At this very special time in Israel’s history, as she marks 60 years of modern statehood, many Christians still question whether we should be celebrating as well. The answer is a resounding yes, as the re-birth of national enjoys clear biblical credentials and is testimony to God’s unfailing word and faithfulness.

The biblical story of God’s redemptive purpose begins in Genesis 12. The previous chapters well document the fall of humankind and its plunge away from God toward destruction and a lost eternity. But then comes a watershed in history as God documents His move toward humanity in order to recover us from sin. “In you all the families of the world will be blessed,” God vows in Genesis 12:1-3.

The call of Abraham and thereby the nation of become crucial and central to this redemptive initiative. She would become the ‘vehicle of world redemption’; that is, the means by which God speaks to and reaches out to a fallen world (Romans 3:1-2; Romans 9:1-5).

March As a consequence of God’s calling, Abraham ventured forth to a land promised to him - the Land of Canaan . Here in this unique country and by its special nature, which scripture calls the glory of all nations (Ezekiel 20:15), the nation of found its identity as the Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 50:10), and as God’s birthing means for saving humanity. This same nation also encountered the anger of those who hate God, a burning enmity stoked by a seemingly unseen hand. The nature of the contest was clear: Destroy Israel and you will destroy the very purpose of God. “Salvation is of the Jews”, Jesus says in John 4:22, thus destruction of the Jew is seen as desirable so as to frustrate this eternal plan.

Sadly, history is littered with successive attempts to achieve the latter aim. However, since the guarantor of ’s survival is God Himself, the eternal purpose of God was not frustrated in spite of ’s sin and the repeated attempts to liquidate her. She is and remains the “apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8).

More important still is the fact that through her long journey she was enabled, with God’s help, to give us great men of God, prophets and apostles and our wonderful Messiah Jesus.

has always enjoyed a divine call to be God’s mouthpiece to the world. Her failures have all been noted by the major and minor prophets, but so too is her promise – given by God – of a glorious and blessed future. What else does Isaiah 2:1-4 mean? Today, as of old, she is under continual attack. Nothing has changed, except that now she has a ‘family’ in all corners of the earth that understand her unique place back in the Land of Israel . At the same time, we recognize that ’s election was for the sake of the world, in that God loves all people the same (John 3:16).

It is amazing that the redemptive purpose of God has always been shackled to ’s weakness and pilgrimage through history and yet it has been successful. All this points to the faithfulness of God and the veracity of His Word.

Today, has returned to Zion a proud, strong people yet she is still plagued with enemies determined to destroy her. Christians support her, stand beside her, comfort her and pray for her because God calls us to do so and because we are mindful of the many blessings that are ours because of her. We share in “their” (’s) spiritual things, says Romans 15:27. Surely, as God Himself walks with her in the last lap of her great pilgrimage, we can stand beside her until, as the prophet Ezekiel puts it, God gives her “a new heart and puts a new spirit within her!” (Ezekiel 36:26).

Israel’s modern-day restoration is thus not an accident of history but evidence of the call and promise that God gave in Abraham some 4,000 years ago. This is incredible and can only point to the blessing of God. We support what God commands and blesses!

We congratulate on her 60th birthday and assure her people that we will be there beside her in all her tomorrows! Mazel Tov!

The writer is executive director of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem ; www.icej.org

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