StudyGrowKnow

Acting Like the Devil Toward Israel

July 11, 2011 at 6:47 PM Leave a comment

I’ve been spending some time lately reading Jude and Zechariah.  It’s amazing how much you can get from Scripture by just reading it repeatedly.

In Jude, we learn of a number of things that are eye-openers.  One that I want to focus on is the way Michael deals with Satan.  In Jude 1:9 (there’s only one chapter, but I didn’t want to confuse any who were not familiar with it), we read the following words, “But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

Now of all the beings in this universe who need to be rebuked severely, it is Satan.  Yet, Michael does not go that route.  He essentially, leaves it up to the Lord to deal with Satan, which is what is implied in his response, “The Lord rebuke you!”

I notice where Israel is concerned, people are constantly wanting to rebuke Israel.  They are forever finding fault with just about everything that Israel does and for that reason, they believe that gives them the right to denigrate and castigate Israel.  Many do not hold back at all.

Not long ago, I saw some videos on YouTube that were taken during a service in which Pastor Hagee simply chose to honor the nation of Israel.  There were individuals in the audience who got up and began shouting rebukes toward Israel.  They were rounded up one by one, asked for their names, their pictures were taken and they were escorted out of the building.

Funny, but I don’t hear of this with respect to Arabs, Muslims, or Islam.  I believe Satan has quite a few people convinced that because Israel as a nation rejected Jesus, this gives them the right to badmouth Israel as much as they want.  They go so far as to believe that God is “on their side” and is quite ready to judge Israel.

Going back to Michael vs. Satan, we need to understand that though Michael could have rebuked Satan, he did not.  He understood that God and God alone would handle and deal with Satan.  It was not in his (Michael’s) jurisdiction to deal with Satan, so he simply called upon the Name of the Lord.

People are often like the people Jude describes.  They slander the things they do not understand.  Instead of reading the Bible for themselves, they read what some Covenant or Reformed theologian has to say and go with that, because of the convincing arguments.

However, the Bible is filled with prophecies directed toward Israel, which shows that these prophecies are as yet, unfulfilled.  In fact, the Old Testament is replete with prophecies directed toward Israel.  It is very difficult to read through one of the Old Testament books without finding some reference to Israel.

Of course, if you have bought what I consider to be the lie that the Church has replaced Israel, then those references simply become changed (in the person’s mind) to the Church.  As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I’ve been reading through Zechariah and the references to Israel are many.

Chapter 1 of Zechariah opens with a quick introduction to Zechariah, the prophet and when he lived.  It shows that he receives a brief word from the Lord about how Israel in past days had turned from Him.  God wanted them to turn their hearts back to Him.

Interestingly enough, they had already been at work for roughly five months rebuilding the Temple by this point, so at first glance, it seems out of place that God would tell Zechariah to tell Israel to return to Him.  Of course, the implication is that while the Israelites were busy doing things for God, their hearts had not yet returned to Him.

It was shortly after this brief message that God showed Zechariah a number of fascinating visions.  Space here will not allow me to go over all of them in detail, but it is interesting to note that they show a progression for Israel, down through until the Lord returns, just at the end of the Tribulation.  Again, I realize that there are those who do not accept this understanding.  That’s fine.  They can take it up with God and be responsible for their beliefs, just as I am responsible for mine.

Zechariah provides a panoramic view of the ages through to the end of human history.  There, in that book, God calls Israel the apple of His eye.  Here is the verse, “For thus says the LORD of hosts, “After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye,” (Zechariah 2:8).  You should stop and read that again.  Let it sink in.

There are a number of things described in Zechariah that have not yet occurred.  These things – yet future – describe the times when certain nations will attempt to plunder Israel.  Doing so means that they are actually attacking God Almighty.

I wish all the people who believe that the Church has replaced Israel would spend some time honestly and openly reading His Word.  Books like Zechariah would reveal the truth, if they would only allow His Word to speak to them.

Instead, many act toward Israel as Satan acted (or tried to act) toward the body of Moses.  Satan is called the Accuser for a good reason.  He accuses us, constantly, without ceasing.  He finds any and all reasons to complain about us before God.

Many Christians do the same thing where Israel is concerned.  As I have stated before, there are two issues at hand.  First, Israel is God’s nation, His people and He will have His way, whether they like it or not.  We are to support Israel solely because He still and always will consider Israel the apple of His eye.  Second, we need to be involved in Jewish evangelism.  If we cannot go directly, we need to be in prayer for those who are there and we need to support missionaries financially.

God expects us to love His Land and His nation.  Our attitude should be similar to Michael’s attitude.  He did not rebuke Satan (and I am not saying that Israel is like Satan here).  He deferred to the Lord.  Michael knew then and knows now that Satan is a tool that God uses.

