The whole purpose of life and the greatest desire in our Maker’s heart is to be with us. He didn’t create us to be ok without His physical presence. He set up existence and sent Christ into the world to secure the promises given to us, but Jesus telling the disciples that it is “better that He go away so the Helper can come” was not for us to become content with making this world our Home and not living for the age to come. He never sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us to have us abandon seeking our heavenly Country. He longs for us a longing that we need His grace and an enlarged heart to understand.
We have become too comfortable and satisfied in our little lives chasing after wind and the praise of men, bandaging our lovelessness with Christianese and pleasantries, meanwhile Christ is longing to return and redeem the earth. But He won’t come until Israel is crying out “blessed are you who comes in the name of the Lord.” And Israel won’t be singing Psalm 118 until the Gentiles are provoking them to jealousy by the divine display of love, mercy and compassion that can only be revealed in a transformed people who reflect the glory of the Lord on our countenance.
Oh Christ, deliver us. Make Your face to shine upon us!
The stage was set for His plan of redemption from the beginning. The divine brilliance of Jew and Gentile roles in the kingdom woven throughout all of scripture. God elected the Jewish people to reveal to us what He was like and through Israel, reveal to humanity what WE are like. He could have chosen anyone, and He decided on Abraham to be the Father of many nations because He wanted to. That’s the whole reason. Because He wanted to and God gets to do what He wants. Election offends us if we haven’t begun to grasp how massive God’s heart actually is. He elected Israel for the sake of the WORLD too! The nations were in the plan from the beginning. Israel’s gifts and calling cannot be reversed. The Church wasn’t born as Christ’s side was speared to replace Israel. The unbelief of Israel breaks God’s heart, yes. But He will not lie to them or be false to His covenant. He knew this would happen, and per usual, every blow from the enemy is thrown back on him in such a manner that makes him tremble at his ignorance and inability to fathom the hidden wisdom of God. God will have the praise of the nations. He will have true worship erupting from the house of Israel.
The election of Issac has offended Ishmael from the outset, but God has a plan for the descendants of Ishmael and they won’t be forgotten by Him. Many will be brought into the family by the God of Israel and this will provoke Israel to jealousy… her greatest enemy being transformed by the love of their Jewish Messiah. What a sobering provocation. How deep this merciful heart of our God is!
Unfortunately at the present time, we have a detrimental lack of understanding when it comes to the fullness of the plan. Our discipleship methods have been consumeristic and self-seeking. We are more concerned with our personal lives than the personal desires of Jesus Christ, the desires we were born to find our own fulfillment within instead of pursuing our own. We spend more energy focusing on the lives we want instead of losing our lives to find our life in Him, His purposes, His plan, His desires, His PRESENCE. We were never meant to live obsessing over our wellbeing. We were never meant to love our lives more than Him. Jesus Himself said to us, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28. The psalmist says, (without exaggeration), “because Your love is better than life, my lips will praise You.” Psalm 63:1
The confusion concerning Israel is not a merely a political issue. It is a deeply spiritual issue. You cannot see this clearly without the biblical narrative at play and a correct understanding of God’s eternal plan of redemption. This plan has many integral factors, one of which is His purposes and promises to the descendants of Abraham coming to pass. Israel’s role is integral in the return of Jesus. And we Gentiles who have been grafted into God’s family through Israel’s election are integral to Israel’s ultimate salvation. If we experience offense at the Jews, this ultimately exposes offense at the God of the Jews. We are in danger of forming a Jesus of our own making if we are ignorant of His heart for the Jewish people. We are in danger of being offended at God and joining the rage of the nations against God’s Holy Hill, Zion, and His very beloved, very Jewish Son, Yeshua of Nazareth.
In the Quran, Allah commands all who oppose him to be slayed wherever they are found. Jews are to be annihilated because “they forsook the covenant with Allah.” The Palestinians have largely been tragically indoctrinated with a demonic doctrine that teaches them to hate the Jews and that they will be given salvation if they cleanse the land of all who do not submit to Allah. This is a type of devotion that many Christians in the west haven’t even experienced concerning the true God of love who in Christ, gave His own blood for the world to experience salvation. Is He not worthy of more radical devotion than the followers of a religion that leads to death? When will we wake up from our slumber and ready ourselves to be the Bride eager for her Beloved?
The reality is, the enemy does not want Jesus returning because he knows his time is short and his destruction is soon. And the Father won’t send His Son until His Bride stops living for herself and instead, submits to His Lordship and lives or His desires. We have a submission issue, and therefore we cannot experience lasting fulfillment until we submit and kiss the Son. Until we repent for loving inferior things and wanting our way more than His, we are in danger of seeing Him “as a harsh Man” as Christ warns those with ears to hear in the parable of the talents.
May we give Him room to enlarge our understanding of the beauty and severity of His nature. May we be a Bride found awake, pure, and prepared for Him.
Maranatha, Lord.
“Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.” Luke 12:37
“From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8