God’s Embrace: Never Forget His Heart for Israel
“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” – Romans 11:29 (ESV)
There’s a posture of divine love we often overlook in our modern theology—a love that wraps itself in history, covenant, longing, and promise. And if we’re not careful, we’ll miss it.
It’s the image of the Lord, not just embracing humanity, but embracing Israel. The land. The people. The promise.
The Starting Place of Redemption
Long before the church was born at Pentecost, before missionaries were sent to the nations, before Gentile believers filled auditoriums and streaming platforms—God chose a people.
Not because they were the largest or the most impressive. In fact, Deuteronomy 7:7 says it plainly:
“It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you…”
He chose Israel because of His covenant love—a love He has never, and will never, walk away from.
When Jesus came, He came as a Jewish Messiah to a Jewish people. He was born under the Law (Galatians 4:4), circumcised on the eighth day, taught in synagogues, and sent first to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24).
His death was for the world—but His mission began with Israel.
Grafted, Not Replaced
Romans 11 paints a powerful image of Gentiles as wild branches grafted into a cultivated olive tree. That cultivated tree is Israel. The root is the covenant. The branches—both natural and wild—draw their life from the same source: God’s promise.
Paul warns us not to be arrogant:
“Do not be arrogant toward the branches... remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.” – Romans 11:18
Some modern Christian thought has leaned dangerously toward replacement theology, the idea that the church has replaced Israel in God’s plan. But Scripture does not support this.
Instead, the church is an expansion of God’s redemptive plan—not a replacement. We are grafted in, not elevated above.
This is crucial.
God didn’t abandon His people. He fulfilled His promises through Christ and opened the door wide to the nations. But His covenant with Israel remains intact.
Prophetic Love and Future Hope
Think of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem in Luke 19:41:
“When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it.”
Why would He weep over a people He was about to reject? The answer is—He wasn’t rejecting them. He was grieving their blindness.
Even in their rebellion, His heart was still for them. Just like the prophets who stood in the streets and cried for repentance, Jesus came not to condemn, but to call home.
There’s coming a day—Paul tells us—when “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26). How? By God’s mercy. Not because of their works. Not because of their status. But because of His covenant and His faithfulness.
God doesn’t change His mind like people do.
The Global Body Must Not Forget
In our global Christianity, we celebrate diversity, missions, cultures, and languages. That’s beautiful. That’s biblical.
But we must not lose sight of the foundation upon which we stand.
Our Savior was Jewish.
Our Scriptures were written by Jewish hands under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Our spiritual inheritance is tied to the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
And yet, many in the modern church have grown indifferent to Israel—some even hostile. That’s not God’s heart.
We’re called to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). We’re called to bless Israel (Genesis 12:3). And we’re called to remember that the Lord has not, and will not, forget His people.
Not Nationalism—Covenant
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about political allegiance. It’s about biblical alignment.
We don’t worship a nation—we worship a covenant-keeping God. But in honoring that covenant, we honor His choices. And God chose Israel.
Our support for Israel shouldn’t stem from politics, it should stem from Scripture—from a heart that mirrors God’s.
We must not let the media or the world’s agenda redefine what God has clearly spoken.
What This Means for Us Today
The image of Jesus hugging the flag of Israel isn’t about imagery—it’s a picture of His ongoing intercession, His undying love, and His redemptive mission that began in a manger in Bethlehem and will culminate on the Mount of Olives.
As followers of Christ:
We honor Israel not because she is perfect, but because she is loved.
We pray for her peace not because it’s popular, but because it’s commanded.
We celebrate our adoption not in arrogance, but in humility and gratitude.
We’re part of a story that started thousands of years ago—and that story isn’t over.
Final Thoughts
God’s embrace of Israel is not symbolic—it’s literal, spiritual, prophetic, and eternal.
We are witnesses of that embrace. Recipients of its overflow. Carriers of its message.
So let us never forget:
The same Lord who stretched out His hands on the cross has never stopped stretching them out toward His people.
Reflection Questions:
Have you taken time to understand God’s covenant with Israel beyond what you’ve heard in modern church culture?
How does honoring God’s love for Israel help you walk in greater humility as a Gentile believer?
In what ways can you practically bless, support, or pray for Israel today?
