Blessed through you....

With the recent events taking place in Israel, the subject of whether the United States, in general, and Christians, specifically, should support the nation of Israel against its numerous and relentless enemies has surfaced. I definitely believe that the United States should support Israel as best it can. My main reason for saying this is because Israel is one of the few free countries in that part of the world. Many of the enemies of Israel are enemies of the United States. Who isn't familiar with the term little Satan, referring to Israel, and big Satan, referring to the United States? Christians often say that we are commanded by God to support or "bless" Israel. The main passage used to support this belief is Genesis 12:2-3.

“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.”

I don't see how anybody can not stand with Israel given the fact they have done pretty much everything, short of suicide, in an effort to reach and maintain peace with the nations surrounding it. They have the right to and should defend themselves with whatever force they deem necessary in order to protect their land and their people. However, I feel that the support that many Christians have of Israel is because they believe by doing so God will bless them or our country. I won't say that they are entirely wrong. But, when you read the above passage, how is that "all peoples on earth will be blessed through" Israel? I am sure there are many ways in which this could be answered, but I think the main blessing that has come "through" Israel is not simply the result of unwavering support for Israel, its people and its existence. Ask yourself, what is it that all people on earth need?

"Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”a Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." Galatians 3:6-9

The blessing to all people that came through Abraham is Jesus Christ. The passage in Genesis 12 is a foreshadowing of the reality found in Christ. One of the reasons the Jews are the chosen people of God is so He could set them apart in order for the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to come into the world. Regardless of how you support Israel the true blessing is the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. To be honest with you, the Jews and their enemies need Christ as well. Regardless of the fact that the Jews are God's chosen people, they are still spiritually dead in their sins. No amount of support for them will restore the life of God that every unbeliever needs.

"For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility." Ephesians 2:14-16

What do we see in the conflict between the Jews and their enemies, the Palestinians, at this time? We see Jews and Gentiles at odds with one another. There is definitely a dividing wall of hostility between them. But, God in His love destroyed that barrier through the death of Jesus Christ. God wants Jews and Gentiles alike to be one in Christ. This is the ultimate blessing awaiting those who live apart from Christ. No amount of political, financial, military or, even, prayerful support can accomplish what can only be achieved through faith in Jesus Christ. "Peace in the Middle East" has been a mantra since long before I was alive. But, everybody involved needs to realize that you can't have peace apart from the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. If you want the fighting to stop in the Middle East, you must change the heart of those fighting. And the only way you change the heart is through an encounter with the living God and His only begotten Son. I once heard it said that you can't have international peace without national peace. That you can't have national peace without local peace. That you can't have local peace without peace in your neighborhood. That you can't have peace in your neighborhood until you have peace in your home. That you can't have peace in your home without peace in your heart. And you can't have peace in your heart until you have peace with God. And that peace only comes through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28

Amen!