Why Bless Israel: What Every Believer Needs to Know

By Charles Shefler

If you love God, love Israel!

God loves Israel. You love God. But have you ever really thought about what it would mean for you to love Israel as God does?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Spirit Media Inc
• Release date: Apr 4, 2024
• ISBN: 9798893070132

Book preview

Why Bless Israel

What Every Believer Needs to Know

Charles Shefler

Spirit Media

Copyright © 2024 Charles Shefler

Why Bless Israel

What Every Believer Needs to Know

Charles Shefler

2024 © by Charles Shefler

All rights reserved. Published 2024.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or yet to be invented, without written permission from the publisher, except in cases of brief quotations in critical articles and reviews.

BIBLE SCRIPTURES

Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations marked NIV or New International Version are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT) Copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Spirit Media and our logos are trademarks of Spirit Media

www.spiritmedia.us

8045 Arco Corporate Dr STE 130

Raleigh, NC 27617

1 [phone]

Books › Chrisitian Books & Bibles › Theology › Historical

Paperback ISBN: 979-8-89307-014-9

Hardback ISBN: 979-8-89307-015-6

Audiobook ISBN: 979-8-89307-016-3

eBook ISBN: 979-8-89307-013-2

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024900264

This book is dedicated to Gentile believers in Jesus,

my Jewish brethren throughout the world,

and all those who pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

(Psalm 122:6)

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Foreword

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

APPLICATION

EPILOGUE

FURTHER READING

REFERENCE

Foreword

Why Bless Israel? This is such a timely book as antisemitism is on the rise and to use the prophet Zechariah's words, the nations of the earth have begun to gather against Jerusalem and the people of God (Zech.12:3).

This book lays out the biblical truths concerning God's unfailing love for His people Israel while exposing the many facets of antisemitism present within the visible church. Right in the introduction, after listing a series of pivotal biblical arguments, the author asks the question, In view of these points, how can we think that Israel and the Jewish roots of our faith are unimportant?

From there he lays out a strong defence for Israel's existence by referring to history and to the Scriptures. The many clearly designed charts, helps the reader clarify,  categorize and easily visualize the doctrines along with Israel's prophetic history.

Above all, what makes this book encouraging and uplifting is the passion for Israel behind each argument along with the author's love for God and His Word.

J.I. Gabizon

Messianic Leader

President, Ariel Ministries Canada &

Beth Ariel Congregation Montreal, Canadam

PREFACE

Why bless Israel? In a word: love.

If we truly love God, will we not bless what God blesses, and love what God loves? God loved us so much that He came to die for us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, that we might be freed from our sins, be reconciled to Him, and inherit eternal life. If God loves us that much, shall we not love Him right back by knowing, serving, and obeying Him? If He died for us, shall we not live for Him?

Now, please think about this: When we truly love someone, do we not normally take the time to get to know them really well? Do we not show an interest in the details of what interests them? Of course we do! We usually begin by asking their name, where they are from, and perhaps what they do in life. We show interest in their plans and goals, and we familiarize ourselves with their likes and dislikes.

Why don’t we do that with God? If we truly love God, will we not honor Him by going beyond our feelings and, in our gratitude, perhaps make the effort to really come to know Him, and what is truly important to Him? As we do so, we shall quickly see that Israel ranks high on His list. In fact, Scripture tells us that Israel is the apple of God’s eye.

The Bible tells us that we are to bless Israel quite clearly in several passages including Genesis 12:3 and specifically in Numbers 24:9b (NASB):

Whoever blesses Israel will be blessed, And whoever curses Israel will be cursed.

Many Christians seem to have either forgotten this truth or simply don’t know what it means. That’s because, over time, the church has become largely disconnected from its Jewish roots and spiritual heritage concerning Israel.

The Apostle Paul refers to the Jewish roots of the Christian faith as the rich root of the olive tree in Romans 11:17 (NASB). It is clear that he is referring to Israel and the Jewish people. As the church grew beyond its Jewish base in Jerusalem, Paul warned the Gentile believers not to become arrogant toward Israel. In the verses that follow in this passage, Paul was pointing out that if they, the wild branches, were grafted in to share in the nourishing sap from the olive root among the others, they should not think that they are superior to the natural branches. He reminded the Gentile believers that the root supports the branches; the branches do not support the root.

The Gentile church however chose to ignore that warning from early on. As the church evolved from its fledgling origins in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, to the established religion of the Gentiles, it deliberately severed itself from its olive root. This has resulted in severe consequences which I will explain more to you in this book.

I would like to ask you a question. As a Christian believer, do you:

a) ​Bless Israel?

b) ​Curse Israel?

c) ​Ignore Israel?

d) ​Claim to be the "New Israel’? The right answer is: a) Bless Israel.

My aim in this book is to show you why that is the correct answer. This is a book written for the church and for you, that you may see why we ought to bless Israel and to give you a basic understanding of why it's important to God that you do so. My goal is to provide you with a basic and correct understanding of Israel and how this relates not only to your faith but to God’s plan and mission. We will also review Israel’s vital role in the things to come at the end of times.

A lot of teaching goes on about Israel within the Messianic Jewish community, but there is much less within the church. Many Gentiles assume that the topic of Israel may be of interest to Jewish believers, but they don’t see Israel as having any importance for them. After all, why complicate things? Why go deeper in the Word than what is easily understood? Moreover, many also tell me that the teachers and books they’ve been exposed to about Israel are so high-level and academic that they can’t absorb it and it goes right over their heads. I can relate to that. I promise you I will do my best to keep things simple, clear, and down to earth.

