Against all human expectations and according to God’s promises, Israel is still standing. We celebrate the 75^th birthday of the modern Jewish State on Yom Ha’azmaut, also known as Israel’s Independence Day. Here are seven reasons to join the celebration.

We celebrate because of Israel’s survival.
In her entire history, Israel has been the epitome of survival. From the moment God created a people and gave them land and a law, Israel became a prime target in the world. From Pharaoh who didn’t know Joseph, to Haman to the Amalekites, the Bible is already replete with Israel’s foes. Post-biblical history continues to trace the lineage of the Jewish people as it is punctuated by acts of anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism, going from verbal to violent to lethal, peaking with the Holocaust. In spite of all the anti-Semitic hatred, Israel has survived. In spite of all the wars against her from 1948 to today, and miraculously, Israel has survived. In spite of the current waves of terrorism, Israel will survive because Israel’s complete annihilation would make God a liar and covenant breaker (Jeremiah 31:35-37.)

We celebrate because of Israel's innovative spirit
When the Jewish people started to organize under the leadership of Theodor Herzl and Chaim Weizmann in the late 1890s, survival was of the essence, but creativity went hand in hand with the spirit of survival. Zionism was the catalyst for a mass migration to the land of our ancestors. From a place of swamps, rocks, desert and almost no vegetation, Israel has become one of the world’s foremost providers of fresh produce. Drip irrigation was an Israeli invention out of necessity. Much more has come to our modern world from Israeli ingenuity. It makes the job of the proponents of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) very complicated if they choose to be ethically consistent, but they seldom do!

We celebrate because Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East
This little sliver of land the size of New Jersey almost becomes a drop of water as one places it within the whole ocean of Arab countries surrounding her. Muslim governments vary from somewhat moderate to fully Sharia-compliant. Women, homosexuals and even people of other faiths are often abused verbally AND physically, with their rights taken away from them. The one country in the Middle East where Arabs and Jews can actually coexist (at least from an Israeli perspective) is Israel. There are even Arabs as members of the Knesset (Israel Parliament.)

We celebrate because Israel is a safe haven for the Jewish people.
Jewish people have been in the Diaspora (Dispersion), since the destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD. We can be found just about anywhere in the world, even though there are only 15 million of us. Yet, it is becoming increasingly evident that the only safe haven for Jewish people worldwide is Eretz Yisrael. Anti-Semitism is on the rise everywhere. Jews are being killed in Europe, the Middle East and even America, simply for being Jewish. Nevertheless, God promised that the Jews would return to the Land of Israel (Ezekiel 37), and we see that very prophecy being fulfilled in our lifetime.

We celebrate because the re-birth of Israel set the stage for much of the Bible to be fulfilled.
Unfortunately, today when it comes to Israel and the Jewish people, fact-finding is the last thing people are interested in! In 1948, when Israel was reborn, the stage was set for many prophecies to be fulfilled. The rebirth of Israel might not be specifically prophesied in the Bible, but without its rebirth, much of the end times events would not have become a reality.

1. Jacob’s descendants would regain control of Israel – Amos 9:14-15
2. Israel would be brought back to life – Ezekiel 37:10-14
3. Isaiah spoke of Israel being reborn in one day after the Tribulation – Isaiah 66:7-8
4. Israel would be re-established as a united nation – Ezekiel 37:21-22
5. Israel would be more impressive the second time –  Jeremiah 16:14-15
6. Ezekiel predicted when Israel would be re-established – Ezekiel 4:3-6
7. The people of Israel would return to “their own land” – Ezekiel 34:13
8. God would watch over the people of Israel – Jeremiah 31:10
9. Israel’s army would be disproportionately powerful – Leviticus 26:3, 7-8
10. The fortunes of the people of Israel would be restored – Deuteronomy 30:3-5

We celebrate because of God’s promises to Israel
Some people believe in God, while others don’t, but that doesn’t prevent God from keeping his promises for Israel, and they are numerous:
• God made a covenant with Abraham: Genesis 12:1-3
• God gave specific boundaries: Genesis 15:18-21
• God’s covenant was reconfirmed through Isaac, Jacob (Israel) and his 12 sons: Genesis 26:2-4, 28:13, 50:24
• Israel will never be destroyed because of God’s promise of eternal protection: Jeremiah 31:35-37

We celebrate because of Israel’s glorious future promised by God.
As bleak as the present looks, especially from a human perspective, Israel has a guaranteed glorious future, and that is indeed a cause for celebration.
• God promised Israel a New Covenant when He will remember their sins no more: Jeremiah 31:31-34
• Israel’s glorious future includes a final restoration to the land: Ezekiel 39:25-29
• Israel’s glorious future is secure because of God’s character: Ezekiel 36:22-28

Happy Independence Day, Happy 75th Birthday and Am Yisrael Chai!

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