Chapter 04 – Hear, O Israel!
Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!
Deuteronomy 6:4 (NASB)
The Call That Echoes Through Time
For over three millennia, these words, the Shema (שְׁמַע), have been the heartbeat of Jewish faith. The Hebrew word שְׁמַע (shema) means “hear” or “listen,” but implies much more: to hear with understanding, to internalize, and to obey. Whispered by children at bedtime, proclaimed in synagogues, and even spoken as final words by martyrs, this declaration captures the essence of Israel’s calling: absolute devotion to the one true God.
But what does it mean for Christians today to hear this ancient call? When we encounter “Israel” in our Bibles, our newspapers, and our sermons, are we hearing what God intends? Or has Satan woven a deception so subtle that we have confused human kingdoms with God’s kingdom, political alliances with spiritual faithfulness, and earthly nations with divine purposes?
This chapter exposes a dangerous deception: the belief that God’s covenant purposes are fulfilled through political power rather than spiritual transformation, and that Christians must offer uncritical support to any earthly nation, even one called Israel, as if it were synonymous with supporting God Himself.
Israel: The Man Who Wrestled with God
To understand the deception, we must return to the beginning; not to 1948, not to the Roman Empire, not even to King David, but to a lonely night by the Jabbok River where Israel was born.
The Birth of a Name
Jacob, grandson of Abraham, was fleeing from his past; a life marked by deception and striving. Alone in the darkness, he encountered a mysterious figure, and they wrestled until dawn:
When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him. Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.’ But he said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ So he said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’ Then he said, ‘Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed.’
Genesis 32:25-28 (NASB)
Israel, “one who wrestles with God,” began not as a nation, not as a political entity, but as a transformed individual who encountered the living God and would not let go until he received blessing. This is the foundation: Israel is fundamentally about relationship with God, not political power.
From Person to People
Jacob’s twelve sons became twelve tribes, and these tribes became a people. But notice how God defined them:
Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Exodus 19:5-6 (NASB)
A kingdom of priests; not a kingdom of politicians. A holy nation; not a holy government. Their identity was inseparable from their relationship with God. They were to demonstrate to all nations what it meant to live under divine rule, to be governed not by human wisdom but by God’s Torah (His divine instruction and law given through Moses), not by military might but by miraculous provision.
The Great Rejection
Here we reach the heart of the deception, a moment in Israel’s history that echoes through the centuries and illuminates our current confusion.
“Like All the Nations”
Despite God’s miraculous deliverance from Egypt, His provision in the wilderness, and His presence among them in the promised land, Israel looked at surrounding nations with envy:
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; and they said to him, ‘Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint us a king to judge us like all the nations.’
1 Samuel 8:4-5 (NASB)
Those four words, “like all the nations,” represent a fundamental rejection of Israel’s calling. They no longer wanted to be different, set apart, unique. They wanted what everyone else had: visible power, human leadership, military strength.
God’s Heartbreak
God’s response to Samuel reveals the true nature of their request:
And the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Listen to the voice of the people regarding all that they say to you, because they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being King over them. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day, in that they have abandoned Me and served other gods, so they are doing to you as well.’
1 Samuel 8:7-8 (NASB)
This wasn’t merely a change in governmental structure, it was spiritual adultery. By demanding a human king, Israel rejected their true King. And God, through Samuel, warned them exactly what this rejection would cost:
This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen… He will take your daughters for perfumers, for cooks, and for bakers. He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves… He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards… and you yourselves will become his servants.
1 Samuel 8:11-17 (NASB)
The Tragic History
Everything God warned came to pass, and worse. The history of Israel’s monarchy reads like a systematic fulfillment of every divine warning.
Saul: Israel’s first king was everything they thought they wanted; tall, handsome, from a respected family (1 Samuel 9:1-2). But Saul’s reign revealed the hollow nature of human kingship. His impatience led him to usurp priestly duties (1 Samuel 13:8-14), while his pride caused him to disobey God’s direct commands (1 Samuel 15:22-23). Jealousy eventually drove him to madness and attempted murder (1 Samuel 18:10-11), and he ended his life in disgrace, falling on his own sword (1 Samuel 31:4).
David: Israel’s greatest king fell catastrophically. He committed adultery with Bathsheba while her husband, Uriah, fought David’s war (2 Samuel 11:2-4), then orchestrated Uriah’s murder to cover his sin (2 Samuel 11:14-17). His family was torn apart by rape, murder, and rebellion (2 Samuel 13-18), and his prideful census resulted in plague that killed 70,000 Israelites (2 Samuel 24:15). The prophet Nathan’s judgment haunts David’s legacy: “The sword shall never depart from your house” (2 Samuel 12:10).
