We have so much to thank
Israel for. This Jewish nation should always be on our lips
in prayer, thanking
God for her existence. Without her, we would not exist.
Because of the Jew we have
not only the Old Testament that informs us about the one true God, but also the
New Testament that clarifies Him even more. Everything about the Bible we
Christians cherish, came from our Jewish friends.
Almighty God chose a man
named Abram (later changed to Abraham by God) and began the nation we know
today as Israel. God showed us Himself and His plan for man in the Old
Testament then showed us His grace on a cross on the hill called Golgotha.
From Law to Grace He used the
mechanism of faith to bring those to Him who would come through His Son Jesus.
On Passover God provided a
sacrifice (1 Corinthians 5:7). The sacrifice was His own Son.
The Unleavened Bread (John
6:35) was the way of salvation. Jesus made it clear that He is the bread of
life.
On First Fruits the enemy was
defeated and the way paved for man to be saved (John 2:19). He is risen!
(Matthew 28:6-7)
On Pentecost a new body was
formed (Acts 2:1) in addition to the apple of His eye, Israel. That body was
the Church.
Our solid hope is all laid
out in the following passage: “For what I received I passed on to you as of
first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
that he was buried, that he was raised on the
third day according to the Scriptures, and
that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5)
All the original members of
the first Church were Jewish. The apostles of our Lord were Jewish. The book we
love so much, the Bible, was provided us by the Lord through the writings of
mostly Jewish men. The apostle to the Gentiles was Jewish. The greatest
missionary who has ever lived was Jewish.
Today, many churches, various
denominations, and so-called pastors hate Israel. Some openly boycott any trade
with Israel and side with her enemies. Some in the pews of our churches hate
the Jews, and don’t even know why. In my opinion, one of the most dangerous
things any man or entity can do is side against Israel. You might as well side
against God.
“I will bless those who bless
you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be
blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3)
It isn’t to say that
everything Israel does and stands for today is right, but she is still the
apple of God’s eye, and that we need to keep foremost in our minds. She is
family, and who of us would not stand by our family members, right or wrong?
We should ache for her,
knowing her trials that will come during the Tribulation. She will suffer much,
but in the end will finally come to recognize her Messiah, and that is the good
news. What a glorious day it will be when the nation of Israel finally
recognizes her Messiah as the one she rejected many years ago. I can’t imagine
the utter joy of that moment.
It wasn’t wise that Israel
rejected her Messiah nearly two thousand years ago, but through that horrible
decision we were born as the Church. The Jew is usually the only one blamed for
the crucifixion of their Messiah, but lest we forget, the Gentiles were there
too. We Gentiles, the Romans, actually did the work. So let us not just blame the
Jew.
Maybe as a Christian, you do
not like the Jews. Maybe you don’t think about it one way or another. Why not
take this opportunity to rethink just how much they mean to the Church? We
would not be enjoying our position of the bride of Christ if it weren’t for the
Jew.
I find it hard to believe
that a true Christian would not have a soft spot in their heart for Israel.
Should not the Church love and be in much prayer for God’s people, for they are
His people? Our prayer should be that many come to know Him as their Savior
now.
Grant Phillips
Email: grantphillips@windstream.net
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
