Why Should I Care

As a non-Jew (I am a Christian), why should I care whether Jewish people from around the world are able to return to their homeland if they want to? This is a seemingly legitimate question that has been asked by the Church.

But to me, it only reveals a lack of understanding of God’s plan, laid out in Scripture, for the people of Israel, and the part that believers in Jesus Christ have to play in that plan. All unfolding events that occur in fulfillment of Bible prophecy, no matter how diverse or complex they seem to be, or how many nations appear to be involved, are being governed by one thing: God’s prophetic time clock — the nation of Israel.

When God made His unconditional covenant with Abraham, He declared, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). Here we have clearly before us, in unambiguous language, a powerful statement from the mouth of the Lord. This is the reason to bless, plain and simple: God will bless those who bless the descendants of Abraham, and He will deal severely with those who act against the Jewish people.

The Jewish people have been scattered throughout the face of the whole earth for approximately 1,878 years, from AD 70 until May 14, 1948, when a nation was born in a day, in fulfillment of prophetic scripture. Since then, millions of Jews have heard the silent call of God to return to their homeland. That call has not ceased; it is gaining in volume and momentum every day, because it is the Lord’s will that His chosen people return to their land. The Lord has plainly declared it in Scripture: “Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel”’” (Ezek. 11:17).

There, again, is the plain promise — God will gather His people to their land. It is happening in marvelous and supernatural ways right before our eyes. So what does that have to do with me? The prophet Isaiah spoke of the return of the Jews to their land in this manner: “Thus saith the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people, and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders’ ” (Isa. 49:22). There it is again, in plain language. God has commissioned the Gentiles, all of us, especially those of us in the Church who are descendants of Abraham because of faith, to aid the Jewish people to return to their land. So there you have it. That is why I should care — because God does!

If you and I care — and as Christians we should — there is a way to help. There is a Christian organization that God has raised up called “Ebenezer”; it is a ministry devoted to helping the Jewish people to return to Israel. I was not aware of this effort until one day I was invited to the dedication of a building to house the Ebenezer Ministry, in Brookfield, CT, which was about 500 yards from the Church where I am an associate pastor. Who knew?

I have always had a heart for the people, and the land of Israel, ever since I visited it in 1988. I was amazed and excited to see the extent that this effort has been organized, throughout the world, to bring the Jewish people home to Israel. Ebenezer needs your support in two principal ways. I urge you to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6), and for the efforts of those in the Ebenezer ministry as they seek to assist in the fulfillment of the desire of the heart of God to restore the Jewish people to their covenant homeland. Last, but not least, I urge you to give. Give of your finances and your time to assist in this great work. You will surely be blessed; it’s a promise!

A Christian ministry helping the Jewish people return to Israel