...Are you with me so far?
All of the Bible is God-breathed and therefore all of His Word is equally important and equally vital to understanding the Him and how He expects us to live.
...Can I get an "amen" from somebody here?
ALL of God's Word was given to us so we could know Him and understand His works and His ways.
...Still with me? Good.
Think back to the beginning. God revealed Himself to Adam and Eve as a loving Creator and Provider. He also gave them just 1 rule, but that 1 rule was enough to let them know that God is holy and He expects obedience.
When Adam and Eve sinned, God didn't push them away or forget about them. He showed them His mercy and forgiveness.
...OK so far? Let's take this thought a bit further.
Later, God called Abraham out of where he was at to a new place God had chosen for Him. God made covenants with Abraham....
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. -Genesis 17:1-8
Several points stand out in that passage.
1. The Almighty God made an ETERNAL COVENANT with Abraham.
2. The land was given to Abraham and his descendants as an EVERLASTING POSSESSION.
So, the land was given to Abraham and his descendants for how long? And, how long did God say His covenant would last?
...Uh huh. That's right. For eternity.
Who are Abraham's descendants? All Jews inhabiting this planet, including those who live in the everlasting possession He gave them.
...OK so we've seen that God said His covenant with Israel (Abraham's descendants) is forever and the land is theirs forever too. You're still with me here, I hope.
God used Israel as the vehicle by which He revealed Himself, His power and His love to the world. It is difficult for Jews to figure out why God chose them as a people and sometimes it is even more difficult for Christians to comprehend.
...If you want to know God's reasoning, come and look at what He says in His Word...
God chose a people to be called by His Name, for His own glory, and it was His sovereign will to promise, “I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles.” -Isaiah 42:6 KJV.
Some Christians still dismiss much of the writings of Moses and the prophets with the excuse, "Well, that's Old Testament. It doesn't apply to me."
...Really? Hmm... Let's see what God says about that.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. -2 Timothy 3:16
God never said we should ignore one part of His Word in order to elevate another. He said ALL of it is breathed out by Him and ALL of it is profitable for you and for me.
Think for a moment how limited our understanding of a loving Creator redeeming His creation would be without all that went before Jesus came into the world.
ALL of His Word is necessary to understand God’s character, His works and His ways.
How do we fully understand the depths of sin without knowing God is “more holy than the holiest holiness”? (Isaiah 6:3 CJB).
How do we understand a loving Creator sending His Son to redeem His creation, if we don’t know that “in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1 KJV)?
How do we really know He keeps his promises without the testimony of those who knew Him as “the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations”? (Deuteronomy 7:9 KJV).
... So we've seen that God made eternal covenants with Abraham, all of His Word is eternal and is necessary for you and me.
Now... let's explore a bit further.
So, how is Israel, a nation today that for the most part, has rejected the Messiah, a light to the Gentiles?
...Good question. We're getting there.
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets... -Hebrews 1:1 ESV
Who were the prophets? Where did they come from?
They were all Abraham's descendants and all from Israel.
Almost of of the writers of the 66 books of the Bible were Jewish.
So, the nation of Israel was chosen to be a light to the Gentiles. God revealed the light of truth in His dealings with them and as the Holy Spirit moved upon them to write the light of His Word.
Then... (are you ready for this?) ...
Jesus, THE Light of the world, was born of Abraham's seed, and was and is the Son of David and the lion of the tribe of Judah.
...Listen carefully here, please. This is important...
The Bible, the nation of Israel and the Messiah all have the same purpose: to be the light of the Word of God to bring salvation first to the Jew and also to the Gentile (Romans 1:16).
...Did I lose you here? Hope not. If so, I encourage you to go back and read what God says again.
So Israel is the means God used to bring us the Light, right?
And, God made an eternal covenants with Abraham, right?
...Here's another promise God gave to Abraham...
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. -Genesis 12:3
All families of the earth have been blessed by Abraham's family, but that's only one part of this promise God made with him.
The other part is that you and I will be blessed as we bless Abraham's family and cursed if we curse them.
... Ready for this?
That means you and I need to bless Israel because of the blessing that came to us through Abraham's descendants and because God says He will bless us if we do.
Some reading this might say, "Well, I hate politics and blessing Israel today means getting political so forget it."
OK, that's entirely up to you, but you might want to read Genesis 12:3 again.
Also, I must add something here...
Blessing Israel and standing with them is not political, it is Biblical.
Politics may come into play there whether we like it or not because of the current state of the world, but my reasoning for supporting God's chosen people has to do with being thankful for how God used them to bless us with His Light and also because God has not abandoned or forsaken them.
He is the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy to a thousand generations, right? Take a look at the prophecies of Isaiah, Zechariah, Daniel and Revelation. God is not done with His chosen people, just like He's not done with you and me yet.
Will you follow another train of thought with me for just a moment here, please?
Why does the world, as a whole, hate Jesus? Why does the world, as a whole, hate His chosen people? Why does the world, as a whole, hate His Word?
Remember all 3 have the same purpose: to be the light of the Word of God to bring salvation first to the Jew and also to the Gentile.
What did Jesus say about those who hate the Light?
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. -John 3:19
Enough said on that point... for the moment, anyway. Let's check on Abraham again, shall we?
God made covenants with Abraham. The covenants and the land are both eternal. And, God's Word, verbal or written, stands for all eternity.
So, yes, because of all the above and more, I stand with Israel and make no apologies for that stand.
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. -Romans 10:1
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. -Isaiah 62:1
I invite you now to join with me and...
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! -Psalm 122:1
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