In Christianity Today, "What it Means to Love Israel," was posted today. It is a short piece worth checking out.
At one point the author writes:
The evangelical mainstream needs to do some rigorous theological work on its relationship to Judaism, to the Jewish people, and to the state of Israel.
I would add that those who identify with the emerging church must also do some rigorous theological work on defining what its relationship is with the modern state of Israel, ancient Israel and Jewish folks more broadly.
So that’s my questions to you all: what is the relationship between the modern state of Israel and the ancient Israel we read about in the Holy Bible? Are they One? Are they two seperate entities? What is their relationship? How are we to conduct ourselves toward the modern state of Israel?
Re: What is the relationship between the modern state of Israel
Just to stir things up a bit: contrary to the argument of the Christianity Today editorial, I think we can indeed read the New Testament and question whether the Jews as a people defined by the Law of Moses ‘continue to have a place in God’s economy’. What we tend to forget is that Paul wrote Romans 11 before AD 70, when there was still a chance that Israel might repent and be saved from a decisive act of divine judgment. At that point it made sense to imagine that the inclusion of Gentiles in the covenant people might have the effect of provoking the Jews to jealousy and bringing them to repentance. But it didn’t. Instead the Jews rebelled against Rome and brought the wrath of God down on their heads.
This does not mean that Jews cannot subsequently come to Jesus and become descendants of Abraham through faith. But the verdict of Romans and of a passage such as Galatians 3:23-29 seems to me to be that the people that has inherited the promise to Abraham is now defined not by the Law (as national Israel is) but by faith in Christ.
Re: What is the relationship between the modern state of Israel
OK. So what does that mean in regards to the emerging church and how they should relate to the modern Israeli state? In line with the late Jerry Falwell, should we go to Israel with aim of converting Jews to Christ? Shall we see the modern state of Israel as the promised land?
Re: What is the relationship between the modern state of Israel
It seems to me that we should treat this basically as a justice-reconciliation issue, no different in principle to the challenge posed by any other conflict. I see nothing to be gained by preferring one side in the conflict over the other - certainly not on religious grounds.
Perhaps the emerging church might take the stance of calling Israel to the sort of standards of justice that we find in Christ as a fulfilment of the Old Testament witness, but I don’t see that that would in principle allow possession of the land to be prioritized over the rights of the Palestinians. But these are half-baked ideas. I appreciate that this is a very complex, difficult issue.