Solomon: The wisest of all of Israel’s leaders began with such promise, asking God for wisdom rather than wealth. Yet he accumulated 700 wives and 300 concubines, directly violating God’s command (1 Kings 11:3; Deuteronomy 17:17). His foreign wives turned his heart after other gods; Ashtoreth, Milcom, Chemosh, and Molech (1 Kings 11:5-7). He built high places for abominations on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Temple (1 Kings 11:7). His heavy taxation and forced labor planted seeds of rebellion (1 Kings 12:4), and the kingdom split immediately after his death, never to reunite (1 Kings 12:16-17).
After Solomon, the litany of failure accelerates. Jeroboam immediately instituted golden calf worship (1 Kings 12:28-29). Ahab and Jezebel introduced Baal worship and murdered God’s prophets (1 Kings 18:4). Manasseh filled Jerusalem with innocent blood and burned his own son as a sacrifice (2 Kings 21:6, 16). King after king “did evil in the sight of the LORD,” this phrase appears 39 times across the books of Kings and Chronicles.
The northern kingdom fell to Assyria in 722 BC, its people scattered and lost. The southern kingdom limped on until 586 BC when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. The Davidic throne, that symbol of human kingship they so desperately wanted, was empty.
All of this, every betrayal, every exile, every destruction, flowed from that original rejection in 1 Samuel 8. When Israel chose human kingship over divine rule, they set in motion centuries of spiritual adultery that culminated in national catastrophe. The very monarchy they thought would make them strong became the instrument of their destruction.
The Modern Deception
Today, Satan has convinced many Christians of a dangerous half-truth: that supporting any modern government called “Israel” unconditionally is equivalent to obeying God’s command to “bless Israel.” But which Israel does God command us to bless?
The Confusion of Categories
Many well-meaning believers conflate three distinct concepts, blending them together until they can no longer distinguish between them. First is Israel the person, Jacob, an individual transformed by encountering God. Second is Israel the people, those called to be a kingdom of priests, defined by their covenant relationship with the Almighty. Third is Israel the nation-state; a political entity like any other nation, with parliament, military, and foreign policy.
This confusion leads to theological and practical errors. When Christians hear “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6), they immediately think of supporting specific government policies or military actions. But throughout Scripture, God’s concern was never primarily about political sovereignty but about spiritual fidelity.
What Scripture Actually Teaches
Paul provides crucial clarity about who constitutes “Israel” in God’s eyes:
But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: ‘through Isaac your descendants shall be named.’ That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
Romans 9:6-8 (NASB)
This isn’t replacement theology, it is biblical theology. God’s promises were always about faith, not ethnicity or political boundaries. The true Israel consists of those who, like Jacob, have wrestled with God and been transformed.
The Pattern Continues
The same temptation that led ancient Israel to reject God as King, trusting in political power rather than divine provision, continues today. Many Christians believe that:
- God’s kingdom requires political nations to advance
- Supporting certain governments equals supporting God
- Political sovereignty ensures spiritual blessing
- Military might accomplishes divine purposes
But Jesus explicitly rejected this thinking:
Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not from here.’
John 18:36 (NASB)
God’s Heart for All Nations
One of the most dangerous aspects of this deception is how it can blind us to God’s love for all people and our mission to all nations.
The Missionary Mandate
Jesus commanded:
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19 (NASB)
All nations, not just those politically aligned with certain governments. Every person created in God’s image, regardless of their nationality or their government’s policies, needs the gospel.
Love Your Enemies
Jesus’s teaching on enemy love challenges us precisely when nations call for war or vengeance:
But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who are abusive to you.
Luke 6:27-28 (NASB)
This command becomes most difficult when applied to real conflicts. When nations call for military action, whether against distant countries that pose no genuine threat or against perceived enemies within our own borders, Christians face a choice: Will we follow the drumbeat of war or the Prince of Peace?
Consider how quickly we can be swept into supporting violence against people we have never met, in lands we have never visited, based on political narratives we have never verified. We’re told certain groups are threats, certain nations are enemies, certain people within our own borders are dangerous and suddenly we’re cheering for their destruction rather than praying for their salvation.
The gospel knows no permanent enemies. Every person labeled as a threat by governments or media is still created in God’s image, still loved by Christ who died for them, still within reach of redemptive grace. When we accept earthly definitions of who deserves destruction rather than salvation, we abandon our calling as ambassadors of reconciliation.
Tear Down the Wall
The gospel’s revolutionary message is that Christ has destroyed the barriers between peoples:
For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace.
Ephesians 2:14-15 (NASB)
When Christians rebuild walls based on political allegiance that Christ died to tear down, we work against the gospel itself.
The True Hope for Israel
God has not abandoned the Jewish people. Paul makes this abundantly clear:
I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? Far from it! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
Romans 11:1 (NASB)
And later:
And so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.’
Romans 11:26 (NASB)
But notice, salvation comes through the Deliverer from Zion (Christ), not through political sovereignty. Paul’s heart breaks for his kinsmen according to the flesh:
Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.
Romans 10:1 (NASB)
The true hope for Israel, and for all nations, is not political power but spiritual transformation through Jesus Christ.
How Then Should We Respond?
