Why I Love Israel

Scripture: I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? Romans 11:13-15

Observation: As Paul continues discussing the fate of the Jews, he is very clear ... Yes, many Jews have rejected the gospel, but the positive outcome of that is that the news has traveled to the Gentiles, and the Jewish rejection of Christ is not final. We love to focus on the first of these, as it makes clear that the faith and redemption of Gentiles was always part of the plan of the Messiah. Interestingly, Paul actually focus on the second topic ... that the Jews will still be redeemed even as they reject Jesus.

He has many reasons for this, one of which is that, as a people, they will someday accept Jesus as Messiah. However, he also calls out that the Jews remain the chosen of the Lord, the Lord's nation of priests, and it is by them and their recorded history and faith that Gentiles even know the Lord and his nature and his laws and his will (a fact very true to this day). As the chosen nation of priests, the Jews remain within the Lord's covenant love, and by that also remain within his redemptive arms.

Application: This - this right here - is the key reason we are love Israel. Sure, there are all kinds of elements of Israel we associate with Jesus and his second coming and thus we 'hope' for Israel as a place, but this is the reason to love Israel and the Jews as a people-group ... they are the nation of priests, without whom we would still walk in darkness.

The evidence of the Lord's selection of them is on the news every day, in the form of satan's attacks on them every day. Satan wouldn't hate the Jews if we weren't supposed to love them.

I love Israel, and I hope for their change of heart and future acceptance of Jesus. For when that comes, oh what a glorious season it will bring. That will be the Lord's kingdom on earth.

Prayer: Lord, may your hand ever rest on Israel, and on your chosen nation of priests the Jews. I know evil attacks them, and thus we get to see your protective hand and healing heart in action daily. Someday, those attacks will stop, and I pray for that day. Amen.