Dr. Couch, you are right on concerning your comments on Islam. I also really
appreciate your strong stance on dispensationalism. Should Christians
have an obligation to Israel today in the Middle East? Isn’t our main
obligation to the great commission and let God work out His plans
regarding Israel? Do you think God wants us someway to be involved to
help Him achieve His stated purposes in regard to Israel? Please
explain.
I could take your same argument you are proposing about Israel and apply
it to the gospel. Why should we be involved in the great commission,
and in sharing the gospel? Why not just let God work out His stated
purposes in salvation?
You forget that God works through “means” to
accomplish His “ends.” He uses us to give the gospel and He uses us to
bless wayward Israel. I am not proposing that we have to do something
politically or simply from the flesh to help Israel. They are God’s
future earthly people and the Lord dearly loves them. I had better not
be on the wrong side of that love. I am not proposing that Christians
support Israel if they carry out immoral actions. And I assure you to
support them in their time of need is not supporting their “aggression,”
though innocent people and children will be caught up in combat and
die! The Jewish people as a whole are innocent and even patient in their
attempt to find peace with the Arabs. But peace will never come until
their Messiah comes and sets up His Davidic Kingdom!
I support Israel from the statements of several
scriptural passages. God made it clear to Abraham, “And I will bless
those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you
all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). When
Israel started to enter the Promised Land, Rahab the harlot of Jericho
knew that God was demonstrating Himself through the Jewish people. She
said, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and the inhabitants
of the land have melted away before you. … For the Lord you God, He is
God in heaven above and on earth beneath” (Josh. 2:9, 11).
But the clincher for me as to why I presently
love and support the Jewish people (even though they now are in
unbelief) is found in Romans 11:28-29: Paul wrote:
From the standpoint of the gospel they (the Jews) are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice (His divine election) they are beloved for the father’s sake (for the promises He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob); for the gifts and the calling (the divine election) of God are irrevocable (without regret, cannot be taken back).
Though presently the Jews do not believe in Christ as their Savior,
yet God presently, right now, loves them, and He has made promises to restore them and bring them to salvation,
even though right now they have rejected the gospel! This is amazing grace! Look at the verses that follow!
Thanks for asking,
Dr. Mal Couch
