ISRAEL….THE APPLE OF GODS EYE…..

…..one of the strangest statements in the Bible. Yet was put there for a reason and should not be taken lightly. The Bible tells us that all the scripture is God breathed and comes from the hand of the living God, Second Timothy 3 verse 16. The term Israel is mentioned hundreds of times in the Bible and has great meaning. Of all the nations that exist only the nation of Israel has a relationship with the Lord. What is the reason for this relationship and why did God choose this nation, as Israel is one of the smallest nations. The word of God tells us that Israel was not chosen because of their goodness or zeal, but God chose them because they were the fewest or smallest of the nations. If this is a record of Gods feelings or thoughts for this nation then why has the Jew suffered so much persecution at the hands of many nations in its wanderings from nation to nation? In the book of Deuteronomy chapter 28 verse 9 we have these words from the God of Israel; “The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways.”  Here the conditions are given by the Lord himself that if Israel would walk in the ways of the Lord and not follow the practices of the heathen nations then God would bless them and they would be the head of the nations and not the tail. But history tells us that Israel chose to go its own way and to bow down to the gods of other nations and would be judged by the Lord for their disobedience. In the book of Jeremiah 2 verse 13, we have these words from the mouth of Jeremiah; “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns- broken cisterns that can hold no water.”  You would think that after all this disobedience that the Lord would cast off or do away with this nation, but the Bible tells us otherwise. In chapter 11 verse 1 & 2 of the book of Romans we have these words from Paul the apostle; “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel,”…verse 26… “And so all of Israel will be saved, as it is written…” Long before the Lord created this nation He knew that Israel would be unfaithful to Him. Yet He hath sworn that Israel would be an everlasting nation. The term apple of God’s eye speaks of Gods sensitivity and is using this analogy of a human eye that when it is struck or damaged the pain is so severe that the person will cry out for relief. The book of Zechariah tells us that when all nations will seek to wipe out or destroy Israel the Lord Jesus will come back in a moment of time to the Mount of Olives and destroy all these nations that come up against Jerusalem. Zechariah 14 verse 3; Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of the battle. This scene of the Lord judging the nations of the earth will be the end of human government as we know it to be. All lawlessness will be done away with and all will bow before the King of Kings and Lords of Lords. No one will survive this judgment except those who submit to the lordship and authority of Israelis true Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ. He will rule the nations with a rod of iron and his government will have no end. Where do you stand my friend if Jesus would come back today? Only repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus will deliver you from this great and awful judgment that will soon come upon the planet earth. This message is for my Jewish people as well as the great mass of gentiles. The Lord loves Israel as well as all men but will judge all men. I leave you with these words from Romans 10 verse 13; “Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”