Praying for Israel

In our church recently, we have been studying the tie in that we as Christians have with Judaism, specifically the tabernacle and how it relates to Jesus Christ.

We are instructed in the Bible to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem." The Jews are God's chosen people.

Below is an article by Jack Hayford that I found interesting.

Why Stand With Israel Today?
by Jack W. Hayford

Israel is a land about which God says uniquely, prophetically, redemptively and repeatedly in the Bible, “This is Mine.” God refers to Israel as He does to no other land on Earth. Israel was raised up to be a light to the Gentiles.

The Church at its inception was virtually entirely Jewish, and it remained so until the Gospel began to spread. Ultimately the Gospel spread to Antioch—where the first Gentile congregation began—the base from which the Gospel spread into all the world.

In the book of Romans, chapters 9 through 11, the Apostle Paul deals with the question of the Jews in God’s providence and purpose. Within the whole of the Bible, these three chapters virtually stand alone as an elaboration of the theology of God’s dealing with Jews. The Jews were the “firstfruit”…the “first people” (through Abraham) to understand a covenant God. They then relayed the riches of that truth to the world, and through their agency, the Messiah came into the world.

The Word of God calls Jews the “root” and Gentiles the “branches.” We’re reminded that while “because of unbelief, some of them were broken off and you stand by faith,” we are not to become haughty but to fear: “For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.” When the fullness of the Gentiles is completed, “all Israel will be saved.” (Romans 11:16-27)

We are living at a sobering moment in history that calls us, as believers in Jesus Christ, to take a stand with Israel. We could be people of the last hour. We are not to be passive in the face of prophecy; we are called to pray with passion, to intercede, and to minister according to the words of the Savior who said it is not our task to speculate when the end will be. It is our responsibility to do Kingdom business until He comes (Luke 19:13).

Standing with Israel is not about politics; it is about the Word of God…but the political ramifications are dramatic. Scripture declares a time will come when all the nations of the world will turn against Israel. It is so highly conceivable that this could happen in our time that it is critical to outline why we should stand with Israel today.

We are called to stand with Israel today because…

… Every believer is charged to make the Jews a priority in their value system, and to render thanksgiving from their hearts for God’s work via them as a people. God has covenanted to bless those who bless them, and curse those who curse them (Genesis 12:3).

… Our place in God’s present order inextricably links us with the Jews as a people, and thereby the land of Israel according to the Word. When we put our faith in the Redeemer who came through the Jews, we enter into a line of those who have trusted God according to His revealed grace and redemptive purpose. Scripture declares that, spiritually speaking, when you receive the Lord, you become a Jew (Galatians 3, Romans 2).

… God has made unique declarations regarding the land of Israel which have never been rescinded:

It is His land, and His to assign and dispose of (Leviticus 25:23).
He has committed the land to Abraham and his offspring via Isaac forever (Genesis 17:7).
The loss of governance by Israel through sin and dispersion has not altered God’s announced commitment to make it theirs forever. (Read Ezekiel 37:1-28).
Neither has the truth that the Church (the Body of Christ, consisting of believing Jews and Gentiles) is the spiritual “Israel of faith” (Abraham’s seed of promise) replaced the Jews (Abraham’s biological seed and their land) or the national/ethnic “Israel of history.” This is underscored throughout Scripture.
… Israel’s present conflict is neither by their initiative nor perpetuated by expansionism or racism on their part. The general attitude of the world today regards the Palestinians as the underdog, but Israel is defending the land covenanted to them in 1917, and established by the United Nations Assembly in 1948. The Palestinian goal is not to secure a homeland, but to drive Israel out altogether. For the sake of mounting public opinion against Israel, surrounding, well-resourced Arab nations have never offered refuge to the Palestinians.

… To stand with Israel is not to oppose Arab peoples as an entity or to oppose the rights of Arabs living in Israel to a peaceful, politically secure and prosperous life. God has no disposition against any human being, certainly not Arabs who are also the offspring of His chosen leader Abraham. Standing for Israel doesn’t require us to be loveless toward other peoples.

… The relentless animosities of sectors of the Arab world are not merely political causes, but are driven by spiritual powers that will not be satisfied until Israel ceases to exist. The forces opposed to Israel are not simply those of people who don’t like Jews. We are caught in the stream of spiritual forces greater than humanity, forces that cannot be overthrown politically or by the power of persuasion. They can only be broken by intercessory prayer where principalities and powers are cast down.

… The same spirit driving these animosities is equally opposed to Christians as to Jews, and in time will eventually bring persecution to both. Just as Scripture states there are two witnesses that will be put to death in Jerusalem at the very end of time (Revelation 11), there have been two witnesses that have stood for God throughout history—the Jews and the Christians.

We are called to stand with Israel today because a biblical assignment and a divine promise summon our stand in faith, our intercession with expectancy and our support with promise (Psalm 122:6). The Lord has called us to be people with moral and biblical conviction, walking wisely and knowing His Word, and that He will honor those who make an abiding commitment to stand with the land He’s called uniquely His. The final issue will be, “Who is for Christ and His way, and who isn’t?”

I think that kind of says it all.