Ruler of all… and ruler for all
I hope this blog provides a haven of fellowship for all who visit it.
Look at the world. Has God forgotten to endow us with a multitude of enemies? Has he left us in such a bed of roses that the only thing to do is fight among ourselves? The fight’s out there, folks–and a dreadful bang-up fight it is–not in here.
If you’re a huge fan of Israel, fine. If you’re not, you’re not. Personally, I root for civilized countries when they’re attacked by murderous barbarians.
In his epistle to Romans, St. Paul never suggested God was now divorced from Israel, and Israel over and done with and discarded. The breach, he prays and hopes, is temporary.
Let’s not open new breaches with each other.
Zechariah 13:8, in speaking about restored Israel, tells us that only one third will survive. “In the whole land, declares the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive.” To the best of my understanding, the regathering is not in a state of belief, but in a state of unbelief.
Christians who visit Israel are frequently surprised to find out that Israel is very secular, and that sin is practiced quite openly. There are some very devout Jewish people, but they are in the minority.
The covenant of Sinai is over, there’s no question of that, in my mind, but the promise to Abraham is separate from this covenant, and in Ezekiel, God made it clear that this was for the sake of His name, and not for the sake of the nation itself.
So where does that leave modern Israel. Zechariah 12:10 tells us that they will come to realize their error in rejecting Christ. “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”
Whether my beliefs on this matter are accurate or not, it is not my place to judge anyone. Is Israel sinful, you bet, but so is the US, and every other place on earth. None of us can obtain salvation on our own merits; that’s why we have a Savior. Ancient Israel was rejected, and has suffered for many centuries. As to how God ties all of this up, that is up to Him.
I make room for the beliefs and opinions of others. I live in the American West and this is Mormon country. While I don’t agree with all of their beliefs, I respect their right to believe as they see fit. Many of the LDS people I know live exemplary, moral lives, and I truly admire that. The point is simply that even where we are in disagreement, there is still room for respect. I don’t judge, and it’s not my responsibility to judge others. I base my beliefs on scripture to the best of my ability, and am glad to share what I have learned, but it is not my purpose to impose change on anyone.