Book Response - The Other Side of the Wall by Munther Isaac

Book Response - The Other Side of the Wall by Munther Isaac

Dr Isaac writes about how Christian Zionism either wishes him invisible, or even non-existent. He also chides western theologians with telling him what his theology should be, saying that as a Christian Palestinian, he should have input into this. He then mentions how, as a child he disliked reading God’s promises to Israel in the Old Testament. He has since endlessly sought out other ways of viewing Scripture, western or not, which might enable him to reject how he first read the Scriptures.

The sad thing is that he never seems to have asked, “where might I, as a Christian Palestinian, fit into a Christian Zionist theology?” All this time opposing it, but never even an attempt to do his own theological work, to discover where his own people might fit into this theology, into this first, simple, child-like reading of the Scriptures.

So. Where do Christian Palestinians fit in Christian Zionism? Do Christian Zionists wish that the Palestinian Christian community did not exist? How does the return of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel affect the Palestinian Christians? What comfort can Christian Zionism offer to this community? What part might they have in God’s plans of salvation? Are they unwanted, or could they be honoured, vital and even transformational? Is Christian Zionism exactly what this community does need? The answer to this question lies in a specific application of the general, foundational principles of Christian Zionism.

1.      The Jewish people are brought back to be a universal blessing

2.      The Jewish people being brought back to be blessed and saved!

3.      The Jewish people are saved with the aid of Gentile Christians

God has brought the Jewish people back to the land for their blessing and for the blessing of the nations, he has brought them back for their salvation, and for the salvation of the nations! Like the prophets of old, we need to search intently and with greatest care concerning this salvation. We need to examine the time and the circumstances, prepare our minds for action and be self-controlled, as we all live as strangers here in reverent fear!

As for Christian Zionists, the presence in that land of a pre-existing Christian community should always have been viewed as an act of grace.

“What we need is not so much a theology of the land as a theology of salvation!” 

As a Christian Zionists we need to move beyond a discussion of a theology of the Land, and focus rather on a theology of salvation. As we look at Romans 15, and its theological predecessor, Acts 15, we find something vital. God promises to restore the fallen tabernacle of David, to confirm the promises to the Patriarchs, why?? In both cases, so that the Gentiles might glorify God! So that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name,

Romans 15:8-11; "For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs SO THAT the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. Likewise, in Acts 15:13-17 James declares that the Gentiles are included in the Gospel on the basis of a promise to restore Israel; “Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: " 'After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, SO THAT the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things'

These verses are about the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles! The restoration of Israel is not irrelevant to Gentiles, rather they are its goal. Israel is restored so that Gentiles may be blessed! (God obviously loves the Jewish people also!!, but the thrust of these verses is clear.) As Evangelicals either we take the word of God seriously, or we do not. Both James and Paul declare that God will restore Israel SO THAT Gentiles might seek and glorify God.

This was always central to God’s promises to Abraham – “And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.' (Acts 3:25 - a long time before Acts 15!) This is why Christian Zionism would hold that the regathered Jewish nation will be a blessing to all the world. It was never an end in itself! Micah 5:7 “The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass.” Do we believe this is true for the Palestinians?? As the community closest to the Jewish community, the Palestinian Christians could have been in a place of exceptional blessing!

They were also in a place of great responsibility! That is, rather than being irrelevant or unwanted, they were given great responsibility and potentially great blessing, if they could only recognise and fulfil their calling.

Their glorious calling

"I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding." (Deuteronomy 32: 21, quoted in Romans 10:19)

So, where do Christian Arabs appear in Christian Zionism? What is their role in all this? Or, put another way, what is the role of Gentiles in the salvation of Israel?

Romans 11:11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.

Christian Zionism sees a role for Gentiles in the salvation of Jews. Jesus says you will not see me again until you say; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! “And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?” As the Christian community with the greatest exposure to the re-gathered Jewish community, might not God have a special role for the Palestinian Christians in provoking Israel to envy through their showing of love to them?

Romans 11:30; Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you.

All they had to do was show love and mercy to the stranger, the refugee, their neighbour. Has the Palestinian Christian community lived in such a way as to make the Jewish people envious of their grace and faith and kindness??? Have they in humility loved and blessed their Jewish neighbours?

While they may have been ignored by Western evangelicals, the Arab believers were never ignored or unwanted by God! 

Rather they could have been used to bless Israel, and then in turn become the first fruits of universal blessing! They could have found that God had given them special promises to help them through this difficult time; see Isaiah 14:1 “The LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Aliens will join them and unite with the house of Jacob.” And Isaiah 56:6-8 “And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant-- these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.’ The Sovereign LORD declares-- he who gathers the exiles of Israel: ‘I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.’"

Frustratingly, on page 87, Dr Isaac quotes from a number of these passages, including Ezekiel 47, to prove that a restored Israel (as envisioned in the Bible and affirmed by Christian Zionism) would be inclusive of righteous others! Look at how God himself introduced these verses!! Ezekiel 47:13-14 “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "These are the boundaries by which you are to divide the land for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel, with two portions for Joseph. You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your forefathers, this land will become your inheritance.” Dr Isaac later contradicts God, and rejects the idea that such verses apply to Israel, even after having shown that if they did, then he might be included as an honoured member with them! He argues against his own case, and shows that real Christian Zionism should indeed be inclusive of righteous others!!! The very case that he should be making!! Dr Isaac also claims (88-94) that all God’s promises to Israel are fulfilled in the person of Jesus. This ignores the clear teaching of Romans 15:8 and Acts 3:21. 2 Corinthians 1:20 confirms this. Will God restore Israel as he promised? Yes! Because of Jesus!! He is the Messiah after all! It is only because of him and through him that God’s promises will be realised. He does not do away with those promises, he guarantees them!

