Point of View - Israel

Israel...how should we, as Christians, think about them? How should we encourage our elected officials to respond to them? What should concern us about the current U.S. political stance that we see emerging?

How should we think about Israel?

If you read your Bible, then you know that at some point in the future, Israel/Jerusalem will become a “cup of reeling/trembling” or a “burdensome stone” for the entire world. (Zech. 12:1-2) Friends, we are there. Those nations who come against Israel in the last days will end up confused and staggering (just like ancient empires did) as they contemplate and execute any policy that harms Israel. I’m afraid that America is about to get its butt handed to them!

In Scripture, a cup is a metaphor for God’s judgement. How could a tiny nation affect the entire world? Since its inception, Israel has always impacted the entire known world because it is the vehicle by which God has used and will continue to use as divine revelation. Israel’s global impact will be felt like a seismic shift the closer we move to the 2nd coming of Christ. It is through the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their descendants that God entrusted Holy Scripture and it is through this lineage that our Savior was born. Because of this, international conflict has always and will always surround this small plot of land and its people and because of this, the forces of evil will continuously battle to destroy it.

Let me ask you a question. What happens if you try to move a heavy stone that is far too heavy for your body weight to move? I found out in 2019. I helped a family member move a piece of furniture that was far too heavy for me to move and when I did, I herniated 2 discs in my neck and had to have major surgery. When you try to move something too heavy, you injure yourself in the process. Israel may be small, but it is too heavy for any nation and any people to move

and if they attempt to do so, they will injure themselves in the process. The nature of conflict regarding Israel is nothing new. Whether it is the Haman’s of the world or the Hitlers of the world, or the Ayatollahs of the world, evil has always reared its ugly head where Israel is concerned.

Just as Israel is a gauge for God’s judgement, it is also a gauge for God’s blessing. If we bless Israel, we will also be blessed. I want to be blessed and I want America to be blessed. I have children and grandchildren and I want me and my family to live in a country that will reap those divine benefits. (Btw, grandbaby #3 was born on Monday and he is a cutie!)

How should we encourage our elected officials to respond to Israel?

In the past year, I’ve seen 2 similar, yet different stances regarding Israel from top administration officials. JD Vance has been openly critical of Israel and has indicated that he is more of an isolationist and does not want the U.S. to be involved (or as involved as we are currently) in the whole Israel/Iran situation. Marco Rubio has consistently defended Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself. And I don’t know what the heck President Trump is doing these days! If it came down to who to vote for in the next presidential election, I know who I’m voting for and it is the person who has a long record of defending Israel and who has spoken up for Israel’s right to defend itself.

Whenever I talk to people in counseling about how to gain trust in someone, I tell them to look for 2 things: 1. A consistent pattern of trustworthy behavior. 2. A long period of time to judge that behavior. That is what we should be looking for in regard to those whom we choose to vote for.

What should concern us about the current political stance of the US regarding Israel?

Should the U.S. be encouraging (or demanding) that Israel stand down in the face of military aggression towards them? NO! I never advised my boys when they were growing up to lay down and take abuse from another kid. I didn’t want them to start a fight, but if someone else attacked them first, I encouraged them to stand up for themselves. It got one of my kids expelled for 3 days in high school and when the principal told him (in front of me) that if he had not retaliated when a group of kids attacked him, then he would not have gotten expelled along with those other kids. I just smiled at the principal and told him that my husband and I were absolutely okay with either of our children getting expelled if they fought back against an attacker. To do anything different seems nuts to me and I don’t think it sends a healthy message to the child.

We do not want the government of Israel to lay down either. They are under attack from all angles and they have a divine right to defend themselves. In the past few days, they have had 30 ballistic missiles launched at them from Iran and our government has told them to stand down. This is not good folks! They also have a divine right to this sacred land, and because of that right, the land of Israel should never be divided. God will, in the end, judge those who seek

to divide the land. (Joel 3:2) Gaza belongs to Israel and so does Judea and Samaria because they are all in the original promised land mass that God drew out for Abraham.

We should all be concerned when our government supports a Palestinian state. We should all be concerned when our government tells Israel to stay out of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). We should all be concerned when the Abraham Accords and those who join them take precedence over U.S. support for and defense of Israel.

This is my point of view. I welcome yours.