A Heart for Israel

By Justin Edwards

Today's Scripture passage for facebook is Hebrews 8:8-12, where the writer to the Hebrews recites the prophecy from Jeremiah 31:31-34 revealing the new covenant God has with His people, Israel.

For he finds fault with them when he says:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah,
9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers
on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they did not continue in my covenant,
and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds,
and write them on their hearts,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor
and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
for they shall all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more.”

My brethren, we live in the day where these things are coming to pass. For 2 millennium, God's focus has been on the Church, those who come under the blood of Jesus Christ whether Jew or Gentile. But this age is coming to a close, and more and more Jews are recognizing Jesus, Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, as their Messiah. There is coming a day when all of Israel will recognize the Messiah (Romans 11:26), which will happen during the Great Tribulation. In the meantime, we must shower the Jewish people with love and share the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with them. This is not done at the expense of not loving other peoples such as the Palestinian Arabs, but we must also not turn our backs on the people of God for the sake of social justice. Israel as a nation may be secular, but we must remember the Gospel is first for the Jew, then for the Gentile (Romans 1:16).

I invite you to watch or listen to this very special message where my pastor, Loran Livingston, teaches from Luke 1:39-56 and shares his heart for the Jewish people while condemning the false teaching of Replacement Theology. The Church must have a heart for the Jews as we are nearing the day when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (Romans 11:25). I hope this message renews your love and compassion for God's people, and make sure you listen to the end for a special message and prayer from a Jewish brother in Christ, who happens to be the nephew of Richard Wurmbrand.

A Heart for Israel mp3