Hi all,
Last week we saw the Lord has moved full circle, having wanted a kingdom of priests through which the knowledge of God could be dispersed through the nations, He got it. He now has that nation through all who believe in Jesus, charged with dispersing the knowledge of God to the nations. This was done through Israel even though Israel rejected Jesus. Can we love Israel based on the fact it was that nation that gave us Jesus, who has made us a kingdom of priests to the Father? Isn't that a privilege and grace worth loving?
When I was young...
We had a cottage in northern Michigan on a lake called Burt Lake. I loved that cottage. It was only for summer use as it wasn't winterized, but once school was out we drove the 12 hours from our home in north central Indiana up to Burt Lake for a couple of months. We would take the boat across the lake into the town of Indian River, dock near a bridge and walk to a restaurant for breakfast. It was there when I was about 8 that my dad taught me to sail, and let me sail that little boat all by myself for hours at a time.
But when I was 10 dad sold the cottage. I was hurt, even angry that there had been no family discussion, no asking we kids what we thought, it was just suddenly gone. The summer I had been looking forward to up on the lake never happened. But I still loved my dad. I was hurt and angry he had just up and sold the cottage without any warning, but I still loved my dad.
Similarly, can a Christian love Israel even if they do things we hate or at least don't agree with? Does having a warm feeling for the nation automatically mean blind disregard for Israel's policies and how they are implemented? No, but people who hate Israel are infamous for accusing those who love Israel with turning a blind eye to their policies.
When considering what we think of modern Israel we must consider that historical Israel had and has a divine purpose, one that involves believers in Jesus. My point at the start was that we don't agree with everyone on everything yet remain in fellowship with them - or remain employed by them, or remain friends, or remain at that church, or remain in that marriage, or remain in that family. This is showing how to love spiritual Israel while still being able to not agree with every policy of the modern nation.
Grafted in - Paul's answer to the 'hate Israel' issue in his day: Ephesians 2:11-18
"Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ."
"For He himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit."
So we see that to hate Israel is to hate oneself, for Jesus has made both Jew and Gentile one through His blood. Consider that in Paul's time it was unbelieving Jews who followed him around stirring up riots and trouble. Yet he wrote there is now peace with them through Christ - though they didn't accept that fact because they rejected Jesus.
Love Israel for the remnant
In Romans 11:1-4 Paul details the conflict we are discussing in this space. They killed God's prophets and persecute the church, so how can they be loved? Paul answers in v5: "Even so, at this present time there is a remnant by the election of grace."
He is saying love those Israeli's (Jews) who have come to the Lord, for they are the remnant of believers within Judaism that exist to this day. He restates it another way in v17-20, where he speaks of we non-Jews as a wild olive branch grafted in to the tree of Judaism:
"If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble."
Again, Paul is writing to the church in Rome which was made of Jews and Gentiles, and they needed to be taught how to come together in the love of Christ, and one group should feel about the other. And he provides hope and a promise concerning Israel as a nation in v25-26:
"I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and then all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Israel."
Israel's future includes believing Jesus is their Messiah. We can love that future while not agreeing with all of the current nation's policies, just as Paul instructed in his day.
Furthermore, he writes to the Galatians in 4:21-31, who struggled with just how Jewish a Gentile believer in Jewish Jesus should be, that the heavenly Jerusalem is the mother of us all. He said the current nation of Israel is the Israel of the flesh, which persecuted the son of promise, and those who struggle with modern Israel could rightly say it is of the flesh, for they do not receive Jesus as Messiah. But the heavenly Jerusalem is the place of citizenship for all who believe in Jesus, Jew or Gentile, for He had made both groups one through His blood.
Let us love the remnant of Jewish believers, love the eternal purpose, love the divine plan for the nation, even if there is disagreement over politics. If you struggle with hatred for Israel, consider growing in love, in switching attention from websites that stir up hatred to websites that talk of God's eternal plan for that very flawed nation and people. And love God's plan, love your Jewish Messiah and His plan to return to Israel, to Jerusalem, to rule the world from that nation and capital city.
