"Israel (Part 1)"

 

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article #47 – “Israel (Part 1)”

               One of the huge news stories of few years ago was regarding the Nation of Israel.  The Obama Administration and the house Democrats were protesting the invitation of Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel to speak before Congress.  The President was refusing to meet with the Prime Minister while he was in Washington and the congressional Democrats were planning to boycott the speech before Congress.  This kind of behavior is rather strange as we have been the greatest of allies with Israel since Israel received recognition as a nation in 1948.  Christians especially should be alarmed when our country’s leaders are disrespecting Israel in this way.  Why Christians should be concerned about difficulties developing between our two countries goes back several thousand years.

               One significant reason Christians should be concerned is that Jesus was born a Jew, of the Tribe of Judah and the line of King David.  “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.  There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.  The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.” (Isa. 9:6, 7) This alone should make all Christians want to support the nation of Israel.  However, there are some churches that believe in replacement theology meaning that the promises to Israel have been taken from them and now are given to the Church.  In other words, the Church replaces Israel in God’s future plans.  There is nothing in Scripture that would support that theory.  God made the promises to Abraham and his descendants and God does not break His promises or change His mind. “Jesus Christ is the same Yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb. 13:8)

               In the beginning, God created the heavens, the earth, the seas, and all that was in them and at the end of the sixth day, “God saw all the He had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Gen. 1:31a)  Then sin entered into the world through Adams disobedience and sin and corruption have thrived from then on.  Then in Genesis chapter six God had come to the end of His patience for all was corrupt and violent.  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord and God instructed him to build the ark and load it with two of each kind of animal and birds and the rest of the living on earth would be destroyed by flood waters.  The rains came and destroyed all of mankind and animal life except for Noah and his wife, his three sons and their wives, and the animals and birds that were saved on the ark.

In the first eleven chapters of Genesis we have creation, the fall of man into sin, the first murder of Cain murdering his brother Abel followed by sin, corruption, and violence, a chapter of genealogy, the flood, and more genealogy through chapter eleven.  In Genesis 12, God choses a man to father a new nation, the nation of Israel.  Why is Israel so important to Christians?

You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow regarding the Jewish Nation, Israel.

Lowell Parrish