Part 1
Jack Hayford – Why We Stand With Israel
Prayer for the Peace for Jerusalem Conference, NYC, May 2003
WHY WE STAND WITH ISRAEL
By Jack Hayford
www.livingway.org
www.jackhayford.com
Why we stand with Israel very well could be described as, we start with one. There would be no book that reads to us, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” if we did not have Jews. There would not be the testimony of the father of faith, a testimony of Abraham, of whom it is said in the book of Romans, as New Testament believers, we are to walk in the footsteps of our father Abraham. We are to walk in faith believing in the God in whom he believed, who calls those things that are not as though they were, the God who brings life from death. This passage of scripture calls us to creative expectancy that points us to Abraham. We start with one.
The remarks I bring this evening essentially are not designed for this occasion. They were remarks that Robert, having heard, asked Pastor Jack, “Would you just relay those ideas at this event?” These, in fact, are in a recent edition of his magazine, Kairos. They have been released many ways.
For all 30 years of my service as senior pastor of Church on the Way, in Southern California, our church has centered around, among our fundamental values, the value of honoring Jews in general, and posturing ourselves in support of Israel, specifically. It was a basic tenant of our life practice, although it wasn’t something done for mere reasons of excitability. It was born out of Biblical convictions. Beneath the roots of all of us in this room, there is soil from which we draw on. There is a spiritual reality of the invisible, the living God, and the truth of His eternal Word. This Word may be studied objectively; but simply studied objectively, only becomes letters on pages. Those letters on pages were breathed by the Spirit of God, as we all are convinced. It is of that breath that we come together at once to say, “Spirit of God, what are you calling us to embrace,” not only with the passion of emotions, not only with the stir of our perspective on current events, but the clear eye vision of what the eternal Word says to us about this hour, and how we are to address it.
I am particularly impressed with at least a half a dozen reasons why we ought to stand with Israel today. Every believer, on any terms, and I am addressing Christian believers, ought to stand with Israel today because we are all charged in the Word of God to make Jews a priority in our value system. The scripture says they are to be a priority in our value system, first and foremost, because we derive our root system from them. We are non-existent apart from that background. We don’t have a redeemer apart from the gift of God’s Son via those chosen people. And centerpiece I think, with no intention of casting any aspersion upon any Jew anywhere, but for the sake of any who would wonder, for whatever reasons they have been sold, by reason of human imperfection manifest through that particular ethnic group, make clear in your mind God never did address the Jews as having chosen them because there was anything preferred by them among the people of the earth. God said, “I did not chose you for your righteousness,” the Torah Deuteronomy 9. “I did not choose you because of your righteousness.” In those words God said, “I chose you because I chose you.” On those grounds alone, you and I as believers are removed from any capacity to ever pass any judgment on any Jewish activity that would cause us to feel reticent to stand in support. I would not whitewash any human imperfection on the face of the planet, in any ethnic group; but if any believer was tempted to say, well sometimes I don’t like what happens in Israel because of this, or Jews I’ve seen that do this, it legitimizes nothing. In terms of us as believers, not backing away from recognizing God has made a sovereign choice, and it begins there.
The second thing about that is that God, having made that sovereign choice, goes further to underscore that our place in His divine sequence of redemptive operations inextricably links us with them as a people. I mention the scripture says, don’t ever boast yourself against that root system lest you loose your place. I have a place of linkage with every Jew. I have a place of linkage, of course, with every human being. There is nothing in my heart that feels any disposition to disown any part of the human race; but there is, as a believer in Christ, a call to make a distinct acknowledgment of that. So on the spiritual grounds of the eternal Word of God, which is there with its intellectual revelation, as well as its inspirational revelation, that stirs my juices at every dimension. In my mind of understanding, in my soul of conviction, I have a place of assignment, a priority assignment.
