Chapter 6: Promised "Land" Issue (Who are the Israel of God?)

By Hazel Holland

In the last chapter we discussed how Israel in Old Testament times was chosen by God for service, not privilege. Israel was chosen to be a blessing because she had been entrusted with the privilege of being the bearer of “Light” to the Gentile nations around her.

However, although ancient Israel was chosen by God to be a “light” to the Gentile nations around her of God’s coming salvation, she failed miserably in her mission. Even as we remember Isaiah’s eloquent words, “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6), we recognize that this Scripture only began to be fulfilled after Pentecost.

The veil was lifted from the minds of the disciples as they were filled with the Spirit, and they began to testify that Jesus was the “Light”. After persecution came and the early church was scattered the “light” of God’s salvation went to the four corners of the earth.

Having said that, consider with me for a moment how God’s original plan to use Israel as a “light for the Gentiles” has become very complex, because a parcel of “land” in the Middle East has become more important than the lives of the people who occupy it?

The present Arab-Israeli conflict continues because both the natural children of Abraham (Israel after the flesh) and the Palestinians continue to fight over “land” that each side claims belongs to them. In spite of the fact that the Scriptures tell us that God restored all the land that He promised to give Israel’s descendants, many in the church fail to believe that God kept His promises to them.

“So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled” (Joshua 21:43-45 NIV).

What further complicates this whole “land” issue is the fact that many Christians have taken sides. They believe that Israel is still God’s “chosen” people, and the literal land they occupy belongs to God because He gave it to them as their inheritance forever.

But that belief totally contradicts God’s heart for all people. Contrary to popular opinion within the church, God does NOT show favoritism. There is no partiality with God!

“There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism” Romans 2:9-11 (NIV).

No one group, or any certain territory, like the land of Israel, holds a favored position in relation to salvation. God is bringing these blessings to all people on earth. Exclusivity and elitism are out of the question. Peter declares after his change of heart:

“I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right” (Acts 10:34-35).

If God doesn’t show favoritism, why do so many of us in the church? Is it because we do not understand God’s heart for all people? Is it because we see “Israel” as a nation rather than “Israel” as people? Is it because we sadly favor and value an earthly inheritance over an eternal inheritance?

For years many Christian have believed that a necessary condition for the return of the Messiah was for the Jews to return to their land. This belief also ties in with the precursors of modern Zionism who also believed that the return of Jews to the land of Israel was a precondition for the redemption of the Jewish people.

Thus, many Christians, believing that the formation of the state of Israel in 1948 was a miraculous intervention of God, offer their support to Israel by insisting that the land belongs to them, because they are still God’s “chosen” people.

However, if we in the church would take a hard and honest look at the bloody history of how the state of Israel was actually “born”, it could hardly be considered a miraculous intervention of God! Yes, it’s a miracle how God has preserved the existence of the Jews around the world, but NOT the formation of the state of Israel.

My friend Ramone reminded me that to take someone’s life because God said, “This land is my inheritance” neglects the truth that the nations are Christ’s inheritance. He further suggests that "when we kill people for whom Christ died are we not robbing Christ of His inheritance? Furthermore, because we are “co-heirs with Christ” are not the nations our inheritance also? That means our neighbors are also our inheritance. So if we kill our neighbors to possess their property, aren’t we trading our eternal inheritance (our neighbor’s lives) for an earthly inheritance that is temporal?"

By saying that God’s hand was in the establishment of the state of Israel, many in the church are unknowingly declaring that it was God’s will for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to be evicted from their homes so that “God’s people” could get their land back. That kind of wounding takes a long time to heal! By the church sanctioning that kind of spiritual abuse doesn't it place future generations of Israelis in a grave position where they will continue to inherit a cycle of violence?

From my perspective, the church has done the state of Israel a great disservice by not proclaiming to her the cutting edge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. By not calling her into accountability and repentance for her acts of violence against the Palestinian people we have neutered the gospel of Jesus Christ. God is calling us to speak the whole gospel of God’s love and grace into the Middle East situation. God's Spirit is calling the church to minister to both Jew and Gentile alike, and help them enter into the true Promised Land--the true promised rest found in Jesus Christ?

It’s shocking to realize that land has become more valuable than lives for whom Christ died. Many of us in the church have a serious heart issue. Can you hear the cry in the Father’s heart for the people of this land? I do. My friend, Ramone, heard, “I don’t want My people to have land, I want them to have Me!” What will our response be?

Link:  What God Joined Together at the Cross

Next: Chapter 7:  Unveiled in Christ