Distinguish Between Categories
We must recognize that modern political entities are not identical to biblical covenant communities. No modern government, whether American, Israeli, or any other, operates as a theocracy under God’s direct rule. All human governments are fallen and fallible.
Pray with Biblical Priorities
When we pray for Israel (or any nation), our primary prayer should be for salvation and peace, not political success. We should pray for Jewish people to recognize Jesus as Messiah, for all people in conflict zones to encounter Christ, for peace that comes through the gospel rather than just through treaties, and for believers of all backgrounds to demonstrate unity in Christ.
Support What God Supports
God’s concerns throughout Scripture are consistent. As Micah 6:8 declares, He requires us to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. We should support justice, mercy, and humility wherever we find them, and oppose injustice, oppression, and pride wherever they appear; even when they come from nations we typically support.
Remember Your True Citizenship
Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:20 that our citizenship is in Heaven, from which we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our ultimate allegiance is not to any flag or nation but to Christ and His kingdom.
Maintain Gospel Focus
Every political situation should be viewed through the lens of a gospel opportunity. Instead of asking “Which side should I support?” we should ask “How can the gospel advance in this situation?”
The Political Trap
Satan’s deception is elegant in its simplicity: convince Christians that God’s kingdom advances through political power and that supporting certain nations equals supporting God.
This deception:
- Diverts attention from the Great Commission.
- Creates enemies where there should be mission fields.
- Confuses political loyalty with spiritual faithfulness.
- Rebuilds walls that Christ died to tear down.
- Trusts in human power rather than divine provision.
The antidote is returning to Scripture’s clear teaching: God’s kingdom is not of this world, true Israel is defined by faith not politics, and our mission is to make disciples of all nations, not to ensure certain nations’ political dominance.
A Call to Biblical Faithfulness
The Shema still calls to us today: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!” This is not a call to political allegiance but to spiritual devotion. Not a mandate for uncritical support of any nation but for unwavering loyalty to God alone.
When ancient Israel rejected God as King in favor of human political power, it began centuries of spiritual decline. Let us not repeat their error by binding God’s purposes to earthly governments or confusing political victories with spiritual advancement.
Instead, let us be like Jacob, wrestling with God until we’re transformed, defined not by our political positions but by our encounter with the Divine. Let us be true Israel, a kingdom of priests from every nation, tribe, and tongue, united not by borders but by the blood of Jesus Christ.
The next time you hear “Israel” in Scripture, sermon, or song, remember: God’s heart has always been for a people defined by faith, not a government defined by politics. His kingdom advances through transformed hearts, not military might. His promises are fulfilled in Christ, not in congresses or parliaments.
May we have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying: Our God reigns, not through the rise and fall of nations, but through the gospel of Jesus Christ, spreading to every corner of the earth, breaking down walls, and creating one new humanity in Him.
Reflections
Definition Check: When you hear “Israel” in Scripture or sermons, what comes to mind first: a modern nation, an ancient people, or those who have faith in God? How might clarifying these distinctions change your understanding of biblical prophecy?
Allegiance Audit: Have you ever felt pressure to support a nation’s policies because of religious teaching rather than biblical conviction? How can you separate genuine biblical commands from human political agendas?
Enemy Love: Are there people groups you struggle to see as needing the gospel because of their nation’s politics? How can you begin praying for believers in nations your country opposes?
Kingdom Priorities: How would your political views change if your primary question was “How will this advance the gospel?” rather than “How will this benefit my preferred nation?”
Trust Assessment: Where are you more likely to place your hope; in political victories or in gospel transformation? What would it look like to trust God as King rather than human governments?
A Prayer for Us
Heavenly Father,
You alone are King, and Your kingdom is not of this world. Forgive us for the times we have trusted in human governments rather than Your sovereign rule, when we have confused political power with spiritual victory.
Lord, we pray for Israel, not primarily for political success but for spiritual awakening. Open the eyes of Jewish people everywhere to see Jesus as their Messiah. We pray equally for Palestinians, Iranians, Syrians, and every people group in conflict, that they would encounter the Prince of Peace.
Give us wisdom to distinguish between Your eternal purposes and human political agendas. Help us to resist any teaching that binds Your kingdom to earthly nations or suggests Your purposes require political power.
Break our hearts for what breaks Yours, not national defeats but lost souls, not political setbacks but spiritual blindness. Help us to see every person as You do: created in Your image, loved by You, and in desperate need of the gospel.
Lord Jesus, You rejected earthly political power to accomplish Your mission through the cross. Help us to follow Your example, advancing Your kingdom through love, sacrifice, and gospel proclamation rather than political maneuvering.
Holy Spirit, guide us into all truth. When religious traditions or political pressures would deceive us, illuminate the Scriptures. Show us that Your kingdom transcends every border and Your family includes people from every nation.
We declare with the Shema: You alone are our God, You alone are one. Not America, not Israel, not any nation; but You alone deserve our ultimate allegiance.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our true and only King, Amen.