God is watching over Israel this Passover and always

Over the weekend, I was blessed to be able to lead a Passover meal at my local church. We had a lovely lamb roast and went through all the elements of the Passover Seder with the unique understanding Christians have that Jesus is our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).

It was wonderful to see young families participating in what was for many their first experience celebrating this Jewish Feast. We all, young and old, gained a greater understanding of Jesus and the Jewish roots of our Christian faith.

Whilst my personal celebration of Passover is one of joy, I am well aware that this may not be true for many Jews this year. Thousands of Israeli families will be celebrating Passover without their loved ones by their side; some will be grieving the loss of those murdered by Hamas on 7 October, others will have an empty seat at the table for their loved one still being held hostage in Gaza, and thousands more will be worrying about their family members who are serving in the IDF on the front lines in Gaza and on the border with Lebanon. Most soldiers are unable to go home this Passover as they must defend the land that God has given them.

When looking back at the Passover story we see how God inflicted Egypt with ten plagues. Just one of these supernatural events should have been enough to convince Pharoah to let the Israelites go. Such was his arrogance towards God and hatred of the Jewish people, he was willing to watch his kingdom be destroyed by the hand of God rather than submit to God’s authority. It took the loss of his first born son for Pharoah to finally let God’s people go free. Even then, his hatred spilt over, and he sought to hunt down the Jews with the intent of wiping them out. Instead, Pharoah and his army were drowned in the Red Sea as God judged them for their actions.

Since Israel was reborn as a nation in 1948, Israel’s enemies have tried to wipe out the Jewish people. They have repeatedly been thwarted and God has helped Israel win miraculous victories over its enemies. Last week, we once again saw a large scale attack by Iran to harm Israel being brought to nothing in what I believe was a supernatural way. Those who hate Israel have not learned that God Almighty is the one watching over Israel. They will not succeed in their plans.

As Pastor Hagee always says, “Where are the nations that have persecuted the Jewish people? Where are the Amalekites? Where is the Grecian Empire? Where is the Roman Empire? Where is the Ottoman Empire? Where are Mussolini, Stalin, and Adolf Hitler and his murdering Nazis? They are historic footnotes in the boneyard of human history.”

In the future, I believe we will be asking, “Where is the Iranian Regime? Where is Hamas? Where are the Houthis, Hezbollah, and the Taliban?” They will join the rest of those who sought to destroy God’s people.

The Biblical fact that God will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel is as true today as it was 3,500 years ago at the first Passover. Israelis can all find comfort in knowing that the God who watches over them neither slumbers nor sleeps.

This Passover, I ask that you keep Israel in your prayers. The Jewish people need our support more than ever before. I also ask you to consider making a donation to support the work of Christians United for Israel at this time. Your giving enables us to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish people and guide the Church back to the Jewish roots of our faith.

Thank you for your support and may God bless you and your family this Passover.

For Zion’s Sake,

Des Starritt
Executive Director, CUFI UK

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