Israel may seem very far removed from you. That is a natural feeling when you don’t know much about a particular people or nation.

Like any other nation, Israel’s culture and customs are unique to them, being rooted in God’s laws and His covenants. Those cultural customs and norms may seem very different to those who do not share in Israel’s covenant with God, which is why so many nations are Israel’s sworn enemies. As Christians, we indeed share in this covenant through Jesus Christ. He performed a miraculous redeeming work that unifies and sanctifies Jews and Gentiles as one.  Race, ethnicity, sex, and other demographics no longer have the power to divide. Christ made one Church and one Body through His sacrifice. The salvation He offers to the world came through the Jewish nation of Israel.

That covenant relationship we have with Israel through Christ is one that affects every believer personally, whether they realize it or not. It is purely a default value in our faith. Yet sadly, few Christians have knowledge of it, or understand it fully. Paul taught the Gentiles prolifically in his many epistles on this very point in an attempt to fulfill the covenant unity for which Christ prayed so diligently in John 17. When we finally understand what Christ accomplished, it is truly phenomenal!  The greatest details are found in the following books of the New Testament: Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews.

As Israel goes, so goes the world. When we understand God’s eternal plan, Israel’s history, how she came to be, and the redeeming work of our Messiah Jesus Christ, only then can we truly appreciate the gift Israel is to the world, and love her even as God does. We should care about Israel because Israel is our covenant brethren.