Dr Isaac skims too quickly over Romans 11 (Paul’s central teaching on the present and future of Israel). The unbelieving Jews have been broken off, the believing gentiles have been grafted in, but that is not the end of those unbelieving branches! At present they remain beloved of God on account of the Patriarchs, and in the future, they will be grafted back and all Israel will be saved! The implications of these verses should not be ignored.

The tragedy is that the Palestinian Church leaders largely chose to side rather with their ethnicity, with the Moslem community, rather than with the commands and promises of their God. This is their shame and this is their tragedy. 

First fruits – the more excellent way

In the Song of Moses and elsewhere, we see a restored Israel being a blessing to the nations (“Rejoice, O nations, with his people”). All this occurs after the return of Jesus. At present, we see only a remnant of Jews saved by grace, and across the nations we see only the scattered children of God (John 11:51-52). And so we read, Deuteronomy 32:21 “I will make them envious by those who are not a people.”

Let us now look therefore, not at the denominational splendour of the Palestinian churches, but rather at the still, small voice of the remnant.

In his article; “the 21^st century Palestinian church in Israel” [found in “Israel, the Church and the Middle East”] Tom Doyle writes of meeting with a small group of Palestinian Christians in Gaza in 2002. He speaks of their vibrant faith. They were led by Ali, a guitar-playing former Muslim from the West Bank. He also noted that the guitar had bullet holes through it. Ali explained that while he was entering through the crossing, he was speaking to a soldier, Aaron, whom he had gotten to know as he crossed back and forth. Aaron was concerned about his guitar case, as the week before, a terrorist had tried to smuggle a bomb through that way. He had the IDF robot put the bullets through it.

“Aaron was just doing his job. I didn’t get mad, and the Lord used it. I was able to tell this young Jewish soldier that I was no longer a Muslim. He asked if that was possible, and I said; “yes, I’m a Jesus follower now. … the Jewish messiah changed my life!” I then hugged him and told him he had a rough job and that I would be praying for him. Aaron was speechless. The Holy Spirit as dealing with him. How privileged I was to tell a young Jewish Israeli about Jesus. The bullet holes? Totally worth it!”

Another young Gazan, Sami, shortly after his conversion, was convicted by the Sermon on the Mount to pray that he would love his enemies. “I expected Jesus to forgive me for my hatred, and to change my heart in the process. He could do that, of course, but I thought I might merely tolerate Jews, and that would be the end of that. I was not prepared for the complete fulfilment of this prayer. Jesus not only took away my hatred for Israel and the Jews, but he replaced it with a love for them. This was unexpected. How could I love the Jewish people while living in the Gaza Strip?” When another young Palestinian Christian in Gaza was murdered by Islamic extremists, Palestinian churches and Messianic congregations came together to establish a trust for his wife and children.

Sami himself, along with the other young members of the Gazan Baptist Church, was relocated to the West Bank by Israel, for their own safety. “By the time I reached Jerusalem, I’d read through the Scriptures several times. How could I doubt that God loved the Jewish people? It was all over the Bible.” Today, Sami is passionate about reaching Jews. He is learning Hebrew and has a heart to reach out to Orthodox Jewish men. “Jesus has called Jews and Arabs in Christ to serve him together. This is deep within the heart of God. I used to hate Jews and run from them. Now I run to them. God has called me, a humble Palestinian to reach the lost sheep of Israel. I have trouble fathoming this at times. Recently, I shared with an Orthodox man on a bus. I told him I was from Gaza and used to hate him and all Jews. But then Jesus, the Jewish messiah came into my life and gave me a deep love and respect for Jewish people. I think he was in absolute shock. He finally asked me if I would come to his house that night and share my story with his family. I did come and was overwhelmed with the opportunity to share Jesus with an Orthodox family at their Sabbath meal. Me, a Palestinian from Gaza in an observant Jewish home in Israel and being invited to tell them about Jesus? Only God could have orchestrated this one.” Sami also speaks of a harvest among Muslims in Gaza. Speaking of witnessing to Jews, Sami stated that, rather than presenting the proofs for Jesus as Messiah, “I aim the Gospel at me, and tell them how Jesus changed me and took away my hatred for Jews and the State of Israel. … Can you imagine being Jewish and seeing how anti-Semitism is growing in Europe and soaring in the Middle East? Then to have someone confess their hatred to him or her from Gaza like us and ask for their forgiveness? The question I am always asked is ‘what caused your change of heart? Was it being in the West Bank and actually seeing Jews for the first time, other than just soldiers?’ Then I tell them that my change of heart happened when I lived in Gaza. The Jewish messiah set me free from my hatred of Jews and Israel. My wife and I have this deep burden for Jews to come to know Yeshua!”

Tom then asked him; “The team you serve with and lead in the West Bank has many former Muslims. Do they have the same heart you have to reach Muslims and Jews?” “Yes, one of the brothers named Mahmoud is also learning Hebrew like us. He has the Shema tattooed on his forearm in Hebrew. It is hard for Jewish people to fathom this on a former Muslim!” 

