I see a lot of traffic on social media on the importance for the USA to continue to support Israel. To me there are two sides to look at; the first is the political landscape and what is best for our nation, the second is as a Christian. Do I believe that Israel is the chosen people of God? If I believe that how would I defend my position from the Bible? If I don't believe that, same thing, how would I defend my position from the Bible?
Knowing the history of Israel is important; and I'm not just talking about their ancient history, but let's say for the past 75 years. What has been happening in the last 75 years defines where the nation of Israel stands today; looking all the way back to Abraham gives us the background for why people think the way they think about Israel today. This is an important distinction, because you could know me today, or you might have know me when I was a little boy. Understanding me as a little boy helps you understand why I am the way I am today.
The nation Israel is still claiming the same promises that God gave to Abraham when God promised Abraham a people and a land. I think we can all agree on that point. Now as a Christian, I must understand the distinction between the New Covenant and the Old Covenant. The New Covenant is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant. To me, that means that the promises which were given to Abraham are fulfilled in the believers of Jesus Christ...not a denomination, but all believers in Jesus Christ, regardless of how they worship Him.
If we look at Jeremiah 31: 31-34, we will not that God tells this prophet what he will do in the future. He says that He will make a new covenant with Israel, not according to the covenant the covenant that He had made with them in the past...he continues, because you broke the first covenant (The Law given to Moses). God promises to create a miracle in their minds and hearts and then He will be their God and they shall be His people. This was fulfilled when Jesus, at the last supper, took the bread and wine and said, "This is the New Covenant made with the shedding on My blood and they dying of My body.
If we look at the letter that Paul wrote to the Romans; chapters 2-4, and then 9-11, Paul explains detail what is really means to be a child of Abraham. In many other writings, Paul writes about that in Christ their is neither Jew nor Gentile, man nor female...and writes about that in Christ there is no discinction because of nationally nor gender. In the New Covenant God no longer deals with nations as He did in the Old Covenant; in the New Covenant any Jew, Arab, African, Asian, Korean...etc, all are the same before God. So in my view, any Jew needs to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior just as we all do. To do any less is to make a mockery of the Body of Christ.
Now there are always political considerations. We now support Israel, not because a lot of Christians believe that they are the chosen of God, but for a balance of power between those nations in the middle east. This is done for our own protection and for trying to keep relationships open because of their oil.
My own wife and daughter went to both Israel and Palestine last year, our daughter wrote her thesis on her observations and interviews she had with both sides. They stayed with Christians in Palestine. They saw with their own eyes the way Israel treats those from Palestine. Israel has a large wall separating those two lands and there are huge guard towers, manned with soldiers to keep the people from Palestine out. If a little boy even throws a stone at a tower, he is shot dead. I know many of you tell true stores on how they fight back by sending people into Israel who blow themselves up...why are they doing that? They feel helpless against them. Israel controls all the water and electricity going into Palestine. Israel continues to build settlements in Palestine territory even when the UN condemns them for that. There is a segment of Israel political structure which are know as the Zionist. These people believe that God gave them all the land in the Middle East and they are taking it by force. The current president of Israel is an avowed Zionist and so is his cabinet.
Jimmy Carter wrote a book about his experience with this problem while he was president, and then writes about the following years of what has been happening. I have it down loaded on my Kindle and Jimmy Carter tells it like it was and what is happening today. He is upset that Israel will not recognize Palestine as a individual state with their own rights and borders. This were we are at today. The pushing and shoving going on in the political area. John Kerry has made numerous trips over there to try to forward these talks and find a solution. Of course many people don't like him because of their own political views.
I leave you with this; I believe that the Bible is basically about salvation coming to us in a process of first showing us that we are sinners (giving of the Law)and then God so loving us that He gave His only Son, and whoever believes in His Son...belongs to the family of God. If you want to discuss this with me, please send me a personal message, that way it will just be between you and me.
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