The Promise, The Land, & The Christian
With the Romans 11 tree in mind, how should we think of the political state of Israel today?
I think there are a variety of answers to this question and it depends on how you interpret specific verses in scripture, how you interpret history, your end times theology, and your political leanings. It would be daunting to try to speak to all of these things, so I will just make a few comments.
The main thing I would say is that based on Romans 11 (and I would argue, the whole story of scripture), whatever prophetic promises from the Old and New Testament that you might believe Jewish people should or will have one day - we as believers will inherit too (and this includes Palestinian believers). “Father Abraham had many sons, Many sons had Father Abraham - and I am one of them! And so are you!”
There is (and has always been) one family of God. I believe scripture supports that we are now part of Israel and a partaker of all her promises and inheritance, which many we see beautifully fulfilled in Jesus himself. Just as the Jews were surprised by the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies in gentle and lowly Jesus instead of a conquering, Rome-overthrowing king, so I believe we may be surprised by the way the Biblical prophecies yet to come will be fulfilled in the last days. May we stay humble.
I also believe that when these prophetic promises are fulfilled, it will be just and right. I do not believe that it is ever our job to take up arms to help God fulfill his promises. We see many times in scripture where people tried to help God fulfill his promises and it never turned out well (Abraham and Hagar for example). We also must not turn a blind eye to injustice because we think that somehow through the injustice God's promises will be fulfilled. God will not fulfill his promises by acting unjustly or condoning oppression.
**Some might argue that God did this with Joshua and Caleb. I’m not going to ignore that part of the Bible. However, this was a command directly from God specifically to Joshua and the Israelites for his purposes at that time. The question is, has God given the same directive to the political and military leaders of the state of Israel today? Can we compare Joshua and Caleb to the founders of modern Zionism? I personally am not prepared to declare that. Especially given the weight of the consequences.
I believe modern Zionism is vastly different from Joshua and Caleb for two reasons: One, the political and military leaders today do not have the same relationship with God the Father that Joshua did. The only connection to God now is through the Son. Their connection to God is currently broken because of the rejection of his Son. What would it look like for God to direct a military campaign to men who do not honor him or his Son? Two, in order for anyone to have divine right to the land and be directed by God to take the land, they have to be in obedience to God, keeping covenant with him. Which today means submission to Jesus. More on this later.**
When we celebrate what might appear to be the fulfillment of prophecy (which is always very shaky ground, let's be honest) and it is done without connection to God the Father, and through unjust and God-less actions, we are damaging the witness of the gospel across the world. I saw this in Palestine time and time again and it was painful to be confronted with it so blatantly. I’m afraid we have done immense damage to our witness by celebrating what might have been seen to some as fulfillment of Biblical prophecy, but was actually done in blood. I do not believe this is the way Jesus desires his promises to be fulfilled. When they are, it will be done with him and it will be just, right, and holy.
Lastly, I do believe that the Bible predicts a massive turning of Jewish people to faith in Christ before the last days. (Romans 11:25-32). When the fullness of the Gentiles comes in (Rom. 11:25 - meaning the completion of world missions), Jews will be awakened from the spirit of stupor that they have been under and see Jesus for who he truly is! I do not, however, believe that in order for that to happen there needs to be a geopolitical nation called Israel. This could happen throughout Jewish communities all across the globe. (I am not saying that I think there shouldn’t be a nation of Israel - so don’t hear me say that). I simply mean that there can be mass Jewish conversion without an internationally recognized nation-state. And then, the original branches will be grafted back into God's tree and what a beautiful tree it will be!
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One remaining issue here is the promise of a land inheritance to Abraham for his offspring forever, along with the verses speaking of a re-gathering of God's people in the land. I see that in scripture and I don’t want to ignore it. I want to be true to what I see in the text. However, as I’ve mentioned above, I believe that if and when that is supposed to be inherited fully, it will be done rightly and justly, and I too, as a grafted in branch of the tree of Jacob, will inherit it also.
