Bless Israel
Who are the patriarchs of the Jewish and Christian faiths?” I asked our daughter. “Ummm…” she said buying herself some time. “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…also known as Israel!” she shouted pleased with herself. “Nice work,” I told her. She has been learning the Jewish roots of her Christian faith since before she could probably even understand. My husband and I started Counting the Omer with Charlotte when she was just one year old, a part of recognizing the LORD's feast days but most importantly, we taught her to pray for Israel. Now at five years old, she is in touch with her Jewish roots, by way of salvation through Jesus Christ, and ends every prayer with “Bless Israel.” This morning in church, our pastor prayed for Israel following the recent attacks. “What happened?” she asked me. “Well, some bad guys attacked Israel. A lot of people were hurt really badly and sadly many were killed.” “Israel?” she asked solemnly, “Jacob’s kids?” “Yes babe, Jacob’s kids.”
Cornelius was a Roman soldier but also a man of great faith. In the Gospel of Luke, we see his faith on display when he calls for Jesus to heal his servant. The Jewish people were living under Roman oppression. In this society, pagan gods were revered but Cornelius stood out among his countrymen by worshipping the one and only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Cornelius was faithful to God in his worship. He loved the LORD and His people so much that he supported them with offerings, and even went as far as to build them a synagogue (Luke 7:5, Act 10:1-2).
Roman law granted masters the right to kill their slaves, especially if they were sick, yet Cornelius sought healing for his servant. He looked to Jesus, believing that He had spiritual authority over sickness. Jews were forbidden to associate with Gentiles so, rather than approaching Jesus himself, Cornelius called for Jewish elders to request healing for his servant (Luke 7:1-5). Jesus would have gladly entered the house of Cornelius to heal his servant, he was bound by God's law, not the law of the Jews but Cornelius approached Him through the elders out of respect. Besides, Cornelius believed that Jesus could heal without even visiting the sick and Jesus was so impressed by the level of this Gentile's faith, He did just that. The slave was healed because of his master’s faith (Luke 7:9-10).
But the question remains, why would the Jewish elders comply with the centurion’s request to approach Jesus? Remember, Roman soldiers were the enemy and Gentiles were unclean; Cornelius was guilty of both. Nevertheless, he was a kind and humble man of God who gladly and generously supported the Jewish people, the elders had no problem speaking on his behalf.
In Acts 10 Cornelius is approached by an angel of God who says, “Your prayers have been heard and your alms remembered in the sight of God” (3-4). God promised to bless those who blessed Israel and the faithfulness of Cornelius and his household indeed called for a blessing. His was the first Gentile home to receive the message of the Gospel, preached by Peter. There was healing, prosperity, and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit all because he blessed God's people (Acts 10:23-48, Gen. 12:1-3). When we pray for Israel, our prayers are heard by God, and our monetary support is recorded. Consider the loyalty you would have towards anyone who spiritually and financially supported your child in time of need, how much more does God favor those who recognize His chosen?
Our obedience and affection for God require that we support the Jewish people but we also owe them a debt of gratitude. Judaism gave us the Holy Scriptures, the prophets, the patriarchs, Mary, Joseph, the disciples, the apostles, and Jesus Christ, a Jewish Rabbi, the Savior of the world. We have shared in the spiritual blessings of the Jews, the least we can do is share our prayers and material support (Rom. 15:27).
Right now, Israel is front and center, just as Zechariah prophesied (12:2-3). Each current event concerning Israel is setting the stage for the Savior's return. It is more important than ever to pray for Israel (Zech. 14:9). When we pray for peace in Jerusalem, we pray for the return of Jesus Christ (Ps. 122:6). The scripture is clear to whom the Holy City belongs, the same people God gave it to, the Jewish people! Israel is the only nation created by an act of God and is the apple of His eye (Zech. 2:8). Jerusalem is the city from which the Savior will soon reign. Israel, Jacob's kids, are God's chosen people. If you do not pray for Israel every time you pray, start now. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6). Maranatha (Rev. 22:20).
