Israel: Persecution or Wrath?
Israel God’s Chosen • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro:
Intro:
In the wake of the evil and indefensible atrocities now committed against the people of Israel by Hamas, we, the undersigned, unequivocally condemn the violence against the vulnerable, fully support Israel’s right and duty to defend itself against further attack, and urgently call all Christians to pray for the salvation and peace of the people of Israel and Palestine.
While our theological perspectives on Israel and the Church may vary, we are unified in calling attacks against Jewish people especially troubling as they have been often targeted by their neighbors since God called them as His people in the days of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3).
Since the inception of the modern state of Israel in 1948, Israel has faced numerous attacks, incursions, and violations of its national sovereignty. The Jewish people have long endured genocidal attempts to eradicate them and to destroy the Jewish state. These antisemitic, deadly ideologies and terrorist actions must be opposed.
Israel stands as a rare example of democracy in a region dominated by authoritarian regimes. The tragic events of October 7th further underscore the importance of democracy in our world and stand as a sober reminder that supporting Israel’s right to exist is both urgent and needed.
In keeping with Christian Just War tradition, we also affirm the legitimacy of Israel’s right to respond against those who have initiated these attacks as Romans 13 grants governments the power to bear the sword against those who commit such evil acts against innocent life.
Furthermore, we recognize the dignity and personhood of all persons living in the Middle East and affirm God’s love for them as well as His offer of salvation through Jesus Christ to all people.
We also recognize the difficult ministry of Jewish and Palestinian believers who labor for the gospel. We pray for their protection and for God’s blessing on their gospel ministry.
Finally, we call on American policymakers to use their power to take all forms of terrorism seriously and call governments and civil authorities to confront evil work to prevent future attacks so that the innocent and vulnerable will be protected.
May God bring peace to the Middle East.
Full support of Israel right and duty to defend itself
We unified in calling attacks against Jewish people especially troubling as they have been often targeted by their neighbors since God called them since the day of Abraham. This statement implies that Israel is the victim while the surrounding nations are perpetrators and then the article quotes Genesis 12:1-3
Since the inception of the modern state of Israel in 1948 Israel has face numerous attacks and incursion and violations of it’s national sovereignty….
2.2 M Palestinians are living in an area roughly the size of Inkster. Currently the population size in Inkster is 25,000. The Gaza strip is the most densely populated area on the globe.
1 The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
God’s Providence-Divine providence is the governance of God by which He, with wisdom and love, cares for and directs all things in the universe. The doctrine of divine providence asserts that God is in complete control of all things.
Bound up in his Providential Will are both his:
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. 23 Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. 24 God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death.
Perfect ex David Slaying Goliath
Permissive ex David committing Adultery and Murder
Both of these intertwine to fulfilled his Decreed Will
God’s Miracle- an extraordinary event that transcends the laws of nature that is attributed to a supernatural cause.
The parting of the Red Sea, The Nile turning to blood, the Sun standing still during a battle, Jonah being swallowed by a great fish and living to tell about it.
Both John Hagee and John Mac both said Israel being regathered to Palestine was a great miracle. As a matter of fact “John H said next to the resurrection of Christ the return of Israel to Jerusalem this is the greatest miracle”
This categorization of the Restoration of the Nation of Israel as being a miracle is wrong based on the definition. This is God’s providence not God’s miracles. The reason I say this is because by saying this is a miracle of God we would have no grounds to speak against how the regathering was done we can only support it unequivocally and if a support the regathering we would also have to support unequivocally everything subsequently done under the name of God’s miracle.
If is God’s providence it does not necessarily mean what happened is God’s perfect will or that God agrees with how it was done. Notice Acts 2:22-24 again:
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. 23 Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. 24 God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death.
God ordained Jesus death by the cross but will totally hold accountable those who killed his righteous son by nailing him to the cross.
The Regathering of Israel was not a miracle it was God’s providence. Against International Law right Israel is taking land and building resettlement sites for Israelis and Christian are helping them. The Lord has told us as Christian to obey all laws. I would venture to say Christian in support of breaking international law would say God’s law superseeds international law.
Because they believe it is our duty to unequivocally support Israel.
It is also important that we make a distinction between persecution and judgement they often look the same:
Persecution: Is when the innocent are oppressed because of their faith, ethnicity, social class or gender.
Judgement: Is when the guilty are held accountable for their decision
Test: Adam & Eve experiencing death(wrath), Noah Ark(W), Abel Killed(P), Israelites enslaved for 425(P), David on the Run from Saul living and caves and almost dying several times(P), Job’s Life(P), the 10 Northern Tribes falling to Assyria(W), the 2 Southern Tribes falling to Babylon(W), Jesus on the Cross(W), Ananias and Saphira(W), Paul being Beheaded in Rome(P)
You can see that on the outside Persecution and Judgement can look very similar. The current Israelis wear the garment of being the most persecuted people group of the world. Yet we have to determine if they are under persecution or judgement.
