How Are We Called to Stand for Israel as Believers in Christ

What does it mean that “He remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with

Jacob”? Which covenant was He referring to? What covenant has He made with you that

can NOT be forgotten?

As for the first two questions, this is referring to the unconditional, unilateral covenant God

made with Abraham when he called him out of the land of Ur and brought him into the land

he promised to give Abraham and his descendants. Keeping this promise was the basis for

delivering Israel from bondage in Egypt.

“I will make you into a great nation,

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

will be blessed through you.”

God repeats and expands on the details of the covenant throughout Genesis, for example, in

15:18 He says “To your offspring I will give this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great

river, the river Euphrates.” In Genesis 17:8, God says, “The whole land of Canaan, where you

now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your

descendants after you.” So we add everlasting possession to the unconditional, unilateral

promises of land. After the death of Moses and before the Israelites crossed the Jordan River

into the promised land, God said to Joshua: “I will give you every place where you set your

foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from

the great river, the Euphrates - all the Hittite country - to the Great Sea (Mediterranean) on

the west.”

The land portion of the Abrahamic Covenant is also reinforced in Deuteronomy 29:1-30:10.

However, there is a warning that obedience to the Mosaic Covenant would bring blessing,

and disobedience would bring disaster. After repeated warnings and persistent

disobedience, Israel was removed from her land by way of Babylonian captivity.

After 70 years prophesied by Jeremiah in 15:11-14, she returned but again was removed in 70

AD, soon after most of Israel rejected the Messiah. In 1948, Israel was regathered and granted

a portion of her land back, but it was still far from all the land promised by God which

included everything from the Nile River to Lebanon; and everything from the Mediterranean

Sea to the Euphrates River. Today that includes what Israel currently possesses, along with all

the land occupied by the Palestinians (the West Bank and Gaza), some of Egypt and Syria, all

of Jordan, some of Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.

An @ Home Bible Study group posed the following question: We had a question come up

about one of the passages referenced on Lesson 2, Day 6 - Hebrews 8:7-13. We are wrestling

with what is currently going on in Israel today, as are many people. It seems as though people

are scared to ask questions about Israel’s tactics or decisions, lest they be labeled as an

antisemite. The Israel referenced in Hebrews 8 was not talking about the current state of Israel

(right?), so how are we called to stand for Israel as believers in Christ?

ANSWER: The Hebrews passage talks about the new covenant which was made with Israel

and applies to all who receive the gift of eternal life by faith in the atoning work of Christ’s

death and resurrection. (Luke 22:20, 1 Cor 11:25, 2 Cor 3:16) *This reference was included to

help answer the final part of the question, “What covenant has He made with you that can

NOT be forgotten?”

Israel for the most part, has rejected Messiah; but many prophecies point to a time when she

will turn to Messiah in mass and receive Jesus as Lord. Revelation 7 talks about a time during

the Tribulation when 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel will be saved. Romans 11:25-26 says,

“Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

And so, all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn

godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their

sins.”

We can support Israel without agreeing with all of their tactics, political decisions, and

practices; similar to the way we love all of our children and yet don’t agree with all of their

decisions and actions. Most of us probably don’t line up 100% with every political decision in

our own country but we are still called to honor our leaders and show allegiance to this

nation.

Specifically we can:

1. Know God’s history and promised future for Israel as detailed in His Word, which will

help us take in current affairs through a Biblical lens.

2. Be committed to the facts, not only scripturally, but in secular news. The battle that is

raging in the Middle East is as much spiritual as it is physical; much like the battle

between Pharaoh and God was driven by a spiritual realm of Satan who opposes

God’s plans. Deception can run deep.

3. Show gratitude for what we owe to the Jewish people - our Bible and our Savior.

4. Pray for the people of Israel. Psalm 122:6 says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May

those who love you be secure.”