I Stand With Israel?

 

"I stand with Israel."

Let's evaluate this statement biblically.

If you had stood by Israel and Moses as they were struggling against Egypt not letting them go, you would have been on God's side, with Israel. 

If you had stood by Israel when they were afraid to enter the land of Canaan and opposed Moses, you would have been standing against God, with Israel.

If you had stood by Israel when they rose up with Gideon, you would have been on God's side.

If you had stood by Israel when they followed Ahab and Jezebel and the four hundred prophets of Baal, you would have been standing against God.

To say this phrase without taking into account Israel's relationship with God and his will is very dangerous. Many Christians state this statement without discernment. And we know that no entity or person should be stood with uncritically or unthinkingly.

Remember even the Angel of the Lord won't blindly state such a thing:

"13 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15 And the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so" (Joshua 5:13-15).

As Christians we need to make sure we stand with God, and evaluate the unbelievers and their causes we support very critically. To yoke yourself uncritically with unbelievers is very dangerous for the Christian, and it can seriously cloud our thinking. It happens to young Christians when they want to date a pretty or handsome unbeliever, and it happens to mature Christians when there is a blindspot in their theology.

Something to think about.