Secondly, He chose the Jewish people to write and preserve the Scriptures. His revealed instructions, the Torah, were given to Moses whom God commanded in Exodus 34:27 "Write down these words for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." To prophet after prophet, the same instruction was given. They were commanded to write and preserve the commandments and instructions of the Lord that the people would remember and obey.

Thirdly, through this nation God would send Messiah into the world. Numerous times throughout Israel’s history, God encouraged them with the same promise: a Deliverer would come to bring salvation and redeem His people from their sins. This promise was perfectly fulfilled in Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah who was born in Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah, of the lineage of King David, was raised in an observant Jewish home, perfectly fulfilled the Torah of His Father (what we today call the Law) and ministered as a Jewish Rabbi. At the very foundation of this nation of people is an everlasting covenant with Abraham; a covenant initiated by God Himself. The reader would do well to spend some time reading and meditating on the scriptures found in Genesis 12 through 17. This covenant between God and Abraham was and is binding, unconditional, everlasting and literal. It includes the three fold provision of land (Gen. 15:18, Numbers 34:1-1 2, Joshua 1:1-4. Ezekiel 47:15-20), establishment as a nation (Gen. 1 7:18-1 9, 22:17, 28:13-1 4, 35:10-12, II Sam. 7:12-1 3) and supernatural blessings (Gen. 22:18, Jer. 3 1:31-34, Zech. 12:8-10, 13:1, 8-9).

If we believe that "God is not a man that He should lie" (Num. 23:19) then it is reasonable and biblical to recognize that the covenant God made with Israel cannot be broken or revoked. There has been in the church through the years a doctrine termed Replacement Theology which in essence says that God gave up on the Jewish people after they refused the Messiah, discarded them and "replaced" Israel with the Church.

We take serious and strong exception to this doctrine for the following reason. This is not a Jewish issue; it is not a Christian issue. This is a matter of the integrity of God Himself. For the sake of discussion, let us say that because of Israel’s sin, God in fact threw them away and created the church in their place. If this be true, then a just God would be required, in light of the sin in the church throughout its history, to throw the church away and move on to a third plan. Preposterous! If this were the case, we have no foundation for our faith in God’s eternal Word. Replacement Theology is an attack against the integrity of Almighty God and as such, is unbiblical and deceptive.

No, my brother and sister, God never replaced Israel and He never will. His own integrity demands that He be faithful to His covenant with Abraham, which He Himself said was "FOREVER."

Prophetic events of the last century, particularly the last half-century, bear out this truth. The State of Israel exists in the Middle East today, not primarily because the Jewish people needed a homeland. They did. However, the supremely Important reason for the existence of a political, geographical state called Israel today is to demonstrate to the nations of the world that God keeps covenant and when He makes a promise, He will fulfill it. The Scriptures prophesying a national restoration for Israel outnumber the scriptures prophesying the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What then should be our response as followers of Yeshua today?

The Church has five Biblically based responsibilities towards the nation and people of Israel.

1)  Psalm 22:6-9 commands us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and carries with it a promise that those who
     love her (Jerusalem) will prosper.

3)   In light of the command to bless and not curse, the Church has the responsibility to oppose every form of
      anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism by speaking the truth concerning Israel and its people. A detailed study of
      the ninth, tenth and eleventh chapters of the Book of Romans makes this responsibility eminently clear.

5)   This same prophet Isaiah outlines our fifth responsibility in chapters 6O and 61 of his  book. We are to
       support the nation of Israel and the re-gathering of the Israelite people to their land. There are numerous
       ways to express this support. Certainly prayer is of the utmost importance. Secondly, financial gifts to
       ministries who are aiding and facilitating the return of Jews to the land of Israel, particularly from Russia
       and other deprived areas of the world is money well given into a cause that is dear to the heart of God.
       Thirdly, numbers of Christians have found tremendous joy and fulfillment in volunteering themselves for
       short or long term service with ministries serving the nation of Israel and its people. Organizations including
       but not limited to, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, Bridges for Peace, Ebenezer Emergency
       Fund, and many more, devote their resources and energies to being a part of the fulfillment of biblical
       prophecy in our day.

Whether or not you as an individual are in a position to give financially or to volunteer personally, all of us are able to pray. All of us are able to have a heart like Ruth, the young woman from Moab (a Moabite) who chose to follow her Jewish mother-in-law to Israel rather than stay in the comfort zone of her own homeland and family. It was this insightful young woman who spoke these immortal words which ring through the centuries as a clear call to us today, ‘Your people shall be  my people and your God, my God." (Ruth 1:16)

If you are unfamiliar with the history of the relationship between the Jewish people and the church, I highly recommend the book by Michael Brown, Our Hands Are Stained with Blood. It will enlighten and challenge you with a knowledge and perspective of this vital issue that we who call ourselves disciples of the Jewish Rabbi, Yeshua, Whom we have come to know as Jesus, are very much in need of understanding.

The Messianic Seal of the Jerusalem Church     Reuven Efraim Schmalz & Raymond Robert Fischer