Hanna, again a Gazan Christian, said “I knew in my heart that God was not finished with the Jewish people because of what I read in the Scriptures. Then, at a meeting, a messianic believer stood up and prayed; “Lord, give me so much love for my Palestinian brother here that I would be willing to die for him.” A Palestinian brother then stood up as well and said; “Lord, give me so much love for my Jewish brother that I would be willing to die for him too.” That is the body of Christ in action. Every time I meet with my messianic brothers and sisters The presence of the Lord falls upon us when we are together and we are overwhelmed by the love of God.” This is the new man the apostle Paul talked about. “If the world can see Jews and Arabs come together in love peace and harmony in Israel because of our Jesus, how can they doubt that this is a work of God?”

God has always chosen the things which are not to shame the things which are (1 Corinthians 1:27-28). The poor and despised to reach the rest. Might He not now choose the tiny faithful remnant of the Palestinian church (“I will make them envious by those who are not a people”), along with the tiny Messianic community to proclaim his love and mercy to Israel? The Messianic community, Simeon, held captive by Joseph (“I Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ”) in an attempt to draw the sons of Jacob back to him?

Think of the blessing Palestinian Christians could be! To the Jew first, and also to the Gentile (God loves Muslims also!!!) Think too of the Palestinians killed in Gaza – how quick we are to say “80% were Hamas!” So its all OK?? What might a Palestinian Christian say? “They are my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh – I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart because they are not saved!”  God desires all be saved – have we indeed ignored or dismissed the Palestinians in our love for Israel, or do we cry out to God for them? This does not mean we agree with or support Hamas!! Rather it means our God loves sinners!

What an incredible blessing the Palestinian Christians could become!! Pray for them!!

Book Review - The Other Side of the Wall by Munther Isaac

Book Review - The Other Side of the Wall by Munther Isaac

I have been a Christian Zionist for about 50 years now. I have lived many years in Israel and the wider Middle East. I write this because I see much that is admirable in Dr Isaac, and hope that he knows that we all grow more from thoughtful criticism than from bland praise. I have certainly grown through interactions with other Palestinian theologians, and pray that he receives this critique in positive way.

Dr Isaac writes passionately about the evils of empire, imperial theology and the powerful, contrasting this with the meek, the poor and the downtrodden. He also writes about the importance of justice and righteousness.

The problems come when he tries to deploy these terms.

If you looked around the world in the 1880s, where might you find Imperial power? In the dazzling palaces and huge armies of the Tsar’s Russian Empire? Apparently not. So, who were the truly imperial and powerful? They were the small groups of desperate Russian Jews fleeing the state backed pogroms. Who knew?? But, Dr Isaac repeatedly assures us, Israel is the very epitome of empire, and Christian Zionism is imperial theology.

Switch to the 1930s, where would you find an example of the evils of empire? In the expanding power of the Nazi regime? Again, apparently not. Look rather to the Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany, of whom in 1938, an American writer wrote: “What is to be done with these people, with the millions who are clawing like frantic beasts at the dark walls of the suffocating chambers where they are imprisoned? The Christian world has practically abandoned them, and sits by with hardly an observable twinge of conscience in the midst of this terrible catastrophe.”

That is where Dr Isaac finds the practitioners of imperial power! Imperil power = small groups of Jewish refugees returning to the land of their fathers, legally purchasing malarial land and building a new city on sand dunes. Zionism was not conceived as an Imperial venture, but as a rescue mission. In 1926, Ben Gurion wrote that; “the Arab community is an organic, inextricable part of Palestine; it is embedded in the country where it toils and where it will stay. It is not to disinherit this community nor to thrive on its destruction that Zionism came into being … Only a madman can attribute such a desire to the Jewish people in Palestine. Palestine will belong to the Jewish people and its Arab inhabitants.” In 1937, he wrote; We do not wish and do not need to expel Arabs and take their place. All our aspiration is built on the assumption – proven throughout all our activity in the Land – that there is enough room in the country for ourselves and the Arabs.” Again in 1937, at the Twentieth Zionist Congress, he declared; “No Jewish State, big or small, in part of the country or in its entirety will be [truly] established so long as the land of the prophets does not witness the realize of the great and moral ideals nourished in our hearts for generations; one law for all residents, just rule, love for ones neighbour, true equality.” In 1938, in its submission to the Peel commission, the Zionist movement undertook “not only to respect the civil and religious rights of its non-Jewish citizens, but also to safeguard and, to the best of its ability, to improve their positions.”  

Ze’ev Jabotinsky likewise foresaw the Arab minority as full citizens, participating on an equal footing “throughout all sectors of the country’s public life.” As early as 1905 he stated that “we must treat the Arabs correctly and affably, without any violence or injustice.” The tragedy is that this goodwill (which was not perfect, but nevertheless genuine) was not reciprocated. 

Which brings us to his usage of justice and righteousness. He seems to think that these are on the side of the Palestinians!

