About Israel
The attention of the world is on the savagery of war that Hamas (in the Gaza Strip) perpetrated on Israel beginning this past Saturday, October 6th. The images and reports of rape, burning, butchering, beheading, kidnapping, and murder of Israeli men, women, children, and infants is horrifying. Hamas, being an Iranian-backed Islamic terrorist group, exists to eradicate the Jews any way they can (video) and the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) exists to defend its people and homeland from all foreign or domestic enemies. But why is there so much attention given to this small piece of real estate (about the size of New Jersey) that Israel occupies?
It is simply because Israel is God’s chosen people (Deut. 7:6–11) even though they are currently experiencing what God calls a time of “partial hardening” (Rom. 11:25). Here are a few interesting things to keep in mind:
Israel is the geographical center of the world. Ezekiel 5:5 tells us, "Thus says the Lord God: 'This is Jerusalem; I have set her at the center of the nations with lands around her.'" It is here at this tiny nation that three great continents—Europe, Asia, and Africa—meet together.
Israel is the spiritual center of the world. It is here that Jesus was born, lived, died, was raised, ascended, and one day He will return to rule and reign over this earth. The three major religions of this world—Islam, Judaism, and Christianity— claim Jerusalem as a spiritual capitol.
Israel is the prophetic center of the world. If you want to know what time it is on God's clock, look at Israel. You can summarize biblical prophecy in three words: Jews, Jerusalem, and Jesus. All are inextricably interwoven.
Israel is the political center of the world. It is here that Armageddon, the last battle of the last war, will be fought. David exhorted in Psalm 122:6, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." Now why did he not say pray for peace on earth? Because there will be no peace on earth until there is peace in Jerusalem, and there will be no peace on earth until the Prince of Peace returns.
Israel is the miraculous center of the world. Every Jew on the face of the earth owes his existence to the miraculous birth of Isaac to Abraham as promised by God (Gen. 18:9–14; Rom. 4:17–21). And the arrival of Jesus Christ as the Savior and Lord of all is the result of a miraculous virgin birth (Isa. 7:14) which also fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3; Gal. 3:16).
God is called “the Lord God of Israel” 108 times, the “God of Israel” 203 times, and “the Holy One of Israel” 31 times. He promises that Israel will never be assimilated or eliminated because His covenant with them is everlasting (Gen. 17:7; 1 Chron. 16:17–18; Ps. 105:8–11; Rom. 9:4) and will never fail (Ps. 89:28–37). God says that whoever “touches” Israel, “touches the apple of My eye” (Zech. 2:8).
Israel is the nation that will not go away (Amos 9:13–15; Jer. 31:31–36; Rom. 11:1–11). The world will continue to harden against Israel (Zech. 12:3) and eventually all the nations of the world will gather against her to attempt to destroy her once and for all (Zech. 12:3; 14:2), but God will step in and physically and spiritually rescue them (Rom. 11:25–26; Zech. 12:10; 13:8–9).
How should we respond to this atrocious war?
We pray for Israel. I like what Dustin Benge said: "Pray for their repentance to Christ (Rom 11:26–27), the peace of Jerusalem (Ps 122:6), their protection and safety (Ps 121:4), wisdom for leaders (Prov 21:1), blessing and prosperity (Gen 12:3), justice (Amos 5:24), and reconciliation (Matt 5:9)."
We preach the gospel “to the Jew first and also to the Greek” which includes the Palestinians and any other people group (Rom. 1:16).
The only hope for Israel is not in a land, but in the Lord. It is not in missiles or might or money or manpower, but in a perfect Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the coming “King of the Jews” and “King of all kings.”
Pastor Jeff
P.S. Read this Evangelical Statement in Support of Israel