Does God Want Us to Stand with Israel? (Part 3)

Today’s topic: How are Christians to regard the nation of Israel?

I love many things about Israel.

I traveled to Israel in 2009. As a Christian, it was such a powerful experience. Visiting the places of the Bible enhanced my faith immensely. It was like going from reading the Bible in black and white to reading the Bible in color.

The land is beautiful. The northern part, which includes the Sea of Galilee, was like California with palm trees and seasonable weather. The southern part, which includes Jerusalem, resembled Texas with its vegetation.

The food was great. I was introduced to falafel. Humus was delicious.

The modern parts of town were clean and inviting. The older parts were well preserved and fascinating.

After traveling there, I have a personal affinity for Israel.

Many people believe it’s necessary for Christians, specifically American Christians, to “stand with Israel.” Do we owe our allegiance to Israel, as we owe allegiance to America as our own nation?

As a nation, there are many things I admire about Israel. These two stand out:

• Israel is a loyal ally. In this regard, I feel favorably toward Israel, as I do other allies like the United Kingdom or France.
• Israel provides a service to the world community by being responsible stewards of the biblical sites. This is in Israel’s best interest – tourism is the nation’s number one industry. I’m grateful for Israel’s commitment to preserving the locations that are meaningful to believers and maintaining those sites as inviting destinations.

Having said that, Americans are not obligated to agree with or support every political decision of the nation of Israel. Israel is a secular nation. It is not a “holy” nation, divinely set apart from other nations, like the Israel of the Old Testament. Modern-day Israel is governed by politicians who have certain interests at heart, just like other nations.

It’s appropriate to judge Israel according to the same criteria we would use to judge other nations. In its dealings with its own citizens and also other nations, does the nation of Israel operate in a way that is fair? Humane? Ethical?

Some modern-day interpreters believe it’s in our best interest to show allegiance to Israel. They base their conclusion on passages like Genesis 12:3, when God said to Abraham, “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.”

The thinking goes like this: If America wants to be blessed, we must be good to the children of Abraham. If you’re not in good standing with the children of Abraham, you’re asking for a curse.

This interpretation equates the children of Abraham with the modern-day nation of Israel. As demonstrated in a previous post, passages like Galatians 3:7 and 3:29 make it clear that the Israel of God is those who believe in Christ.

According to the Bible, the children of God are not determined by bloodline but by faith. “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)

I regard the nation of Israel according to its merits as a nation, just as I regard other nations according to their merits. If we feel that our stance toward modern-day Israel determines God’s stance toward us, we’re ignoring some key biblical principles, namely that we become God’s children and receive His blessings through faith in Christ.

Does God Want Us to Stand with Israel? (Part 2)

Does God Want Us to Stand with Israel? (Part 1)