Should Christians Bless Israel?

On June 18th, 2025, Tucker Carlson went toe to toe with US Senator Ted Cruz from Texas about regime change in Iran. The interview was spicy to say the least, a verbal brawl at some points. During the interview Cruz said he had learned in Sunday School growing up that it was right to support Israel as a nation, not necessarily the current Israeli government, but the nation, and loosely quoted a Bible verse:

 “I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse.”

 Tucker asked where in the Bible that came from and Cruz said he didn’t know the exact verse reference, but that Carlson could easily look it up using Google. Tucker then verbally chastised Cruze saying, “you’re quoting a Bible phrase you didn’t have context for, and you don’t know where it is, but that’s like your theology. I’m confused. What does that even mean?”[1] By the way, I am not defending Cruz’s or Carlson’s position on regime change in Iran. I’m Switzerland for this post in relation to the focus of their discussion. But since studying and teaching the Bible is my specialty, I do want to address the text Cruz quoted and answer Carlson’s question, “What does that even mean?” Let me first make some brief bullet point observations and then let’s answer Carlson’s question from God’s Word.

1.    In Cruz’s defense, many fail to realize that Bible chapter numbers and verse reference numbers were added to the Bible around 1227 AD for ease of navigating the Scriptures.[2] Thus, quoting the exact man-made verse reference is irrelevant for chapter and verse are not part of the inspired Word of God. What is relevant is whether or not “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you” is actually found in the Bible. Keep in mind that the prophets, Jesus, the apostles, and early church fathers, didn’t use chapter and verse to reference specific Scripture texts. They did what Cruze did and quoted biblical texts, sometimes paraphrasing or summarizing.

2.    Also, in Cruz’s defense, most professing Christians have very little Scripture memorized. Most can’t quote chapter and verse of the Scriptures they can recall to mind. I am not saying this is good, but it is a fact. We are commanded in Scripture to hide God’s Word in our hearts, i.e., to memorize God’s Word (e.g., Deut. 6:6; 11:18; Josh. 1:8; Ps. 37:31; 40:8; 119:11). Knowing the Word of God, not the chapter and verse, is what is important. Bible references are helpful but not inspired. Again, the important thing is if what Cruz quoted is actually in the Bible and if he accurately understood and used the phrase in relation to Israel, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.”  

3.    In Carlson’s defense, it is unwise and dangerous to quote Bible verses out of context. I’m not saying Cruze did that, but the need to understand texts in their context is a critical point made by Carlson. Context is what gives meaning to verses of the Bible or any written prose for that matter. Bible texts taken out of context are the bread and butter of false teachers (2 Pet. 3:16). The most important Bible study principle is context. Context is king when interpreting Scripture!

4.    Yet, in Cruz’s defense, one might be taught a text, in its context, so that the text is accurately understood, but later, remember the meaning of the text accurately, and generally be able to recall it to mind, but not be able to recall its context or exact verse reference. Cruz did say he learned about needing to bless Israel while growing up in Sunday School. Unless one has an eidetic memory, to expect total recall of what one was taught sixty years before in Sunday School is unreasonable. I think most Christians would confess they can’t remember most Biblical references, nor can they recall the context of the Bible verses they can recall to mind. Most can’t even recall the text and main point of the previous Sunday’s sermon or Sunday School lesson. All this to say, Cruz may have accurately been taught the meaning of “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you” in its context, yet not be able to recall the context or verse reference.

 5.    In Carlson’s defense, we should know the meaning, context, and application of texts we “use” to try and say Christians should do this or that. If we are telling people, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you,” we should understand what that means in its context and how believers are to apply the Word of God. We look at the context of texts quoted to us so that we are not worked on by unscrupulous men or false teachers who might want to use the Bible like a prybar to manipulate us into doing their will, not God’s (Acts 17:11).

Now let’s get to Carlson’s four main questions, stated or implied, about the phrase, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.”

 1.    Where in the Bible do we find the phrase, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you?”

2.    What is the context of the phrase, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you?”

3.    What is the meaning of the phrase “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you” in its context?

4.    How does the phrase, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you” apply to Christians today in relation to their support of the current Jewish government, the nation of Israel, and/or all Jewish people around the world? In what way are we to support the Jews?

The first question Carlson asked Cruz is where in the Bible do we find the phrase, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you? The general answer is that the phrase appears in several places in part or whole. I will quote each text and include a little context for each. I will put in bold key phrases.

