COMMENTARY
“Pastor Scudder, why do you talk so much about Israel?” a young lady recently asked. “It’s quite simple,” I replied. “From Israel came what is most important to me.”
This question seems to be on the minds of many people today. Should Christians support Israel? My answer is an unequivocal, “Yes!” without caveat or nuance. The reason our church in the Chicago suburbs publicly supports Israel and the Jewish people is because our Savior is Jewish. Our Bible is almost exclusively penned by Jews. Without the Jews, we don’t have these two things that are most dear to us.
As Israel is increasingly in the daily conversation of the world, usually disparaged instead of extolled, now is a prime opportunity for the three organizations that I represent – Quentin Road Baptist Church, Dayspring Bible College & Seminary, and InGrace Ministries – to be leaders in helping Christians and churches understand the importance of standing with the family of Jesus.
As the third anniversary of the barbaric Hamas attacks on Israel approaches, we have decided to become a flagship location for “Flags of Fellowship”, an important initiative of International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship). This public display of thousands of flags on our lawn will further foster goodwill and engagement between Christians and Jews.
Flags of Fellowship is a way to publicly honor and remember the innocent lives lost on that horrific day. Now, in its third year, this memorial has turned into a movement with over 3,000 churches across America and the world to publicly and boldly stand with Israel and the Jewish people. 1,200 flags displayed on thousands of church lawns represent a remembrance of the 1,200 lives lost in the largest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust, but remembrance also carries responsibility and what we as Christians are willing to carry forward in their memory.
While some ministry leaders are hesitant to be public in their support for Israel, we feel the opposite. We believe in and desire the blessing of Genesis 12:3: “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. (KJV) It is clear that the one true creator God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel) unconditionally and unilaterally promised an eternal homeland called Israel to the Jewish people, and blessings to those who agree with His sovereign decision.
I may not be the smartest guy in the world, but I’m not foolish enough to oppose God!
In the last four years, our ministry has worked hard to develop friendships with the Jewish community around us. And these new friendships have emotionally enriched us. Recently, my wife and I attended the dedication ceremony for a food pantry called “Hersh’s Fridge”. This pantry is named in honor of Hersh Goldberg‐Polin, the Israeli American who was injured near the Nova festival in Israel and eventually killed in captivity. Hersh was hiding in a bomb shelter near the festival with many others. He, along with his friend, Aner, was throwing grenades back out of the shelter, heroically saving lives. At the ceremony, his mom, Rachel, spoke emotionally about her son. We were glad to see how Hersh’s tragic death has sparked many good things, including this new food pantry. We were also reminded of the evil in the world, and how antisemitism and Jew-hatred are inexplicably on the rise in America and around the world. Hersh and so many others that day were attacked, captured, and killed for only one reason – because they were Jewish.
Sitting there listening to Rachel reminded me that God will judge us on how we treat others, especially how we treat Israel, the “apple of His eye”. (Zechariah 2:8) God smiles when we show compassion on the downtrodden, the poor, the widow, and the orphans. The more that I am around Jewish people, the more that I see that is their heart as well.
Organizations like The Fellowship help Holocaust survivors, orphans, the elderly, and victims of terrorism and war. Sadly, these maladies have been all too common for the Jewish people for ages. I believe they are the most unfairly maligned people group in the entire world. The Jews are the favorite target of evil men, blamed for everything, and are hardly ever lauded for their generous and giving spirit.
So how should Christians repay our Jewish friends for blessing us so richly with Jesus – the Rock of our Salvation? (1 Peter 2:6) Be bold and public about your support for Israel and the Jewish people. Have special church services to honor the heritage that is rooted in Israel. Put out flags showing your affinity with God’s chosen.
You will be blessed, as we have been, when you boldly support Israel. God promised it. And He ALWAYS keeps His promises!
Jim Scudder, Jr. is a pastor, author, and media host. He serves as the Senior Pastor of the Quentin Road Baptist Church in Lake Zurich, Illinois, and President of the Dayspring Bible College & Seminary. He is the author of Why Life Hurts, Healing Hurt, Raindrops in the Desert, and co-author of Evangelism Made Simple. He is the host of InGrace, a TV show watched by 150,000 people each week on TBN, and InGrace Radio, heard on over 300 stations. Jim has been married to Karen for over 35 years, and they have two daughters, one son-in-law, and three grandkids. Jim is also a pilot and enjoys hiking, scuba diving, fishing, and going on adventures to showcase God’s glory.