I wonder also if, just as the first century Jews interpreted the messiah to be one thing when he turned out to be another, we may interpret the prophecy of a land inheritance as current, geo-political Israel when it may well be something entirely different. I wonder about the idea of Jesus as our full inheritance. If somehow in the end he turns out to be the fulfillment of all the covenants and promises including the land, would that be good enough for us?
This is not a hill I'm willing to die on and if there is a literal inheritance of the physical land promised in scripture here on the earth, then I agree with John Piper in his sermon “Israel, Palestine, and the Middle East” from March 7, 2004. Much of what I say here is summarized from that:
The possession of the land was always based on obedience and keeping covenant with God. “Throughout the history of Israel, covenant breaking and disobedience, and idolatry disqualified Israel from the divine right to the Land. (Deut. 23:68, Daniel 9:4-7; Psalm 78:54-61.)”
Now, post-Christ, obedience to God and keeping covenant with him is submission to Jesus as King. Israel, by and large, is living in rejection of Jesus. There is no other way to the Father except through the Son. There is no way for Israel to keep covenant with God without recognizing Jesus as the messiah and worshiping him rightly.
Yes, God’s promises and calling are irrevocable - the “title” is signed. The possession and enjoyment of the promises, however, are and have always been dependent on obedience. In its present state, Israel cannot claim divine right to the land and we as believers cannot support them in this endeavor from a scriptural standpoint. You can support it from a political standpoint or social standpoint if you want to, but we cannot declare this as a Biblical viewpoint at this time.
This does not, however, mean that any people or nation have the right to harm her. Piper reminds us, “Israel still has human rights among nations even when she forfeits her divine right to the Land”.
Where do these thoughts leave us? As Piper summarizes in his sermon, “We should seek a peaceful settlement of the land, not based on present divine rights, but on international principles of justice, mercy, and practical feasibility. If you believe the Bible then you should say, ‘I will not give blanket approval to everything Jews do in the Middle East.’ Rather you will say ‘I approve or I denounce actions on the standards of Biblical justice and mercy among peoples.’ We should encourage our representatives in Washington to seek a just settlement that takes historical and social claims of both peoples into account and neither should be allowed to sway the judgments of justice by presenting divine claims to the land.”
I want to reiterate, this does not mean that Israel as a nation should not exist or that anyone is justified in their attacks against her. It is simply noting that the fulfillment of this particular promise of land (if physical land is indeed what it means) cannot be claimed by divine right at this present time. And the damage we do in justifying the acquisition of land by “God's promises” is detrimental to the gospel, specifically in the Middle East and especially, painfully in Palestine.
So what do we do? First, we pray. We pray with a Biblically informed mind on the situation. We ask God to please have mercy and heal this land from the gaping wound racism and war have made on it! Second, we send and go. We take the gospel of peace to Palestinians and Israelis alike with no partiality. We do this with the desire in mind to see them reconciled to God first and then to their Arab or Jewish neighbor. (What if Jews were provoked to jealousy by the very people who have been their enemy? What if Palestinians experienced a movement of God and were the very ones to bring the gospel finally to the Jews and spark a nation-wide turn to Jesus? I don't know. But what if!?)
Third, we change the way we talk about the current situation in the land. We speak carefully and very intentionally about what the Bible says prophetically without jumping to conclusions that inflict pain on one people group in order to support another. We study and pray and ask the Holy Spirit for divine insight before we share our opinions. I can tell you first hand, the Middle East is listening and hears us loud and clear. What we say matters deeply in the path of bringing God's kingdom to the rest of the world, so may we be very careful and deliberate in the words and messages that we choose to send.
Lastly, we rest in the truth that God will make all wrong things right. I personally rest in the fact that he is more angry at injustice than I am - and his anger can be trusted when mine can’t. We rest in the fact that God is not finished and is deeply involved in every minute detail currently unfolding in every small household in Gaza and Southern Israel. And one day he will rage against every kind of evil and injustice, making the enemy his footstool. He will guide his church through this complex and explosive situation and she will come out victorious. And finally, the church - Jew and Gentile alike - will hail him as King - the King who made an end to all of her enemies.