It was apparently justice which inspired the Palestinian Christian communities to join and lead the General Strike of 1936, whose main aim was to prevent Jewish refugees (like those in the above quote) finding sanctuary in Palestine. Slamming the door shut on Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi death camps is now a form of righteousness? Seriously? Chapter 5 of Dr Isaac’s book is all about “Who is my Neighbour?” and he speaks positively of advocacy work on behalf of refugees. Who was your neighbour in 1936 when the [Palestinian Anglican] PNCC declared that it “abhorred the tide of Jewish immigration.” In 1935, a congress of Christian Arab clergy issued a declaration forbidding the sale of land to Jews. “whoever sells or speculates in the sale of any portion of the homeland is considered the same as one who sells the place of Jesus’ birth or his tomb and as such will be considered a heretic against the principles of Christianity and all believers are required to ban and interdict him.” These churches said you would lose your salvation if you sold land to a Jewish refugee!! Was this showing love to your Jewish neighbors? On page 178 he quotes Jesus “I was a stranger and you did not welcome me.” He then says; “this is about welcoming the refugee.” In the 1930s, the Jewish people fell into the hands of robbers. How did the Palestinian Christians make them feel welcome?? "Then the King will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, … for I was a stranger and you did not invite me in.” On page 118 Dr Isaac writes; “My theology of the Jewish people is this, love your neighbour as yourself.” Did your church live up to this when it would not sell them land, and shut the doors to their desperate refugees? Or does it need to repent? As he writes on page 125, “no good theology whatsoever can justify hating, rejecting or even slightly discriminating against any people group.”

After the war, when the cries of the Jewish community in Palestine, mocked at the time by Palestinian Christians, were proven to have been true, when the full extent of the Holocaust was revealed, did the Christian community then repent and confess, “we closed our doors and our hearts to you in your time of need, and now millions are dead – please, bring your survivors here, and let us live together”? No. They publicly pledged their support to a friend of Hitler, a known Nazi war criminal who had taken a role in that very Holocaust! The Mufti, Haj Amin al-Husseini. In 1947 a meeting of Arab Orthodox clergy in Jerusalem sent a telegram to the Arab Higher Executive, officially led by Haj Amin al-Husseini expressing “absolute confidence in its leadership,” and announcing “to the whole world the cooperation of the Arab Orthodox Community in weal and woe, with its sister, the dear Muslim community.” They also sent another to the British High Commissioner, stating their community “supports the faithful leaders and the Arab Higher Executive.” The Arab Anglicans also pushed a strong nationalist agenda throughout the 1940s. Bishop Stewart (who also opposed a Jewish state) feared that “their nationalist spirit is both strong and wrong.” Bishop Stewart indeed protested a document circulated by the Christian Church Union in Palestine that claimed the Christian community was “in complete agreement both in principle and in deed with the Moslems” and was signed by members of the Arab-Anglican community. In 1947 the Latin Patriarch’s secretary similarly wrote to the AHC assuring it that they would never sell land to the Jews. “for I was a stranger and you did not invite me in.”

In the War of Independence, 1947-48, who were the more righteous? The Palestinians, under the leadership of said Nazi war criminal, who rejected every compromise, every peace plan, who even refused to extend the cease fire? Or the Jewish community, who accepted every compromise, every peace plan, and were ready to extend the cease-fire to their own detriment? The Palestinians who cut off all food, water and electricity to the 100,000 Jewish civilians of Jerusalem, waging a war of ethnic cleansing, or the Jewish community who baked bread on the Sabbath to encourage the Arab population for Haifa not to leave? The British mediator at the talks between the two communities in Haifa said to the Arab representatives, after they announced their decision to leave; “You have made a foolish decision. Think it over, as you will regret it afterwards. You must accept the decision of the Jews. They are fair enough. Don’t permit life to be destroyed senselessly. After all, it was you who began the fighting and the Jews have won.” The truce terms included that Arabs were expected to “carry on their work as equal and free citizens of Haifa.”

Now, it was war, neither side were perfect, but who were the more righteous??

Dr Isaac does not like the Israeli checkpoints or wall. He says Jesus does not like them either. I remember a friend telling my daughter how she loves the wall – before it was there, she had been shot at and had rocks smash her window, even as her baby son was asleep in the back. Now, when driving that section of road, she feels safe. At present, those checkpoints and wall save civilian lives. Pray that the violence that makes them necessary disappear, then they can go. Until then, they inconvenience Palestinians and save Israeli (Jewish and Arab) lives. Unless you think Palestinian inconvenience is a higher moral priority than Israeli lives, they should be supported.

On page 190, Dr Isaac writes about the wars in Gaza. Rather than say ‘while we disagree on many things, the Israeli efforts to protect our civilians, especially our women and children during these conflicts, spark real hope among us of the possibilities for future peaceful coexistence,’ he wrote “the Israeli military was disproportional and inhumane, with no regard for civilian life, especially innocent women and children.” Col. Richard Kemp was a British commander in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan, and was a member of an international military committee who investigated Israeli actions during that conflict. He wrote; “[listen] to Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said last November that the I.D.F. had taken extraordinary measures to try to limit civilian casualties. Or to a group of 11 senior military officers from seven nations, including the United States, Germany, Spain and Australia, who also investigated the Gaza conflict recently. “None of us is aware of any army that takes such extensive measures as did the I.D.F. last summer to protect the lives of the civilian population.” Proverbs 25:18 “Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor.” Exodus 23:1 "Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness.”

He briefly notes that Islamic Dhimma law treated Christians and Jews as second-class citizens. The reality was much worse. For a few examples, in 1823, after an elderly Christian peasant from Beit Jalla was shot and beheaded, his head was stuck on a pike in Jerusalem and the local Muslim boys spat and threw rubbish at it for three days while the local Christians were unable to rescue it or show any grief. In 1828, in Nazareth, a Christian girl who refused the advances of a Muslim man was killed by being dragged through the streets behind a horse. Indeed, prior to 1845, James Finn wrote that Christian women were “dishonoured with impunity.”

