Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Genesis 12:3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 12:3 And I will bless (do good for, benefit) those who bless you, And I will curse [that is, subject to My wrath and judgment] the one who curses (despises, dishonors, has contempt for) you. And in you all the families (nations) of the earth will be blessed." [Gal 3:8] |
Bible Question:
Do you bless Israel and say and pray "God bless Israel"? Should President Bush do so? Is it politically incorrect? If so, does it matter? I've thought about this and I believe we do need to bless Israel, stand beside her and pray and say "God bless Israel" ... and that our leader needs to do the same. Searcher |
Bible Answer: Hi, Search; I don't think Christians have any special obligations to the modern state called Israel. This Israel is a political entity created by political means; it is unrelated to the nation created by God to serve His holy purposes. There's a big difference between God and the U.N. ;-) I think Christians should pray for the people and leadership of Israel, just as we should pray for the Palestinian people and for all the lost who have been misled by the "prophet" Mohammad. While Christians do have a special relationship with the ancient nation of Israel, we should be prepared to see the modern state's many warts as well as its virtues. I don't think President Bush should single out Israel for any special blessings either. It's presumptuous to assume that God wants Israel to hold onto the West Bank or Gaza. God loves the Palestinians who wish to live in peace no less than He loves the Jews in Israel. It's hard for me grasp, but He even loves the terrorists too. President Bush - and all of us - should ask God's blessings on all the people of the world. As Christians, we should ask for God's gospel to be made known to all lost people, especially to the Muslims and Jews who know the name of Jesus and continue to reject him. And we should realize that Palestinian Christians are suffering alongside their Muslim countrymen. I'm not saying Christians - including the President - should't express to God our special concern for the Middle East. An extra prayer for peace there certainly won't grieve God. But Isael is a political issue, not a religious one and I think the President's utterances on the subject should be political, not religious. Just my two hundredths of a dollar. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |