God promised Abraham to make him into a great nation. Those who blessed that nation, God promised to bless. Those who cursed it, God would curse (Genesis 12:3).
Why did God choose Abraham’s descendants, Israel, and give them special consideration? Through Abraham’s offspring, God promised to bless the nations. God chose to use Israel as a blessing for all peoples. How?
God gave Israel his written word. He used his chosen people to give the Bible to the world. Even greater, God brought our Savior into the world through Israel. Jesus Christ is the offspring of Abraham who was promised by God. God sent his Son Jesus to be the Savior for all the nations.
Now that Israel has given us the Bible and Jesus, is God finished with them? Does the New Testament Church take over and replace Israel?
It is true that the Church has become God’s representatives for his great kingdom work in the world today. Jesus told the unbelieving Jewish religious leaders that the kingdom of God would be taken away from them and given to those who would bear its fruit (see Matthew 21:33-46).
Is that the end of God’s plan for Israel? No. The New Testament tells us that God’s gifts and promises to Israel are irrevocable (Romans 11:28-29). God made promises to Abraham’s descendants that he will not forget or cancel. One of those irrevocable promises is to give the piece of land on the east end of the Mediterranean Sea to the people of Israel in perpetuity.
For generations Israel was stiff-necked and hardhearted toward God. Finally, after many warnings through his prophets and many disciplinary actions through surrounding nations, God expelled Israel from the Promised Land. But he sent prophets to assure them that their exile, though painful, would only be temporary.
Throughout the Old Testament, God promised to gather his scattered people Israel from around the world and return them to the land he gave Abraham. This promise remained unfulfilled for so many generations that some students of Scripture concluded it was symbolic or spiritual, not literal.
Then, after almost two thousand years, Jews returned to their homeland and established the modern state of Israel in May of 1948. What seemed impossible became a literal fulfillment of God’s ancient promise.
Not everyone was impressed. Muslim nations surrounding Israel immediately attacked, trying to destroy the Jews and claim the Promised Land for themselves. But God protected the modern state of Israel, and he has continued to do so for decades.
It is true that the modern state of Israel is largely a secular state. But the New Testament promises that all Israel will be saved (Romans 11:26). A time is coming when a great revival will visit God’s chosen people and they will be blessed with saving faith in Jesus.
The New Testament Church has not and will not replace Israel. The Bible tells us that the Church is grafted into God’s promises and his plan of salvation (Romans 11:17-23). The Church is included but Israel is not excluded.
In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John records his God-given vision of the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and the new earth. He sees twelve gates and twelve foundations. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel are inscribed on the gates. The names of the twelve apostles of Jesus are on the foundations. Both Israel and the church are represented in the eternal city of God, together forever.
Must we agree with every detail of every policy and action taken by the modern state of Israel? God promised Abraham he would bless those who bless his descendants, not those who agree on everything. So, we bless Israel. We choose sides with them and not against them. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).
Our support for Israel is an acknowledgement and affirmation of God’s great plan of salvation. God chose to use Israel to bless the nations, including ours. We support God’s plan because we trust him and his ways. We want his blessing for our nation. As the psalmist writes, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD” (Psalm 33:12).
May God richly bless his people,
Brother Richard Foster
brotherrichardsblog.com 