S1 EP14 | Israel: A Little Word Loaded with Meaning

Hold on a minute. Isn’t Israel a country? What do you mean by “land” and “people”? In this first of a three-part series of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Carly and Ezra discuss what the word “Israel” encompasses.  

Coming from their two different backgrounds, each has their own questions for the other. Ezra asks Carly to explain what “Israel” and “standing with Israel” meant to her as a Gentile Christian before working in Jewish ministry. He also asks what stood in her way of learning more about Israel and what she’s done in recent years to stay informed. 

Carly asks Ezra: 

• Why should Israel be on my radar as a Christian? 
• Is caring about Israel in the same category as caring about the other things God tells us to care about? 
• What does it really mean to care about Israel? 
• Who or what is Israel? What’s the difference between the land and the people? 
• What’s the West Bank, and what’s the dispute about it? 
• Where did the conflict in the Middle East start? 
• Describe the population of Israel. 
• Can I, as a Christian, stand with Israel without understanding all that’s going on there? 
• What would you recommend to Christian listeners who want to become or stay informed about Israel? 

In response to a listener comment, Carly asks Ezra the bold question, “Why are Jewish people so offended by the name of Jesus and discussion of Him?” You’re going to want to hear his answer. 

You’ll also hear: 

• What’s the big deal about this little strip of land in the Middle East 
• Interpreting the Bible’s use of the word “forever;” 
• Three descriptions of “the Land of Israel”  
• When the Bible means Israel-the-Land and when it means Israel-the people 
• How without one particular biblical view of God and the land of Israel, the whole conflict in the Middle East becomes a muddy mess 

Plus, you’ll hear one of Ezra’s favorite quotes about human nature (very insightful) and one of the most valuable things the Christian community can do in terms of standing with Israel. 

Tune in for Parts 2 and 3 of this series when Ezra and Carly dig deeper to unpack lots of significant and meaningful information about “The Land and State of Israel” and “The People of Israel.” 

Words you might learn in this episode

Torah, shatachim, shatach, rabbinically Jewish, aliyah, Yeshua 

Hear other exciting conversations between “a Jew and a Gentile” wherever you listen to podcasts or go to www.ajewandagentilediscuss.org for more information.  

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