God is a Zionist

The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. Every inch and each being are under His scope and purview. He is the sovereign LORD of all. Yet, He brought one man, Abram, to one place and eventually set it aside as Holy to Himself. He then established a people as holy to Himself. 

Abram lived in a place called Ur. The location was in the fertile crescent, near the birthplace of all our existence. His entire family lived there. God called him to leave his home and go to an unknown and desolate land. A place where he would know no one. 

How does one leave all behind and go to the unknown? The voice Abram heard was not that faint message one is not really sure about when it comes. God revealed Himself in unmistakable authority and warmth as a father speaks to his child. God called Abram his friend. A bond formed immediately. The place at the time was more about connection to God than a destination.

After arriving, God brought Abram through multiple trials, testing his faith and obedience. Each test had a specific purpose and significance for the future. God was not just establishing a relationship, He was establishing a familial bond with future people. Eventually, Abram settled and established roots. He purchased land, and it became home. God made a covenant with Abram and changed their names to Abraham and Sarah. Abram, exalted father, became Abraham, father of a multitude of nations. God established an inheritance for Abraham in the vast number of offspring known as God’s people.

Abraham’s descendants have a spiritual connection to the Land God gave Abraham. The land is sacred. A covenant was drawn in its sand. God does not break His covenants.

Abraham’s descendants have gone through centuries of testing and struggles. We have not been faithful. Even though God has not abandoned us, we have failed often. The failures have had consequences. Abraham’s descendants have found themselves distanced from God both geographically and spiritually. Home may be where your heart is, but for Abraham’s descendants, each heart yearns to be home in the Land. 

While in seminary, I was offered a chance to go to Israel. My father and I talked about going together, but it did not happen. I went many times after. My father throughout my time at home often quoted Psalm 121:1,2, “I lift up my eyes to the hills - where my help comes from the Lord. The Maker of heaven and earth.” In Jerusalem, you are often looking up. There are many hills, including the Temple Mount (Mt. Moriah) and the Mt. of Olives. When looking up at those two locations, like David did, my heart was touched as I remembered my father reciting those words. I felt what he felt when he quoted them. He was not just reciting words. They came from a yearning in his heart. 

I have Jewish ancestry on my father’s side. His grandfather was one of the core group that started what would become Fourth Baptist Church. The church I attended for many years. His mother’s father was a Jewish believer in Jesus. His father’s mother was also Jewish. My father’s heart resonated with David’s heart on multiple levels, his faith, his being Jewish, and his Savior. When I am in Jerusalem, I feel at home. I know with the Holy Spirit I am always with the Lord, but there is something special about being in the Land. The ground and everything around me is special. I have a spiritual connection on multiple levels. 

Candace Owen said that Zionism is satanic. The statement is an oxymoron. God is a Zionist because the roots of zionism go deep into the bedrock of the Land and people of Israel. The case is not only historical but spiritual. The covenant that God made with Abraham is an eternal covenant which not only benefits the Jewish people, but all Gentiles believers who are grafted into the covenants and promises. Our hearts should be drawn to and supportive of the Jewish people’s connection to their Land. The bond we have with God also binds us with the Jewish people.

God established the Jewish people, the nation of Israel, its borders, and He will defend His people. Messiah Jesus is coming!