ISRAEL
The New American Idol
By Ericka Moore
Israel has become the new American Idol. The mantra of “We will always support Israel” is disturbing enough coming from our President and most of the Congress and Media, but when many of the Christian Evangelical Churches across America are the loudest voices in the chorus, it’s time to investigate.
The most-quoted Biblical “proof text” that I have heard referenced by Christians who believe we must unconditionally “bless” the modern day state of Israel is as follows:
“The LORD had said to Abram,…
‘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.” *
Genesis 12:1-3 NIV
Assuming that scripture interprets scripture and that the New Testament writers often quote, and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, explain the meaning of Old Testament passages, let’s take a look at the Bible’s New Testament book of Galatians. The entire book should be thoroughly studied in context to delve into this subject in depth, but for the purposes of this article, I will quote only a few passages.
In Galatians 3:8, the Apostle Paul quotes a portion of this same scripture:
“The scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”
Notice that Paul refers to this expression as “the gospel.” And what is the gospel message that God is proclaiming to Abram in advance? Is it the current political state of Israel that God is saying will be a blessing to all nations? Paul goes on to decisively answer that question in verse 16.
“The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his Seed. The scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘to your Seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ.”
When churches take the verses from Genesis 12:1-3, and apply them to the present day state of Israel, they are distorting the very gospel itself. Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, is the Seed through whom “all nations will be blessed.” That is, and always has been, the only gospel message of both the Old and New Testament.
Paul closes Galatians 3:26-29 with these profound words, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
We are all equal in the sight of God. He displays no favoritism based on race, social status, or gender. Jesus Christ gave his life out of love, not to save a tiny plot of land or a favored ethnicity, but for all mankind. Not for inanimate shrines and places, as much as we may love what they represent to us, but for the forgiveness of sins and salvation for all who will receive Him. This is the very essence of true Christianity.
These truths were clearly understood and echoed by the founders of our country in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. Today, as Palestine bleeds and the church remains silent, let these words soak deeply into our souls and sear our consciences with conviction that every person is a unique masterpiece of God with inestimable worth and dignity.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are the rights to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
In Congress, July 4, 1776
Declaration of Independence
* Bold type added for emphasis.
Ericka Moore can be reached at. ccarlson@whtt.org:
