ISRAEL AT 70 (GIVE OR TAKE 4000 YEARS)

                        GENESIS 12:1-3                                                  Pastor Rick Jackson

I. ISRAEL IS A MIRACLE NATION

1. 70 years ago This month in Israel-                       The British evacuated from Jerusalem, and Jewish military forces took control of most of the areas the British controlled. The State of Israel was well established, and the United States recognized the new state, which came into being on the evening of Friday, May 14, 1948. On the night of May 14-15, 1948, the regular forces of Jordan, Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon invaded the newly founded country.

Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion announced “Something unique occurred yesterday in Israel, and only future generations will be able to evaluate the full historical significance of the event. It is now up to all of us, acting out of a sense of Jewish fraternity, to devote every ounce of our strength to building and defending the State of Israel, which still faces a titanic political and military struggle.” (Arutz-7, 5/14) 60 Years On, Israel Still Lives – editorial

The British Mandate in Palestine came to an end on May 14, 1948. In Tel Aviv, Zionist leader David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the State of Israel in the territory that the United Nations designated as the Jewish homeland. After nearly two millennia, the Jewish people had come home. Arab armies attacked within hours, with one leader promising to “sweep the Jews into the sea.” Against unbelievable odds, Israel prevailed. After winning two more wars of survival, in 1967 and 1973, the Jewish state would build a durable prosperous democracy.

Israel is not just a fortress against anti-Jewish killers. It is a raft of modernity and material progress in a regional sea of intolerance and militaristic sectarianism. Israel, one of the United States’ strongest allies, has no oil reserves, but it has turned itself into a model of diverse economic development unmatched by its neighbors. (Dallas Morning News, 5/14)

2. 10 years ago in Iran- Ahmadinejad – “Israel is throwing a party for the dead”

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told Iranians Wednesday (14th) that “throwing a party for this Zionist regime is like having a birthday party for a dead person.” His latest outburst against the Jewish state coincided with the arrival of American President George W. Bush to Israel.

“Israel must know that the nations of the region hate this counterfeit regime, and if there is the slightest chance, they will uproot them,” Ahmadinejad said in a speech in the northern province of Golestan. (Ha’Aretz, 5/14)

Modern Israel celebrates 60 years today but we know from Genesis that her birth was much earlier. Approximately 4000 years ago God promised Abraham, among other things, a nation, a Saviour and a posterity. Israel is part of that promise.

3. 10 years ago in Tennessee-   

Dr. Orman L. Norwood, President Emeritus of the International Board of Jewish Missions, wrote:

The fact that Israel still exists today is one of the greatest of miracles. Hunted and hounded, hated and harassed, the Jewish people relocated from place to place, seeking safety and peace. The Jew has wept, waited, and wandered among the nations as an unwanted entity, finding but little rest for his restless feet. He has encountered ridicule and persecution. It was a miracle that the Jew ever survived the wars of the Caesars, the cruel captivities and bondage of Egypt and other enemies, the terrible pogroms of Europe, and the devastating Holocaust of 1933-1945.

No weapon formed against them has prospered, and those who cursed the Jew have been cursed, themselves. Adolf Hitler and his henchmen paid a severe price for their attempts to destroy the Everlasting Nation.

There is only one modern country in history which revived a dead language - Israel. Hebrew is spoken on the streets by the children and older people as well. That's a miracle. Not so long ago, there were no flowers. Now, millions of flowers are grown and then shipped out to Europe to grace the tables of the world. It's another miracle. God said the once-barren desert would blossom as a rose. Our eyes have seen it...a miracle.

God said they would fill the earth with fruit. Agriculture was not the business of Jews, but since 1948 they have set the pace, and Israel has the best citrus fruit in the world. They invent and manufacture the best avionics and have the best aviation guidance systems in the world. Today, they are on the cutting edge of an exploding computer and electronics industry. These, too, are miracles. Like David, the little nation had only a handful of stones to work with, yet they have developed a top-notch defensive army, recognized as the best in the Middle East.

More journalists are based in Jerusalem today than any other spot on earth, except Washington, D.C. Why? Because that is where the action is! We have seen literally hundreds of thousands of Russian immigrants coming home to Israel from the north, out of the former Soviet Union, in literal fulfillment of prophecy. This is nothing short of a miracle. The Jewish prophets spoke of such miracles in the latter days. Ezekiel 36 and 37 have been fulfilled, and the miracle of Israel's spiritual rebirth is coming, just as Ezekiel 38 prophesied long ago.

What is ahead? They will come to the Messiah. They will look upon Him, and the nation will be born in a day. That means people will be saved. There are signs of a spiritual awakening in the Land. It will take nothing but a miracle, but nothing is too hard for the Lord. Thank you for being our partners in a miracle ministry.

II. ISRAEL IS A MEANS OF BLESSING

1. The Blessing of Her People [Gn. 12:2]

The Jewish people have contributed much to the world's well-being. I cannot even begin to elucidate on that but let me just mention a few in the field of medicine. Aspirin, anesthesia, Novocaine, penicillin, cortisone, Lasik surgery, polio vaccine, chemotherapy, gene splicing, sonograms, Heimlich maneuver and the cardiac defibrillator to name just a few. Other fields produce massive contributions as well.

2. The Blessing of the Bible [Rm. 3:1-2]

3. The Blessing of the Saviour [Gn. 22:18, Gal. 3:16, Rev. 12:1-5]

III. ISRAEL AS A MISSION FOR CHRISTIANS

1. We are to befriend Israel [Gen. 12:1-3]

2. We are to pray for Israel [Ps. 122:6, Rm. 10:1]

3. We are to be a witness to Israel [Rm. 1:16, 10:11-11:1]