Sermon Tone Analysis

THE ISRAEL CONNECTION

/(Taken from the book "WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON" by David Jeremiah)/

 

MAY 19, 1948 WAS A PIVOTAL DAY IN HUMAN HISTORY.

I WAS A YEAR AND A HALF OLD WHEN DAVID BEN-GURION STEPPED UP TO THE PODIUM AND READ THESE HISTORIC WORDS.

*This right is the natural right of the Jewish people to be masters of their own fate, like all other nations, in their own sovereign State.

Accordingly, we....are here assembled.... and by virtue of our natural and historic right, and on the strength of the  resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations, hereby declare the establishment of the Jewish State in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel.*

* *

*SIX THOUSAND MILES AWAY, WHILE PRESIDENT TRUMAN SAT IN THE OVAL OFFICE.

*

* *

*THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY READ A RELEASE TO THE WORLD RECOGNIZING THE BIRTH OF THE MODERN NATION OF ISRAEL.

*

* *

*740 *YEARS AGO ISAIAH PROPHESIED IN

*ISAIAH 66:8*  *"WHO HAS HEARD OF SUCH THINGS?

SHALL THE EARTH BE MADE TO GIVE BIRTH IN ONE DAY?  OR SHALL A NATION BE BORN AT ONCE?"*

* *

AND SO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST NINETEEN CENTURIES, ISRAEL WAS A NATION AGAIN.

* *

OVER THE PAST SIX DECADES, THIS TINY NATION WHOSE LAND AREA IS SMALLER THAN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY,

HAS BECOME THE GEOPOLITICAL CENTER OF THE WORLD.

THE AWESOME TRUTH IS THAT ISRAEL IS MENTIONED ON THE NIGHTLY NEWS MORE OFTEN THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, EXCEPT FOR THE UNITED STATES.

*WHY IS ISRAEL SO IMPORTANT?*

WHAT MAKES THIS LITTLE COUNTRY SO CONTROVERSIAL?

 

THE STORY OF ISRAEL BEGINS AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE BIBLE.

EVEN THE COVERAGE THAT THE BIBLE GIVES ISRAEL

TELLS US SOMETHING ABOUT IT'S IMPORTANCE.

 

1.

*ONLY* *TWO CHAPTERS* ARE GIVEN TO THE WHOLE STORY OF CREATION.

2. *ONLY* *ONE CHAPTER* RECORDS THE FALL OF MAN.

3. *ONLY* *EIGHT CHAPTERS* COVER THE THOUSANDS OF YEARS FROM CREATION TO THE TIME OF ABRAHAM.

4. *AND THEN* *A FULL THIRTY EIGHT CHAPTERS* DEAL WITH THE LIFE STORIES OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB -- THE PROGENITORS OF THE JEWISH RACE.

IN *Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV) \\ **WE READ THAT GOD MADE A COVENANT WITH ABRAM;  *

*12**     The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.

*

*2**     “I will make you into a great nation *

*and I will bless you; *

*I will make your name great, *

*and you will be a blessing.

*

*3**     I will bless those who bless you, *

*and whoever curses you I will curse; *

*and all peoples on earth *

*will be blessed through you.”

*

 

IN THESE THREE VERSES,

GOD MADE FOUR PROMISES TO ABRAHAM.

*GOD'S FIRST PROMISE**;** GOD PROMISED TO BLESS ABRAHAM*

DID YOU KNOW THAT ABRAHAM IS REVERED BY THE JEWS, BY THE CHRISTIANS, AND BY THE MUSLIMS.

THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION.

ALSO ABRAHAM HAS BEEN BLESSED BY THE GIFTS

GOD HAS GIVEN TO ABRAHAMS DESCENDANTS.

THE JEWS MAKE UP ONLY ABOUT 2~/3rds OF ONE PERCENT

OF THE WORLDS POPULATION,

AND YET OUT OF THE 777 NOBEL PRIZES AWARDED FROM 1901 TO 2007,

176 HAVE BEEN AWARDED TO JEWS.

LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF THE POPULATION HAVE RECEIVED 22.6 PERCENT OF THE NOBEL PRIZES GIVEN OUT.

 

*GOD'S SECOND PROMISE:  GOD PROMISED TO BRING OUT OF ABRAHAM A GREAT NATION*

 

RIGHT NOW 5.4 MILLION JEWS LIVE IN ISRAEL

ANOTHER 5 MILLION LIVE IN AMERICA,

AND THERE ARE STILL A LARGE NUMBER OF JEWS SCATTERED AROUND THE WORLD.

