God Loves Israel

This Bible Study, using the Stop! Look! Listen! technique appeared iin the November 2009 on-line issue of the "In His Presence" Christian publication.

IN HIS PRESENCE Women’s Study Hall

Over the past few months we have studied specific women of Scripture using the Stop! Look! Listen! technique. This same technique can be used to study specific sections of Scripture, or themes, as a topical study.

Today’s news is full of reference to Israel and the situation in the Middle East. Have you ever asked why the world seems to hate Israel? Israel is only the size of New Jersey! There is no oil or other resources that might make nations want to take possession of the land! It is the smallest nation in the Middle East, having the smallest military force! What’s the big deal with Israel that seems to bring it to the forefront of all discussions on Middle East tensions? A study of Scripture might just disclose why the focus of unrest in the Middle East in 2009 is Israel.

Two themes run through the entire Scripture. One is called “the Scarlet Thread,” scarlet representing the blood of Jesus, and His sacrifice for us. This thread is seen in every book from Genesis (the ‘seed’), through Revelation (the King of Kings comes back.)

Another thread, recurring theme, is Israel. The Bible tells the story of the people and nation of Israel from Genesis (Abraham as the father of the Hebrews) through Revelation (Jesus returns to Jerusalem.) An overall study of prophecy, centers on two themes…Jesus…and Israel. Amazing! Due to the limited amount of space in this column we cannot study Israel in all its facets, but lets take a very brief look at a few verses that tell of God’s love of for, and promises to Israel.

The People and Land of Israel

Gen 12:1-3, 7; Gen. 13:14-15; Gen. 15:18; Gen. 26:3; Deut. 7:6-9; 9:6-7; Jer. 31:35-37; Heb. 11:12

Stop! Pray for God to give you the time and focus on all that He wants to teach you.
Always begin by looking at your Bible. You should be using a study Bible, not a paraphrase.

Ask “What do I already know about historical Israel? Biblical Israel? Modern Israel? “What questions do I have?” “Is this study important, or even necessary?” Take the time to actually write out the answers to these questions…you might be surprised at what you find!

Read Gen 12:1-3, 7; Gen. 13:14-15; Gen. 15:18; Gen. 26:3; Deut. 7:6-9; 9:6-7; Jer. 31:35-37: Heb. 11:12 that speak of God’s covenant with Abraham and the title to the land. Read for general information.

Read the verses again making note of words or phrases that you might need to research further; repeated words, words of interest, etc. Every word is from God. What jumps off the page at you? As you read the verses a second time I recommend something that is unusual. Hand-write out all these verses. By doing this you will greatly improve your retention of the material.

The common questions that people seem to have when they study Israel are: Why did God choose the Jews as His special people? Are the promises made to Abraham still in effect today? How should the church respond/relate to Israel today? These are difficult questions for many of us. As you study Scripture, try to put your opinions aside and just KISS…keep it sacred Scripture.

There are literally hundreds of verses that reflect that God loves Israel: Jer. 12:7-8 (God calls Israel ‘the dearly beloved of My soul”), Ps. 89:30-34, Is. 65:8-9, Amos 9:4 and many more. There are many verses that speak about the possession of the land: Gen. 28:13; Ex. 3:8, 15-17.

Lamentations 2:22b seems to say that God ‘bore’ Israel, “Those whom I have borne and brought up…..” God never says he ‘bore’ any other nation.

Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are often mentioned in the nightly news. There are many verses that reflect God’s love for Jerusalem specifically. Psalm 48:1-2 calls Jerusalem (Zion), “ the city of God,” “the joy of the whole earth.”

Most of the direct references to God’s love for Israel are found in the Old Testament, yet Jesus spoke about Israel, as did others, in the New Testament: study Matthew 2:6; 10:6; 23:37-38: Luke 1:33, 54-55, 68, 77, and Luke 2:32.

Look! Read the verses again. Begin to ask questions about the content. Go back and research the words that you listed in the Stop! section. Bible study is just that – study!
To ‘study’ the Word you will need a Bible dictionary, Bible encyclopedia, and concordance. Purchase these, or borrow them, or go on the internet for information. A note about all these: know who gives the information, know their basic beliefs. Stick to well known and respected writers/scholars.

Look left! For each Scripture read the verses immediately preceding them to get the complete picture of what is going on…the context. Look right! Do the same with the verses that immediately follow these verses. How do these verses impact what you are studying? It is interesting to note that God also has some harsh words for Israel, yet His love continues.

Listen! Ask our three questions:
Why did God give us these verses?
What if these verses had been left out of Scripture?
ASK “SO WHAT!!” How can I apply these verses to my life today? (What do the events going on in Israel have to do with me today?

Three challenges for you:
1. On a map of the world find Israel. Most people don’t even know where Israel is located. (Don’t use the map in the back of your Bible…that’s too easy!)
2. For the next few weeks as you read Scripture, look for references to God’s love and promises to Israel. Mark an “I” (for Israel) in the margin of your Bible.
3. Keep an eye on the newspaper or news programs…look for any mention of Israel. You might be surprised at what you find.

I would love to hear your comments. E-mail me at jpsant@netzero.net.