Security

We pray for Israel's security and well being for a very simple reason. In order for "all Israel to be saved", she has to be alive and living as a nation in God's appointed place for her in His creation!

For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean.

(Ezek 36:24-25)

While the scriptures are clear that God would bring His People back to their Land we do not have all the details about how this will happen. We can see throughout these last 130 years that the scriptures are being fulfilled but perhaps not the way we would want or think. Israel has returned to her land and been reborn as a nation through much sacrifice, pain, suffering and war. Yes war. We live in an unredeemed world and war is still part of human history and God shows Himself through it all.

King Hezekiah, is a good example of a spiritual man, who took the security of his nation seriously. When war was on the horizon, he prepared his nation by looking to the Lord first but also taking practical steps as well.

After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah; he encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself. And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that his purpose was to make war against Jerusalem, he consulted with his leaders and commanders to stop the water from the springs, which were outside the city; and they helped him. Thus many people gathered together who stopped all the springs and the brook that ran through the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water? And he strengthened himself, built up all the wall that was broken, raised it up to the towers, and built another wall outside; also he repaired the Millo in the City of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance. Then he set military captains over the people, gathered them together to him in the open square of the city gate, and gave them encouragement, saying, Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles. And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

(2 Ch 32:1-8)

Even as Hezekiah acknowledges the help of the Lord, he prepares the people for war. He is not presumptuous but does his part knowing that salvation will come only from the Lord. In the same way we not only pray a generic prayer for the Lord to protect and keep Israel, we often get quite specific in our security requests before the Lord.