Roots of Faith

Shalom to all!

This week I have been flooded with insights while preparing my lesson. I simply can’t wait until this Saturday morning’s class. We are living in exciting times. This week, while leaders from all over the world convened in Annapolis, Maryland to discuss among other things, the future of Jerusalem, I have been busy studying what God’s word has to say about it.

You shouldn’t be surprised to find out that there is a great difference between what various political leaders have in mind and what God sets forth in the Bible through His prophets.

You may however be surprised to learn that the ancient Triennial cycle reading from the Law and the Prophets to be read this Saturday, speaks directly about this subject.

In this week’s Torah reading (Genesis 12 and 13) as well as the Prophets reading (Joshua 24) we read very clearly that God gave the land of Israel to Abram and his seed, specifically through Isaac and Jacob.

In my estimation, the return of the Jewish people to the land promised to the patriarchs in our day, is a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. This return of Israel to the “promised land” is perhaps the most prominent theme in the Hebrew Prophets, mentioned in over 40 major sections of the texts. As I have pointed out before, God’s restoration of Israel to the promised land is the one thing that He will do with “all His heart and all His soul” - Jeremiah 32:41.

One should take note that God calls this small and highly contested land - “my land” in Joel 3:2.  Jews, Christians and Moslems all lay claim to it in all or in part, but this week’s class will make clear that the “title / deed” was promised by God to a single family - Israel!

It is commonly referred to today as the “Holy Land”. (See Zechariah 2:13 for the one time in the Bible where this name is used to refer to “the Land” of Israel).

In my studies this week I found one passage to be most incredible. Popular translations don’t do justice to this passage and so I have translated it myself in order to render it more closely to the original Hebrew. It may seem awkward in English, but this literal rendering is much better I think. In Deuteronomy 11:12 we find that this land is;

“a land which the LORD your God searches her continually: the eyes of the LORD are on her, from the beginning of the year and until the end of the year.”

Think about that! Can you imagine God searching this land continually throughout the year with His eyes? The image I get is of a guard looking up and down this strip of land from a strategic viewpoint!

Don’t think for one minute that this subject is not of extreme importance for a proper understanding of the Biblical revelation. I only wish that I could get this message to those world leaders, participating in the current “peace talks” who claim this Hebraic heritage as their own. Surely at some point, sitting in church or synagogue, they have heard this message in some form. I would especially like to call their attention to what the prophet Joel had to say about the subject that they now consider.

In the third chapter of Joel we read:

KJV Joel 3:1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

The word translated here as “parted” is the Hebrew word chalaq. It means to divide or apportion! That the very judgment of all nations is brought about because the nations “scattered Israel” and “Parted MY land” is reason to give pause when considering what is going on “in the news”.

There will be a handout of maps for this Saturday’s class. I will have copies for those that attend, and will have a link to a pdf of the document on the main page of my website by Saturday morning so that those listening in can see this land as viewed from heaven. I would also encourage you to look at the maps in your Bible this week. Most good study Bibles have maps. The best maps, in my opinion, are those published by Oxford.

You will not want to miss this week’s class - The Holy Land - God’s gift to Israel

Here is a map according to the boundaries defined by God in Genesis 15!