We Stand With Israel. Who Is With Us?

I’ll never forget the video that someone sent to me a few years ago. I watched in amazement as a father quizzed his two-year-old son on the capital cities of various nations around the world. As I watched, I was mesmerized, as this young boy rattled off capital after capital as easily as a normal young boy would rattle off his A-B-C’s.

The conversation on the video went something like this:

Father: What is the capital of Lebanon?
Son: Beirut
Father: What is the capital of Syria?
Son: Damascus
Father: What is the capital of Canada?
Son: Ottawa

This drill went on for the entire 3-minute video, as the boy effortlessly nailed capital after capital. And then, the video took a deeply troubling turn as the father asked his final question:

Father: What is the capital city of Israel?

At this point, I realized why this video was posted. Suddenly, this cute little boy paused and with a serious look on his face, he swung his right arm across his body and pointed his finger, answering this final question more sternly and with more conviction than any previous answer:

Son: THERE IS NO ISRAEL; it’s Palestine!
Father: Bravo, son – wave good-bye to the camera!

As the words “THERE IS NO ISRAEL” (in all caps) flashed across the bottom of the screen, I was deeply saddened, realizing that there are innocent young children around the world being brainwashed to deny the existence of the one nation that God both named and called His own! The sad fact is that we are living in an age where a growing number of people of all ethnicities are saying, “There should be no Israel!”

As we, in the United States, are concluding another election cycle, it’s plain to see that there are obvious divisions permeating the political landscape of America. Politics have a way of dividing people, but as Believers in the Messiah, we are called to “make every effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit” (Ephesians 4:3 CEB). When it comes to Israel, it is very easy to view that nation in a simply geopolitical way. I am convinced that if you look at Israel through a political lens, you’ll likely end up hating either Arabs or Jews (or both!); if you look at Israel through a biblical lens, you’ll likely end up loving both Arabs and Jews. My goal in this short article is to look at Israel through a biblical lens and invite you to stand with us as we stand with Israel and with the God of Israel.

We Stand With the God of Israel

“And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself...” (2 Samuel 7:23 NASB)

Throughout Scripture, we see the phrase “the God of Israel.” God calls Israel His “firstborn son.” Israel is referred to as “the apple of God’s eye.” It’s undeniable that when sin entered the world, the Lord immediately initiated a plan of salvation and redemption. He chose Abraham and the people of Israel as the womb through which Messiah would be birthed. God has identified Himself with Israel since their inception and, as Israel’s covenant-keeping Father, He has made promises and covenants that have never been rescinded.
There is no other nation on earth like Israel, because God sought them out to redeem them and call them His own.

We choose to stand with the God of Israel. Who is with us?

We Stand With the God of Israel for Their Salvation

There will never be a perfect government until Messiah returns and rules from Jerusalem. As Believers, we are called to pray for those in governing positions (1 Timothy 2:1–4), regardless of their political affiliations. Sadly, rather than “prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings” being offered for those in authority, we can often find grumbling and criticizing pointed in the direction of those with differing political convictions than ours. And, this could not be more true when it comes to the issue of standing with Israel. I am not insinuating that you must blindly stand in favor of everything Israel does politically, but I am trumpeting the message that we must embrace the people through whom God’s covenant promises came, through whom God’s glory was revealed, and through whom Messiah Himself came (Romans 9:4). We need to stand with Israel because, without their salvation, God’s purposes on the earth cannot be accomplished!

In my book, Jesus Was Not A Christian, I say it like this:

The Bible tells us that without Israel’s spiritual resurrection, God’s plan will not be accomplished and Jesus will not return. That alone should compel the global Church to bless [stand with] Israel. Paul made this clear to his Gentile churches. He urged them to pray for Israel’s salvation, to proclaim the truth about Israel, to provide for Israel, and to provoke Israel to jealousy... He knew that an attitude of blessing toward Israel was part of the Church’s foundation and mission. His mostly Gentile churches could not afford to take a posture of ignorance or anti-Semitism toward Israel. Rather, they had to heed the call to bless Israel – for their own sake, for Israel’s sake, and for the world’s sake.

We stand with the God of Israel for their salvation. Who will stand with us?

We Stand With the God of Israel for the Peace of Jerusalem

God cares about the peace of Jerusalem!

The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. Shalom does, indeed, mean peace (lack of war) but it also means so much more: it means wholeness, completeness, health, safety and prosperity. But true shalom is never temporary – the word, itself, implies permanence!

If I, as an earthly father, desire to see shalom for my natural children, how much more would Israel’s Heavenly Father desire to see shalom for His ‘firstborn son’? As children of God from every tribe, tongue, people and nation, we stand with Him as He desires to see His holy city experience shalom. We pray for that city and for its people to come into all that God intended them to be.

We stand with the God of Israel for their salvation. Who will stand with us?

Standing With Israel Does Not Mean You’re Standing Against Other Nations

Finally, it’s important that this be said: Standing with Israel does not mean that you’re standing against other nations! It’s crystal clear in Scripture that the Lord’s heart is that none would perish, from any nation.

Thankfully, the Good News is not for one nation alone, but for all the nations of the earth. In order for that good news to reach every nation, God had to choose one nation as the bearer of that news and He chose Israel. If we have a heart for the Gospel, then we must certainly have a heart for the people through whom that Gospel came.

We stand with Israel – Who is with us?