A Collision of Faith and Politics

“See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.’ Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” – Hebrews 12:25-28

Helen and I have now been living and serving in Israel for over twelve years, during which time, we have witnessed changes within Israel, and indeed further afield which can be likened to a massive shift in our world, of such seismic power it feels as if we are experiencing the effects of a massive earthquake.

Everything is changing quickly.

In Israel, we have had four elections in just over two years without a conclusive result.

Israel’s elections have always led to a coalition of different political parties, but the divisions of the last two years have now resulted in a coalition government that is being formed, but not yet ratified, of the most disparate political parties that have ever come together in Israel to try and form a government.

They are correctly and desperately trying to avoid a fifth election, which is unwanted by the vast majority of Israelis of all beliefs and backgrounds.

Given the huge differences of political ideology between the parties involved, no one is certain as to how long such a coming together will last, or indeed, function.

In trying to make sense of this situation, and for believers in Yeshua to know how to react and pray, it is made more complicated by the current collisions going on for so many around the world in the areas of faith and politics.

Most believers form their opinions on events in Israel and the Middle East, from secular media outlets, whose reporters are frequently expressing their own perspectives, and though of some value, they are often slanted, untrue, and have no basis in faith.

I am regularly asked to explain what is happening in Israel, and I do so with the strong conviction that believers can make a difference with informed prayers and better understanding.

Here are some of my thoughts about what is going on right now:

Bibi, as he is often called, has been Israel’s longest serving prime minister, and has been recognised by both supporters and detractors alike, as being strong on maintaining Israel’s security over the twelve plus years he has been in power.

I would say at this point, that Bibi Netanyahu is worthy of respect and honour for his years of service to Israel, and for his protection of Israel’s security.

Netanyahu has wooed Evangelical Christian supporters around the world, and particularly within the US. He correctly identified Christian support as being vital because of their unique understanding and commitment to God’s word in the scriptures, which clearly identifies God’s continuing purposes for Israel.

Tourism has been, pre-covid, the second largest industry in Israel, and Christian tourists have been the overwhelming majority of the visitors pouring into Israel. I am sure this will continue to be true as Israel and international travel begins to reopen.

Many Christian ministries and leaders have been given privileged access to Israel’s Prime Minister, and given Bibi’s longevity in the role, the support levels have risen to the point that many well-meaning believers loved Bibi, and any pending election would find Christians in the nations expressing their prayer that Bibi would continue in office, seemingly without any knowledge or understanding of what was happening in Israel.

This included those ministry leaders who got to rub shoulders with Israel’s longest serving prime minister.

The hero worshipping of Bibi has been akin to the passionate support engendered by Donald Trump in the US.

As an example, please look at this incredibly unbalanced response by Mike Evans, a Christian minister from the US who established the “Friends of Zion Museum” in Jerusalem in recent years. His support for Bibi ignores several realities about his leadership.

The problem has been, in particular, the last two years, as Bibi Netanyahu has sought to maintain his position while being under indictment for serious criminal charges of bribery and corruption, and the slow but clear loss of support within Israel for his leadership and political party, Likud.

As the support waned, Bibi has, for the last four elections, encouraged far right extremists to stand together in the election, so that he could use their support to bolster his chances of staying in power.

These right-wing extremists include the Otzma Yehudit party. They are followers of the deceased Rabbi Kahane and believe that all Arabs within Israel should be ejected from the country! Their clear racism and Bibi’s encouragement for them to stand, was like making a pact with the Klu Klux Klan.

So, when Christians in the US and elsewhere were declaring their support and prayers for Bibi over the last two years, they were by default, aligning themselves with hateful extremists.

There is no room for race hatred of any kind in the Kingdom of God.

The opposition parties have an amazing array of leaders who have all served under Bibi Netanyahu in previous governments, and now, above all other considerations, oppose him passionately. That oppositions speaks more loudly than words!

What has astounded many supporters of the Likud party, and friends of Bibi, is that he did not decide to stand down from leading the party and from being prime minister, in order for his Likud party to appoint a new leader who would easily have a formed a centre right government with other centre right parties.

Bibi Netanyahu has been clearly putting his own personal needs for power above the needs of the country and his political party.

For a helpful secular Israeli understanding of this situation please look at this article.

Our congregation on Mt Carmel continually prays for Israel’s leaders, and this will continue.

As God’s people, we are not called to only pray for our political choices, or for those we voted for, but we are called in God’s word, to “pray for all those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

That is our biblical mandate, and what is not needed are believers around the world declaring their love for Bibi at the expense of those other political figures who God may be raising up to lead our nation at this critical time.

Never in my lifetime has this unbalanced tendency towards political alignment been so clearly seen as in the US in recent times.

Christian supporters of the Trump administration rightly prayed for their nation and president all the way through the 2020 election. Indeed, I was pleased to join with such prayer initiatives on Zoom at the time. But since the outcome of the election, and the inauguration of Joe Biden as president, those prayer initiatives seemed to have either lessened considerably, or disappeared altogether.

“Praying for those in authority” must include those we might oppose. Indeed, it could be argued that such an administration needs even more prayer!

As Messianic Jewish believers in Israel, we know that whoever is in power, they will not view us with friendship and support, but we will continue to pray for them, and make a positive impact in the nation we love and support.

As Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid seek to alternate as Israel’s prime minister over the coming four years, please pray for them, and for all those who will serve in government with them.

Israel has real enemies. Both Hamas, who rule Gaza, and are internationally defined as a terrorist entity, and Fatah, who are led by Mahmoud Abbas in the Palestinian Authority, are committed to Israel’s destruction. Hamas openly declares this reality in their charter, while Fatah regularly declares “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free,” which is basically declaring all of Israel should be under their Islamic rule!

How does anyone make peace with someone who seeks your total destruction?!

In addition, Iran, who arms and trains Hezbollah in Lebanon, regularly swears that it will “wipe Israel off the map.”

Even as the recent eleven-day war with Gaza was brought to a tense ceasefire, and the internal riots between Arab Muslims and right-wing Jewish extremists within Israel receded, threats of war from Gaza, and calls for riots in Israel by Hamas continue unabated.

Even so, the Biden administration, the EU, the UK, China and Russia are pressing forward with a desire to renew the Iran nuclear deal that Iran has broken constantly.

Israel is the sacrificial lamb on the altar of the West’s desire for Arab oil!!

It has ever been so.

While sighing deeply at these awful realities, we know with a much deeper assurance, that “He who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121:4).

Please pray for Israel’s peace and security.

God’s Kingdom cannot be shaken, even in the midst of persecutions, plagues, and political meltdowns. But we must guard our unity while seeking to make an impact in our communities and nations.

I believe that the shakings in our world are multi-purpose in God’s design.

If truth and righteousness are to prevail, then any unrighteousness in any ministries must be exposed and resolved. During the plague of Covid, there have been sad but necessary exposures of certain ministries.

“Let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Hebrews 12:28)

We need an outpouring of grace, to maintain unity, to address that which is ungodly, to reach out to those who are lost, and to live with a reverence for a holy God without compromise.

Yesterday, 5th June 2021, our congregation on Mt Carmel gathered for our Shabbat worship service inside our worship centre for the first time in fifteen months.

As we worshipped the living God, with many hands raised and voices lifted, there was a moment when our unity and collective love of our Saviour and Lord reached a spiritual height of both joy and relief.

As we move forward in God’s purposes for His kingdom, and for Israel and the nations, let us come together in prayer and worship across the body of Messiah.

May our faith sweep over the political chaos around us all.

May we cry out together:

“Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Shalom everyone.