He also repeatedly (e.g., 124-125) calls anti-Semitism a Western problem. On page 129 he states that Jews had it better in Islamic lands than Christian ones. Hardly setting a high bar, and doubtful nevertheless. Writing about their experiences in Egypt, from 1825-1835, Edward Lane and Edward Poole described the conditions of the Jews there; “They are held in the utmost contempt and abhorrence by the Muslims in general, … the Jews are detested by the Muslims far more than are the Christians. … many a Jew has been put to death upon a false and malicious accusation of uttering disrespectful words against the Kur-an or the Prophet.” In 1835, the British diplomat Percival Barton Lord recorded how Jews in North Africa still had to walk barefoot when passing a Mosque, while in some cities such as Fez, they were forced to go barefoot at all times. There were pogroms in Lebanon and Jerusalem in 1847 and Syria in 1848 and in 1850 (the same year as attacks were also carried out against the Jews of Morocco). Within the land of Palestine, they were forbidden access to their holy sites and subject to constant humiliations and abuse from both the Muslim and Christian communities. Within Hebron, Jews were banned from entering into the Cave of the Patriarchs, and only (as a sign of their degradation) permitted to go up to the seventh step of the entrance outside it. As they went up these steps, Muslim boys were encouraged by their elders to hit and throw stones at them, to remind them of their proper place.

Chapter six, about his Jewish neighbor, contained the aforementioned quote “My theology of the Jewish people is this, love your neighbour as yourself.” In this chapter, he then goes on to quote Gideon Levi and JVP. This leads into a discussion of “your other Jewish neighbour.” Here he describes Neturei Karta as a beautiful group unjustly shunned, prophets fighting for justice and peace. He quotes Robert Cohen and says that Christians need to find some new Jewish friends. Like the above-mentioned ones. This is profoundly disturbing. Neturei Karta number a mere 5,000 and the Guardian wrote "even among Haredi, or ultra-Orthodox circles, the Neturei Karta are regarded as a wild fringe." After an attack on a Jewish religious Chabad house in India, Neturei Karta issued a leaflet criticising the Chabad movement for its relations with [according to wikipedia] "the filthy, deplorable traitors – the cursed Zionists that are your friends." These are the good Jews, the new Jewish friends that we should make? What message does this send to the overwhelming majority of Jewish people who love Israel? And this in a chapter supposedly all about loving your Jewish neighbour! This highlights the target demographic for this book; well-meaning but uninformed gentile American Christians, who see this and think “how wonderful, here is this Palestinian Christian who just wants to love his Jewish neighbours!” but any Israeli, seeing the names that he mentions, knows that Dr Isaac is sending them a very different message.

In his chapter about Muslims, he totally ignores the 1300 year history of Palestinian Christian experience of Muslim rule (see the quotes above). Concerning the present, a poll taken in 2016, conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center, found a majority of Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza supported attacks on Israeli civilians (important when you consider if wall and checkpoints are still needed!). Another poll taken in 2013 found that 89% of Palestinians favor the imposition of Sharia Law into their society. He should mention that the moderate Muslims he rightly admires remain a tiny minority, and that his hopes for the advocacy by the less than 1% of the population who are Christian for a secular state are doomed to failure.

There are also basic Biblical/theological errors in the book, such as when he says the while God promised it would last forever, the throne of David will not last forever (p80). In this he contradicts the essential Christian understanding of Jesus - see Luke 1:32.

Dr Isaac also tries to deliberately make important concepts too difficult and too obscure to be used. This is not about bringing clarity to an issue, it is about trying to muddy the waters. The concepts of “the land of Israel” and “the Jewish people” are both apparently so convoluted and self-contradictory, so endlessly confusing and complex, that they can have no actual role in any meaningful discussion. This is foolish!

The borders of the Land of Israel are not that difficult, the brook of Egypt is a stream just inside the Sinai also known as Wadi Arish, not the Nile, which is named differently in Hebrew. Joshua 23:4 and other verses show the boundaries were clearly known, and did not initially include land on the far side of the Jordan (Joshua 1:12-17 etc). Genesis 17 says the land of Canaan, and Numbers 34 details this. See also Ezekiel 47 for the future version. Dr Isaac thinks it means the whole world, because the Psalms speak of God ruling the whole earth, but this ignores Deuteronomy 32:8 which shows both God ruling the whole earth, and allotting land to other nations! (see also Acts 17:26).

Concerning the identity of the Jewish people, Dr Isaac does not understand that they are just that, a people. A community with a common history, religion etc. A people who are free to invite and welcome in others who wish to join, and free to disown any who wish not to be a part. A people with an unbroken history from the time in Egypt till this day. Yes, individuals were welcome to join, but that did not mean the community as such lost its identity – 100,000 French refugees were welcomed into England after the French revolution – that did not mean the idea of the British people or culture suddenly had no meaning! Equally, if someone chose to disown the community, to separate themselves from it, by conversion to a different religion etc, they and their offspring ceased to be counted as Jewish. See Genesis 17:14, Exodus 12:19 etc. This Jewish people were scattered in 70AD, dispersed among the nations, endured persecution there, and have now returned to their own land. Just as God promised.

This is not difficult, unless you really, really want it to be.

Israel in the Plan of God - A beginners guide

Israel in the Plan of God - A beginners guide

Why should a Christian consider Israel? What is its relationship to me as a Christian living in Australia? If true religion is helping widows and orphans, why bother about a small country in the Eastern Mediterranean? How does it affect my walk with Jesus? How should Christians respond to the re-established nation of Israel?