Thirdly, God has made unique declarations regarding the land of Israel, so that we are not simply talking about an ethnic group. We are talking about their homeland. To make a study of the history in this century, just past of the withdrawal of original designs of that homeland and the reductions that are being further negotiated even now, are things that would concern any thoughtful person. Bottom-line, God has said some very clear things. First and foremost, He has said this is His land. I have not numbered all of them. I have at list of at least ten for anyone who wanted more evidence. I am sure you could find it. In my devotional reading the other day, I came upon yet another. One would expect to find more as I watch just for this. Over ten times in the scriptures God has said this land, specifically Israel, is Mine. He has not left it up to the negotiations of human politics. He has said, “It is mine.” That means I, as a believer, have to endorse that priority.
His disposal of it through His providences, His disposal of it through His sovereign actions, and His sovereign allowances are not mine to always understand; but it is mine to always stand in the conviction it is His land. And with that declaration He has made, He has uniquely said that it shall forever be the enfranchisement of His people via Abraham, via Isaac, the Jews. Notice I said via Isaac and not via Ishmael. This is a significant issue of the Lord’s address and of His underscoring His forever commitment. I was so moved by re-reading just this day in my room, Isaiah 54: 6-11. There are words that I think hold forth not only such a statement of God’s commitment to keep His covenant with Israel, that the land would be theirs and that we should stand by them unto that end. Words to also address the horrendous history of pain that those people have gone through and now returning to their heritage are still facing further struggle that calls for friends of believers in Jesus Messiah.
Who would say, we will stand by you, for reasons we are iterating right now? This word from Isaiah, “For the Lord has called you,” He says to Israel, His people. ‘Like a woman forsaken grieved in spirit, like a youthful wife when you were refused,’ says your God, ‘for a mere moment I have forsaken you. But with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer.'”
He continues speaking to Israel, from whom by all appearances history for a little while His face was turned. And we cannot look at that season without the deepest compassion, as well as the deepest shame, for the part that people of our own heritage in Christ contributed to manifesting expression of that wrath that came upon them, and speaking abject apologies and humble repentances in that regard for that history that we are inextricably a part of. But beyond that, the Lord speaks these words with regard to the timeless commitment to the covenant that the land shall be theirs:
“For this is like the waters of Noah to me says the Lord. For I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall never cover the earth again. So I have sworn I will not be angry with you nor rebuke you for the mountain shall depart and the hills shall be removed, but my kindness shall not depart nor my covenant of peace be removed says the Lord who has mercy upon you.”
The beauty of those words of God toward His ancient people call us to stand by them as God, Himself, has said. “I will not break covenant with you.” Let us stand beside the living God in that covenant, that we will stand beside them as well
I finalize with this summary. Israel’s present conflict is neither by their initiative, nor perpetuated by expansionism or racism on their part. The stand with Israel is not to oppose Arab people as an entity, or to oppose the rights of Arabs living in Israel to a peaceful, politically secure, and prosperous life. Let no one ever make the mistake that our standing with Israel is an ethnic judgment against Arabs or Palestinians living in the land. It isn’t. It is a stand that is rooted in the values that God always places on humankind in general, but affirming those distinct values that have to do with Israel, and her destiny in the land and her place as the people. Because of the relentless animosities of sectors of the Arab world today are more than political causes, and are clearly driven by spiritual powers that will not be citified until Israel ceases to exist, it is essential that we stand with Israel today. We must stand with Israel today because the same spirit driving those animosities is equally opposed to Christians as to Jews. It is anti Christ as well as anti Jew, and in time will eventually bring persecution to both.
Finally, this evening as we take our posture on spiritual grounds, Biblical grounds, clear political grounds, and clearly thought-out intellectual reasoning, we say we stand with Israel today because a Biblical assignment and a divine promise summons us to do so. Therefore, our intercessions with expectancy, and our support with hope in the promises of eventually the peace of Jerusalem, call us to take that position.
[Featured Teacher continues in Part 2 with Jim Goll – Sounding a Call to Strategic Prayer for Israel]