New subject next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
Last week we saw the Lord has moved full circle, having wanted a kingdom of priests through which the knowledge of God could be dispersed through the nations, He got it. He now has that nation through all who believe in Jesus, charged with dispersing the knowledge of God to the nations. This was done through Israel even though Israel rejected Jesus. Can we love Israel based on the fact it was that nation that gave us Jesus, who has made us a kingdom of priests to the Father? Isn't that a privilege and grace worth loving?
When I was young...
We had a cottage in northern Michigan on a lake called Burt Lake. I loved that cottage. It was only for summer use as it wasn't winterized, but once school was out we drove the 12 hours from our home in north central Indiana up to Burt Lake for a couple of months. We would take the boat across the lake into the town of Indian River, dock near a bridge and walk to a restaurant for breakfast. It was there when I was about 8 that my dad taught me to sail, and let me sail that little boat all by myself for hours at a time.
But when I was 10 dad sold the cottage. I was hurt, even angry that there had been no family discussion, no asking we kids what we thought, it was just suddenly gone. The summer I had been looking forward to up on the lake never happened. But I still loved my dad. I was hurt and angry he had just up and sold the cottage without any warning, but I still loved my dad.
Similarly, can a Christian love Israel even if they do things we hate or at least don't agree with? Does having a warm feeling for the nation automatically mean blind disregard for Israel's policies and how they are implemented? No, but people who hate Israel are infamous for accusing those who love Israel with turning a blind eye to their policies.
When considering what we think of modern Israel we must consider that historical Israel had and has a divine purpose, one that involves believers in Jesus. My point at the start was that we don't agree with everyone on everything yet remain in fellowship with them - or remain employed by them, or remain friends, or remain at that church, or remain in that marriage, or remain in that family. This is showing how to love spiritual Israel while still being able to not agree with every policy of the modern nation.
Grafted in - Paul's answer to the 'hate Israel' issue in his day: Ephesians 2:11-18
"Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ."
"For He himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit."
So we see that to hate Israel is to hate oneself, for Jesus has made both Jew and Gentile one through His blood. Consider that in Paul's time it was unbelieving Jews who followed him around stirring up riots and trouble. Yet he wrote there is now peace with them through Christ - though they didn't accept that fact because they rejected Jesus.
Love Israel for the remnant
In Romans 11:1-4 Paul details the conflict we are discussing in this space. They killed God's prophets and persecute the church, so how can they be loved? Paul answers in v5: "Even so, at this present time there is a remnant by the election of grace."
He is saying love those Israeli's (Jews) who have come to the Lord, for they are the remnant of believers within Judaism that exist to this day. He restates it another way in v17-20, where he speaks of we non-Jews as a wild olive branch grafted in to the tree of Judaism:
"If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble."
Again, Paul is writing to the church in Rome which was made of Jews and Gentiles, and they needed to be taught how to come together in the love of Christ, and one group should feel about the other. And he provides hope and a promise concerning Israel as a nation in v25-26:
"I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and then all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Israel."
Israel's future includes believing Jesus is their Messiah. We can love that future while not agreeing with all of the current nation's policies, just as Paul instructed in his day.
Furthermore, he writes to the Galatians in 4:21-31, who struggled with just how Jewish a Gentile believer in Jewish Jesus should be, that the heavenly Jerusalem is the mother of us all. He said the current nation of Israel is the Israel of the flesh, which persecuted the son of promise, and those who struggle with modern Israel could rightly say it is of the flesh, for they do not receive Jesus as Messiah. But the heavenly Jerusalem is the place of citizenship for all who believe in Jesus, Jew or Gentile, for He had made both groups one through His blood.
Let us love the remnant of Jewish believers, love the eternal purpose, love the divine plan for the nation, even if there is disagreement over politics. If you struggle with hatred for Israel, consider growing in love, in switching attention from websites that stir up hatred to websites that talk of God's eternal plan for that very flawed nation and people. And love God's plan, love your Jewish Messiah and His plan to return to Israel, to Jerusalem, to rule the world from that nation and capital city.
New subject next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
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