With the United States and Israel working as allies in the present conflict with Iran, Christians from many nations may find themselves asking afresh how we, as Christians, are to think of the modern nation-state of Israel. In view of Old Testament promises, New Testament expectations, and our common spiritual ancestry, should Christians always support Israel? Should we defend its claims to the land?
These realities can be complex for us as both Christians and earthly citizens. Our foremost allegiance is to Jesus, even as we have our secondary allegiances to various modern nations. Simple answers may not suffice, especially in times of war.
Of course, Christians have wrestled with these issues before; they’ve been in the water since the founding of the modern state of Israel in 1948. In times like these, reviewing perspectives from outside our immediate context can bring much-needed clarity. To that end, we’ve curated the following resources from John Piper, ranging from 12 to 22 years old. At issue here is not primarily how particular nations should relate to the modern nation of Israel, but how Christians as citizens of heaven might think about Israel today.
In this 2014 interview, John Piper addresses Israel’s conflict with Palestine. Are Israel’s actions supported and sanctioned by God? Does modern Israel possess a divine right to the land? Is God particularly on Israel’s side as he was under the terms of the old covenant?
Piper argues that while God has a good plan for Israel’s future, he is not specially on the side of Israel as she exists in disobedience today: “A people in treason against their King cannot lay legitimate claim to the King’s promises to a covenant-keeping people.”
Although God is not finished with Israel, the nation as she presently exists cannot claim a divine right to the land. Therefore, “the rights of nations should be decided by principles of compassionate public justice, not claims to divine right or divine status.”
Piper closes by guarding against the unbiblical inference that Israel’s present rebellion means other nations have the right to molest her. “No, they don’t. She still has human rights among nations when she has no rights before God, just like all the nations do.” And as Christians, we pray for the day when “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26).
In this 2004 sermon on “Israel, Palestine, and the Middle East” — the most substantive of these resources — Piper gives a seven-point argument:
God chose Israel from all the peoples of the world to be his own possession.
The land was part of the inheritance he promised to Abraham and his descendants forever.
The promises made to Abraham will be inherited as an everlasting gift only by true, spiritual Israel, not disobedient, unbelieving Israel.
Jesus Christ came into the world as the Jewish Messiah, and his own people largely rejected him.
Therefore, the secular state of Israel today may not claim a present divine right to the land, and they should seek peaceful settlements based not on present divine rights but on international principles of justice, mercy, and practical feasibility.
By faith in Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah, Gentiles become fellow heirs with a redeemed Israel of the promise of Abraham, including the promise of the land.
Finally, this inheritance of Christ’s people (Jew and Gentile) will happen at the second coming of Christ to establish his kingdom, not before; and till then, we Christians, as Christians, do not take up arms to claim our inheritance, but rather we lay down our lives to share our inheritance with as many as we can.
Finally, in responding to a Palestinian Christian in 2011, Piper shares twelve important truths about Christian identity, earthly citizenship, and God’s present relationship to the modern state of Israel.
Piper reminds us that “God has saving purposes for ethnic Israel (Romans 11:25–26), as he does for the Arab nations (Psalm 22:27; Matthew 28:19–20).” So, “the Christian plea in the Middle East to Palestinians and Jews is: ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved’” (Acts 16:31).
At the end, he offers a special word for pastors:
All Christians, especially Christian pastors, should speak openly and joyfully of our unity with Arab and Jewish Christians, and should not rank political support for Israel or any Arab nation above our family support for fellow believers.
Desiring God