God's Heart: Aligning with God's Truth About Israel

The world’s oldest love story is more romantic than anything you will find in Hollywood or Hallmark. It is riddled with plot twists, villains, seduction, valor, betrayal, and unswerving faithfulness. God woos His beloved Israel, saying, “Yes, I have drawn you with an everlasting love, you are written on the palms of My hands, and I have betrothed you to Me forever.” 

There is an entire book of the Bible dedicated to depicting this divine love in human terms. The Song of Songs gushes with romantic prose almost to the point of embarrassment for some readers. How can we begin to understand why God would choose Israel in such an intimate, marriage-like fashion? But for all of us who have been adopted–grafted into Israel–I believe this is very important for us to be aware of.

Was Israel God’s first wife, whom He had to put away because of her sin? No! Hosea goes to great lengths to tell us that it doesn’t matter how unfaithful Israel is to God–God will remain faithful to Israel. 

Unfortunately, many Christians theorize that God divorced Israel and remarried the Church. This could not be further from the truth. God is faithful, and His mercy never ends. He has not rejected His bride whom He first knew. Rather, He has made a way for all of humanity to become one with His bride. In order to dig into this with clarity, let's back up to a place in the road we recognize and take up our journey from there. 

When we were born again, God washed away all our sin, worldly passions, and self-centered dreams. All things were made new. God began writing His word on our hearts. Our lives were transformed, and now, the main thing is living for Him–embracing His word, ways, and kingdom. Miracles and prophecy grab our attention and stir our hearts deeply. But, at the end of the day, what we really want to know is God’s heart. 

Scripture is a main access point to God’s heart. His word reveals who He is, what He stands for, and what His truth is. As born-again believers, we want to align ourselves with that and only that, which means digging into the Scriptures and asking ourselves some important questions. 

One of those questions should be, how does God see Israel?

Please do not rush through the following Scripture verses. They are the words of the Creator of the Universe, and they have been overlooked by Christians for centuries. We would be wise not to make the same mistake.

First, let's consider Zechariah chapter 8, verses 1-3. Again, please read this slowly and take it in carefully. 

“Thus says the LORD of Hosts: ‘I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; with great fervor I am zealous for her.’ Thus says the LORD: ‘I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the LORD of Hosts, the Holy Mountain.’” 

These verses make it clear that Almighty God, the King of the Universe, is greatly, fervently zealous for a specific piece of real estate in the Middle East. This is a solid biblical fact that we must come to terms with. It is God’s truth. He loves Zion. He has chosen it, as is confirmed in Psalms 132:13-14,

“For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: “This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.”‭‭

These verses not only affirm that God has chosen Jerusalem, but that He has chosen it forever. There is no expiration date on God’s love and zeal for Zion. So much so, that the Scriptures declare Jerusalem to be uniquely God’s city. 

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King” (Psalm 48:1).

God has chosen Zion forever as His own, and He will defend it! 

“For thus says the LORD of Hosts: ‘He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye’” (Zechariah 2:8). 

Even when Zion falls, God is faithful to redeem her and build her back up again. 

“But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever; You are remembered throughout all generations. You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come. For Your servants hold her stones dear and have pity on her dust. Nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth will fear Your glory. For the LORD builds up Zion; He appears in His glory” (Psalm 102:12-16a).

Many Christians do not realize that the famous “If My People” prayer includes a physical orientation condition. The verse states,

“If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 

And here is the kicker: the passage continues,

“Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place (Jerusalem)” (2 Chronicles 7:14-15). 

For some, it is shocking to see the depth of love that God has for Israel. Why would Almighty God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, burn with passionate love for an infinitesimal piece of land and a small, stiff-necked group of people?

It is good for us to wrestle with this question of why. But it is also good to accept God’s choosing. And perhaps we can do more than that. 

What if the body of Messiah joyfully embraced God’s choosing? And then decided to bless His chosen people, knowing that God chose Israel not out of favoritism but to bless and redeem the whole world?

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