• When the Lord first mentioned the Abrahamic Covenant to Abraham. “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1–3)

• When Isaac blessed Jacob on his deathbed. “So he [Isaac] came close and kissed him [Jacob]; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed; Now may God give you of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And an abundance of grain and new wine; May peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you; Be master of your brothers, And may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, And blessed be those who bless you.” (Genesis 27:27–29)

• When the Lord made a covenant with Israel in the desert to be His chosen nation after their exodus from Egypt. “Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. “Be on your guard before him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him. “But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. “For My angel will go before you and bring you in to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will completely destroy them. “You shall not worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their deeds; but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their sacred pillars in pieces. “But you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst. “There shall be no one miscarrying or barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. “I will send My terror ahead of you, and throw into confusion all the people among whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. “I will send hornets ahead of you so that they will drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before you. “I will not drive them out before you in a single year, that the land may not become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. “I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land. “I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River Euphrates; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you. (Exodus 23:20–31)

• When Balaam the false prophet was paid by Israel’s enemies to curse Israel but God made him bless Israel instead. “When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him. He took up his discourse and said, “The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened; The oracle of him who hears the words of God, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered, How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel! “Like valleys that stretch out, Like gardens beside the river, Like aloes planted by the Lord, Like cedars beside the waters. “Water will flow from his buckets, And his seed will be by many waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted. “God brings him out of Egypt, He is for him like the horns of the wild ox. He will devour the nations who are his adversaries, And will crush their bones in pieces, And shatter them with his arrows. “He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, And cursed is everyone who curses you.” (Numbers 24:1–9)

• After listing all the blessings and cursings of the covenant God made with Israel right before they entered the promised land (Deut. 27:15-26; 28:15-68, the Lord promised to bring the curses that Israel would suffer if they disobeyed the Word of the Lord, upon their enemies. “The Lord your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.” (Deuteronomy 30:7)

• After reminding the people of Judah that they are suffering the curses because of their own sin and rebellion against the Lord, the Lord makes this promise: ‘Therefore all who devour you will be devoured; And all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity; And those who plunder you will be for plunder, And all who prey upon you I will give for prey. ‘For I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the Lord, ‘Because they have called you an outcast, saying: “It is Zion; no one cares for her.”’ (Jeremiah 30:16–17) After saying this, the Lord promises to restore Israel (Jer. 30:18-22).

• The first of the fifteen Psalms of accent (Ps. 120-134), often recited by pilgrims who journeyed to Jerusalem while ascending the steps leading up to the temple mount complex. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” (Psalm 122:6)

Of course, there are many other texts where the Lord promises to bless Israel and/or destroy Israel’s enemies. But the texts above repeated the promise God originally made to Abraham in Gen. 12:3. What this means is we have answered the first two questions, first, “Where in the Bible does the phrase, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you come from?” Answer: the phrase or its equivalent appears multiple times in the Bible. Second, in what context do all the occurrences of “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you” appear? Answer:

• The giving of the Abrahamic Covenant to Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 12:3).

• When Isaac blessed Jacob with the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 27:27–29).

• When God promised the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant to Israel in the wilderness after leaving Egypt (Ex. 23:20-33).

• When God forced Balaam, the mercenary prophet, to bless Isael (Numb. 24:1-9).

• Right before Israel entered the promised land (Deut. 30:7).

• In a Psalm of ascent written by King David for the people of Israel (Ps. 122:6).

• Through the prophet Jeremiah to wayward Israel (Jer. 30:16-22).

There is no doubt that God has promised to bless the people of Abraham, the chosen nation of Israel, the Jews, and to curse those who curse them i.e., to curse their enemies. But what precisely does, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you” mean for the visible church in specific? It is clear that the Abrahamic Covenant was given to Abraham as an individual while he slept (Gen. 15:12-21). Abraham was not required to do anything. At this point we need to go on an Abrahamic Covenant rabbit trail so we can better understand the Abrahamic Covenant, its significance, and why the covenant first given to Abraham is repeated in the Bible in to the Jews even after Abraham died.[3]

 There are two basic kinds of covenants God made with man. The first kind is called a suzerain vassal treaty. A suzerain, i.e., a superior king (God) makes a covenant with an inferior vassal (Israel), also referred to as a bilateral covenant, i.e., a covenant made between two parties. When God made a bilateral covenant with Israel, as in Deut. 27-30, God promised to bless Israel if they obeyed His Word and to curse them if they disobeyed His Word. Blessing for obedience and cursing for disobedience. Israel repeatedly broke the covenant, did not obey the Lord, and therefore suffered the curses promised by God (Deut. 31:16, 20; Jer. 11:7-10; 22:9; 31:32). Whenever God made a bilateral covenant, it was doomed to failure because men are sinners. And thus, Israel was doomed to suffer the curses of bilateral covenants (Deut. 27:26; Gal. 3:10).