Yes the semitic tribe of Israelites have been oppressed at different times as a nation but I can speak dogmatically about their captivity in 722bc, 586bc, 323bc, until 70ad when Rome scattered them was all based on their rejection of Christ. It was all (J). You don’t get to scream (P) as the people of God who have rejected God’s son. Listen to Jesus talked about the 70ad scattering in Luke 21:5-6
5 As some were talking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, 6 “These things that you see—the days will come when not one stone will be left on another that will not be thrown down.”
(5-6) Jesus predicts what Roman General Titus was going to do to the Temple.
Do you see the significant’s?
While yall are sitting around admiring the Temple and how beautiful it is the real Temple is sitting right next to you!!! So I am going to eliminate the object of your worship!!!! I am the final sacrifice and you will be faced to grapple with that because after 70ad you won’t be able to sacrifice at all.
And just in case that’s not enough of a hint that you need to turn to me. In 685BC I am going to allow Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan to build the Al Asqa Mosque on Top of the Temple as a symbol of your rejection of me. Everyday the mosque sits on the Temple Mount is symbolic of the judgement of God. But inside his judgement is also grace because he is communicating that in the absence of a place to go and sacrifice you might begin to see your error and worship.
But nope The Israelis are feverishly trying to regain control of the Temple Mount so they can build another Temple to begin sacrifices. There is not greater blasphemy than the sacrificing of Animals because it say the blood of animals is more efficacious than the Blood of Christ.
I am postulating that if the Israelites are under judgement why would enable them to further harden them. What they need most is the gospel not guns!
Thesis: No one is above the law for there is no partiality with God!
I. The Promise
I. The Promise
2 I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
Saints this is the text that the Evangelical world has used to justify unfettered support of the Children of Israel. Letter from the SBC:
12 years ago I interpreted this text that same way and my understanding of Eschatology was closely tied to my understanding of the Children of Israel. This was not just taught predominately in Caucasian churches it was also taught in African American churches as well.
I do not believe everyone agrees with some of things the occupier’s are doing in Israel, but we simple have learned to close our eyes or disregard the things they do because to rebuke them would be like rebuking God. This is based on our interpretation of this text. Listen to the quotes of these influential figures in the Evangelical world:
“Israel’s victory will come when Hamas and Hezbollah are in the ash heap of history along with Haman and Hitler,” Hagee concluded on Tuesday…..John Hagee
The Jewish people do not occupy the land of Israel or the city of Jerusalem, they own that land, and they own that city….John Hagee
As Christians we stand with Israel(Duty)….Franklin Graham
“Our prayer is that America will always stand with Israel. We pray for the preservation and the peace of Jerusalem. That’s what scripture tells us to do. It’s a matter of faith for us,” Johnson said on Sunday during a visit to the Western Wall….Mike Johnson Speaker of the house
If America pulls the plug on Israel, God will pull the plug on us…..Lindsay Graham
"God gave Israel to the Jewish people 3,500 years ago"….Mike Hukabee
You see not only is our Practical Theology being effected by our interpretation of this text also our Political Position are being driven by our interpretation of this Text.
You can see based on these text “Blessing & Cursing” is being taken to mean unfettered, unconditional support to believe everything coming out of the mouths of the Israeli Cabinet and without question support everything they desire to do all the way to supporting their full takeover of the Holy Land and the displacement of all Palestinians Christian or not. This they say should be done to hasten the return of Christ.
It is important they we do some digging as to where the source of the interpretation comes from:
Why does there seem to be a consistent understanding of this verse in the Evangelical world? it crosses denominational lines?
Lets do a little History Work:
CI Scofield Timeline:
In 1831 an Anglican preacher John Nelson Darby, the primary organizer of the Plymouth Brethren. and the Father of Dispensationalism. Postulated that there will be a full restoration of the Jews to the land of Israel without condition. He also began argued that both the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ are two equally valid covenants in place now. One is for the Jews and One is for the Gentiles. As long as the Jew was faithful to the Law of Moses that was suffcient for salvation. This is the Dual covenant view. This philosophy led to Christians not feeling like they needed to convert Jews because Jews needed only be faithful to the OT law. John Stott in his commentary on Romans says this in relation to Romans 11:26:
The Message of Romans c. The Divine Mystery (25–32)
It is understandable that since the holocaust Jews have demanded an end to Christian missionary activity among them, and that many Christians have felt embarrassed about continuing it. It is even mooted that Jewish evangelism is an unacceptable form of anti-Semitism. So some Christians have attempted to develop a theological basis for leaving Jews alone in their Judaism. Reminding us that God’s covenant with Abraham was an ‘everlasting covenant’, they maintain that it is still in force, and that therefore God saves Jewish people through their own covenant, without any necessity for them to believe in Jesus. This proposal is usually called a ‘two-covenant theology’. Bishop Krister Stendahl was one of the first scholars to argue for it, namely that there are two different salvation ‘tracks’—the Christian track for the believing remnant and believing Gentiles, and the track for historical Israel which relies on God’s covenant with them. Professor Dunn is surely right to reject this as ‘a false and quite unnecessary antithesis
The reason no missionaries largely go to Israel or Evangelicals don’t actively seek to convert them is because Jews consider this to be Anti-Semitic. Even evangelicals who don’t affirm the dual-covenant view back off and essentially leave them to God.
