Israel, Palestine and the Kingdom of God

With the recent speeches by President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel has come back into focus in the news.

While we all may have political views on the conflicts in the Middle East and the prospects for peace, as a pastor, I think it is important for us to keep a balanced perspective on what's happening so that we don't throw fuel on the fire.

Last night I got into a heated debate. It was hard for me to hear another point of view. If I, who think I am a good listener, can become so heated, then just imagine how it must be for people who are immersed in the conflict.

I want to comment on the biblical and theological issues, more than the geo-political ones.

First, dispensational theology--by way of the Scofield Reference Bible, Hal Lindsay's "Late Great Planet Earth" and the "Left Behind" series--have dominated the American popular evangelical Christian understanding of the relationship between Israel and the End Times. Applying what is, in my humble opinion, an overly literal hermeneutic, dispensationalists look for a coming age when the Church is removed from the scene and God will literally fulfill the promises for a Kingdom of Israel in the Holy Land.

This was my understanding until I became influenced by the simple teaching of George Eldon Ladd, late professor of New Testament Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. In "The Gospel of the Kingdom," Ladd shows a continuous progression in the flow of biblical eschatology. We are in the "now and not-yet" stage between the first and second coming of Christ. The Kingdom of God is now here, having broken into history by the incarnation of the Messiah. Yet, the Kingdom of God awaits its consummation at the Second Coming of Christ.

Jesus received the punishment for sin, literally taking upon himself the curses that came with breaking the Old Covenant. Yet, in that very act, he forged a New Covenant (Jer. 31). The church is now the people of God, the "New Israel," grafted into the cultivated olive root.

Israel as a nation, largely rejected the Messiah, and was "broken off" (Rom. 11). Yet not all. A remnant remains (like Paul himself). At some point, before the end of this age, the Jewish people will experience a movement towards faith in Jesus as the Messiah that will graft them in again. The result will be a new covenant people of God, composed of Jew and Gentile, together.

I believe that Israel as a nation is a miracle that is indeed a sign of the end times. Yet, I do not believe that God plans to work through Israel for the salvation of the world. Otherwise, the work of Jesus becomes just "one way" that God accomplishes his purposes. No--Paul's discussion in Romans 11 points to a unified purpose of God to save both Jews and Gentiles.

Lastly, we Evangelicals need to remember that there are hurting people in Palestine who need to know Christ and, indeed, that there is a church under persecution in Palestine that is hurt when we become so pro-Israel that they are labeled as enemies of Palestine. Let us constantly support them in our prayers by praying two things: peace for Israel and peace for Palestine.

Just Doing My Job

Jesus tells an interesting parable in Luke 17: 7-10 as he sets his face towards Jerusalem. It is a principle of servanthood that applies to the person who would seek to serve in God's kingdom.

To paraphrase it: "Does the boss see his hardworking crew sweating at their labor, take pity on them, and have them sit down to rest their weary bodies while he cooks and serves them? No. Instead, the servants must continue to serve their boss, even when they're tired. The boss doesn't thank them for doing their job because, well, it's their job. Instead, they merely say to themselves, 'Hey, we're laborers and we're just doing what we were hired to do. No biggie!"

Don't get me wrong. I believe in saying "Thank you" to someone who has done a good job in ministry. Encouragement is, after all, one of the gifts (see Rom. 12: 8).

But for the serious Christian, there is something obligatory about ministry. This is part of what Jesus is getting at here. When I am tired and worn out, and people seem to take my service for granted--so what? I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do.

It is why Paul seemed to love to refer to himself as a "slave of Christ." Normally, a person in Paul's day would not boast about being a slave. He saw himself as not just any slave, but a slave "of Christ!"

Thank you, sons of Korah, for some great lyrics: "I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked" (Ps. 84: 10).

Perhaps we can begin to adopt the same kind of attitude. When ministry seems difficult and people ungrateful, instead of getting upset, we could just say to ourselves, "Oh well. No biggie. I'm just doing my job."

A Prophetic People

I grew up in a very liberal and non-charismatic environment. But when I visited a charismatic group during my time at college, it was the gift of prophecy that impacted me the most.

God spoke to me through various words of prophecy spoken after worship. And it started me on a life of listening for God's voice as a spiritual discipline and a consistent expectation.

But I'm afraid that even those who claim to be pentecostal or charismatic have become jaded to the operation of this gift.

Paul said to the Thessalonians, "Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt" (1 Thes. 5: 19-20). I think Paul had to say this--because there is a tendency to treat prophecies with contempt!

My understanding of the theology of the Church (ecclesiology) is that we are called, not just to prophesy, but to be a "prophetic" people. Peter says we are called to "declare the praises" of God. And in the book of Acts, when the Spirit was poured out on the church on the day of Pentecost, Peter points to Joel's prophecy, in essence saying that a sign of the arrival of the kingdom of God is that ALL of the people of God will prophesy.

So what are we supposed to do about it? I think we must actively seek God's voice--individually and in our churches. As you sit in God's presence in your own prayer times and as you worship corporately, ask for God to speak to you. Then listen, patiently. Finally, speak what you hear Him saying to you. Let us become the prophetic people we were called to be.

Journey of Faith

In 1989, while I was on a ministry trip to Australia, God gave me a scripture address to look up. This was rather unusual for me. The address was Heb. 11: 8:

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”

I had always wanted to have all my ducks in a row before I ventured out. Call it hyper-vigilance.

