For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land…. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.
~Ezekiel 36:24, 26-28

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! (Romans 11:33)  The God of Glory has indeed given us all hope for today!  That’s why I have dedicated several days to examining that great hope.  We began with Hope for Today: The World in which We Live, examining the hope of Jesus Christ in the midst of chaotic times.  Then, we moved on to Hope for Today: Understanding the Times and the Assignment, where we focused on understanding what we see in the world today, based on Scripture, and God’s assignment to us in these last days.

I’m excited about today’s emphasis, as we turn our focus to the hope given to Israel.  In Ezekiel 36, God promised to re-gather His people in the land of Israel, and we are seeing that happen in our lifetime!  (Just last week we took a look at a group of French Jews who immigrated this summer.)  God is restoring Israel, and will ultimately restore them in relationship with Himself as well!

Israelis, though mostly secular, are very well aware of God’s work in their past and even in their present.  I was amazed at the number of Israelis I talked to, or heard speak (guides, for example) who acknowledge that the hand of God has protected them and is currently upon them.  They love telling of their miraculous war history and how God has acted on their behalf to bring about victory.  The Old Testament is their history book, and they know their history!

Yet, for the most part, they lack personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah.

Israeli life is dominated by one theme: security.  It is not a government or a military responsibility, but is everyone’s responsibility.  They are vigilant!  They have clear objectives, including maintaining Israel as the homeland for the Jewish people, and they are committed to whatever it takes!  Courageously, they hold school in bomb shelters if necessary.  They don’t leave…they persist!

Why do they do that?  I believe it is because they instinctively know that there is hope in God!  He has been faithful to them throughout history and they recognize it.  They believe in victory!  Yet, at the same time, they need the Blessed Hope…the love, grace and salvation of Jesus the Messiah!

Just as many prophecies are partially fulfilled, I believe the hope of Israel is partially fulfilled.  Hope in God who brings victory in war, without Hope in Jesus Christ through a personal relationship with Him, is bittersweet!

But let’s return to Ezekiel 36, a partially fulfilled prophecy.  Indeed, per verse 24, He is gathering His people from distant lands and bringing them back to their homeland.  That portion of the Ezekiel 36 prophecy is being fulfilled right before our eyes.  However, verses 26-28 remain mostly unfulfilled.  God desires to put a new spirit, His Holy Spirit, within them…and one day He will!  He will cause them to walk in His statutes and observe His ordinances.  In other words, they will be His people and He will be their God!

Romans 11:26 says that one day “all Israel will be saved!”  Oh, what hope!  The God of salvation reaches to both Jews and Gentiles, and promises to take us to His eternal home.  That day is coming.  Let’s pray that our Jewish friends will recognize and acknowledge the Blessed Hope!

There is more Hope for Today tomorrow!  Come back again!