The other kind of covenant is a unilateral covenant. In a unilateral covenant God alone is the binding party. God swears by himself (Heb. 6:13-18). Because God alone is the binding party unilateral covenants are certain to be fulfilled. Individuals and even generations of disobedient Israelites might forfeit the blessings of a unilateral covenant, but the covenant remains intact and will be fulfilled for all who believe as stated by God, for God cannot lie (Numb. 23:19; Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:17-18). The first major unilateral covenant was made with Noah after the flood. God promised He would not destroy the earth again with water (Gen. 9:8-17). The second major unilateral covenant is the Abrahamic Covenant, first mentioned in Gen. 12:1-3, restated in Gen. 13:14-18; ratified in Gen. 15:12-21, restated again to Abraham in Gen. 17:1-8 and in Gen. 22:17-18. Now, if the Abrahamic Covenant was only for Abraham, it wouldn’t be restated as applying to his descendants.

Yet, even after Abraham’s death, the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant are repeatedly promised to Abraham’s descendants e.g., “to your descendants I will give this land” (Gen. 12:7; 13:5). “I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth” in number (Gen. 13:16). “Like the stars of the heavens your descendants shall be in number” (Gen. 15:5). The promises of the Abrahamic Covenant were passed on to Abraham’s descendants through Isaac and Jacob, i.e., to the Jews:

Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly.” Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations. “No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. “I have made you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. “I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” (Genesis 17:1–8)

Here we see the Abrahamic Covenant, though given to Abraham initially, promised to Abraham’s descendants, “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant” (Gen. 17:7). Of course, the child of promise to which the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant would be given was Isaac, miraculously conceived by Abraham and Sarah in their old age (Gen. 17:15-17; 18:10-15; 21:1-7; Acts 7:5). And Isaac would bless Jacob (Gen. 27:18-29). Jacob would become the father of the twelve tribes of Israel (Gen. 35:22; 46:8-27; 49:1-28; 1 Kings 18:31; Isa. 49:6). Thus, the Abrahamic Covenant which includes “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you” is for all Israel, the Jews, the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob.

• To Isaac: “Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. “I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.” (Genesis 26:3–5)

• To Jacob: “And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. “Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:13–15)

• To Jacob again: “Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him. God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; You shall no longer be called Jacob, But Israel shall be your name.” Thus He called him Israel. God also said to him, “I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from you. “The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, And I will give the land to your descendants after you.” (Genesis 35:9–12)

• To the Jewish people after the captivity: The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac. He also confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant. (1 Chronicles 16:16–17)

• To Zacharias the father of John the Baptists: “And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant— As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old— Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us; To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant, The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.” (Luke 1:67–75)

• To the Jews at Pentecost: “It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ (Acts 3:25)

The promises of the Abrahamic Covenant were for Abraham and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob. Thus, the phrase, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you,” is repeated many times to Isaac, Jacob, Israel as a nation, and Jews in specific. Keep in mind that the Abrahamic Covenant is a unliteral covenant, a covenant of grace apart from works. Generations of Jews or individual Jews can disobey the Lord, reject Jesus Christ, and forfeit the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant, but the covenant itself, cannot be broken. All who repent of their sin and place their faith in Jesus Christ will receive the blessings promised to Abraham. Even the Gentiles, through faith in Jesus Christ, will receive the blessings promised to Abraham (Rom. 11:1-32; Gal. 3:27-29; Heb. 6:9-20).

So, what does, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse” mean for the church? First, let’s be clear about what it does not mean.

• Blessing Israel does not mean you must support the current government of Israel regardless of their decisions, laws, policies, or actions. You can adamantly be against what the current Jewish government administration is doing, speak out against their policies and actions and still be pro-Israel, still bless Israel. In fact to speak out against evil in Israel is to love Israel. God sent the prophets to confront Israel’s sin and turn them from their wicked way (Isa. 55:6-7).

