Why Stand with Israel? (Part 2 of 3)

This is part 2 of 3 on the series “Why Stand with Israel?” written by Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace. May you be blessed by reading this teaching letter.

God Loves Israel

The Bible has often been described as God’s love letter to mankind. As I read the Bible, I see many instances of God’s great love for the descendants of Abraham,
his friend.

“Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in

you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness” (1 Kings 10:9).

“He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (Psalm 98:3).

“For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure”
(Psalm 135:4).

“Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak.

The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing”
(Zephaniah 3:16–17).

In Experiencing God, author Henry Blackaby says

that we should find out what God is doing and ask Him how He wants us involved. It is always surprising to me to find Christians who love God and read the Bible and yet don’t understand His commitment to Israel and ongoing interest in the Jewish people.

Our Jewish Savior

I wonder sometimes how many of us will actually be surprised when we meet Yeshua (Jesus) face to face. We all grow up with pictures of Yeshua on our walls or on the walls of our churches. Most of the artistic renderings picture someone who looks European. Yeshua probably didn’t look like that. He was a Jew, a Semite, and probably had a darker complexion, dark (maybe curly) hair, and dark eyes. The pictures also make Him look kind of weak. I don’t believe there was anythin

g weak about Him. He walked from place to place throughout the Land with His disciples. The terrain of Israel is not made for easy walking; it is often very hilly and rocky, with high and low elevations. The walk from the Galilee to Jerusalem was an arduous hike. Additionally, He was a carpenter. The Greek word tekton (ôeêôùí) translated carpenter in the Bible can also be translated builder or craftsman. Some believe it is possible that Yeshua worked in stone rather than wood, since that was much more common in the region. Either way, they were both trades which required strength and skill. I think it is likely that Yeshua was a muscular man—a real man’s man, nothing wimpy about Him!

Consider this, Yeshua is the only person in all of history who chose what family He would be born into, and He chose to be a Jew. Another fact that few of us stop to think about is that Yeshua was never identified as a Christian. He was born into a pious Jewish family, lived His life observing Torah (Gen.–Deut.), wore a prayer shawl, worshipped in synagogues and the Temple, and lived among Jewish people. He never entered a church.

My father Dr. David Allen Lewis (of blessed memory) used to ask Christians this question: “How can you say you love Jesus, a Jew, and hate the Jewish people?” I believe it is a valid question. When a person gets married, they not only are blessed with a spouse, they are blessed with new family members as well. Your husband’s parents will be your children’s grandparents!! No newlywed wife tells her husband, “Honey, I love you, but I just don’t care for your family. I don’t really want to be with them very often.” If she did, her husband would have to wonder if she really loved him. Loving your spouse means you learn to love those he loves. Surely if we love our Jewish Messiah (Christ), we will choose to be interested in His interests and to love those He loves, including His natural family, the Jewish people.

By Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO

Continuing Next Week with part 3 of 3: "God is Still at Work in Israel and God is Calling Us to Partner with Him "

Bibliography

Blackaby, Henry. Experiencing God. Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1989.

Brimmer, Rebecca J. Israel and the Church: God’s Road Map. Jerusalem: Bridges for Peace, 2006.

Falk, Harvey. Jesus, the Pharisee, a New Look at the Jewishness of Jesus. Eugene, OR: Wipf and
Stock Publishers, 2003.

Flusser, David. Jesus. Carlsbad, CA: Magnus Press, 1998.

Friedman, David. They Loved the Torah: What Yeshua’s First Followers Thought about the Torah.
Clarksville, MD: Messianic Jewish Publishers, 2001.

Lewis, David. Can Israel Survive in a Hostile World? Green Forest, AR: New Leaf Press,1994.

Twain, Mark. Innocents Abroad. 1869.

Wikopedia, online encyclopedia, www.wikopedia.org

Wilson, Marvin. Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith. Grand Rapids,
MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1989.

All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Pictures:

www.israelimages.com/Hanan Isachar

www.israelimages.com/Duby Tal/ Albatross

Many pastors, Bible teachers, and lay people have written and asked if they can use these notes for preaching and teaching. The answer is a resounding “yes”! It is our hope that the information contained herein will be disseminated over and over again, whether through the spoken word or by photocopying and redistributing these teachings. “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3).

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided above.