Why Israel?

why israel

This is the greatest love story ever told: how the God of love reaches into time from eternity. This God of love is a matchmaker who desires a Bride for His Son, the Bridegroom of Heaven. He always intended that this Bride would consist of both Jews and non-Jews (Gentiles). What was impossible in times past is now available because of the finished work of Yeshua Messiah. The sacrifice of Yeshua (Jesus) opened the way for gentiles to be grafted into the life of Israel and share in the promises of God. According to Ephesians chapter 2 “… that at that time you (Gentiles) were without Messiah, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Messiah Yeshua you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah.”

This letter from the Apostle Paul to the church in Ephesus illustrates that God has opened the door for Gentiles to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – the God of Israel. Together we become the “one new man” of Ephesians 2:14. Together we fulfill the hope of Psalm 133, “How good and how pleasant it is when brethren dwell together in unity … for there God commands the blessing.” Together we bless the heart of Yeshua, who prayed in John 17 that Jews and Gentiles would be “one” as He was “one” with the Father.

God Chose Israel

To fully understand the Lord’s heart for the nations and the one new man, we need to begin with His heart for His first nation, Israel. The Biblical principle, “first the natural, then the spiritual” (1 Corinthians 15:46) applies here. It takes prophetic insight to see this pattern.

A clear example of this insight is seen through fellowship with spiritually gifted Native Americans. Because of their incredible insight into protocol and honor, many indigenous peoples intuitively understand the importance of Israel in God’s Kingdom. Much of their native life mirrors the Hebraic view of life.  Seeing their people as having been placed by God in the Host position, with specific gifts for their lands, it is (super)naturally apparent to them that Israel has been set aside and chosen for specific purposes in God’s plan. They are faithful to always honor Israel and the Jewish people as those through whom many gifts of God have come. As Scripture notes of Israel:

“…To whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.” (Romans 9:4–5)

Understanding the role of Israel is crucially connected to world revival and the return of the Lord. Two of the modern miracles unfolding today are:

Regarding this restoration, there are mandates to the Church that are eternal and especially relevant today:

  1. Gen. 12:1–3 — God is very clear to all that He is aware of our treatment of the Sons of Abraham. Blessings and curses are tied to proper relationship to Israel. Covenant loyalty, pictured in the Book of Ruth, prophesies the shared blessing that is released when gentiles declare undying commitment to the destiny of Israel. Together we find the Kinsman Redeemer (Boaz/Yeshua) in the House of Bread (Bethlehem/Heaven).
  1. Ps. 122:6 commands us to pray for and stand with an undivided Jerusalem, which has had 3,000 years of Jewish presence. King David bought the threshing floor of Ornan, the site of the Temple, centuries before Islam appeared on the world stage. We are to pray for a revelation of the Prince of Peace over all of Israel, Jews, and Arabs.
  1. Isaiah 62 — For Zion’s sake, the Church must intercede for our Jewish family and proclaim to the world our love and willingness to stand alongside them. We are to comfort the Jewish people (Isa. 40:1–20) with love, signs and wonders in order to “provoke them to jealousy” (Rom. 11:14). This full restoration is based on the WORD. We must proclaim their right to exist and God’s desire for them according to unbroken covenants (Jer. 31).
  1. Rom. 15:27 — If we have received spiritually through the Jews—the patriarchs, the prophets, the Word, and the Messiah—it is in God’s heart that we help support them materially. God promises to return abundance to us. (see also Matt. 4)
  1. PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT — Gal. 6.10 “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the “household of faith” (Jews).

Over 700 Scriptures speak of the physical restoration of the Jewish people to the literal Jerusalem. Is it any wonder that this small nation has been in the world’s headlines for 70 years? The battle over the restoration of the Jews to their reborn, ancient homeland of Israel captivates the attention of both the friends and foes of God. The ensuing battle reveals the hope of Messiah and the spiritual resistance to that hope.

This tiny nation, smaller than New Jersey, has accurately been called “God’s Timepiece”. As we see God’s dealings with Israel and His faithfulness, we can see His covenant commitment, which is good news for New Testament Believers. As God does keeps His promises to his “chosen” people, what a blessed assurance we have; that He will keep his commitments to the international family of faith as well.