It was one of those well-behaved revival meetings. The church was at capacity, and the praise and worship team sang like angels. The preacher’s enthusiastic and eye-opening sermon was on Israel, the long-forgotten mission field. It was a few short weeks before the 7 October attack on Israel last year.
The Problem I Had With Jews
My Grandfather told us stories of Israel and the Jews when we were children. How they walked for years and years, through desert wilderness, and fought off armies. He told us about Moses, Samson, and King David. And how God, because He loved us, sent His one and only son, Jesus Christ to earth.
When I read the Bible for myself, I came to understand that it was the Jews who killed Jesus. And I hated them for it.
My hatred only grew when I learned that a majority of Jews don’t even believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah. I couldn’t understand how a people touched in such a special way by God could remain so close-minded.
Years passed and I couldn’t bring myself to pray for Israel. Convinced that the entire nation of Israel denied Jesus as the Messiah. I only acknowledged my hatred and how silly and uninformed it was after I’d read the Bible as an adult. God’s mercy and grace was for all. I’d allowed my own bias to overrule my senses.
I had to face the truth that God sent Jesus Christ to earth, as a Jew. His Jewish name is Yeshua Hamashiach. He was born a Jew and He died for the whole world.
The Bible says that the Jewish priests and teachers were jealous of Jesus and thus condemned Him to die.
But, it was God’s plan for Jesus to die. To carry our sins on the cross, and for God to forgive us through his sacrifice.
God used those Jewish priests and teachers for His purpose. And for His glory.
I blamed today’s Jews for what their ancestors did. My hatred hurt me because it was a stumbling block in my relationship with God. For when I didn’t pray for Israel and the Jews, I was disobeying God.
Replacement Theology
The preacher clarified issues like replacement theology, which, I am sad to say, I believed in for a time.
Replacement theology is when Christians think that they are the spiritual Israel. That Christians replace the nation and the people of Israel. It’s far from Biblical.
Forgive and Pray
Confessing my sins to God and telling Him about how, and why, I felt the way I did, cleansed my soul and spirit.
I pray for Israel and the Jewish people.
I pray for God’s protection over them in war. More than that, I pray that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jakob be merciful to them. And they receive and confess Yeshua Hamashiach as their Lord and Saviour, our King.
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen
Hebrews 13:20-21 KJV
Image credit: Cole Kester, Unsplash
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