Well, we look at Israel because God has chosen to record his love for them in the Bible, and as Paul and Peter note, all that is in the Bible was written for our instruction. We look at Israel because Israel leads us to God. This is important. What is our response when we meet with God? It is awe and worship. If our studies on Israel do not lead us to Jesus (and we will see later that He is the beginning and end and center of their history), if we do not know and love Him more as a result, then we have not studied correctly. Theology is not about stringing together proof texts to prove a theoretical point – it is about drawing close to the heart beat of the Father!

How do we look at Israel? Jesus gives a prophecy about Jerusalem in Luke 19, and often we rush past the introductory verses to get to the details of it. But how is it introduced? “as He came near and saw the city, He wept over it”. If we desire a Godly understanding of Israel, then we must look through the tears of our savior. The first and second Commandments begin; “thou shalt love ...” Paul also does this. Romans 8 ends; “what can separate us from the love of God?” And his wonderful answer; Nothing! Romans 9-11 then answers the question, ‘but Paul, what about Israel?’ They were in God’s love, then they rejected his own son – (I know this is a problematic statement, please see the comment on it below) surely they are now also rejected and prove that we can be separated from God’s love. They are the ultimate practical challenge to what Paul has just written. They present a problem that needs to be answered.  But see how he starts this discussion! Romans 9:1-3. “I speak the truth in Christ--I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit-- I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race.”

Paul is answering the question, but first he needs to establish some priorities, and in a sense, calls “time out” while he does so. He cannot discus them as an abstract theological point, but first declares; “they are my people and I love them!” (Romans 9), from here he moves on to “They need the Gospel” (Romans 10), and only then, to his triumphant conclusion “All Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11). The worst possible case against Romans 8 is turned on its head, and affirms the truth of it. Israel do not represent the limit of God’s love, but rather are the final proof of it. No wonder Paul then simply breaks into a hymn of praise! “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! … For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

How often do we find people who look at Israel without love skipping Romans 9, or, if they do love, then they do not want to witness to them, skipping Romans 10. But the promises of Romans 11 can only be entered through 9 and 10. See also that Paul’s reasons for his love of those “of his own race, the people of Israel” are not earthly reasons (‘we like the same food, jokes, etc.,’- which may well be the case in Colossians 4:11) but rather his reasons for loving Israel are God’s reasons; “Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.” We also, regardless of our race, should love Israel for God’s reasons (Romans 15:27). And so, if we open wide our hearts, and ask God to share His love and His tears with us, if we desire their salvation, and if, like Daniel, we humble ourselves to learn, how would the Lord instruct us through His word concerning His everlasting people?

1. Their history
The Bible shows us the history of Israel from beginning to end. From Abraham to Jerusalem filled with the knowledge and glory of God.

Their beginning. 



Genesis 12:1-3; 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. "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. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Note that God’s call is always generous. David was called to be a shepherd of God’s people, Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations, Paul to be an apostle to the Gentiles. Election, if you will, is not God’s way of abandoning the rest, but his way of rescuing them! So here, Abraham is chosen so that through him, all the peoples on earth will be blessed. God’s love for Israel is not a side quirk, it is the first expression of his love for all of us. The national and universal promises to Abraham are not separate, but are expressions of the same love - the two are inseparably linked in God’s plan of redemption. Interestingly, Hebrews says that the anchor of our souls is not the Cross, or even Jesus himself, but is this promise given to Abraham. Likewise, Romans 15:8 says that Jesus came to confirm the promises to the Patriarchs (“for in him all God’s promises find their yes”). If we attack or dismiss God’s promises to Abraham and the Jewish people, we attack the anchor of our own souls.

Their end. Romans 11:26; “and so all Israel shall be saved.”

2. Israel’s calling

Israel were called to be a nation of priests (Exodus 19:6), to show the ways of God to the world.

Israel shows us the ways of the Lord for in His love for them we see the nature of His unchangeable love, and so are included. God and Israel are a love story. See Ezekiel 16, Hosea, and Jeremiah where we read “the beloved of the Lord is taken captive.” So, let us look at this history and be blessed.

Why was Israel chosen? We read in Deuteronomy 7:7-8; “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. 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.” It is like marriage; my wife didn’t choose me because I was the richest or best looking. If she had, I would have no security, as she would meet other guys who are richer and better looking all the time (!). But if her choice for me was based in love, then she can meet all the rich, handsome guys around, because her choice of me was not based on those things – I therefore have total security. It is the same with God - He didn’t choose me because I was the best teacher or speaker, and what a joy that is- if I lose my abilities, or someone else has more, He doesn’t love me any the less. Israel shows me that God’s choice is based in love, and that I am secure in it. It also reminds me that because God didn’t choose me for my abilities, He wants my love first, not my work.

How did Israel become a nation?

In Egypt. God chose to have the nation born in slavery. It was God who sent Jacob to Egypt (Genesis 46; 2-4), not as a result of sin, but of his plan (Genesis 15:13). Being chosen can easily lead to pride, and God hates it when we look down on others. Proverbs reminds us that; “There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:” and the top of the list are “haughty eyes.” Israel were chosen to be a blessing to others, and God took the threat of pride so seriously that he was prepared to have them spend 400 years in slavery, and to commemorate this every year to guard against this. Because you were slaves in Egypt be humble! Because you were strangers, care for the alien (Deuteronomy 24: 18-22). Clearly, this is a problem Christians also face. Do we look down on drunks and others, or do we love them with the love of Jesus?

