A few days ago, Kumi and I found ourselves worshipping the Lord and praying for Israel in Hebrew, as we observed a traditional Shabbat (Sabbath) with a Messianic Rabbi. This was not done, as you might assume, in response to the current situation in Israel. It was a pre-planned seminar/retreat that Kumi was asked to translate for at the last minute. We had been following the heartbreaking situation in Israel, seeking the Lord, and asking what he would have us do and how we could pray. The timing of this retreat and our sudden involvement was obviously something the Lord brought together. We were able to actually join with Israel in praying for the nation for the first Shabbat after the war in Israel started, and it was a very prophetic and powerful experience.
God gave us the name Wildbranch for our ministry during a season of prayer, worship, and seeking the Lord. Along with the invitation for us to come deeper into His heart, God told us to turn our hearts toward Israel and hi-lighted the word grafted to us (from Romans 11). When we heard that, we didn’t make any assumptions about what that meant. We knew it was something the Lord would have to unfold to us and show us more about. What does turning our heart toward Israel mean?
I do know from scripture that God’s plan for the nations has Israel at its center. Recognizing Israel’s centrality in God’s grand plan for humanity is key if we want to find God’s plan for each nation, including Japan. It doesn’t mean we need to become experts in the Hebrew language or Jewish culture, but it gives us the right perspective from which to view scripture, especially with regards to God’s plan for these last days. To clarify, I am not speaking about politics or a political alignment with the modern country of Israel. Like all countries it has a secular government whose actions and decisions may or may not align with God’s purposes at different times. But we do want to align ourselves with the prophetic destiny he has for Israel the nation, and open our hearts to the heart of God for the Jewish people.
The Rabbi we met this past weekend was born in Israel. Trained as an Orthodox Rabbi, he found Yeshua as Messiah in his own study of the Torah. I shared with him a little of what God had said to us about turning our hearts toward Israel. “That wording is very interesting,” he responded. “The name “Israel” refers to the household of Jacob in the fullness of its destiny. Turning your heart toward Israel is exactly the place to start.”
I asked what he thought that would look like practically, and he made a number of comments throughout our time together. “I think the church must align with God’s timing and his calendar, understanding the feasts for example, otherwise it won’t know when God is about to move, because he does everything in accordance with his time.
Regarding the Gentiles provoking the Jews to jealousy, he commented, “ I guarantee this, they will never acknowledge a Yeshua (Jesus) that has been stripped of his Jewishness, which he has in most of the church.” Later he added, “More than anything, simply love the Jew. It really starts with relationship. Have an open heart to Jewish people and make relationships when you have opportunity.”His awe of God, his passion for the Torah and the scriptures (including the New Testament and especially the writings of Paul), and his zealous love for his nation was very inspiring. But he also had a deep conviction to see the Gentile body of believers awaken to see the centrality of Israel in God’s plan. With great emotion he declared, “Churches that don’t awaken and reject Israel won’t overcome in these last days!”
-Jeremy