By F. Scott Nickerson
Fifteen months ago on Simchat Torah, Israelis living in southern Israel, mostly on Kibbutzim, but also at a New Age Rave music festival, were slaughtered mercilessly, including women and children and babies. It was gruesome and the whole world watched….and most of the world celebrated the attack by Hamas, the Palestinian terror army of Gaza.
Most of the world hates Israel because of the endless lies told and repeated ad nauseam about Israel, about the Land and the Jewish people. Anti-Semitism is as old as Egypt and Amalek, an ancient irrational hatred of a covenant people given a mission to bless the world. Those who hate Israel, hate the God of Israel. And this is certainly driven by the enemy of our own souls, Ha-Sa-tan, who would like to enslave the entire world and put an end to Israel.
Israel has been at war since the day after that event, and on 7 different fronts as well. It does seem like the scriptures that call for all the nations of the world to be gathered against Israel are well on their way to fulfillment. The United Nations is certainly against Israel with 124 nations recently voting to tell Israel they cannot defend themselves and all 800,000 Jewish people living in Judea and Samaria must leave the so-called disputed territories.
14 nations stood with Israel in that vote, most of which were small Island nations like Fiji, Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu as well as the usual larger nations that support Israel of Argentina, Hungary, The USA, Paraguay and of course Israel.
All of the 124 nations that opposed Israel support the so-called Two-State Solution which is actually a Two-State Delusion of a Palestinian State existing basically within Israel’s allotted 1947 boundaries as delineated by the same United Nations.
In Isaiah 41:11, we are reminded: “Behold, all who are incensed against you (Israel) shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish.”
In the middle of all these events, the question still arises from some whether we should be praying for Israel. The answer might seem like an obvious one to most of us, but for some there are issues about this current State of Israel that trouble them and cause them to stop praying for Israel.
Arguments are made that it’s a secular/atheistic state and shouldn’t be supported. Some say the government of Israel is corrupt and thus, so is Mossad. Some buy into the false narrative that Israel is unjust and is an occupier of stolen land. Some are against Zionism as it is portrayed in the world media. But the US isn’t any better and we pray for our own country everyday. There are many problems in both countries, but there is a righteous remnant in both so we uphold and intercede for the whole country. Beside this relativistic argument, there are many profound biblical reasons for upholding the Jewish State and its people in prayer.
Israel is unlike any other country in the world. It’s the centerpiece of world affairs, but not quite in the way Moses had intended. In fact the bible, in Isaiah 40:15, 17 says that “the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket” (compared to Israel), “they are all nothing before Him.” Deuteronomy 14:2 says that Israel is “above all the nations that are upon the earth.”
Jack Hayford comments, “The forces opposed to Israel are not simply those of people who don’t like Jews. We are caught in the stream of spiritual forces greater than humanity, forces that cannot be overthrown politically or by the power of persuasion. These forces can only be broken by intercessory prayer where principalities and powers are cast down.”
There are many scriptures that show that our God, who loves our own souls, has a passion for Israel from the beginning that is unwavering and unfathomable. It is long-suffering and also redeeming. Zechariah 2:8 says, “for he who touches you (Israel), touches the apple (pupil) of His eye”, which is a Hebrew idiom meaning “gate of the eye”.
Most of us believe that God will protect Israel – both as a nation and as a set-apart people. So what happened to the divine protection the bible says will be over Israel?
Well, first of all, the bible never says that no one in Israel will ever die from attacks of the enemy. The bible actually dishes out some pretty terrible things to a rebellious Israel who rejects His statutes and breaks His covenant. Just look at Leviticus 26:14-38, but especially verses 14-17.
“But if you do not obey Me and do not do all these commandments,15 if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul loathes My judgments so as not to do all My commandments and so break My covenant, 16 I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you a sudden terror, 17 And I will set My face against you so that you will be defeated before your enemies; and those who hate you will have dominion over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you.”
Israel today is a secular state, decided by the early founders of Israel in the congresses in Basel Switzerland around the turn of the 19th into the 20th century. As long as you are Jewish through the line of your mother or grandmother, you can make Aliyah to Israel and become a citizen. Israel is a pluralistic state, meaning the whole spectrum of beliefs is allowed as long as you are Jewish. You can worship Hindu gods, Roman gods, the Muslim god, or be an atheist.
The State of Israel is firmly entrenched in a stronghold of the mixture of the beliefs of this world with a thread of Judaism. This is a dangerous place to be for Israel. Caught between judgment and blessing. Rather than being reasons to NOT pray for Israel, these are reasons to be praying for the awakening of Israel to their God. But Christianity is similarly caught in a stronghold of man-made religion that distorts the Messiah and says that a good portion of the bible is irrelevant to today’s believers. We pray for restoration for both sides of the family.
Today I am told by Jews living in the heartland of Israel that “The next generation is moving toward Torah, toward faith and building the nation of Israel.” They are zealous for Zion.
