Back to our story! God promised Abram a people, a land, a
mission, and the promise of an ongoing relationship with the Creator.
Unfortunately, the same devil who tried to ruin what God
created has also attempted to prevent this story of redemption
from coming to pass. Jewish history is the story of the devil’s
efforts to use the Gentile nations to destroy the Jewish people.
Yet, the Lord used the Jewish people to compose and
MAY 2018 / THE CHOSEN PEOPLE - 3
transmit the Scriptures to the world
and in the fullness of time to bring
the Savior to His creation through a
Jewish family! The devil again tried
to prevent the birth of the Messiah
as Pharaoh attempted to kill baby
Moses. Yet, God protected Moses
and his son and, in the same way, has
faithfully preserved the Jewish people.
Against all odds, the Jewish people
have survived Crusades, Pogroms,
the Holocaust, incessant attacks by
hostile Middle Eastern neighbors, as
well as the rise of modern antisemitism.
ISRAEL: A MODERN MIRACLE
Now we have the privilege of observing a modern miracle
and testimony to God’s faithfulness—the creation of the modern
State of Israel. The Lord has brought back the captives of
Zion from the four corners of the earth, overturning all efforts to
prevent the Jewish people from returning to the Promised Land.
The Abrahamic Covenant is in fact a prophecy that speaks
of God’s enduring love for the people He created and called! The
Jewish people and the modern State of Israel bear witness to the
faithfulness of God. And if this is true today, just think of what is
going to happen tomorrow! The Messiah will return in His glory
to take back the world He created and restore the planet and the
people He so loved.
Israel still has a role to play in preparing the way for the
second coming of Jesus. The Apostle Paul promises that the
Lord will one day turn His chosen people to Himself:
Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their
failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their
fulfillment be! For if their rejection is the reconciliation of
the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the
dead?
For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of
this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own
estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to
Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so
all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “The Deliverer
will come from Zion, HE will remove ungodliness from
Jacob.” (Romans 11:12,15, 25-26)
These words of Paul should not surprise us, as Ezekiel predicted
these events hundreds of year before.
For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all
the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will
sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will
cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit
within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your
flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within
you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will
be careful to observe My ordinances. (Ezekiel 36:24-27)
The prophet adds what has become one of my favorite
promises of Scripture,
“They will say, This desolate land
has become like the garden of Eden;
and the waste, desolate and ruined
cities are fortified and inhabited.’”
(Ezekiel 36:35)
UNTIL THEN?
We know what is ahead because
God always keeps His promises.
Therefore, how should we approach
our relationships to our Jewish
friends and family? The Apostle Paul again provides us with divine
wisdom and charts a path for every believer worldwide to
focus upon until we see Him face to face. We are to preach the
gospel—to the Jew first and also to the Gentile! The conclusion
to the story is yet ahead, but we too have a role to play. As Paul
writes,
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
How will they believe in Him whom they have not
heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How
will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written,
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of
good things!” (Romans 10:14-15)
Our piece of the puzzle is to tell this glorious story of
redemption to all, especially to the Jewish people who play such
a critical role in the story. Would you join us in proclaiming
the Good News to the Jewish people? There is a lot more in the
newsletter about what God is doing, especially among young
Israelis in Israel and as they travel abroad to beautiful New
Zealand, Germany, and North America. I know you will enjoy
this issue!
Thanks for joining me in thanking God for His faithfulness
to His promises in wishing Israel a Happy 70th!
Your brother in the Messiah,
Mitch
P.S. You can order the new book, Israel, the Church and the
Middle East: A Biblical Response to the Current Conflict, by
filling out the enclosed card, or by ordering online at our
Chosen People Ministries bookstore (chosenpeople.com/
store). We will provide free shipping and handling as a
thank you for your gift this month of any amount. We
deeply appreciate your faithful prayers and support.
1 Mark M. Yarbrough, “Israel and the Story of the Bible,” Israel, the Church and the Middle East
(Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2018), p.54
/(chosenpeople.com