Why should Christians support Israel?
There are numerous reasons why every true believer in Jesus should be in favor of the nation of Israel’s existence. Just to be clear, this does not mean we should hate any other group of people, like the Palestinians, for instance. But it does mean that overall, we say, “Israel, you have a 100% right to exist in peace.” Here’s why:
1) Our Messiah is Jewish and lived in Israel. He said, “Salvation is from the Jews.” (John 4:12) He never renounced His people. Sure, he had harsh words for the leadership, no doubt. But he also wept over the city (people) of Jerusalem. How can anyone say they love God yet hate the Jews? How can anyone say that Jerusalem belongs to any other group besides the Jewish people?
2) God specifically gave the land of Israel to Abraham and his descendants.
“And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.” Genesis 13:14-15
Israel has lived there for thousands of years. Archeology, historical writings, etc. all point to the fact that Israel is not a “newcomer” to this region.
3) When you mess with Israel, you poke your finger in the eye of God.
“…for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.” Zechariah 2:8
I don’t know about you, but getting poked in the eye is no fun. Therefore, to deliberately poke one’s finger in the eye of God is a dangerous precedent.
4) You have a relationship with God because you are “grafted in” to Israel’s blessings and covenant. “Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” (Roman’s 11: 19) This is true. If you are born again, then the Spirit of the greatest Jew lives inside you. You are grafted in, so why would you wish bad for the people or land that you are connected to and will inherit one day.
5) Christians have a duty to bless Israel.
“For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.” (Romans 15:27)
So how would siding with Israel’s enemies fulfill this debt we owe to the Jewish people? Instead, Paul says we are to provoke them to jealousy. (Romans 11:11). So ask yourself, will my public opinion of the Jewish people or land of Israel sway unsaved Jewish people towards or away from their Messiah?
With that all being said, this does not mean that the Israeli leadership is infallible. No government on earth gets a free pass from God. Even some Israelis are protesting their own government’s response to the current situation.
But overall – our general support must be unequivocal – Israel has a right to exist and has a right to defend itself.
