Going from judgment to blessing

 Zechariah 8:9-13

 

Thus, says the Lord of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.   For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor.   But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the Lord of hosts.   For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.   And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.”

 

Going from judgment to blessing would be a great title and going from being a byword of cursing among the nations to a people and nation that has been a blessing.  You may be wondering how have they the chosen people of God bless me?

 

The Jerusalem Post did a paper on how the Jewish nation is blessing the world. The Jewish nation is tiny yet its contribution to humanity is astounding; its footprints of blessing, innovation, and aid etched into the areas of mankind’s greatest need.

The promise is ancient, given by God nearly 4,000 years ago. The recipient, a man from Ur of the Chaldeans from whose lineage the Almighty desired to birth a people for Himself.  “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you,” God instructs Abraham.

 

In fact, some four millennia after God gave this pledge, we continue to see its fulfillment in the numerous ways Israel blesses the nations. The Jewish Nation is tiny, its members less than 1/1000th of the world’s population. Yet its contribution to humanity is astounding; its footprints of blessing, innovation, and aid etched into the areas of mankind’s greatest need. 
 

Children injured in the Syrian civil war receive life-saving treatment in Israel. Developing nations feed their hungry using Israeli expertise. Countries caught in drought grow crops thanks to Israel’s innovations. The physically disabled in poverty-stricken areas, burn victims, the wheelchair-bound, those suffering from cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, or post-traumatic stress – all these and more have the prospect of a better life because of Israel.
 

The list of Jewish initiatives and inventions making the world a better place is certainly a long and impressive one. Yet perhaps the best practical proof of Abraham’s descendants blessing the nations is Israel’s emergency assistance missions to countries in the aftermath of natural disasters. Regardless of where catastrophe hits, the Jewish state is often the first on the frontlines, flying thousands of miles, to bring doctors and nurses, rescue workers, medical supplies, equipment, and more to devastated areas. The tiny country’s huge heart of compassion and care is often most clearly visible in a nation far from home, helping people who are not their own survive the rubble of their shattered lives.

 

I would like the reader to hear the words of wisdom, that came from the mouth of a pastor who was no longer in the ministry, because of his adultery.  “Satan has a plan to destroy you, it has no timeline, it may take 10 or 40 years, but he is out to destroy your life.  Once again, the evil one is putting in the heart of evil people to kill, and destroy the Jewish people, will you be silent, or take a stand for God’s chosen?

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice