PRAY FOR AND HONOR ISRAEL
Sunday – October 6, 2019, Tishrei 7, 5780
Greetings my precious partners and friends of this Ministry, Eastern Gate Ministries International, Inc. This Sunday and next will be a couple of stand-alone teachings and then I will be doing a Sunday series titled “Gifts”. I think we will all stand amazed at the number and breadth of gifts our Heavenly Father has given to us. I also want to take this opportunity to encourage more of you to enter into partnership with this Ministry, the information to do so is available at the end of this and all teachings. I also want to give the regular followers a heads up that I will soon have an announcement about a new arm of this Ministry. If you are reading this on Facebook please take a moment to “love” and “share” this teaching to participate in the spreading of the gospel. Today as you have no doubt already guessed is about Israel.
Much of the Church does not understand that we are commanded of God to honor Israel and to give of our substance (money) as part of that honor. We are not to say a lame prayer every once in a while, but be fervent for Israel, the Jews, before the Throne of God. Even if there was no mandate (command) to bless Israel, even a casual reader of Scripture should notice it would be beneficial to bless God’s first covenant people. Let’s turn our attention to a very early mention.
Genesis 12:1-3 (KJV)
1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Abram, later named Abraham by God, is the progenitor of the Hebrews or Jewish nation. This was foreshadowed on the Day of Sin and Death when the fallen (Adam and Eve) clothed themselves with fig leaves. The Jewish nation and that Covenant would be a covering until Messiah could come. As we meditate on the preceding Scripture it seems pretty clear to me that there is great benefit in blessing the “great nation” which is Israel. Not blessing them has a definite downside. Every Gentile must understand that No Jew, no Messiah, Jesus is a Jew. Verse three above ends telling us that through Abram all the families (ethnic groups or nations) of the earth would be blessed. This blessing, the ultimate Blessing can only come about by the coming of Messiah, Christ Jesus.
Before I move forward, I want to talk just for a moment about the word bless. This word transliterated from the Hebrew to English is bārak according to Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary and finally to bless in our English Bible. The primary meaning is to kneel. This was somewhat confounding when I first learned this. Overall, to be blessed or receive a blessing is to be empowered. This only happens when we kneel before God in full submission to receive, believe, and do all His Word. When we submit to His Word to bless Israel, we empower the Jewish people and God in turn empowers us by faith, in love, and led of the Holy Spirit. We do not need to be led to pray for or give to the Jewish people, we need to pray and submit ourselves to God to know where God, our Father, would have us to give. Consider the following Scripture as we move along.
Romans 15:27 (KJV)
27 It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.
The Apostle Paul led of the Holy Spirit tells us that we (Gentiles) have a duty, an obligation to minister to the Jews (not just prayer but money also) for they are the preservers and conveyers of Holy Scripture. As we finish for today let’s take a look at the following passage. Keep in mind that this teaching is just touching the surface but should be sufficient to quicken us.
Psalm 122:6-9 (KJV)
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.
8 For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.
9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.
I will not be discussing them today but the first five verses of this Psalm are worth not just reading but putting serious study into. As we pick up verse six, we find the command to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. This command is coupled with a promise of our prosperity. Sounds like Genesis twelve don’t you think. The praying for Jerusalem is an act of our love of God and them. Verse seven is the decree that we are to make one time and thereafter thank God for the fulfillment of the decree. Our giving is what plays a role in their prosperity and our own. As I finish notice verse nine and the statement that we do this because of the Church. Who is the head of the Church? Christ Jesus is the head of the Church; He was born a Jew in Bethlehem. This is very personal for Jesus.
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it, believe it, and speak over yourself and your family by faith in Jesus name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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