Bible Study HF199 - A People Without God
To: Hebraic-Foundations@YahooGroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Subject: Bible Study HF199 - A People Without God
Hebraics,
Did you know that the greater part of the citizenry of Israel is secular and
not religious. How can that be? We know that Israel fulfilled certain
prophecies in becoming a nation among nations in 1948. The prophets foretold
the regathering of the Jewish peoples in the latter days. Since all this was
written beforehand, how can it be that so many Jews in Israel are either
secular, and with a great many who are either atheists or agnostics?
Does that surprise you that many Jews are atheists? According to statistics
a full 37% of the people of Israel are either atheists or agnostics. This
makes Israel fourth on the list of nations with the highest percentage of
atheists.
Let's take a look at an awesome subject. This is Bible Study HF199 - A
People Without God
It is not as if the Bible leaves all this unsaid. The Bible is the only book
in existence that records history before it happens. It would not be
difficult to give an extended list of Scriptures to show just how relevant
all this is to the days that we live in. Rather than do that, we can pick up
a Scripture here and there that will make that point well enough.
Now for another surprise. There is a Rabbi in Jerusalem who is very much
anti-missionary. Rabbi Tovia Singer of Jerusalem often places an ad in the
Jerusalem Post to try and sell his anti-missionary tapes. Listen carefully
to the following statement that is part of his ad.
"What Are We Doing Wrong, and What are They doing right? * Why Have more
> Jews Converted to Christianity in the Last 19 Years than in the Last 1,900
> Years?"*
>
Now, if I were a Jew in Israel and read such a statement by a noted Rabbi,
it would not make me want to buy Tovia's tapes. It would make me want to
look into WHY so many Jews were coming Christian.
Of course it began with the rejection of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah and the
King of Israel. When they rejected Jesus, they lost citizen rights to being
the people of God. They became a people without God. This does not mean that
the people of Israel no longer figured into God's plan for the ages. Quite
the contrary. Their rejection of Jesus and God's rejection of them as His
people is well noted in Scripture. But also noted in Scripture is their
coming to know Jesus as their Messiah.
I realize that the first thing that is thrown at anyone who would place the
Jews in a bad light, is the term 'anti-Semitic.' But anyone who reads and
studies the Scriptures knows how ridiculous that statement is. If someone
like me is anti-Semitic, then Moses, the prophets, the apostles, and even
Jesus would have to be called anti-Semitic. The very things that I share
come from the writings of the Old Testament prophets, and the new covenant
apostolic writers.
Actually it all goes back to the first books of the Bible, that is, to the
writings of Moses. Moses wrote Genesis. And when Moses was about to leave
the earthly scene, he sang a prophetic song over Israel. In this song Moses
he spoke of the falling away of Israel, of Israels wandering through the
nations, of their peril of life, and also of Israel's return. Moses actually
lays out the history of Israel. (Found in Deu32),
In his song, Moses says, "They have acted corrupted toward Him, they are not
his children, because of their defect; but are a perverse and crooked
generation." (v5) Peter quotes from this verse of the song of Moses on the
day of Pentecost.
Moses goes on to call them a foolish and an unwise people from whom He will
hide His face. He says that God will make Israel jealous with a people who
were not a people. He also says, "Would that they were wise, that they
understood this, that they would discern their future."
The fact that God would hide His face from Israel is a theme that trances
its way through the Bible. God speaks through the prophet Hosea, saying, "I
will go away and return to My place until they acknowledge their guild and
seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me." (Hosea 5:15)
Recall what Jesus said over Jerusalem? "You will not see Me until you say,
'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."
Yet there is something else I need to share about Moses. Moses wrote the
first five books of the Bible. Did you know that the rest of the Bible
including the New Testament actually work out from the books of Moses? If
there were no Genesis, the book of Revelation would make little sense, and
thus and so.
I wish I had time to take my readers through the entire song of Moses.
Hopefully many of you are already picking up on the prophetic elements in
this song. But that is not the end of the story of Israel. Paul said, "For
if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their
acceptance be but life from the dead?" (Rom11:15)
Note: As part of this study I would encourage our readers to take time to
read the song of Moses. Bring it to the table for discussion. Also bring out
any other prophetic text that you feel are relevant to this study.
Does any of this tell us why Israel is so secular with so many atheists and
agnostics among here citizenry? Yes, there is a lot to be said. There are
two elements that help to understand this dilemma. For one thing, the Jews
are only of late rediscovering Jesus for themselves. For the most part the
Jews never knew that Jesus was Jewish and that He and the apostles were
'sabras.' (Of the land.) They were led to believe that Jesus was some kind
of Roman or Greek God. They have become intrigued with Jesus.
A second issue is that their rabbis have misled them so often that the
people by and large are turned off by the Jewish religion. The Bible also
told us this would happen. God spoke through Isaiah, saying, "Therefore
behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously
marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men [rabbis] will perish, and the
discernment of their discernment men will be concealed." (Isa 29:14)
But one major fact remains -- In the heart of the Jew is a vacancy that can
only be filled by God Himself. (Of course this vacancy is in every human.)
This is why so many Jews are finding Jesus as their Messiah. And this
vacancy will be the turning point of the nation. Keep in mind what Jesus
said, "Until you say, 'blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.'
The prophet Zechariah told us how this would happen. Israel and Jerusalem
are going to face a war in the not too distant future that will bring about
this cry for Jesus. I would encourage my readers to read the whole of
Zechariah 12.
Listen to this one verse: "I will pout out on the house of David and on the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of Grace and of supplication, so that
they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him,
as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the
bitter weeping over a firstborn." (Zech12:10)
What will happen to Israel? Paul said that all Israel would be saved.
That's it for now. This is a good study for discussion. Feel free to add
your thoughts, ask your questions, or otherwise enter into discussion.
Blessings,
Buddy
--
Lawrence "Buddy" Martin
"How beautiful upon the mountains..." Isa 52:7
Web: http://ChristianChallenge.Org
blog: http://www.buddymartin.net/blog/
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)