CHRISTIAN SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL

By Shlomoh Sherman
March 16, 2021 · Euclid, OH


Andrea Boggan, on QUORA, said: In the futility of their thinking, those who cotton to [an] ideological belief believe that by saying "Bless you, Israel" to a geographical location, it works like an incantation to secure them a rich reward (a blessing) from their sky God.

This simple answer completely misses the point. The point is that no one is Kreskin. No one can read the mind of any individual and determine exactly why a person does something. The only thing we can do is build up a story in our minds, and many people have built up the story that Christians, evangelical or other, support [love] Israel in that they see the re-establishment of the country of Israel as some eschatological sign that the Apocalypse is near and with it, the return of Jesus to earth to set up the Kingdom of God.

Just as there are many Christians, so there are many reasons.
A Christian can support Israel [I'm avoiding the word "love" because I know less about what emotion is someone's heart than I know about what's in someone's head] for various reasons.

A Christian may support Israel because he/she visited there and likes what he/she saw.
A Christian may support Israel because he has relatives or friends living there.
A Christian may support Israel because he realizes that Israel is a good ally to America.
A Christian may support Israel because he sees Israel developing a technology that saves human lives worldwide.
A Christian may support Israel because it is the Land of the Bible.

A Christian may also support Israel because he sees the re-establishment of the country of Israel as some eschatological sign that the Apocalypse is near and with it, the return of Jesus to earth to set up the Kingdom of God. This is also a legitimate and understandable reason for a Christian to support Israel. In fact, I know some Orthodox Jews who see in the restoration of Israel and its success in war and peace a sign of an eschatological sign that the Apocalypse is near and with it, the coming of the Messiah to earth to set up the Kingdom of God.
In other words, there is a multiplicity of reasons for anyone, Christian or not, to support Israel.

And this is where a problem comes in as far as I am concerned.

The ancient Romans used to say DE CAUSIS QUAE INSIDIIS STRUENDIS meaning "Reasons are Treasons". Reasons get us into trouble. "I did it because" - maybe, but many times whatever follows "because" is BS.

In the Jewish religion, it is strictly FORBIDDEN to inquire why someone did a MITSVAH [favor] for you. It's CHUTSPAH. His MOTIVES are irrelevant.
He did it. Accept that. Even the God of Israel does not inquire into motives. What moves you to do a thing, your motive, might play a role in a court case. But in daily life, we humans support one thing or other, and that should be sufficient.

People who express displeasure at the thought that a Christian might support Israel for the "wrong reason" have shown misunderstanding.

When Jews do a MITSVAH, a righteous deed, they do it with KAVANNAH, religious intentionality.

The misunderstanding is that the Christian who supports Israel should have Jewish KAVANNAH. That is impossible. He is not Jewish. He can only have Christian KAVANNAH, and that's completely fine.

We authentic Jews take our scriptures seriously and I am quite sure that Christians take their scriptures seriously. So then look.

Luke 21 [NIV]
5. Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6.As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down. 20. When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 23. There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled! Why then, the scripture is surely telling the believing Christian, When you see Jerusalem built up and the Jews returning from their captivity as prisoners, then know - the time of the Gentiles is finished and the time of the coming of the Kingdom of God. Because Jerusalem IS built up and Jews have returned to the Land.

And lastly, I am so offended at all the hatred and contempt directed towards Israel by so many people, even inauthentic Jews, that I revel at the thought that ANYONE still supports Israel, Christian or not, and I don't care one whit about his reasons or motives, and neither does God. After all, God told Abraham
"I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee". - Genesis 12 - King James Version.

All this WITH NO APPARENT REASON. Our Bibles don't give reasons usually. They just tell us to act, and to act justly. Very few people asked Christians who saved Jews in the Holocaust why they did it. They understand there must have been reasons but those reasons, unless the person wishes to divulge, are no one's business. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth still holds true.


Return To The Essay Index   Return To The Literary Index   Return To The Site Index Page   Email Shlomoh