One commentator said in relationship to Paul pleading with the Jews to be saved said Paul is actually the only one truly loving the Jews and all those who refuse to engage them with the gospel are the true Anti-Semites.
Implication of this teaching:
Jesus only came to save Gentiles, not jews because they are going to be saved by observing the Laws of Moses.
According to Darby, Christ will rule the reconstituted Ethnic Israel. When Jesus returns, all Israel will believe in Him when He is ruling over them.
Darby teaching crossed the Atlantic to America to a Pastor named James Hall Brooks. At an annual conference called the Niagara bible Conference. James Brooks made dispensational teaching popular at the conference and this close knit unconditional relationship with the Jews
James Brookes was friends with an evangelist named Dwight Moody, who founded the Moody Bible Institute. Moody became a dispensationalist and then befriended a man named Cyrus Ingerson Scofield.
CI Scofield became an ordained Pastor in Dallas in 1883. CI began to call himself D.D. He gave himself an honorary Doctorate of Divinity without completing any coursework for it.
In 1901, Scofield joined a private men’s only club in England called “the Lotus Club.” In this club, he met a man named Samuel Untermeyer, who was an influential Jewish Zionist. Many believe he was the one who financed CI Scofield’s study bible.
In 1909, Scofield published his Study Bible based on the KJV by Oxford Press. The Bible had a tremendous impact on Protestants. His commentaries’ notes serve to turn many evangelicals into Christian Zionists.
Based on his interpretation of Genesis 12:1-3 and Genesis 15:18 Christians owe unconditional loyalty and obedience to those claiming to be Jews. Because they never ceased to be chosen.
15:18 The Abrahamic Covenant as formed (
(EXP)(6) Summary: This blessing and cursing has already been seen in history that anyone who blesses Israel gets prosperity and anyone who curses Israel is cursed. And this will only become more pronounced as the history of the world culminates.
That commentary note right there is the source of the unconditional and unfettered support Christian have given to Israel for the last 100+ years.
In 1948, when the so-called Jews were expelled to Jerusalem, this vindicated Scofield and his interpretation of Genesis 12:1-3 & Genesis 15:18. This served to put a protective cover over Israel as Christian Zionists said “We better be nice to Israel cause if we aren’t we will be cursed, and if we rubber stamp all of there plans for expansion we will be blessed.”
One of Scofield students was Lewis Sperry Chafer who founded DTS in 1924 and he was president until 1954.
A famous student at DTS was Hal Lindsay, who wrote the “Late Great Planet Earth,” this lead to the “left behind series” and everyone around the world suck up the teaching from these books and movies through a Christian Zionist lens, which made it a duty to support the Jewish Occupiers in the land of Israel without condition without evangelism, without rebuke.
In 1984 The Oxford put out the new scofield study bible, “for a nation to commit the sin anti-sentimism would bring enviable judgment”
Anti-Zionism or speaking against Israel became the unforgivable sin.
Side note:
24 When Noah awoke from his drinking and learned what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said: Canaan is cursed. He will be the lowest of slaves to his brothers. 26 He also said: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; Let Canaan be Shem’s slave. 27 Let God extend Japheth; let Japheth dwell in the tents of Shem; let Canaan be Shem’s slave.
The Christian Slave Master used this text to justify the Human Trafficking of Africans. This was a curse put on Canaan not Ham. The Canaanites were largely obliterated during the conquest of Joshua. Yet the slave traders applied this to Ham. Also God did not curse Canaan Moses did. Also all curses were nailed to the cross. No one in the earth is subject to some curse they can’t rise out of. Notice how CI scofield exegetes this curse:
(5) A prophetic declaration is made that from Ham will descend an inferior and servile posterity (
Ham had four sons: Cush, Mizriam, Put, and Canaan. CI did not make a distinction between these four sons because he knew Cush & Mizriam made up African. His interpretation of this text concluded that all of Ham’s sons are relegated to slavery to the other brothers Shem and Japheth. Now why would he reach this conclusion?
Forgot to tell you C.I Scofield fought for the confederate army?
This might seem like an ancillary point but it is not.
CI ascribes to the superiority of certain Ethnic Groups and that drove his interpretation of the text.
This vile and evil understanding of those made in the Imago Dei of God causes me to question his understanding of God’s relationship to the Children of Israel.
Saints over 70m Evangelicals have been influenced by his bible.
10m Evangelicals are actively participating in John Hagee group CUFI Christian United for Israel a Christian Zionist movement.
CI scofield was able to popularized a position in scripture as it relates to the Nation of Israel that largely no Theologian held for over 1800 years prior to him.
Saints next week we are going to Squeeze this text in Genesis 12:1-3 to see if it was rightly intepreted by CI. This week I wanted to establish how we got here in the first place.
Open the Doors of the Church
