 | Pastor Bill Emmerling, Jr. is the lead pastor at Grace Place Pittsburg, meeting at the Homer Cole Community Center in Pittsburg. Ordained at Grace Place of Lamar, MO, Bill has a heart to see Godly men together lead their families for the glory of Jesus the Messiah. He has been married to the bride of his youth, Sharri, for 22 years and has two daughters and a son. Bill has earned a B.S. in Physics, a secondary teaching certification and studied Theology/Philosophy at Lincoln Christian Seminary. He may be reached at pittsburg@grace-place.org or by phone at 620-670-4510 |
Religion
2012-11-19 10:09:23
Israel and Judaism: is it a biblical thing?
Q- We have a relationship with Israel, whereby whatever (to a point) they get involved in, the U.S.A. government backs them. Is it a biblical thing?
A- I appreciate the desire for a biblical answer on this topic. Opinions on Israel are often very emotional and heated. It is important for us to recognize that the Bible is God’s Word and ask the question, “What does God say on this issue?”
Israel is the name God gave Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. The history of this family is given in Genesis 12 through the end of the book. Of importance to us are the covenant(s) God made with Abraham, which carry down to Jacob and the nation his family becomes. These are found in Chapters 12, 15 and 17.
‘Now the LORD said to Abram,
"Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."’
(Gen 12:1-3 ESV, emphasis added)
Here God promises to make a great nation of Abraham (Israel). Of particular note for our discussion is the emphasized portion, “…I[God] will bless those who bless you[Israel], and him who dishonors you[Israel] I[God] will curse, …” This would seem to clearly indicate that the welfare of others (nations by implication) would be determined by how God’s people are treated by them.
Also of significance,
‘God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.’
(Gen 17:19 ESV, emphasis added)
This further suggests that these promises are without end.
This does not mean that God overlooks the sins of the offspring of Abraham. One has only to look to the book of Judges, 1 & 2 Kings and the prophets to see that God punishes Israel for their sins, to point of exiling the nation to Babylon (modern Iraq). Yet he continues to love and bless Israel, even as He disciplines (punishes) them. All of this is not unlike how he disciplines His children (Christians) today.
In Genesis chapters 12, God makes a covenant with Abraham, promising to bless him, give him (his offspring) the land of Canaan, make him a great nation and make him a blessing. A covenant is more than a contract, it is a promise. This covenant is one God made with Abraham, initiated by God as the greater party. Further God indicated that he would pay the penalty for violation of the conditions, pointing to Jesus’ sacrifice. As important as blessing Israel may be, it is more important that see Jesus’ sacrifice for us for what it is, repent of our sins, and follow Him. He is coming back for His Bride the Church, and He will be coming back as King, not that suffering servant.
