Zechariah 10:9 Though I scatter them among the peoples,
    yet in distant lands they will remember me.
They and their children will survive,
    and they will return.

This is what is today called “making aliya,” moving from anywhere in the world to Israel. For many people it involves a huge cultural shift, but it is motivated by what it says in this verse: remembering the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and wanting to be in the Jewish ancestral homeland. This movement has been called Zionism since the late 1800s, and for many today it is a curse word, utterly despicable, because antisemitic feelings run strong. To me, that shows the validity and accuracy of the Old Testament, as well as the reality of the devil, who is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44) If the Old Testament weren’t true, there would be no logical basis for antisemitism whatsoever, other than the general human tendency to separate into groups. As it is, Thomas Lehrer’s classic song, National Brotherhood Week, in discussing various group enmities, pointedly says, “Everybody hates the Jews.” People laugh, because there is illogical truth in that statement. The roots of antisemitism are in jealousy of the people chosen by God, and frankly, hatred of the God who chose them. All of that is ultimately futile, however, because puny man can’t really counter omnipotent God. The rational response to all this is to rejoice that God cared enough about mankind in general to choose Abram, rename him Abraham, and then work through him and his descendants to reveal Himself to the whole world, ultimately sending His Son, a physical descendant of Abraham, to die for our sins and open the way for our salvation. Those who have that mindset are the biggest supporters of the Jews! Of course, we understand, with Paul, that Jews too need to repent of sin and believe the Gospel, but there is a deep sense of humility and gratitude. (Romans 9-11) The New Testament couldn’t exist without the Old Testament. Christian faith has a Jewish foundation!

As I have written before, I have always been proud to have been born in the same year, 1948, as the modern Jewish nation. I’ve never had the privilege of visiting the land in person, but I learned Jewish songs even as a child, and I feel great empathy with those making aliya. Things are happening today that seem to foreshadow events described in Revelation and elsewhere, and I look forward to the day Christ will return and set foot on the Mount of Olives, in a sense making aliya Himself. In that day I will no longer have my current physical limitations, and I’ll be able to visit freely. That’s just one of so many things to look forward to! Meanwhile, I’m to live in faithful obedience, countering the lies of the devil with the truth of God and calling all people, Jews and Gentiles alike, to repentance and faith for their salvation.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the privilege of serving You, as a very small part of Your plan. May every detail of Your plan be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory alone. Thank You. Hallelujah!