Revive Israel Discipleship Community
Yad Hashmonah, Israel
We see throughout Scripture and history how God never abandoned His people Israel. He remained faithful to His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He led, provided for, and protected the children of Israel through tough times. God’s faithfulness to Israel shows us that He keeps His promises.
At the same time, God’s plan of salvation was not only for Israel – it was for the entire world. God promised that through Abraham’s family, all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 22:18). This greater plan unfolded over time, leading to Yeshua coming into the world to show God’s love by offering salvation to everyone. His plan from the beginning was to include all nations in His story of love, redemption, and purpose. It is a universal invitation for everyone to enter God’s family (Genesis 12:3, 18:18, 22:18, 26:4, 28:14).
Since the onset of our present conflict in Israel, many have questioned why God allows war and bloodshed. We know that the “world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19 ESV), and humans often choose the path of greed, violence, and bloodshed. God respects their freedom of choice and sometimes allows them to fulfill their evil desires, but God always has a greater purpose in mind. In the midst of the fighting and suffering, the ultimate goal of God remains salvation and extending His Kingdom.
“…Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4).
God allows suffering to lead people to repent, seek, and reach out to Him (Acts 17:27). As long as people choose evil, war and suffering will continue. But we can choose to see in the midst of pain a place where God’s love is expressed (Hebrews 12:6), a chance to draw closer and “be conformed to the image of Yeshua” (Romans 8:29).
We encounter Yeshua as He declares His purpose in the synagogue in Nazareth, reading from Isaiah 61.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-21 NIV)
This prophecy was fulfilled in Yeshua, revealing God’s heart toward all mankind. In the following verses He illustrates this by recalling instances where God extended His grace beyond Israel. For example, Elijah being sent to help a Gentile woman; and Naaman, an Aramaic enemy of the Lord’s people, being healed by Elisha (Luke 4:23-27).
We see the suffering of the Palestinians. I believe God is inviting them to be part of His Covenant. He cares for them and loves them. On the cross, He died for their sins. They are called to be a part of the Kingdom of His beloved Son. God’s desire for them is to be saved and free from Islamic oppression.
Let’s pray for God to give us His heart for the Arab and Palestinian people, just as He has a heart for the Jewish people. And that God would give the Jewish people the same heart towards the Palestinians that God demonstrated in the Old Testament towards the Gentiles.
“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.” (Psalm 22:27-28)
