tasked with the mission to stop the fleeing Egyptians from getting back across the border.

It was the dead of the night in the dark Sinai Desert, Even with his couple of tanks was patroling in search of the Egyptians. He had less than 50 tanks with him. He heard noise and started moving towards the source. As he got near, he saw hundreds of Egyptian tanks and soldiers trudging towards the borders. He was flabbergasted and as a honorable soldier decided to do something which took honour and lots of courage.

He gathered his tank commanders and told them. " The Egyptian army is a routed army, and I do not want a massacre. It will not give us honour if we shoot them like this."

"I am going to do something very unusual and if you do not agree with me, you are free to not follow the order. It is going to be a very risky move."

The rest of the commanders agreed unanimously with Even's order and returned to their tanks. They fired up their engines and on Even's order turned on their tanks' floodlights. They drove slowly towards the Egyptians tanks telling them the Israelis are here.

By God's grace, the Egyptians did not fired on Even's lighted tanks. If they did, the Israelis will have been decimated. By God's grace, none of the nervous Israeli soldiers fired a single round, triggering a huge tank battle.

In the end, the Egyptians chose to surrender as the lighted Israeli tanks weave among their midst. The whole battle was over without a round fired, not a tank shot nor a single live taken.

By God's grace. By the grace of men, by the wisdom and courage of Even. Not a life was lost. Amen







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