NOT TO MENTION ALL THE JEWS THAT HAVE LIVED AND DIED SINCE ABRAHAM'S DAY.

THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE.

*GOD'S THIRD PROMISE:  GOD PROMISED TO MAKE ABRAHAM A BLESSING TO MANY.*

CONSIDER THE FACT THAT THE BIBLE COMES FROM THE JEWS.

THAT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS WERE GIVEN TO THE JEWS.

THAT JESUS WAS BORN A JEW

AND THAT SALVATION COMES TO THE WHOLE WORLD THROUGH THE JEWS.

TRULY, GOD HAS BLESSED MANY PEOPLE THROUGH THE JEWS.

*GOD'S FOURTH PROMISE:  GOD PROMISED TO BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS ISRAEL AND CURSE THOSE WHO CURSE HER.*

 

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A NATION THAT HAS BEEN BLESSED LIKE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAS.

I BELIEVE THAT ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS GOD HAS SMILED ON US IS BECAUSE WE HAVE STOOD

SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH ISRAEL

AGAINST MOST OF THE REST OF THE WORLD.

*BUT* I'M AFRAID OF THE POLITICAL SHIFT THAT I AM SEEING HAPPEN IN OUR NATION TODAY.

WE SEEM TO BE TRYING TO BE FRIENDS WITH ISRAEL'S ENEMIES.

WE SEEM TO BE TRYING GO GET ISRAEL TO KNUCKLE UNDER TO THE DEMANDS OF THEIR ENEMIES.

IT JUST KILLS ME TO THINK THAT WE MIGHT SOMEDAY BETRAY GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE, BUT WE SEEM TO BE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY.

I CAN SEE THE DAY COMING WHEN WE WILL FALL IN STEP WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD AGAINST TINY ISRAEL.

*GOD CERTAINLY HAS KEPT HIS PROMISES TO ABRAHAM.*

OF ALL GOD'S PROMISES TO ABRAHAM, I BELIEVE THE MOST AMAZING IS HIS PROMISE CONCERNING THE LAND.

*IN Genesis 12:1 (NIV) GOD TOLD ABRAHAM TO... \\ **/The Call of Abram/*

*12**     The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.

*

 

AND GOD LED ABRAHAM TO THE LAND THAT WOULD BELONG TO HIS DESCENDANTS FOREVER.

GOD, THE CREATOR OF THE WORLD PROMISED THIS LAND TO THE PROPLE OF ISRAEL.

AND IT'S BY THE VIRTUE OF THIS PROMISE THAT THEY LIVE IN HAIFA,  IN TEL AVIV,  IN SHILO AND  IN HEBRON TODAY.

THE ISSUE OF WHO CONTROLS THE PROMISED LAND IS

*THE **MOST VOLITILE  ITEM* IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS TODAY.

ACTUALLY THE AMOUNT OF LAND GIVEN TO THE JEWS IN THE BIBLE IS A WHOLE LOT LARGER THAN

THE SMALL AMOUNT OF LAND THAT ISRAEL HOLDS TODAY.

BUT THERE IS GOING TO BE A DAY WHEN ISRAEL WILL RECEIVE EVERY BIT OF LAND THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO THEM.

NOW LET'S LOOK AT...

*THE RELOCATION OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL*

*THE SCATTERING OF THE JEWS*

 

MOSES HIMSELF WARNED THE ISRAELITES THAT GOD WOULD SCATTER THEM AMONG THE NATIONS IF THEY TURNED THEIR BACKS ON HIM AND WORSHIPED IDOLS.

*Deuteronomy 4:27 (NIV) \\ **27 **The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the Lord will drive you.

*

 

THEN LATER IN  *Ezekiel 12:15-16 (NIV) **WE READ*

*15 **“They will know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries.

16 But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable practices.

Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

*

 

AND IN

*Hosea 9:17 (NIV) \\ \\ *

*17**     My God will reject them *

*because they have not obeyed him; *

*they will be wanderers among the nations.

*

 

GOD TOLD THEM THAT HE WAS A JEALOUS GOD.

HE WOULD NOT TOLERATE HIS PEOPLE WORSHIPING FALSE GODS.

*Exodus 34:14 (NIV) \\ **14 **Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

*

 

GOD IS STILL A JEALOUS GOD.

HE WANT'S ALL OF US.  HE DOESN'T WANT TO SHARE US WITH ANY OTHER 'god' THAT WE MIGHT PUT AHEAD OF HIM.

HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR WIFE WOULD FEEL IF YOU WANTED TO BRING ANOTHER WIFE INTO THE HOUSE.