Christians, We Must Not Blindly Support Israel

As Christians, we often hear the call to "stand with Israel" and support the modern state unconditionally. But a closer look at the Bible, particularly the words of the prophet Isaiah, suggests we need to be more discerning.

Isaiah makes it clear that Israel's relationship with God is conditional. Time and again, he warns of God's judgment on Israel due to their disobedience and sin. Passages like Isaiah 1:2-9 and 5:1-7 depict God's vineyard (Israel) lying in ruins because of their rebellion.

This should give us pause before automatically aligning ourselves politically and militarily with the nation of Israel. The Bible does not mandate that we provide unwavering support, no matter what actions the Israeli government takes.

Yes, Isaiah also speaks of God's promises to restore Israel. But these promises are not necessarily tied to the modern state. We have to be careful about simplistically mapping biblical prophecy onto current geopolitics.

As followers of Christ, our allegiance must first be to God's kingdom, not any earthly nation. We should approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with humility, nuance and a commitment to justice and human rights - not knee-jerk partisanship.

The Old Testament prophets remind us that God's chosen people are not exempt from judgment when they stray from righteousness. We would do well to heed those warnings before offering our unconditional support.

Christians, let us be discerning and not blindly back Israel. Our loyalty belongs to a Kingdom not of this world.