If Israel was a faithful body of true torah walkers, it would be that light to the nations that many faithful Jews proclaim. I have met many who are trying to be chassid (devoted) to the covenant. Israel would then indeed be a blessing to all the world and reflect the protection that scripture avails to them.
We constantly hear about Israel in the news. We all have our favorite news sources. But we have a tendency to see Israel from a great distance. It’s happening to THEM way over there…and not US. What brings it closer to home is that we have some strong anti-Israel sentiments right here in the USA. But of course, the media coverage exaggerates it, so we think it’s everywhere, when in fact it is confined mainly to the marxist-leftist pro-Hamas student groups on college campuses. Then, the anti-Israel mob moves into the downtown areas of the larger cities where maximum media exposure is assured. And those images get repeated continuously. This is a pattern and strategy that the world repeats to influence the minds of the average person to think that Israel is the bad guy.
The State of Israel is far from being perfect, BUT they are the VISIBLE Israel that God is using to bring about much of His end-time scenario. They are the nation that the world sees as a Jewish nation, but it is far more than that. They are the focal point of the world and its hatred of God and of all things Jewish. Over Israel, or in Israel, is the portal through which the spiritual forces in the heavenlies enter our world to do battle. Israel is the place of ultimate spiritual warfare in our world.
Do we just want to hand Israel over to the enemy by stepping off the walls as watchmen and failing to pray for its protection, its deliverance and ultimately its position of being made a praise in all the earth?
Isaiah 62:6-7 says that as watchmen set on the walls of Jerusalem we are to never cease praying, to never stop reminding God of His promises toward Jerusalem until they are fulfilled. Wow! Read all of Isaiah 62 to get the full picture of our responsibility to uphold Israel and its people in prayer.
Praying for Israel matters because our support of her becomes a practical act of repentance for the centuries of anti-semitism and separation of our biblical faith from our historical roots in the Torah.
It takes grit (courage, resolve, strength of character) amid all the man-made objections to pray for Israel’s own redemption and deliverance and safety and for them to prevail over their enemies.
Praying for Israel takes perseverance and a steady commitment to the greater Israel that will come when Messiah Yeshua returns. But for now we are able to see the first signs of the restoration with the Jewish people already in the Land and the great awakening of Ephraim in the nations.
Psalm 121:4 “Behold, He who keeps Israel will not slumber and will not sleep.” God’s plans are in place from the beginning and He will accomplish all that His Word declares!
Going forward, the path of restoration is not paved with knowledge nor correct doctrine or the numerous weekly sermons delivered from our pulpits, but with the continuous prayers of the watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem for God’s plan of restoration to be fulfilled through HIS TWO-STICK SOLUTION (Ezekiel 37:15-28), which is the purpose for the existence of BYNA. It is BYNA’s burden to facilitate among God’s people an awareness of this prophetic message and to suggest opportunities to draw near to the stick of Yehudah (the Jewish people) and prepare to see our King bring us together as One Stick Israel (the One New Man) in the Father’s hand.
ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE RIGHT NOW TO “STAND UP FOR ISRAEL”
- Educate yourself with reliable information, avoiding bias and uncovering “blind spots.” Recognize the anti-Israel disposition of the popular press. Avoid the many “fake news” channels on Youtube.
- Study in detail the history of the past century and a half in the Middle East. Especially be knowledgeable about the recent history of the heartland of Israel, Judea and Samaria.
- Accept with continuing faithfulness the Bible’s call to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6), and pray that our Nation will govern in the light of Genesis 12:1-3 … “I will bless those who bless you…”
- Prayerfully consider visiting Israel as a point of practical support.
- Show friendship toward Jewish people. Affirm that you, as a believer, stand with Israel as a point of your Bible-based commitment to God. You’ll be so blessed by this action!!
In conclusion:
The bible clearly calls for believers in Messiah to stand with our brothers and sisters of Yehudah in Israel. We are in the days of restoring the remnant bride of Israel and must not flinch in the face of adversity or the worldwide pressure to turn our backs on the Jewish State or the people of the House of Yehudah who have answered the prophetic call to return to the Covenant Land to await their Messiah.
BYNA declares these thoughts in standing with Israel…
B’ney Yosef North America (BYNA) stands steadfastly with Israel now and forever. The eternal covenant with Israel is foundational to the purposes for the existence of B’ney Yosef North America. Israel has been from our beginning and remains now at the center of our mission and vision.
The people of Israel are more than friends to us. They are our family. Zechariah 2:8 says,“After glory He has sent me against the nations that plunder you, for the one who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.” BYNA will always support Israel and the Jews through good times and times of testing. Our connection cannot be broken.
We share in the pain and suffering that Israel is experiencing in these days of trial. Their pain is our pain. Their tears are mingled with ours. We weep with them, grieve with them, pray with them, and support them.
We acknowledge and declare openly that we are our brothers’ guardian. We too hear the blood crying out from the ground. We will not look upon our brothers’ blood and do or say nothing.
