Why should the nations rejoice with Israel?

“For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel” (Jeremiah 31:7).

This verse of Scripture does not seem appropriate for Israel at this difficult time. However, a closer examination reveals that this is addressed to the nations. When reading Jeremiah 31, we note that the entire chapter passes on the direct words of God, except verses 26 and 35, according to the Red-Letter Edition of the Bible. 

Why should the nations rejoice with Israel? Because verse 8 exclaims: “Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.” In the margin of my Bible, it says this was written in 606 BC. So, on the surface this seems to refer to Israel’s return from Babylonian captivity. However, that cannot be the case because it clearly states, “gather them from the coasts of the earth.” That is a global event for the Jewish people.

A partial listing by JewishVirtualLibrary.org names 26 major countries from which Jews return to Israel. That qualifies for the interpretation, “gather them from the coasts of the earth.” 

Again, in verse 10 we read the word “nations”: “Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.”

What is the reason for God leading with Israel, even today? Verse 3 gives us the answer: “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” The sentence, “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love,” would be difficult to interpret as anything else but indeed His everlasting love for His people.

We need not mention the seeming impossibility of the remnant of Jews declaring themselves a Jewish State in ancient Biblical territory on 14 May 1948. The well-established military forces of Egypt, Transjordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen attacked Israel, which had absolutely no chance of survival. The only weapons at their disposal were smuggled—outdated World War 2 weapons generously provided by the Soviet Union. The US and UK had an arms embargo on the Middle East. The approximately 650,000 Jews in the land of Israel were a diverse group, many not having yet learned to communicate in Hebrew. Actually, a significant portion of these Jews never spoke Hebrew; thus, communication was a nightmare. Most of us know the rest of the story. Over and again, Israel beat the odds and came out victorious. When one compares Israel today with the surrounding Arab nations, the facts are clear: Most Arab states are poor, while Israel is successful.

Though it is impossible to document every supernatural intervention on behalf of the Jews in Israel, comparing figures to figures, there is abundant evidence of God intervening on behalf of His people.

Gaza War
Let’s go back to a specific date: 21 March 2024. The Jerusalem Post reports:

“The IDF announced that in its four-day operation in Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, it has now killed around 140 terrorists from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as arrested around 650 additional terrorists.”

That seems all but impossible. The Hamas terrorists are hiding in buildings—in this case, a hospital—and are well-protected in underground tunnels found throughout Gaza. Israeli soldiers are an easy target, and yet Israel succeeds in their task of eliminating Hamas terrorists. One could list hundreds if not thousands of peculiar circumstances, in which Israeli soldiers came out of intense fighting virtually unharmed.

The Israeli embassy in the UK estimates that between 10,000 and 12,000 Hamas fighters have been killed. Way back in December of 2023, Sky News Australia reported that 8,000 Hamas fighters had been killed, based on intelligence, interrogation, and examination of satellite photographs.

We do not rejoice in the horrible destruction and death of terrorists, because they have families—parents, siblings, spouses, and children. Yet it seems needful to emphasize not only Israel’s miraculous military success, but also when it comes to technology, industry, and agriculture, they are second to none. There are too many occasions where Israel’s success can only be explained with one word: miracle!

In summary, we cannot explain it any other way than, “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3).

Let us continue to pray for Israel, and for the protection of our Lord’s Church during these difficult times—in Israel, in Gaza, in Judea and Samaria—and for that matter, in all the Middle East and beyond. In the midst of chaos, the Church is being built. And we believe in the not-too-distant future, the Church will have fulfilled its task on earth.

Midnight Call - 06/2024