“I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.”
(Jeremiah 32:41)
The land of Israel is the main stage for the Bible’s stories, but it is not merely a backdrop against which the Bible’s stories unfolded. The land is central to the story itself.
From Genesis to Revelation, God’s purposes are repeatedly connected to a particular people and to a particular place. But there is also a driving force behind that connection. It is God Himself who desired for the land and the people to be together.
Today, many Christians overlook the ‘Israel aspect’ in the Bible’s stories. For example, David didn’t slay Goliath merely to teach us a lesson about overcoming our personal giants. While it is a great illustration for that, it is also important to understand how David confronted Goliath because the giant and his Philistine army were attempting to destroy Israel and take their land. God was displaying to His people that He would protect them. It was through David, a man after God’s own heart, that God blessed the Jewish people and unified the tribes under one king, established Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, prepared the ground for the building of the Temple and ultimately paved the way for the Messiah.
Likewise, the Parable of the Prodigal Son is almost always used to talk about our wayward friends, or those who have stepped away from the faith, or even ourselves when we are feeling far from God. Clearly, this is a wonderful and reassuring teaching, but the parable is also a powerful illustration to Israel. Like a father waiting for his prodigal son to return. Jeremiah 31:20 describes God’s love for Israel: “My heart yearns for him, I will surely have mercy on him.” This is the heart of God towards Israel.
It doesn’t matter what story it is in the Bible; there is almost always an Israel connection. And even as the New Testament moves to focus on the Church and the Great Commission to the nations as the Gentiles are grafted in, Paul and other New Testament writers make it absolutely clear that God’s plans and purposes still involve Israel (Romans 11).
Why is that? Because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
God does not change.
God never wanted the Jews to leave the land of Israel. God forgave Israel again and again, despite their sins. God repeatedly performed miracles to bring them back. And before the final time they were expelled, Jesus poignantly wept over Jerusalem, saying how He wanted many times to gather them “as a hen protects her chicks under her wings.” (Matthew 23:37)
God has always desired for the Jews to live and dwell in the land that He has promised to them and prepared for them. And God alone is the only reason we are seeing Jews return to the land today. It is nothing the Jews have done. It is nothing the Church has done. It is everything God has done.
‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I am going to take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land.”
(Ezekiel 37:21)
Prayer Points:
Pray for the UK government to stop condemning Israel: The UK government has once again condemned the Jewish people for building in their land. They continue to throw out false allegations of “occupation” whilst holding on to the ungodly view of a “two-state solution” that divides the land against God’s will. No man-made international laws can usurp the authority of the Bible. Despite this, the UK will likely be placing sanctions or other measures upon Israel to some extent in the coming weeks, thus opening up our nation once again to condemnation from God Almighty (Genesis 12:3). Please pray against these actions. Pray that our ministers will have their eyes opened to the truth. Pray that our nation will listen to God’s laws and not man’s.
Pray for Israel’s growth: It is God’s desire for the Jews to return to their land and to prosper in it. Israel is a tiny nation, and it has a growing population from Jews returning from around the world and from Israelis naturally multiplying. Not only does Israel need to build, but it also has every right to build. This includes in Judea and Samaria (West Bank). We pray for favour and blessings for Israelis as they build and flourish in the land that God has given them.
Pray for those making Aliyah: As said before, God loves it when His people return home. There are thousands of Jews making the move to Israel this year from all over the world. Most are going because God has placed this desire on their heart. Some, unfortunately, are leaving because of increasing antisemitism. Continue to pray for all those considering making aliyah. And we pray that those returning this year will be blessed as they return. We pray it will not only be a reconnection to the land, but also to our God.
