Israel: A Stone in the Path

In one paragraph

Week three of the "Hanging Your Hat on God's Truth" series took aim at one of the most contested questions in the news and in the church: what do you actually believe about Israel, and where did that belief come from? Brian walked the congregation through the book of Zechariah and a handful of other passages to argue that Israel is not a topic Christians can ignore or dismiss, and that the most...

Read together

1. Isaiah (unspecified chapter, Zechariah series intro) God speaks through Isaiah of judgment against an official and uses the metaphor of a strong peg driven into the wall
2. Zechariah 12:1-3 read aloud: Jerusalem made like an intoxicating drink that staggers nations, and an immovable rock all nations gather against
3. Revelation 12:11 congregation member quoted: they overcame by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony
4. Nehemiah 4 enemies mock Israel rebuilding the wall, saying even a fox would topple it
5. John (unspecified) Roman soldiers and temple guards stagger and fall back when Jesus says I am he in the garden
6. Genesis 3 messianic promise given after the curse: from the seed of the woman a savior would come
7. Genesis 6 spiritual beings took daughters of Adam and created hybrid offspring, men of renown
8. Mark 3 (or nearby chapter) demon cries out have you come to torment us, Jesus, son of the most high God
9. Deuteronomy 7:6-9 God chose Israel not for their size or perfection but simply because he loves them and keeps his covenant
10. Isaiah 9:1-7 light shining in darkness, yoke of slavery broken, child born to us called wonderful counselor mighty God everlasting father prince of peace
11. Matthew 21:44 anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces and it will crush anyone on whom it falls

What was said

• Show up to the gathering on the town square at 5 PM today to stand with the Jewish community in support of Israel.
• Open Zechariah 12 and cross-reference it with the Gospel of John passage where the soldiers fall back, then write the address in the margin so the connection stays with you.
• Pray the specific prayer Brian suggested: ask Jesus to look at the hat rack of your life and show you where you have been hanging your Israel hat, and whether it belongs there.
• Look up Deuteronomy 7:6-9 and Isaiah 9:1-7 this week and sit with what those passages say about God's commitment to Israel and how that might mirror his commitment to you.
• Pick one time this week that you would normally fill with a screen or a scroll, and spend it with God instead, letting Nancy's honest moment in worship be the nudge.

Talk about it

1. Brian talked about the principle of the biggest hook, the idea that the most compelling narrative is usually the one people hang their beliefs on. Can you think of a time when you moved your hat from one hook to another on any subject, and what caused you to move it?
2. Nancy shared that she spent a day at home watching a Lifetime movie instead of seeking God, and said the conviction she felt came down to how she managed her time with him. Where do you feel that same tension in your own life, and what does it actually look like when you do make time for him?
3. Brian described Satan as a vandal who targets Israel specifically because of God's covenant promises and the line through which the Messiah came. How does understanding that cosmic backstory change the way you think about the conflict in the Middle East and the hostility toward Israel that you see in the news?
4. Brian said that when it comes to Israel, you can pretend the stone is not there, try to roll it out of your way and throw your back out, or fall on the rock and be shattered. What would it look like practically for you to fall on that rock and let the Holy Spirit form your theology of Israel rather than a church tradition or a media narrative?
5. Brian closed by saying that if you study God's heart for Israel you will eventually see yourself in Israel's story, and that your love for your Father will grow through it. Has there been a moment, whether in this series or before it, where you saw your own life reflected in something God did for Israel? What did you see?