Q: Why Is Israel Important?

In Zechariah 2:8-10, God refers to Israel as “the apple of His eye.” As we know, the apple of the eye is its center, and He refers to it as such for good reason! Israel is the only nation created by God, which means Israel belongs to God Himself. That’s why God made covenant with the Jewish people for the land of Israel (Genesis 13:14-15), and He does not lie or break His covenant (Numbers 23:19). Their land belongs to them according to the Word of God.

Christians are called to stand with Israel and the Jewish people in several ways.

1. We are to support their claim to the land. To resist their claim to the land of Israel would be to resist their covenant with God. God promises to bless those who bless Israel and the Jewish people and punish those who turn against them. This is no small matter to God, and it must never be to us. Nations that show mercy to Israel will receive mercy and nations that deny mercy will be refused mercy themselves. (For more, see John Hagee’s book, Why Christians Should Support Israel HERE.)

2. We recognize that we received mercy through the Jewish people. The organization Christians United for Israel (CUFI), explains the importance of a Christian’s relationship with Israel this way: “Our spiritual inheritance owes its very existence to Judaism and a Jewish rabbi named Jesus of Nazareth. Remember this truth: Judaism does not need Christianity to explain its existence; however, Christianity cannot explain its existence without Judaism” (Romans 11:30-31).

3. We are called to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6-9). The Bible says those who love Israel will prosper. God loves Jerusalem, and we want to love what He loves! He said it is the place He’s chosen for His presence and His Name to dwell. This is one of the reasons our own Pastor Terri Copeland Pearsons is the Texas State Director for the Daughters of Zion, a prayer ministry of CUFI. (Learn more from Pastor Terri’s Israel blog HERE.)

These are only a few of the biblical reasons Israel is important to us as Christians. It is why it is so important that we stand with Israel in heart, prayer, deed and especially in the voting booth. It is a divinely protected nation, and one we, as Christians, are to honor.

For more on God’s promises to Israel, see the following scriptures:

Genesis: 12:1-7, 13:14-15, 13:17, 15:7-10, 17-21, 25:5-6, 26:1-6, 28:10-13

Exodus: 3:8, 17, 6:2-4, 6-8, 13:3, 5, 11, 20:12, 23:23, 30-31, 33, 32:11, 13, 33:1

Leviticus: 14:34, 20:24, 25:2, 23, 38, 26:42, 44-45

Numbers: 13:2, 14:23-24, 30-31, 15:2, 26:53, 55, 27:12, 32:11, 33:51, 53-54, 34:2, 12-13, 17, 29

Deuteronomy: 1:8, 21,35-36, 2:31, 3:18, 20, 28, 4:1, 5, 14, 21, 38, 40, 6:10, 18, 23, 7:1, 13, 8:1, 10, 9:5, 23, 28, 10:11, 11:8-9, 21, 31, 12:1, 10, 16:20, 17:14, 18:9, 19:1- 3, 14, 21:1, 23, 24:4, 25:15, 19, 26:1-3, 9-10, 15, 27:2-3, 28:11, 52, 30:3-9, 20, 31:21, 23, 32:43, 49, 52, 34:1-2, 4

Joshua: 1:2-4, 6, 11, 15, 2:9, 14, 24, 13:1, 14:9, 18:1-3, 10, 19:51, 21:43, 23:5; 24:3, 8, 13

Judges: 2:1

1 Kings: 8:22, 33-34, 36, 40

2 Kings: 21:8

1 Chronicles: 16:13-18

2 Chronicles: 6:25, 27, 38, 7:20, 33:8

Nehemiah: 9:5, 7-8, 15, 36

Psalm: 44:1-3, 105:8-11, 135:10, 12, 136:21-22

Isaiah: 14:1-2, 49:8, 12, 60:18, 21, 61:4, 7

Jeremiah: 3:16-19, 11:5, 12:14, 16:14-15, 23:7-8, 24:6, 25:5, 30:3, 32:22, 41, 44, 33:11

Ezekiel: 20:39-42, 28:25, 34:13, 36:6-12, 24, 28, 37:3-4, 10-14, 21-22, 25, 39:26, 28, 45:1, 47:13-14, 47:21, 48:29

Hosea: 2:15, 20, 23

Joel: 3:2

Amos: 9:14-15

Romans: 9:3-5, 6-8, 11:1-7, 25-32

Galatians: 6:16

Revelation: 7:1-8, 21:12