Friday, August 14, 2015

CHRISTIANS ARE BLESSED WHEN THEY BLESS ISRAEL

As Bible believing Christians, we ought to have a great love for the Jewish people. Please allow me to explain why this is so.  Because of what the Bible teaches, I am absolutely convinced of the following:

1.  The Jews are God's chosen people:  "For thou (Israel) art an holy people unto the LORD thy God; the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all the peoples who are upon the face of the earth" (Deut. 7:6).
 
2.  God used the Jewish people in a special way to give mankind the Bible. He used men such as Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel to be His special penmen. Peter, a Jew who recognized Jesus as Israel's Messiah (Mt. 16:16), wrote:  "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Pet. 1:21). 
  
3.  It was through a Jew, Moses, that God gave His holy Law, especially the Ten Commandments, which are a reflection of God's holy and absolute standards (Ex. 20; Deut. 5; etc.).  John wrote concerning God's revelation of His divine Law, saying:  "For the Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (Jn. 1:17). Those individuals or societies which disregard God's Law are headed for trouble.
 
4.  Israel has divine rights to the land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael) because God Himself promised this land to Israel in the covenant which He made (cut) with Israel:  "Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates" (Gen. 15:18).  Because of this, we fully support the nation Israel in their rightful claim that the land of Israel is their homeland.  Their cause is just.

5.  God has a wonderful future for the Jewish people.  This involves the fulfillment of all of the kingdom promises found in the writings of the Hebrew prophets (such as found in Isa. 2:1-5; 9:6-7; 11:1-16; Jer. 23:5-8; Jeremiah Chapter 31, and many other similar promises). We are convinced that the day is coming when Israel shall dwell safely in the land to enjoy a peace and prosperity such as the nation has never had. Indeed, according to the prophets,  Jerusalem will be the capital of the world and Israel will be the pride of every nation (Mic. 4:1-2; Zech. 8:22-23; etc.).

6.  "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Rom. 1:16).

7.  "But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:  for there is no respect of persons with God." (Rom. 2:10-11).
   

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