So here on the eve of 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023s Conference Israel the Church and the Middle East Crisis Im flushed out of my long blog hiding (or lethargy). Thats right, my maiden venture to blog-country is urged by some real angst in my heart about neglect of Israel. Now, Israel-angst of this kind is a subgenus to a larger malady Ive seen around me in evangelicalism for some timeEschatolitisa form of the passive neglect of doctrine in general, but in this case, the doctrine of the End Times.

The larger question is the subject of another post some time (-what am I saying?), but what is to be said about the future of the nation of Israel? Dr. Mitch Glaser, president of Chosen People Ministries, confided that much of the drive behind the conference this weekend is a tangible waning of interest in Israels future among those who traditionally have never blinked on it. Who is he talking about?

As I said, the question has given me cause for some soul searching of my own. Yes, charting Gods program with Israelpast, present and futureis part of the Theo 4 course I even teach, but have interests elsewhere muted clarions that Scripture clearly calls me to heed? How about a passion for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps 122) in my prayer life? How about Pauls to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Ro 1:16) in mission, or his caution to us Gentiles not to be arrogant against the root that supports us (Ro 11:18-20) in our contextualizing the Gospel and our doing Church?

Years ago Professor Doctor Karl Barth was reputedly asked by a journalist why he believed the Bible. Evidently this poor journalist couldnt imagine why a man of Dr. Barths intelligence could spend his life with such pre-scientific myths. Barth reportedly gave his interlocutor just two words in answerDie Juden!

The Jewthis ancient people is still around today just as Scripture said they would be. (Where are all of the other ites, tites, and bites peoples of antiquity?) This nation, created by God to bear witness to his glory at a human national levelsomething the Church will never be capable of pace my amill friends :) brought us Gods oracles and most importantly Gods man, the God-man, Jesus Christ our Savior. Gods choice of them deserves to be treated by us with the same surety and faithfulness as his choice of us!