Life can be scary. Like stepping out on a frozen river and wondering if the ice is thick enough to hold my weight. Hearing the cracking of ice under my feet and afraid that it will let go at any moment and I will be plunged into the icy depths.

But when God gave me this scripture, I began to realize that I will never be able to take the risk out of living. In fact, it is the uncertainty of the faith journey that makes it exciting and drives me into a radical dependency on Him.

Proverbs 3: 5-6 says it best: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

My job is to trust, lean on and acknowledge the Lord. His job is the path.

None of us knows what the next 5 minutes will bring. But He does. Why not grab hold of His hand and just walk with Him at His pace? Let Him worry about the path, You worry about sticking as close to Him as possible.

Pass It On

Paul was someone who described himself as an "expert builder" (1 Cor. 3: 10).

How true that is. He entered pagan towns like Corinth and Ephesus throughout the Roman empire and laid a foundation for the church that continues to this day.

Imagine how brief a time Paul had to train the leaders that he raised up and left in charge of the flock. And imagine how difficult it was to communicate in those days. He didn't leave elaborate DVD sets with study guides. He couldn't Skype the Philippians for a coaching session. Yet he was able to impart the faith in such a way that the church began to grow and to thrive.

Paul's instruction to Timothy is key: "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable [people] who will also be qualified to teach others" (2 Tim. 2: 2).

Paul's model was simple. Impart the faith to faithful leaders, who will impart it to others, who will impart it to others, who will impart it to others, and on and on.

And part of the way Paul imparted the faith was to be a model himself. Of course, Paul got this directly from Jesus Himself. Notice the pattern.

• Jesus: "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you" (John 13: 15).

• Paul: "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Cor. 11: 1).

• Timothy: "Set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity" (1 Tim. 4: 12).

• Titus: "Set them an example by doing what is good" (Tit. 2: 7).

Someone has said that the church is always one generation away from extinction. Are you modeling the faith for others who will be passing it on as well? In this way, the church will continue to grow and thrive...til Jesus returns for His bride.

A Matter of Orientation

I am not sure who first said it, but there is a quote floating around: "The church is the only institution that exists for the sake of non-members."

Karl Barth said something similar when he defined church as "community for the sake of the world." I would modify that slightly to "Christ-centered community for the sake of the world."

God's purpose for His people has always included an evangelistic component. Just look at the covenant promise to Abraham, restated many times to him and to Isaac and to Jacob. Loosely paraphrased, there are four parts to the covenant promise: 1) land, 2) offspring, 3) blessing, and 4) to be a blessing to all nations.

The fourth point is often called "the bottom line of the covenant." In other words, God's purpose in selecting Abraham, and through him, the children of Israel, was that the glory of God would be displayed to all nations and that they would be drawn to the worship of the One True God. That is Isaiah's point: "I will keep you and make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles" (Isa. 42:6b).

Unfortunately, Israel liked the first three parts of the covenant, because they were the recipients. But the bottom line did not seem to be such a great deal. That is why Jesus got so upset when a bazaar was set up in the part of the temple called, "the court of the Gentiles." He drove them all out saying, "Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer FOR ALL NATIONS'? But you have made it a 'den of robbers'" (Mark 11: 17).

Before we start pointing fingers at Israel, however, we in the church should take a long hard look at ourselves. Are we building the institution of the church for the purpose of blessing the world, or do we have a tendency to build it more like a fortress to hide in, hoping that Jesus comes back before the barbarians break through?

Jesus said, "The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19: 10). What changes should we make to reorient ourselves towards fulfilling our primary mission, reaching a lost world with the good news of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God?

In His Tracks

So many things happened on the night that Jesus was betrayed. Perhaps the most intense was the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus faced the impending task of finishing his mission on earth. His "hour" for which He had been sent into the world.

As I think about the intensity of Jesus' struggles in prayer: "Lord, if it is possible, take this cup from me..." Then eventually, "Lord, if it is NOT possible..."

But always Jesus came back to the realization that this indeed was the Father's will for Him and He was needing the strength to go all the way. "Yet not as I will, but as you will" (Matt. 26: 39).

He took only three of His closest disciples with Him to "watch" or "stand vigil" with Him. Yet, they could not make it through a single hour.

I suppose many of us feel guilt when we hear Jesus exclaim, "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" (Matt. 26: 40). But I don't think Jesus was angry or intended to shame them. Instead, I hear his sense of amazement, "Things are worse than I thought. Even my best disciples are powerless to join in spiritual warfare with me. Humanity is indeed utterly lost. I am not only alone, but ONLY I can do what needs to be done."

Jesus was our only hope for salvation. And He didn't let us down. He went all the way.

The writer of Hebrews says, "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made [complete], He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him" (Heb. 5: 8).

Jesus showed us obedience. He calls anyone who wants to be His disciple to find out what they've been called to do, pick up their own cross daily, and follow Him in His example of complete obedience. Thus we are to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb. 12: 2).

I used to be an avid hiker. And when you hike through snow, someone has to go in front to make the first tracks. But if you are following, it is best to try to walk in their tracks.

Jesus is the pioneer of the faith who made a path for us to follow. Discipleship is simply following Him in such a way that we place our feet in His tracks and follow His example of radical obedience.