Hands off God’s Land!

“The land is Mine” Leviticus 25:23

 

President Barack Obama has repeatedly voiced his support for limiting Israel to the pre-1967 war borders. He has repeatedly declared his opinion that Jerusalem is up for “negotiations.”  He most recently supported the UN Resolution 2234 to criminalize what he and others see as a Jewish “occupation” of the West Bank and Jerusalem. In instructing our UN ambassador to not veto this resolution he has broken with decades of support of our nation to Israel. And on top of all of this there is a scheduled European meeting set for January 15^th wherein it may be declared that Palestine is a State and a “two-state solution” is to be enforced. All of this does not bode well for the nation of Israel. But to Israel, those who support Israel and those who have a love for the Jewish people I encourage you not to worry. History has demonstrated how the God of Israel has a way of protecting His people and His Land.  

But those of us outside Israel need to consider something. If God blesses those who bless Israel and curses those who curse Israel (Genesis 12), where does that leave this President? Where does that leave the US of A who elected this president and whom this president represents? Yes he is on the way out, but there is still time to do a lot of damage. Yes we elected Mr. Trump to be the next president and he has unequivocally expressed his support of Israel and a desire to rightfully put the United States Embassy in Jerusalem, the rightful capital of Israel. But as it stands right now, President Obama has steered out country further and further away from supporting our democratic “ally” Israel. We are moving closer to cursing than blessing. And that is not good. Maybe we should run for cover.

There were some things that President Obama has said and done that are supportive of Israel. He has affirmed this nation’s military support of Israel and has followed through on that with arms deals. But any good mentioned by President Obama is overshadowed by the presumptuous declaration about land swapping and Holy City swapping to form a Palestinian state. This is the height of folly. It is based on an ignorance of the true borders of the land. It is based on an atheistic world philosophy and historical perspective.   

The Promised Land according to scripture stretches from the Nile to the Euphrates River (Gen. 15:18; Num. 34:1-15). Go to a map and check out those borders. Rather than decreasing Israel’s borders we should be talking about increasing them.  With all the commotion over the very existence of Israel can you imagine what would happen if a discussion was brought up about giving Israel that body of land that truly belongs to her? Can you imagine the reaction if President Trump follows through on his campaign promise to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem? I can hear the war drums already! The thought of the international problems that would arise from giving Israel her Land tempts people to ignore God’s originally promised boundaries of land. When politicians for political expediency talk about forcing Israel to give up land, (even land for peace; indeed, especially land for peace), they are making a huge mistake. Let me tell you why?

First of all, the Land doesn’t belong to Israel. What? Wait a minute, I thought you were pro Israel and this was a pro Israel article. I am supportive of Israel. Hear me out. The Land doesn’t belong to Israel. It doesn’t belong to any other nation either. All land belongs to God! In His Word God says, “The land is Mine” (Lev. 25:23). And God loves His land. God is agrarian at heart. Scripture tells us He cares for the land and, “the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it” (Deut. 11:12). It all belongs to the Lord! “The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (Ps. 24:1).

Israel was given the Land by God but there were limitations on what they could do with the Land. They were never allowed to permanently sell the Land. Israel was to oversee the Land, live in the Land, cultivate and defend the Land, but they were still to have a sojourners attitude (Lev. 25:23). God gave them a Land, and it’s a blessed Land, but His greater purpose was that they and we look forward to an Eternal Land (Heb. 11:13-16).

Second, the Owner is able to give the land to whoever He wants to. God did not give the Land to the Palestinians (who in truth have no historical basis) or any other Middle Eastern group ancient or contemporary. He did not give the Land to the Egyptians, Saudis, Iranians or the descendents of Ishmael (Gen. 17:18-19; Heb. 11:18). He didn’t give the Land to the United States, the Russians, the Chinese, the French, the Germans, or any other Gentile nation or group. God has given the plot of Land from the Nile to the Euphrates to the descendents of Abraham (Gen. 12:7, 15:18). He gave the Land to Isaac and his descendents not to Ishmael and his descendents (Gen. 25:5-6; 26:3). He gave the Land to Jacob and his descendents not to Esau and his descendents (Gen. 25:23; 28:13-15; 35:11-12; Rom. 9:10-13). And when God gave this Land to Abraham and his descendents he gave it to them “forever” (Gen. 13:15). Did you read that? FOREVER. That is God’s prerogative alone.

