The Heart of Asia

Surprising though it may seem, the heart of Asia is not China, nor India but Israel.

Why do I make such a strange assertion? In Isaiah 2:2-3 (NIV) we read the following:

'In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains;it will be raised above the hills,and all nations will stream to it.

Many peoples will come and say,"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.
"The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."

Many other scriptures point to the unique and vital purpose that God has for Israel, most of all being his special instrument to fulfil the purpose of sending his Son into the world to be the sacifice for sins, once and for all people for all time.

The heart of God and the heart of his purposes has a special focus on Israel and the Jewish people. He said to Solomon at the building of temple:

My eyes and my heart will ALWAYS be there (2 Chronicles 7:16)

Have a look at the following scriptures especially: Romans 9:1-5, 11:28-29, Psalm 122:6-9.

Israel -the Jewish people as a nation -has never been given her P45 (told to leave her job) as God's testimony on earth.

This divine purpose is to be a blessing began with Abraham's calling in Genesis 12:2-3.

God's restoration of the Jewish people to their ancient land, and their spiritual restoration are inextricably linked to his salvation of the nations (see Isaiah 49:5-13).

Israel must also have a two-way role:

1.To be in the place of God's favour in order to be a source of blessing to the nations,
(Psalm 67:1-2).

2.To seek God for his blessing for the Gentile (non-Jewish) nations, that they might experience his blessing,
(Psalm 67:3-7).

There are websites and biblical scholars who might communicate these things more adequately, but I hope these thoughts are helpful.

God chose one of Jesus' ancestors - a Gentile -to be redeemed and partner with the spies, in assessing and entering the promised land. This was Rahab (see Joshua 2).

God chose one of Jesus' ancestors -a Gentile- to be married to Boaz and redeemed in order to be a mother in Israel and great-grandmother of David (see the book of Ruth).

Our participation as Gentiles in the riches of God's mercy is only by a joining as 'one new man' (see Ephesians 2 especially 15b).

It is a grafting into the root of Jesus for us as Gentiles (Romans 11:17-18), remembering that when the Jews return to their Messiah, it will be the most natural thing (Romans 11:24). The fruitfulness that results, will be beyond our imagination (Romans 11:12,15).

Father, make us watchmen on your walls day and night until you establish Jerusalem and make her the oraise of the earth (Isaiah 62:6-7).