What should we think about what's happening in Israel right now?

Introducing the issue

The “we” ought to always be first we as Christians, not Americans (Philippians 3:20)

We get into so much trouble when we see ourselves primarily as Americans

God’s people are trans-national; our identity is not based on our homeland, it’s based on the home the Father is preparing for us (John 14:2)

What does the Bible say about the nation of Israel?

A common misconception among many American evangelicals is that Jews are the chosen people of God. But “Israel” in the Bible, ethnic Israel, and the nation-state of today are three different, overlapping groups.

The confusion comes because in the OT, all 3 were synonymous.

Ethnic Israel — people born Jewish that may or may not live in Israel

Nation-state Israel — the country which has Jewish and non-Jewish citizens

Biblical Israel — those who become “spiritual descendants” of Abraham by believing in the promised Messiah (Jesus)

Here’s why: Romans 2:28-29 & Romans 9:6-8

We have to stop calling people who reject the Messiah “the people of God” — Jeff Durbin

The church doesn’t replace Israel, we (Gentile believers in the Messiah) become part of biblical Israel, while Jews who reject Jesus forfeit their place. (Ephesians 2:11-13, 19-22, 1 Peter 2:9)

In other words, the Bible says next to nothing about Israel as a nation-state following the OT.

Why does the Bible say about war and violence?

There are two primary Christian positions: “just war” theory and pacifism.

There has never been a Christian position which says war is good. There have been many times where, under certain parameters, Christians have said war is just.

You can believe war is sometimes just. You can believe war is always wrong. But you can’t blindly support America like Jesus died for democracy.

How this ties together for our understanding of Israel…

I believe the nation-state of Israel has the right to defend itself, but Christians don’t need to defend it. I also don’t expect Israel to lay down its lives for its land in the way that Christians ought to lay down our lives for our faith.

Extra notes on just war if time

We can talk more about violence in the OT, but it’s almost always poorly used as a defense for war today because God isn’t directly commanding us to go to war as he did Israel

Augustine promoted this and most Christians have agreed over the centuries…

Christians should not jump to war, but when forced to by the government, need not feel guilty if it meets certain conditions, which Thomas Aquinas later developed. Some Catholic theologians have clarified it a bit more in the past couple centuries and most Christians and international committees have agreed.

Legitimate authority (not the Revolutionary War)

Just cause (War is evil. There must be good reason to believe that in this circumstance it is necessary evil)

Right intentions (probably not the War on Terror)

Last resort

Reasonable hope of justice

No civilian casualties (definitely not the War on Terror — the US drone striking a hospital in 2015)

Proportionality (not WW2 — evil of atomic warfare outweighing the evil of Pearl Harbor)

Some of the failure comes from the fact that this was originally related to Christians participating in a war of their country’s but has now been put to countries remaining moral, when the conditions are too hard for non-Christians to keep.