WHY DID GOD CHOOSE ISRAEL?
Jun
20
Written by:
6/20/2011 12:00 AM
WHY DID GOD CHOOSE ISRAEL?
June 19, 2011
(Deu 7:6 NIV) For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. (Deu 7:7 NIV) The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. (Deu 7:8 NIV) But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deu 7:9 NIV) Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.
Israel is often in the news. Yet, it is a very small country. How small? Japan is seventeen times bigger than Israel. Also, the population of Japan is 18 times larger than Israel`s population. For this message I would like to consider why God choose Israel.
Israel is a nation today because of God`s promise to Abram in the 12th chapter of Genesis. (Gen 12:1 NIV) The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. (Gen 12:2 NIV) "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. (Gen 12:3 NIV) I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." God choose Abram and promised him that Abram would be made into a great nation. We know from Deu. 7:7-9 God is faithful and keeps his promises. From the fewest of all peoples God made a great nation. Israel became a nation in 1312 B.C. God promised Abram he would be blessed and that blessings would come through Abram to all the peoples of the earth.
However, Israel ceased to be a nation in 586 B.C. when King Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem. The people of Jerusalem were exiled to Babylon. After 70 years of captivity the people were allowed to return to Jerusalem. The temple was rebuilt, but Israel did not become a nation again until May 14, 1948. (Isa 66:8 NIV) Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. Israel ceased to be a nation for 2500 years because the Israelites were not faithful in keeping the covenant that God gave them. However, Israel was restored in 1948 because of God`s promises to Abram.
I have chosen two main reasons that God has chosen Israel. The first is that great blessings would come to the world through the nation that was created from Abram. (Gen 12:2 NIV) "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. (Gen 12:3 NIV) I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." The greatest blessing that has come from Israel is the savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ the whole world has been blessed. There will be another great blessing when Jesus Christ returns at The Second Coming for all that are waiting for him.
There are promises of blessings for those that bless Israel. Also, there are promises of curses for those that curse Israel. After the rebirth of the nation of Israel in 1948 the United States was the greatest blessing to Israel of all the nations. The United States in turn has been greatly blessed. Unfortunately, Israel has few friends among the nations of the world today. Even the United States has turned against Israel during the Obama Administration. At the last meeting in May of the “Group of Eight” major industrialized nations (US, Japan, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Canada, and Russia) only Canada came out in support of Israel. Prime Minister Harper of Canada has emerged as Israel`s greatest friend in the world. Harper`s support of Israel has earned him the hatred from much of the world, but great blessings from God for Canada (Gen 12:3 NIV). All the group of eight nations except Canada wanted to pass a resolution that Israel should return to the pre-1967 war borders. Jerusalem would again be divided and would not be able to survive as a nation with the pre-1967 borders. In effect, the “Group of Eight” would have cursed Israel if the Prime minister of Canada had not objected.
The second major reason God chose Israel is to display his glory among the nations. God used 10 plagues to force the Pharaoh of Egypt to let the Israelites, then slaves of the Egyptians, to leave Egypt so they could form the nation of Israel. The Egyptian magicians could only duplicate the first two plagues. They had to admit after the third plague that they had no more power to duplicate God`s work. (Exo 8:19 NIV) The magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the LORD had said. Through the 10 plagues and the parting of the Red Sea God brought the Israelites out of Egypt to establish the nation of Israel. God`s display of power at the time brought much glory to God among the nations. God was also glorified when Israel called to God for help after it was established as a nation. The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ also brought great glory to God even though Israel was not a nation at the time.
However, the greatest glory to God will probably come at the second coming of Jesus Christ. Most people are in rebellion against God today. Millions of people do not believe in the one true God. They do not know the importance of Israel in God`s plan. In fact Israel is surrounded by enemies and has few friends in the world. Also, many do not know or believe that Jesus Christ will return to Israel at the Battle of Armageddon to restore all things. However, every eye will see Jesus when he returns. (Rev 1:7 NIV) Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. In closing I would like to quote little of what the 14th Chapter of Zechariah says about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. (Zec 14:3 NIV) Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. (Zec 14:4 NIV) On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. (Zec 14:8 NIV) On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter. (Zec 14:9 NIV) The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. God will be glorified in Israel and throughout the world!