Everything that happened to Israel happened as an example โ often, of what NOT to do.
And these things were written down in a book (the Bible) so we could read them and be warned (thatโs what โadmonitionโ means).
And Israelโs example, and the warnings written down for us, are especially important because upon us the โends of the agesโ have come.
Thatโs right, the Last Days.
The times weโre living in right now.
Yes, events that happened thousands of years ago were recorded to teach us something.
So take all that and consider what it means.
People from our past wrote a book that provides a social, political, and spiritual history of a nation all the way from birth to death.
Then someone hands you this book and says, โLet their example be a warning to you who are living in the Last Days.โ
Would you pay attention?
Not enough do.
But itโs right there, hidden in plain sight.
Hereโs the bottom line:
Our future is written in Israelโs history.
Why?
Because history repeats itself. Weโre making the same mistakes Israel made, and weโre going to suffer the same fate Israel suffered.
So yes, Israel is important.
But most people donโt understand why.
Whatever you do, do not make the mistake of thinking that this isnโt relevant, doesnโt apply to you, or isnโt worth looking at.
If you do, youโre going to fall into the same trap that they fell into.
Israel is important because Godโs dealings with Israel help us to understand His dealings with All.
If we can understand Godโs purpose concerning Israel then we can understand Godโs purpose concerning the Ekklesia.
We can fulfill our purpose.
We can help Israel fulfill its purpose.
And we can better understand how God is going to use Israel and use the Ekklesia in the fulfillment of His purpose to liberate all creation.
Yes, the story of Israel is a warning to us all, but their story also fills us with hope that in the end, โmercy triumphs over judgmentโ (James 2:13).