Matthew 17
12 years ago
Monday, December 14, 2009
A Very Interesting Document
A co-worker of mine recently linked me to the Manhattan Declaration, a very curious document that has been posted online by a group of Christian leaders. After reading it I decided to sign my name, and I want to also share it with those who read my blog(s). I would strongly encourage you all to at least read over the basics of it, as I believe the principles put forth are true and good. Let me know what you think!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Israel - A Special Nation
I'd probably get in trouble for this post, if enough people read my blog - but I guess I don't have to worry about that right now :) The topic I'd like to touch on today was inspired by many recent stories I've read online about the nation of Israel, the current version of which was created by Allied powers in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust.
The Bible describes the Jewish people - the majority of the population of present-day Israel - as God's chosen (Deuteronomy 7:6) to whom He gave the 'promised land' (Genesis 15:18-21, 28:13, Exodus 23:31). The area occupied by the modern state of Israel is in roughly that same geographic location, and it is my belief that it is their God-given right to possess that land... no matter who inhabits it in the various interim periods throughout history where the Jews have been driven away from their ancestral home (Deuteronomy 30:4-5).
I am aware that the Palestinians, who lived in that region prior to the 1948 declaration of Israel as a state, have different views: they see the Jews as intruders, thieves, and the like... and some of them have turned to terrorism as a way to fight back - trying to recover their lost territory or just exact revenge. I can understand their position, and were this any other group of people but the Jews I would likely side with them to some extent; against God's chosen people, though, I cannot raise my hand.
That brings me to the second point I wanted to make: not only do I believe the Israelis have a right to the land they inhabit, but I also believe that they should always be supported by Christians - or at the very least never opposed. God's exact words were "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:3, NIV). I take that literally, and so I am proud to be an American since we have historically aided Israel. I worry, though, that the winds of politics have been shifting and that someday we may not - or worse. I pray that we never try to stand against the Israelis in battle, or even political posturing, lest we fall even further from God's grace than we have already.
Note that this doesn't mean that I think Israel is always right, or that they are given any more leeway by God when they sin (as individuals or a people). We are, after all, human - whether Jew or Gentile we all need Christ's redemption and forgiveness. What I am saying, though, is that I believe God has a special place for the Israelites and that they have an important role to play in the history of this world.
The Bible describes the Jewish people - the majority of the population of present-day Israel - as God's chosen (Deuteronomy 7:6) to whom He gave the 'promised land' (Genesis 15:18-21, 28:13, Exodus 23:31). The area occupied by the modern state of Israel is in roughly that same geographic location, and it is my belief that it is their God-given right to possess that land... no matter who inhabits it in the various interim periods throughout history where the Jews have been driven away from their ancestral home (Deuteronomy 30:4-5).
I am aware that the Palestinians, who lived in that region prior to the 1948 declaration of Israel as a state, have different views: they see the Jews as intruders, thieves, and the like... and some of them have turned to terrorism as a way to fight back - trying to recover their lost territory or just exact revenge. I can understand their position, and were this any other group of people but the Jews I would likely side with them to some extent; against God's chosen people, though, I cannot raise my hand.
That brings me to the second point I wanted to make: not only do I believe the Israelis have a right to the land they inhabit, but I also believe that they should always be supported by Christians - or at the very least never opposed. God's exact words were "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:3, NIV). I take that literally, and so I am proud to be an American since we have historically aided Israel. I worry, though, that the winds of politics have been shifting and that someday we may not - or worse. I pray that we never try to stand against the Israelis in battle, or even political posturing, lest we fall even further from God's grace than we have already.
Note that this doesn't mean that I think Israel is always right, or that they are given any more leeway by God when they sin (as individuals or a people). We are, after all, human - whether Jew or Gentile we all need Christ's redemption and forgiveness. What I am saying, though, is that I believe God has a special place for the Israelites and that they have an important role to play in the history of this world.
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