It appears the Bible is enjoying a renaissance in Israel.

In a speech at the annual International Bible Contest last week (in which his 15-year-old son placed third), Israel’s prime minister said he was pleased to see that the Bible is “again becoming the Book of books of all the people of Israel.” Of course, Benjamin Netanyahu has never been one to shy away from invoking the words and deeds of the ancient prophets. In major speeches in the last month alone, Netanyahu has referred to the Jews as the “seed of Abraham,” quoted the prophets Isaiah and Amos directly, and spoken freely of his own heritage with King David.

He’s right, too. Beyond the Old Testament and the secular historical record, stunning archaeological discoveries are increasingly revealing the Jews’ vast and glorious history with God, His prophets, and with Judea and Samaria, and especially Jerusalem.

With this in mind, consider the following statement Netanyahu made to the Knesset on April 19: “Don’t rely on help from strangers. Don’t trust even the charitable and don’t wish for stones to grow soft …. A nation that wishes to stand tall must place all its trust in itself only” (emphasis mine throughout).

The context and intent of Netanyahu’s admonition is obvious. The Obama administration’s policy of systematically undermining the U.S.-Israel relationship is proving fruitful. Israel, as Haaretz observed last week, “finds it[self] in a kind of diplomatic, security and moral limbo that is certainly no cause for celebration. It is isolated globally and embroiled in a conflict with the superpower whose friendship and support are vital to its very existence.” With his nation encompassed by enemies and abandoned by friends, it seems Mr. Netanyahu is preparing the Jewish state for a grim and lonely future.

But there’s more to it than that: Mr. Netanyahu’s admonition to the Knesset and his people for the nation to “place all its trust in itself only” exposes the heart and core of Israel’s problems.

Truth is, the Old Testament—which Mr. Netanyahu knows well and loves to invoke—tells us that the number-one reason the Jewish state is in such a perilous state today is because for far too long it has trusted in itself!

From beginning to end, the Old Testament is filled with instruction about trusting in God and refraining from trusting in self. This lesson to one degree or another is embodied within the lives of every single Old Testament prophet. Take King David for example. Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Jewish leaders trot around the globe eloquently reciting the awesome history of King David of Judah. They revel in the knowledge that David defeated the Philistines, claimed vast tracts of strategically important territory and then secured and expanded Jerusalem as the dominant city in the Levant. (Indeed, it truly is history to be proud of.)

But how many Jews are prepared to explore the source of King David’s accomplishments?

“O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me,” wrote David in Psalm 7:1. Elsewhere he wrote, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth …” (Psalm 28:7). What a beautiful lesson from one of the Jews’ greatest figures: When King David trusted in God, his kingdom was secure and his life was happy!

Meanwhile, Israel’s prime minister says nothing about trusting in God and tells his people that Israel “must place all of its trust in itself.”

Israel’s leaders are prone to quoting other Old Testament prophets too. But notice what some of these men had to say about trust. “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid,” stated the Prophet Isaiah, “for the Lord God is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2). Isaiah’s instruction in chapter 57 is incredibly relevant in light of Israel’s ongoing fight to hold fast to its territorial possessions. “He that putteth his trust in [God] shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain” (verse 13).

Beyond the admonition to trust implicitly in God, the Old Testament prophets warned explicitly against trusting in the human heart. “Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man,” wrote the Prophet Jeremiah. “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is” (Jeremiah 17:5, 7). Amos delivered a similar warning: “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria …” (Amos 6:1). Micah too: “Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide” (Micah 7:5). Nahum also: “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him” (Nahum 1:7).

Could the lesson be any more explicit?

The ultimate solution to Israel’s retinue of problems is not obscure or hard to grasp. It does not lie in complex negotiations and peace agreements, in bombs and bullets, or even in a strong relationship with the United States. And it absolutely does not lie in placing “all its trust in itself.”

Ultimately, the solution to Israel’s problem lies in trusting in God!

The tragic irony of Israel’s predicament is that many Jews come into contact with the solution nearly every single day. It literally surrounds them. It’s in what Netanyahu last week termed the “Book of books,” which is apparently making a comeback. It’s in the bullae and pottery being routinely uncovered from beneath their feet, in Jerusalem and elsewhere. It’s in the lives of the ancient kings and prophets whom Israel’s leaders respect and admire, and hardly ever stop talking about!

The Old Testament and the ancient prophets are speaking—if only Mr. Netanyahu and the Jews would heed!