Israel’s national history

We like to think that we can run our own lives, that with just a bit more money or a bit more luck, that all would be perfect. A few years ago there was talk of updating our constitution, and we establish Royal Commissions to point out where we are going wrong. 

Israel had their constitution written by God. They had rulers chosen by God, and prophets to show them where they were going wrong. Given these perfect conditions, what happened? They failed. They rejected God’s own Son (clearly, this is not intended in an anti-Semitic sense – Jesus prayed on the cross for his Father to forgive them, and of all prayers every offered, surely God would answer that of his own dying son! Likewise Paul also explicitly affirms that God has NOT rejected his people). Israel do however show us the impossibility of reaching God. Were our constitution written by God himself, if he chose our leaders rather than us electing them, still we would fail. Even with every divine help, we cannot make it to God in our own strength/ by our own works. Israel represented humanities’ best chance, and they failed.

Consequences

What are the wages of sin? Romans 6:23; “For the wages of sin is death.” And Israel has had a living death among the nations for the past 2000 years (Deuteronomy 28:64-68).  But is that the end of the story? Is our sin greater than God’s love? Praise God that is not the end of the story, or of that verse; “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”    

Jeremiah 31:35-37 This is what the LORD says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar-- the LORD Almighty is his name: "Only if these decrees vanish from my sight," declares the LORD, "will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me." This is what the LORD says: "Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done," declares the LORD.

Romans 11:25-36. I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.

Here, in the heart of the New, we have a total reaffirmation of the promises of the Old. And who did God choose to write these words to us? Paul, our Apostle, the Apostle to the Gentiles. He who had sacrificed everything so that we might have the Gospel and all its freedoms, he is the one God chose to tell us that he still loves the Jewish people, and will save them.

Israel will be restored because of the grace, the faithfulness and the mercy of God, because that is how God treats those he loves. He did not call them, rescue them, care for them (Isaiah 63:9 “In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”), send them into exile and then bring them back all so they could kill Jesus and then be dismissed from redemption history! That is not how God treats his servants! God promised to redeem them, and our sin is not greater than his word. Malachi 3:6 "I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.”

Interestingly both James and Paul, in Acts 15 and Romans 15, declare that God will restore Israel so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. “For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: ‘Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name.’ Again, it says, ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.’" We get a taste of this in Romans 11, in verses woefully under-valued my many; “Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring! … For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?”

Conclusion

Israel were called to be a nation of priests, to show the ways of God to the world. Given every blessing, still they sinned, for we cannot make it to God in our own strength, even with divine help. They sinned, but their sin is not the end of the story, for God’s love is greater than our sin. God’s love, which cannot let us go, but which bears all things, hopes all things, and ultimately triumphs. Having failed in their own strength, Israel are saved when (according to Zechariah 12 and 13), they look on him who they have pierced (conviction of sin), mourn for him (repentance), and are washed in the fountain opened for them (baptism). That is, they are saved just as you and I were. And it happens in the sight of all the nations, because the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable!

And so, by their 4,000 year history, they declare to the world; “Salvation is of God, of ourselves we are nothing - it is by grace and grace alone, by God’s power and might and unto His eternal praise and glory that we exist. We are monuments to His grace. In our own strength, we failed, we pierced the son of God. Yet he never stopped loving us. Indeed, as Peter tells the men of Israel; ‘When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you.’ In every generation, there were a remnant saved by grace, and finally, all Israel have been saved! Our sin abounded unto death, but His love abounded unto life. That which was lost is found, he who was dead is alive. Praise our God who is indeed mighty to save!”

“The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable ... .” I fail, I let God down, and I can sometimes think, “after all I’ve done, surely God can’t still be interested in me”, but when that happens God turns my eyes to Israel and says, “I haven’t given up on Israel, I wont give up on you”. Just as Paul gloried in his position as the chief of sinners, and was thus able to help others in need, so Israel is the final proof of God’s love, the final test of Rom 8. God’s love triumphs, as indeed, nothing can separate us from the love of God. Equally, just as Paul, the miraculously converted Jew, was then to become the Apostle to the Gentiles, so the miraculously converted Israel will fulfill their call to take the Gospel to all lands; Romans 11:15, Zechariah 8:32.

We have looked at the beginning of Israel, at Abraham, and towards their final consummation and ending, but in the middle is Jesus Christ. In Him God’s promises find their yes, and He is the center of Israel’s history, and the center of His history is the Cross. From the very Cross where we see Israel’s guilt and unbelief, comes conformation of the promises given to the fathers.

Adolph Saphir[i] wrote; “After Jesus had uttered His last word, after He was already dead, John still stayed and watched, and when the soldier thrust his spear into His side, he saw the blood and water flow out, and wrote; ‘these things occurred so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, ‘none of his bones shall be broken.’ And again, another passage of Scripture says, ‘they will look on the one whom they have pierced.”  Thus, in the thrust of the spear, John saw the whole history of Israel, from its beginning to end. What is the commencement of their national history? It is the Exodus. Now it is fulfilled. Here is the Paschal Lamb, and not a bone of His body has been broken. And what is the end of their history? The Prophet Zechariah has told us, ‘they shall look on Him who they have pierced’. In the Crucifixion, John sees the whole history of Israel, ending in their final repentance and conversion, for ‘all Israel shall be saved’. In a similar way, on Patmos, John, looking to the end of history, looks to see the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and sees, ‘between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, a Lamb, standing as if it had been slaughtered.’ Jesus truly is the center of Israel’s history, its commencement and consummation.”

