For thus says the Lord of hosts, “After glory He has sent Me against the nations which plunder you-for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. Zechariah 2:8 AMP
The images are horrific. Israel is at war. Why should the welfare of Israel concern Christians? Visiting Israel in March 2022 was a dream come true. It was at the very top of my bucket list. I’ve lived in and visited many foreign countries, but it did not feel like I was in a foreign land for some strange reason. As I walked the land of “milk and honey,” the more attached I grew and the more familiar it felt. As Christians, we should feel an affinity towards and familiarity with where our faith began. In Israel, Jesus was born, walked, taught, died, rose from the dead, and will return to establish His earthly kingdom. Aside from any deeper Biblical, theological, or geopolitical reason, on that one fact alone, as Christians, we should hold Israel dear to our hearts.
Historically, God promised Abraham, the father of the Jews, that He would give him and his descendants the land that is now modern-day Israel. “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates” (Genesis 15:18). In Genesis 26:3, the Lord confirmed the promise to Isaac, Abraham’s son. “Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants, I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.” God affirmed the covenant a third time with Isaac’s son, Jacob, who was called Israel (Gen 32:28). “and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying” (Gen 28:13). The clear promise-repeated three times in scripture-is the reason we as Christians support and recognize the State of Israel as the homeland of the Jews.
Geopolitically, Israel is America’s most significant and most vital ally. Israel shares common beliefs with the United States, unlike many other Middle Eastern countries. They support the right to life and liberty, free and fair elections, freedom to worship, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. They share their many modern innovations with the world, particularly medicine, and bless millions.
But aside from these reasons, the most important of all, it is through Israel that we received the knowledge of the one true God. God used Israel to bring us the wisdom of the prophets, the Good News embodied in the Word, and our life-giving Messiah. Israel is where the greatest gift to humanity was birthed. Please join me in praying for Israel, not just during this atrocious, unprovoked attack but always. And that is your Tuesday Tidbit.
The picture, from my time in Israel, is of the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives.