I was recently invited to lecture at the Bible College of Netanya, founded by the ministry “One for Israel”. The dean of the Bible School asked me to lecture on the topic “Did God Reject His People?”. This was an especially significant topic for me as an Arab Pastor to speak about, especially to an Israeli audience.
It was a challenge to cover this entire topic in one day, but it went very well. I handed out important guidelines and notes during the seminar and focussed mainly on the book of Romans as reference material. I took time to explain God’s view on the nation of Israel throughout the ages, especially in light of their rebellions against Him.
I shared how God never backed away from His promises but remained faithful even though they were unfaithful to Him. I taught how Paul debunked the notion of replacement theology in Romans 11, and I shared the covenants originally given to Israel, as we read in Romans 3.
I posed three main questions to the students at the end of my time with them: Why does the nation of Israel still exist? Because of who God is, not because of who they are. If God doesn’t keep His promises, how can I trust God to keep His promises to me? Why did Jesus go to the cross? To fulfill the Abrahamic covenant, an unconditional covenant between God and mankind.
The students were pleasantly surprised by my view, as an Arab pastor, on the nation of Israel and its relationship with God. They certainly got a lot to think about, and I encouraged them to keep in touch if they had any questions.
The next time I’m in your area, I’ll be glad to share more on this important topic with you too!