However, Israel, while a tool that God has used to bring about redemption, is a nation that God loves.  If God loves Israel and if He loves that Land and if He sees Jerusalem as the center of the world, whom do we think we are to say differently?

By rebuking Israel, we are, in fact, rebuking God.  Do you understand that?  When you protest Israel, when you claim that the Israelites are the ones who are imperiling peace in the Middle East, you are standing in opposition to God.  Imagine…you, a puny, finite human being, have decided that you are going to do where Israel’s concerned what you have absolutely no right to do!  Does that not scare you even the least little bit?  It should.

I was reading an e-mail from a Messianic Jewish rabbi who lives in Israel and who routinely evangelizes there.  He, along with many other Messianic Jews are constantly treated very badly by Israel’s government.  Many have either been deported, or refused entry because they are Messianic Jews and Orthodox Jews believe that they are there as missionaries to other Jewish people.

As I was reading the e-mail, this rabbi told of a family that was harassed unmercifully by Orthodox Jews outside their home.  He stated, “A crowd of approximately two hundred Orthodox Jews gathered in front of the home of Polly Sigulim, a Jewish mother of three Israeli soldiers, shouting and using megaphones to hurl verbal abuse against her.”  Interestingly enough, Polly has three sons who serve in the Israeli military, defending Israel from her enemies.  Unfortunately, this sect of Jews saw nothing but the fact that they were trying to evangelize other Jews and wanted them out.  The rabbi continued, “While Polly’s children are risking their lives as they serve in Israel’s army to defend the Holy Land, these ultra-Orthodox Jewish protestors, refuse to serve in the Israeli Army and support the nation of Israel in this way. They have the chutzpa (audacity, nerve) to demand that she, her children and other Messianic Jews should leave Israel.”

It would be easy to allow emotions to get the better of us and criticize these ultra-orthodox Jews because of how they are treating other Jewish Christians.  The problem though is that God sees things differently.  This is a form of persecution and as such, it is not allowable to resist that type of evil with evil of our own.

I believe Satan uses the blindness of today’s Jew to create a situation in which the world finds it easy to verbally attack Israel.  We forget what Paul tells us in Romans that their blindness is to our benefit.  Romans 11:28-32 states, “From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;  for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.  For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,  so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.  For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.”

The Jews – Israel – are enemies of the gospel for our sakes – yours and mine!  But please note that as far as God is concerned, they are beloved for the sake of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Who do we think we are that we can condemn Israel?  Not only do we have no right to do so, but in doing so, we are in danger of rejecting the truth of the gospel!  What I mean by this is that if we understand that blindness of Israel is to our benefit (because without that blindness, God would not have been able to extend salvation directly to us, we would have had to go through Israel, just like in the days of the Old Testament), then to condemn Israel because of the results of that blindness means we do not actually understand what God is doing!

Think about it.  Those who stand opposed to Israel do so because they erroneously believe that they must do this, since Israel as a nation is obviously rejecting God.  If we approve of or stand with Israel, then this smacks of actually rejecting God, or taking Israel’s side against God.  This is not the case at all!

God is and will deal with Israel.  Zechariah and other places in God’s Word makes it perfectly clear that He has all things where Israel is concerned under full control.  It is His job to rebuke Israel, just as it is His job to rebuke Satan.  Just as Michael chose not to take a stand against Satan by going head to head with him, and deferring to the Lord, we are to stand with Israel and let God chastise them where and how He will do so.

By supporting Israel, we are not condoning their actions.  We are simply standing with God.  There is a huge difference.  God will not hold us accountable for doing what He wants us to do.  He did not hold Sarah accountable for the fact that she obeyed her husband Abraham and went along with his scheme to hoodwink Pharaoh.

If we obey God, we will stand with Israel.  In essence, we are standing with God because the Bible is clear that no nation will overcome Israel in the End Times.  In fact, while the Tribulation is mainly for the purging of rebels out of Israel, it is also clearly to pour out judgment on how the nations treat Israel during that time.

I hope I have not been confusing here.  If I have been, drop me a line and I will do my best to explain myself further.  I am not saying Israel is like Satan.  I am saying that we need to pay close attention to how we treat things that are far bigger than we are in this life.

While we do not respect Satan himself, we respect the fact of his power and the fact that God can use him for our benefit if necessary.  With respect to Israel, the only things we need to concern ourselves with are supporting the nation of Israel because God says we should, and evangelizing the lost within Israel.  We are not to judge Israel at all.  We should not judge because we will be judged.

The way many act toward Israel is the same way Satan acted toward Moses.  We do not know what Satan intended to do with Moses’ body, but it is certain that it was not good.  Are your intentions where Israel is concerned good or bad; with God or against Him?

We need to adopt an attitude of acceptance and support for the nation of Israel because we will not be held guiltless if we do not.

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