Third, God gave the land to Israel regardless of their obedience or cooperation. He gave the Land to Abraham and his descendents, to Israel, as an “everlasting possession” (Gen. 14:7-8). God is omniscient. He knows all things all the time. The eventual and repeated sinfulness of Abraham’s descendents did not surprise God. In His foreknowledge God knew very well what the history of Israel would entail (Lev. 26:40-45; Deut. 30:3-5; Jer. 31:10; Amos 9:14-15). He knew this and He still committed the Land to Israel forever. This is because the covenant God made with Abraham and his descendents which gave them the land depended and depends on God’s faithfulness, not Israel’s. Read what it says in Psalm 89 in this regard: “If his sons forsake My law And do not walk in My judgments, ³¹  If they break My statutes And do not keep My commandments, ³²  Then I will punish their transgression with the rod, And their iniquity with stripes. ³³ Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, Nor allow My faithfulness to fail. ³⁴ My covenant I will not break, Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. ³⁵ Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David: ³⁶  His seed shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before Me; ³⁷  It shall be established forever like the moon,  Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah (Psalm 89:30-37).

Sin has a consequence and God disciplines those He loves (Heb. 12). Israel was removed from the Land for 70 years as a consequence of their sin (Jer. 25). But God also restored the people to the Land He had given them. Again in 70 AD the people were removed from the Land. But again on May 14^th, 1948 God restored them miraculously to the Land. And in 1967 He even gave them Jerusalem! In light of such miracles how can anyone dare to blaspheme God by bartering His Land or His holy City?   Atrocious!

The point here is that the covenant God made with Abraham and his descendents giving them a certain Land is based on and is a testament to God’s faithfulness and character. That Israel is back in the Land God gave them should be a rich encouragement to us all because it testifies to the faithfulness and true character of God. It is a testimony to God’s love for the small and the oppressed (Deut. 7:7-9). Because God’s giving of the Land to Israel depends on His faithfulness, it is as certain as the order of the universe (Jer. 31:35-37).

Fourth, God has gone out of His way to make sure that Abraham’s descendents are in the land He ordained for them. In Genesis 46 there is an account of a severe famine. Jacob takes his entire family and brings them to Egypt. As he is contemplating this decision God speaks to him and tells him not to fear assuring him that, “I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again . . .” (Gen. 46:4). Later while in Egypt Jacob shares the words he received from God with his son Joseph saying God told him, “Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendents after you as an everlasting possession” (Gen. 48:4). God multiplied Israel and God brought them back into the Promised Land (Joshua 3).

When Abraham’s descendents came under the oppression of Pharaoh Scripture records God heard their groans. He then delivered them from that oppression and set them on a journey to the Promised Land (Exodus 2:24; 3:8, 15-17; 6:4). The hope of oppressed Israel was God’s promise to bring them into the Land He had set aside for them, “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 13:11). Once delivered and on their way Moses even wrote a song for the people to sing which said in part, “You will bring them in and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, In the place, O Lord, which You have made For Your own dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established. ‘The Lord shall reign forever and ever.’” (Exodus 15:17-18). There’s something special about that Land. It is a place where God has his eye and a place where he makes His presence known. Anyone who has been there can testify to that. And God has given that Land to Israel to oversee (Deut. 1:8). 

Lastly, the only way Israel will ever find peace in all the Land God has ordained for them is through Messiah Jesus. God put Israel in the Land and told them to rid it of the wicked (Deut. 9:3-5). That has never completely or enduringly happened. Israel has always been plagued by various pagan peoples. It isn’t any different today. It’s only going to get worse.

A day is coming when the entire world will come against Israel. We see this happening right before our eyes! That day is soon approaching, (if not already here given President Obama’s actions.) Things will go from bad to worse and become apparently hopeless for Israel. But when all seems lost, Jesus, Yeshua, will break through the clouds in glory and descend to the Mount of Olives and destroy the enemies of God who have gathered against Israel (Zech 14). Jesus, Yeshua, is the only true and eternal hope for Israel. When Jesus returns to the earth, God promises to pour out His Spirit on Israel saying:

·         Zechariah 12:10 - “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

There is a great revival coming to Israel and her people. It’s at this time that all the pieces of the prophetic puzzle will fall into place for Israel. It’s at this time that the most hardened resister to Yeshua Jesus as Messiah will grieve over their hardheartedness, repent, and turn to Jesus as Savior. Paul spoke prophetically of this time proclaiming, “And so all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:26). Oh what a day that will be! God will have demonstrated and revealed Himself in an incredibly holy unique way. And God will pour out His Spirit on Israel (Ezek. 39:25-29). When the Spirit is poured out He convicts people of their sin and saves their soul (John 16:8-11; John 3; Titus 3:5). It’s at this time that Jesus, God in the flesh, Messiah, YESHUA will dwell in Jerusalem amongst all His people and the Land. The Promised Land will be His dwelling place in an incredible way.

All land belongs to the Lord. He gives it to whomever He pleases. He has given the Promised Land from the Nile to the Euphrates to Israel. It would be best for those who casually barter a land they do not own to let the Owner apportion the Land as He sees fit.  It’s God’s land. He has given it to Israel. Hands off! Hands off Mr. President and anyone else who wants to divvy up the Land!