Even as a Jewish believer, I did not come into faith realizing the importance and truth about Israel as it relates to my faith in the Messiah, Jesus. At the time, I was feeling empty and spiritually bankrupt, and simply in need of a relationship with God. I was led to the Lord in the year 2000 by Irving Salzmann, a Messianic Jewish rabbi who, at the time, was serving as a missionary with CPM (Chosen People Ministries). At first, I argued that believing in Jesus was anti-Jewish. As Jews, we grow up with the idea that Christianity is the religion of the Gentiles; a different faith altogether. Jews who place their faith in Jesus are often regarded by Jews who reject Jesus as the Messiah as traitors to their Jewish roots and Judaism. That’s very sad, but understandable. I actually believed the same thing at that time.

Ten years after coming to a life-saving faith in Jesus, I discovered that Christianity in fact isn’t really a religion of the Gentiles at all, but rather one that began as an offshoot of Judaism. Christianity is very Jewish at its core. In that sense, there really isn’t a conflict between Judaism and Christianity. In fact, the New Testament was written mostly by Jews, and the Christian Old Testament is actually based on the Tanakh, the Jewish scriptures! What a revelation! In the end, I realized that I really was not a converted Jew, but rather a completed Jew through my faith in Jesus, the Jewish Messiah!

As I discovered the Jewish roots of my Christian faith, my walk with God reached new and exhilarating heights. The meaning and fullness of the Scriptures opened up to a whole new level for me. My wife and I finally traveled through Israel this past summer together, and visited many of the places where biblical events and miracles occurred. This was a life-changing experience that I think no believer in Jesus should miss out on!

As I took the time to understand Israel in God’s plan, I have come to see normative Jews in an entirely new light. Religious Jews with a sincere heart demonstrate a devotion to God and Torah in all areas of life that we should only respect and admire. We cannot see that and believe for even a moment that God is finished with the Jews. They are works in progress like the rest of us, and God has future plans for Israel. In Romans 11, Paul confirms that the Jewish people’s rejection of Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew), is temporary, and that Israel shall be saved!

I hear a calling to do what I can to honor and witness to my people, and bring restoration to the church. I want to do all I can to reconnect the church to Israel, that it may share in the nourishing sap of the rich root of the olive tree (Rom. 11:11) and bless Israel. That’s why I wrote this book! I hope you enjoy it, that it edifies your faith, and proves to be a blessing to you.

INTRODUCTION

Greetings in the Lord Yeshua, Jesus, our Messiah. I am writing primarily to you Gentiles, and—in the words of Paul—in the hope somehow that I may also arouse my own people to envy and save some of them (Rom. 11:11-12). It’s a fair question for the average Gentile (nonJew), sitting in a church pew to ask, Why bless Israel?

Sadly, Israel has all but vanished from the church since it severed itself from its Jewish roots in the second century onward. At best, much has been lost in translation and transition. At worst, this separation has been a leading cause of global antisemitism throughout the centuries that sadly continues to our present day. As of 2022, the Anti-Defamation League claims antisemitism to be at its highest since the Nazi regime.¹

I can always know if I am in a truth-telling church by their stance toward Israel. Those in the church who curse or ignore Israel are prone to all kinds of false teachings and beliefs. The church must dispel its arrogance toward Israel and all traces of antisemitism toward unsaved Israel or the Jewish people in general. A true believer cannot love Jesus and hate the Jew (saved or unsaved) simultaneously. It’s that simple.

My aim in this book is to help you see why Israel is important to the average believer in Jesus, what’s most important to know, and how you can apply this information to your walk of faith in Christ. After all, just consider the following thoughts:

• ​Jesus was a Jew and an Israelite, and He will return to Israel.

• ​Jesus, His disciples, and most of His early followers were Jews, living in first-century Israel.

• ​The Christian faith is a Judeo-Christian faith: without the Judeo, there’s simply no Christian.

• ​Christ is not Jesus’ last name; it’s a title, and it means Messiah, or Mashiach in Hebrew.

• ​The precept of a Messiah is part of Jewish thought, belief and even vocabulary. The word Mashiach originated in Hebrew. If we do not understand who Jesus is first of all as the Redeemer of Israel (Isa. 49:7), we really cannot understand who He is today or what He came to do, and what He will return to finish.

• ​The Bible as we know it, finds its origins in the Hebrew Bible, written nearly exclusively by Jewish writers from Israel, and as much as five-sixths of it concerns Israel directly or indirectly.

• ​The Hebrew Bible is the Bible Jesus read and taught from. How can we hope to grasp the true and fuller meaning of the New Testament without the Old Testament?

• ​Salvation came through Israel (John 4:22).

• ​Gentiles are grafted into Israel, the spiritual promises, and covenants through faith in Christ and become fellow citizens in the commonwealth of Israel with the people of God. In this sense, all Christians share a scriptural and spiritual connection to the Holy Land. (Rom. 11:17-18, Eph. 2:11-12)

• ​Gentile believers are to make Jews envious (Rom. 11:11). God knew His chosen people would stray and this is part of God’s plan to bring them back to Himself.

• ​Paul warned the Gentiles not to become arrogant toward Israel. The Jewish root of the faith