Israel Today - Part Two

Last week's message started a new series revolving around what is currently happening in Israel with the purpose of helping us pray for Israel. It is important to clarify early on that when we refer to Israel this includes people living in the nation of Israel but also the Jewish People worldwide. We will focus our attention initially as to why a relatively small percentage of Jews have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, Lord and Messiah.

The last four verses of Romans 9 are entitled "Israel seeks righteousness by works." Romans 9:30-32 says,  "What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith: but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith." Verse 32 is one of the key verses to understand  Israel's difficulty in accepting Jesus because they try to attain righteousness by keeping the law.

To understand even further we will look at Jeremiah 31:31,33, "Behold, the days are coming, says The Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah . . . But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says The Lord: 'I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts.'" What does this really mean? When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior, Lord and Messiah, they receive the Holy Spirit to live in their heart. This sovereign act of God provides a new heart enabling them to live lives pleasing to God.

In conclusion, Jeremiah 31:34 says, "For I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more." The new covenant, established by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, provides a way to have our sins forgiven. Even with having the Holy Spirit living in our hearts, we are still human and sin. Now, we can humbly and sincerely confess our sins to God and they are forgiven. Bless His Holy Name!

As we pray for the Jewish people, ask Jehovah God to give them understanding to the truth of the New Covenant.

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You This Day And Every Day,

Frank