• Blessing Israel does not mean accepting or turning a blind eye to the evil actions of any Jew or group of Jews, in any place in the world. You can adamantly be against what certain Jews or groups of Jews are doing and still bless Israel. It is a blessing to be against Jews committing evil. Again, this is why God sent the prophets to Israel (Judges 6:8-10; 2 Kings 17:13; 2 Chron. 24:19).

Christians who are truly saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, believe the Word of God and strive to obey it. Thus, they will seek to bless Israel because the Lord repeatedly says to Israel, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.” Thus, the visible church, those who profess to be Christians and love Jesus Christ as their Lord, Master, King and Savior, will support Israel in the following ways:

• They will pray for the salvation of the Jews (Zech. 12:10; Rom. 10:1)

• They will preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and/or support ministries that seek to evangelize Jewish people (Mt. 24:14; Mk. 13:10; Lk. 24:45-47; Acts 17:30-31)

• They will be in favor of Israel’s right to exist as a nation

• They will long see the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ ruling and reigning over Israel and all nations from David’s throne in Jerusalem (1 Chron. 17:11-14; 22:10; Lk. 1:32-33).

• They will desire to see all aspects of what God unilaterally promised to Israel in the Abrahamic (Gen. 12:1-3; 15:1-21; 17:1-8; 22:15-19), Davidic (2 Sam. 7:11-14; 1 Chron. 17:11-14; Lk. 1:32-33), and New Covenants (Ezek. 36:22-32; Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 8-9) fulfilled for the Jewish people.

• They will not hate or be prejudiced against Jews because of their ethnicity, history, religion, culture, or sinful actions of some Jews.

• They will reject supersessionism or replacement theology which erroneously says all of the curses promised by God to Israel are to be literally fulfilled, but all of the blessings promised by God to Israel are to be spiritually fulfilled in the church alone.

• They will long to see multitudes of Jews come to saving faith in Jesus Christ during Daniel’s 70th week (Dan. 9:24-27), the time of Jacob’s distress (Jer. 30:7), the seven-year tribulation (Dan. 12:1; Mt. 24:4-28; Rev. 7:14), when God will again focus His saving efforts on redeeming the Jews and bring them into the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant through faith in Jesus Christ.

• They will look forward to the day when the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Son of David, will rule and reign in righteousness, from David’s throne in Jerusalem, over all the world (Gen. 49:10; Deut. 17:14-15; Numb. 24:17-19; Ps. 60:7; Isa. 9:6-7; 11:1-5; Jer. 23:5-6; 33:15-17; Zech. 6:12-13; Lk. 1:32-33).

• They will anticipate the fulfillment of the Lord’s words to Israel concerning the exaltation of the Jews in Jesus’ kingdom, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zechariah 8:23)

 Thus, the visible church on earth is to bless Israel as a nation and Jewish people in specific as described above. It does not mean the church or Christians need to support evil committed by Jews. It does not mean being in favor of the current Israeli government, its policies, or actions. It does mean not hating the Jews for their ethnicity, culture, history, failures, or religion. The Lord has stated many times in His Word that He will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel. The Word of God cannot be broken (Ps. 117:2; 119:160; Isa. 40:8; Jn. 10:35). A righteous remnant of Jews will repent, believe in Jesus Christ by grace, and be exalted in Jesus’ future earthly kingdom (Isa. 11:11-16; 54:1-17; Jer. 3:15-18; 30:18-22; 32:36-44; Ezek. 34:23-24; 37:21-28; 39:25-29; Hos. 3:5; Joel 3:9-21; Amos 9:14-15; Micah 7:15-20; Zeph. 3:12-20; Zech. 10:6-12; 12:10; 13:8-9; Rom. 11:25-29). Take heed, bless the people of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob or be cursed by the Lord.

[1] https://youtube.com/shorts/4YgM2dswgdw?si=dMIn88-yf5lih-22

[2] https://www.gotquestions.org/divided-Bible-chapters-verses.html

[3] For a more detailed treatment of the Abrahamic Covenant see the two part sermon series in the book of Genesis, chapter 12:1-3 on the Anchor Bible Church website www.anchorbiblechurch.org or the Anchor Bible Church app https://www.anchorbiblechurch.org/the-book-of-genesis?sapurl=Lys0bnd0L2xiL21zLyt5eHp4ZGp0P2VtYmVkPXRydWUmcGFnZT02JnJlY2VudFJvdXRlPWFwcC53ZWItYXBwLmxpYnJhcnkubWVkaWEtc2VyaWVzJnJlY2VudFJvdXRlU2x1Zz0lMkJ5eHp4ZGp0. Also an excellent journal article by Irv Busenitz, “Introduction to the Biblical Covenants: The Noahic Covenant and Priestly Covenant,” https://tms.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/tmsj10m.pdf.