In Zechariah 12-14, it is prophesied that just prior to Jesus’ return half of Jerusalem will be captured and plundered by all the nations of the world. It seems to be the ultimate nightmare for that already traumatized people. Then God Himself stands on the Mt of Olives and delivers them. How will their emotions cope, going from utter despair to the greatest victory in history? And we read, “and they shall look upon Him whom they have pierced, and mourn for Him.” The greatest human tragedy, the greatest human victory, and all they can see is Jesus, their long lost brother, and they fall on his neck and weep. Truly, when we look on Jesus, “the things of this world grow strangely dim.” Loving Israel has brought me to the Cross, and showed me anew how precious is my savior.

In summary, Israel teaches me;

That our call is based in God’s love, not our merits,

That we are kept by His grace,

That His love is stronger than my sin, and, above all,

The surpassing beauty and worth of Jesus.

An Analogy

The story of Joseph and his brothers provides a Godly analogy of these truths. It is instructive to read it together with Romans 11. Joseph’s brothers rejected him even though God had shown that Joseph would lead them. They believed him to be enslaved in Egypt or dead. Joseph meanwhile had, through God’s grace become ruler over the Gentile Egyptians. In many ways, this resembles the situation in the world today. Jesus ruling over a largely Gentile church, his brothers of the flesh estranged and distant from him. So, the brothers’ evil actions resulted in Joseph saving Egypt from famine.

Romans 11:11 “Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!” The same famine that affected the Egyptians also affected the brothers, the sons of Israel. While they did not know his identity, they knew that they needed what the Egyptians had if they were to live. They envied the food of the Egyptians. We should live so that others wish they had the blessings we experience! Romans 11:14; in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

Romans 11: 16, Genesis 50:20. Israel did not wonderfully lay down their life for the Gentiles, and on one level we see the crowd crying “crucify”, yet on a higher level, as Isaiah reminds us, “it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him”.

Genesis 45:16; “When the news reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased.” Hearing that Joseph’s physical family have arrived, the Egyptians are not jealous (maybe Joseph won’t love us any more), but rejoice - because they love Joseph, they are thrilled for him. They are so unlike much of the church today, which cannot see that Jesus still loves his brothers of the flesh, are offended by the very thought.

Finally, Romans 11:26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." Joseph sends out the interpreter, and speaks in Hebrew, “I am your brother.” Zechariah 12:10-13:1 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. … On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.” Clearly, this is the longed for return of our Lord, to the Mt of Olives just as the angels said; Zechariah 14 “I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, … Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem.” This is what Paul meant by “For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” Are we thrilled that God is restoring Israel? Thrilled because we love Jesus and are glad his brothers are drawing closer, thrilled because we long for the “greater riches will their fullness bring”? (But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!) Or would we end the story of Joseph when he rules Egypt, and his brothers are estranged from him? Do we realize that Jesus still loves Israel, do his tears mean nothing to us? Genesis 43:30 “Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.” If we love Jesus, we will long for the salvation of Israel.

God’s own holy name is at stake

Jesus came not only to be a light to the Gentiles, but also to be the glory of his people Israel! Gabriel told Mary; “The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." If Israel is not restored with Jesus ruling it, then not only did Israel fail, but it is God the Father who failed, for this verse says that it is the Lord God (not the Jewish people) who will give him the throne of David. We see this clearly in Ezekiel 36: 18-38, 37: 11-24 and 37: 21-28. See also Jeremiah 31 2-14.

Applications

So far I have looked at the big picture, spanning millennia. This is vital as it places the present into its God breathed context. Looking (very!) briefly at the present, what do we see?

Israel re-established in unbelief, the first-fruits of redemption, and a miracle to be celebrated. While not always comfortable with Greek concepts, their idea of justice being blind and holding the scales is a good one. To exaggerate Israel’s faults while white-washing those of the Palestinians is unjust. Concerning the events leading up to the return of Jesus, Zechariah 12:9 notes that God will judge the nations who fight against Israel “On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.” They will be judged, not because they have not read Zechariah (they are pagan, after all) but because of the utter injustice of what they are doing. These chapters and many others clearly show that God has judged that justice is on the side of the as yet unconverted Jewish state! While not called to get involved in Israeli politics, Christians should rejoice in and affirm the re-establishment of Israel. Luke 21:28 “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

We also see Israelis sinning (like the rest of us) and needing the Gospel. Christians, born again and filled with God’s Holy Spirit still (to their shame) sin. Clearly Israel is not perfect either. Romans 10:1; “Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.” They need Jesus! Israelis today are isolated, vulnerable, surrounded by cruel enemies and need Jesus. As Christians, our task is to preach the Gospel to all, both Jew and Gentile. We need to remember that God loves Arabs and Jews equally, Jesus died for Palestinians as much as for Israelis. The church is not simply a cheer squad for unconverted Israel. Having said that, we do need to be careful not to buy into the anti-Israeli narrative spreading throughout the world. Satan hates the Jewish people and the Jewish nation. We should not be deceived, or ignorant of this mystery. Israel’s borders and future are in God’s hands-Israel’s souls are in ours.

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[i] Saphir, A. Christ and Israel. 1911. Morgan and Scott, London, 40.