Are Christians against Palestine?

In the Old-testament of the Bible, God gives the promised land to Israel.

The only problem.

The land is already occupied. 

God works miracles to help the Jewish people win the promise land, clearly showing a desire to wipe out the godless Canaanites, the current occupants of the land.

It is this story that has partly fueled the decades long conflict between Israel and Palestine.

And it is this story along with a host of others that brings many Christians to favor Israel over Palestine.

After all, this land is the promise land right? It was given to the Jewish people from God.

Well not so fast.

Are Christians also “for” Palestine?

Yesterday, we discussed what it meant to be “for” Israel as a Christian, concluding that to be “for” Israel meant to long and pray for the salvation of the Jewish people.

This was shown because of the person of Jesus Christ. If Jesus desired that the state of Israel was restored, he would have come as their earthly King, but he did not.

Today, I want to answer the question, does being for the salvation of the Jews mean we are against it for others.

And the answer to that is…. No. Being for Israel does mean you are against Palestine.

And my backing for that is the simple story of Jesus and the woman at the well

Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well in John 4.

He does not condemn her, but chooses that moment to reveal himself as the Messiah to her, and as a result many are saved.

The Samaritans were the Hamas/Palestine of today for the Jews then. 

They were untouchable, the enemy of enemies. And yet God also desired their salvation.

He purposefully chose to save the enemies of the Jewish people.

Jesus changed everything

So what do I make the story of the promise land? Of God wiping out the Canaanites? Is he doing the same through Israel today? Wiping out their enemies to give his people their land?

I don’t think so. 

I think Jesus coming changed everything. Jesus showed through his actions and words that all are able to become his people, even the worst enemies of the Jews.

And indeed this was preached by Paul and Peter in the early Church.

I believe that God is focused today on building up and building out his worldwide Church. A bride for himself when he returns. 

A conversation Jon had with Nadine (a Palestine woman in our Church)

A bride that includes all people and tongues and languages, including Jews, Palestinians and everyone in between. 

He is “for” the Jews. But he is also for humanity as a whole, his creation. 

Desiring that all should come to know him. 

So what does this all mean for Israel and Gaza present day? 

We will wrap up our series tomorrow discussing that.

For now, be blessed.

Aaron,

Theophilus Newsletter