“Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,” declares the LORD, “will Israel ever cease being a nation before me.” declares the LORD’. (Jeremiah 31:36).
What is a metaphor? The dictionary defines a metaphor as “a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else”.
Now Christianity has its history and some of its traditions rooted in the present-day nation of Israel: for example, Jesus lived, died, and was resurrected in Judea, a region located in the nation of Israel.
But much more than historical connections and events our text today will try to examine what Israel stands for in the life of a believer as a metaphor of his faith.
God redeemed Israel from Egypt like He redeems believers from the world of sin. He led them through the dangerous wilderness just as he led us through a dangerous world.
He brought them into the promised land and heaped blessings upon them but only for Israel to lose their faith in Jehovah and drew away from God’s prescribed standard of living, just as many Christians are now doing after enjoying the blessings of God.
As a metaphor therefore, the history of Israel is not different from the history of many Christians’ walk with the Lord: it’s a story of unbrokenness, spiritual privileges, deceitful behavior with the Lord, failure, and redemption after repentance.
There are a thousand metaphors in our walk that resonates with the experience of biblical Israel but one of them that resonates with the present-day church of God is Israel’s calling as a separated nation from the rest of an idolatrous world, her failure, the call for repentance and God’s faithfulness to corporate Israel in-spite of it all.
But to be sure, Israel’s calling to be a beacon of truth and hope for a sinful world would come at a price, it was going to always come under severe attack from the devil just like all who stand with God will attract attacks.
The Bible clearly warns Christians that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted..” (2 Timothy 3:12).
Even as these persecutions will come, they come to strengthen our faith and they also come to bring God’s deliverance as well. As Paul testified, “What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them”. (2 Timothy 3:11).
Just as Israel was persecuted by the enemy, true believers will also be persecuted because they are custodians of the truth of God and Satan hates the truth.
The contention for the heartbeat of Israel which is the city of Jerusalem is a metaphor for the Christian salvation. It will be contended by the enemy, Satan. The contention for Jerusalem is a battle for the destiny of Israel which represents the soul of the church.
The promises of God concerning Jerusalem attracts attack till this day. But these persecutions also brings out the best from our God. In all the history of Israel’s travails, against odds, for 3000 years, Israel continues as a nation and all other nations who have persecuted her have had their names erased or their powers diminished.
Such nations include Egypt, the Philistines, Assyria, Babylon, the ancient Greeks, and Romans to mention a few.
Just as God stands for and protects Israel and delivered her from all her troubles God is ready to stand for and protect the believers who stand for the truth of God without wavering, especially in these end times.
The creation of the modern state of Israel in 1948 and the gathering of Jews across the world to this Jewish state also holds a strong metaphorical meaning to believers in the end times.
In the Jewish scriptures, the people of Israel are sometimes represented as figs on a fig tree and in the Gospel of Luke Jesus warns:
“Look at the fig tree, and all the trees; as soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.”
The coming together of the Jewish state after years of being persecuted among the nations where they were scattered signals should send a strong message to us that we are so close to the end of the ages.
Therefore, there is no better time than now for us to reconsider the following message from Jesus and for us to begin to renew and strengthen our relationship with God:
“Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more”. (Revelation 3:11-12).
Reading
Mathew 24: 3-14.
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