"And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. 8"Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." (Genesis 17:7-8)
It seems like as long as we can remember Israel has had a struggle with her neighbors and with the Palestinians. Since it became a nation once again in 1948 there have been wars and conflicts and struggles and contentions. Such a small nation and we wonder what’s all the fuss about? Why can’t there be peace in the Middle East? Why all the fightings about this small piece of real estate? Whose land is it supposed to be anyway?
The Lord told Abraham that He would make an everlasting covenant with Israel and that He would give the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession to them. (Let’s not forget this was around 2,000 B.C.) God has not forgotten His people. It was prophesied that God would bring them back into the land in the last days (Eze 36-37). This would be in preparation to fulfilling His covenant with them (Rom 9-11). You see, Israel rejected the Messiah and the kingdom of God never was ushered in. Since that point of rejection it has been the time of the Gentiles where the nations have been presented the gospel and are being brought into the kingdom of God (Mat 16:18; 28:18-20). But after the Rapture of the Church, God will begin working with Israel again. Many will come to Christ during the Tribulation and leading up to Christ’s Second Coming (Rev 7; Zech 12:10). Then the 1,000-year millennial reign will be ushered in where Christ will rule over all. (Rev 20)
When the terrorists hit us on 9-11, we saw news reports of the Palestinians dancing in the streets because of our dead. Have we forgotten that these terrorists want the complete annihilation of Israel and will attack anyone who will support her? Satan has always had it in for God’s people. He hates God and he hates God’s people. He knows if he can hurt God’s people, He can get back at God. So all throughout history there has been attempts to wipe God’s people out. We remember Pharaoh’s killing of the Hebrew boys (Exo 1) and Haman’s attempt at a pogrom against the Jews in the book of Esther. Herod tried to slay the Christ Child (Mat 2:16). Study history and you will see the persecution of the Jews throughout. And how could we forget the Holocaust of WWII? But God has always preserved His people. From them came Christ our Lord. The Jews are God’s people and God has made an everlasting covenant with them and has given them the land as an everlasting possession. And the nation that supports Israel be blessed!
(Gen 12:3) I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
(Psa 122:6) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.
Louie
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