•  They will be in favor of Israel’s right to exist as a nation.

• They will long see the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ ruling and reigning over Israel and all nations from David’s throne in Jerusalem (1 Chron. 17:11-14; 22:10; Lk. 1:32-33).

·      They will desire to see all aspects of what God unilaterally promised to Israel in the Abrahamic (Gen. 12:1-3; 15:1-21; 17:1-8; 22:15-19), Davidic (2 Sam. 7:11-14; 1 Chron. 17:11-14; Lk. 1:32-33), and New Covenants (Ezek. 36:22-32; Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 8-9) fulfilled for the Jewish people.

·      They will not hate or be prejudiced against Jews because of their ethnicity, history, religion, culture, or sinful actions of some Jews.

·      They will reject supersessionism or replacement theology which erroneously says all of the curses promised by God to Israel are to be literally fulfilled, but all of the blessings promised by God to Israel are to be spiritually fulfilled in the church alone.

·      They will long to see multitudes of Jews come to saving faith in Jesus Christ during Daniel’s 70th week (Dan. 9:24-27), the time of Jacob’s distress (Jer. 30:7), the seven-year tribulation (Dan. 12:1; Mt. 24:4-28; Rev. 7:14), when God will again focus His saving efforts on redeeming the Jews and bring them into the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant through faith in Jesus Christ.

·      They will look forward to the day when the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Son of David, will rule and reign in righteousness, from David’s throne in Jerusalem, over all the world (Gen. 49:10; Deut. 17:14-15; Numb. 24:17-19; Ps. 60:7; Isa. 9:6-7; 11:1-5; Jer. 23:5-6; 33:15-17; Zech. 6:12-13; Lk. 1:32-33).

·      They will anticipate the fulfilment of the Lord’s words to Israel concerning the exaltation of the Jews in Jesus’ kingdom, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zechariah 8:23)

Thus, the visible church on earth is to bless Israel as a nation and Jewish people in specific as described above. It does not mean the church or Christians need to support evil committed by Jews. It does not mean being in favor of the current Israeli government, its policies, or actions. It does mean not hating the Jews for their ethnicity, culture, history, failures, or religion. The Lord has stated many times in His Word that He will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel. The Word of God cannot be broken (Ps. 117:2; 119:160; Isa. 40:8; Jn. 10:35). A righteous remnant of Jews will repent, believe in Jesus Christ by grace, and be exalted in Jesus’ future earthly kingdom (Isa. 11:11-16; 54:1-17; Jer. 3:15-18; 30:18-22; 32:36-44; Ezek. 34:23-24; 37:21-28; 39:25-29; Hos. 3:5; Joel 3:9-21; Amos 9:14-15; Micah 7:15-20; Zeph. 3:12-20; Zech. 10:6-12; 12:10; 13:8-9; Rom. 11:25-29). Take heed, bless the people of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob or be cursed by the Lord.

[1] https://youtube.com/shorts/4YgM2dswgdw?si=dMIn88-yf5lih-22

[2] https://www.gotquestions.org/divided-Bible-chapters-verses.html

[3] For a more detailed treatment of the Abrahamic Covenant see the two part sermon series in the book of Genesis, chapter 12:1-3 on the Anchor Bible Church website www.anchorbiblechurch.org or the Anchor Bible Church app https://www.anchorbiblechurch.org/the-book-of-genesis?sapurl=Lys0bnd0L2xiL21zLyt5eHp4ZGp0P2VtYmVkPXRydWUmcGFnZT02JnJlY2VudFJvdXRlPWFwcC53ZWItYXBwLmxpYnJhcnkubWVkaWEtc2VyaWVzJnJlY2VudFJvdXRlU2x1Zz0lMkJ5eHp4ZGp0. Also an excellent journal article by Irv Busenitz, “Introduction to the Biblical Covenants: The Noahic Covenant and Priestly Covenant,” https://tms.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/tmsj10m.pdf.