Carols and our prayer for Israel
Many carols are rich in Biblical truth. As we pray for Israel in this season, we must recognise the words of the Magi: Jesus was ‘King of the Jews’. He was not a Palestinian, as so many have sought to portray him in a politicised attempt to undermine his Jewish identity. That is why when we sing carols like the ‘First Noel’, we burst out in a chorus of praise: “BORN IS THE KING OF ISRAEL!”
This Biblical understanding matters, because Jesus’s Jewishness is central to the Gospel, and is also integral to how many Christians view Israel and the Jewish people.
Let’s take “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” as an example. Sadly, it has been deliberately excluded by pro-Palestinian Christians over many years. The carol gives a clear Biblical reason for the Jewish people’s return to the land promised to them – something not taught even in some churches.
The text for “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” comes from a seven verse poem that dates back to the 8th century. A metrical version of five of the verses appeared in the 13th century, which was translated into English by London-born Anglican, John M. Neale in 1851.
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
This refers to the period that Israel was in exile in Babylon. Whilst in captivity, many mourned for the need to be restored back to their own land. The prophets reminded Israel of the covenant of promise that required the nation to remain in obedience to God. The prophet Isaiah speaks about the coming of One who shall be called Emmanuel, meaning ‘God with us’ (Isaiah 7:14, which is fulfilled in Matthew 1:23). Similarly, in another verse we sing another description of Jesus as the ‘Branch of Jesse’, meaning a direct ancestor of Jesse, which is a reference to Isaiah 11:1. Jesse was father to Israel’s beloved King David and again reinforces the fact that Jesus was Jewish, not Palestinian!
O come, O Branch of Jesse’s stem,
unto your own and rescue them!
From depths of hell your people save,
and give them victory o’er the grave.
The lyrics of these two verses remind Christians of God’s promises to Israel and promise to deliver His people by sending a Saviour. As Romans 11:26 says, a ‘deliverer will come out of Zion’ and ‘all Israel will be saved’.
We give thanks that this has been the year that all of the remaining living hostages were returned to Israel from exile in Gaza. We also mourn for the families of those who did not return. To know how God feels about this, take a look at Isaiah 43. As Christians, it should be our desire to reflect the heart of God concerning His people.
The Word of the Lord says, “For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honoured, and I love you. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west.” (Isaiah 43:3-5 NLT)
The final verse, not usually included in modern versions, reads:
O come, O King of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace.
As Christians we are praying for peace in the Middle East and we’re praying for the ‘peace of Jerusalem’. We must pray that all ‘sad divisions’ will cease and that there will be peace between Jews and Arabs. The vow by Israel’s enemies (such as Hamas) to destroy the Jewish people makes this extremely difficult in practice, but carols like this remind us that our hope lies in a higher cause – the King of all nations, the King of the Jews, the King of our Peace, WILL be the One who will one day bring peace on earth.
