Tag Archives: God’s faithfulness

Why and How I Pray for Israel

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Israel’s Future in God’s Faithfulness

From Genesis to Revelation, the story of Israel is the story of a chosen people uniquely called and covenanted by God—not because of their merit, but because of His faithfulness. The Abrahamic Covenant (Gen 12:1-3; 15:1-21; 17:1-8) remains in effect to this day. It is an unconditional, unilateral promise in which God swore to give Abraham’s descendants a land, a nation, and a blessing, and it has never been annulled or replaced. Even though the majority of Israel remains in unbelief, they are still God’s covenant people, and “they are beloved for the sake of the fathers” (Rom 11:28). Their future restoration is not only prophesied—it is guaranteed by God’s own character.

Scripture teaches that Israel is presently under divine discipline. After centuries of rebellion, culminating in the rejection of their Messiah, Jesus declared, “Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!” (Matt 23:38). Fruchtenbaum notes, “Because of their rejection of His messiahship, in place of being gathered they are going to be scattered” (A. G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology, 783). Yet this was not a cancellation of the covenant, as Jesus added, “For I tell you, you will not see Me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Matt 23:39). That future confession will come at His Second Coming, when the Jewish leadership will lead the nation in receiving their Messiah. Until then, Israel is undergoing “a partial hardening…until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Rom 11:25), after which “all Israel will be saved” (Rom 11:26). This discipline is temporary and purposeful—God is preserving His people through chastening, preparing them for repentance and restoration. His hand has never left them.

My Love for Israel

I love Israel, because they are God’s chosen people, and set apart for a unique role in history. Scripture declares, “The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deut 7:6). This choosing was not based on merit, but on God’s faithfulness and love: “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples…but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers” (Deut 7:7-8). Though Israel has often stumbled, God’s love for them endures. He says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have drawn you with lovingkindness” (Jer 31:3). Even now, during a time of national unbelief, Paul reminds us that “they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:28-29). Israel remains the apple of His eye (Zech 2:8), and He will fulfill every promise He made to the patriarchs, bringing about their future restoration when they turn to the Messiah in faith (Zech 12:10; Rom 11:26).

My Prayers for Israel

Lately, when I’ve been praying for Israel, I keep thinking about Moses and how he interceded for his people during a time of deep disobedience, when they turned from the Lord to worship a golden calf (Ex 32:1-6). The Lord saw their corruption (Ex 32:7-8) and said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people” (Ex 32:9). God’s anger burned against them, and He declared, “Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation” (Ex 32:10). Interestingly, Moses stood in the gap and prayed for Israel, appealing to God’s character and covenant promises. His intercession serves as a wonderful example for how I pray for Israel today. There are three parts to Moses prayer (Ex 32:11-13).

First, Moses reminded God that Israel belonged to Him, saying, “Why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt?” (Ex 32:11). Moses did not refer to Israel as his people, but as God’s people—chosen, delivered, and set apart by Him. To say they were God’s people was to anchor their identity, destiny, and security in His covenant faithfulness. Moses interceded not on the basis of Israel’s worthiness, but on the grounds of God’s unchanging commitment to those He had called His own (Deut 7:6-8).

Second, Moses appealed to God’s reputation, saying, “Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains?’” (Ex 32:12). Moses cared about how the world would perceive God’s actions. This principle still stands. When I pray for Israel, I pray not merely for their safety or national success, but for God’s name—His reputation—to be magnified in how He deals with them. The nations are watching, and Israel’s story is ultimately about God’s glory and faithfulness. Whether through judgment or mercy, His dealings must demonstrate His justice, His love, and His covenant fidelity.

Finally, Moses appealed to God’s covenant promises, saying, “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants’” (Ex 32:13). Moses took God back to His Word—not to hold Him hostage to it, but to show that he trusted in God’s integrity. Moses knew that God keeps His promises to His people. When I pray for Israel, I echo this appeal. I’m not asking for blessing based on Israel’s righteousness, but on God’s faithfulness. (Gen 12:1-3; 15:18; 17:7-8; Psa 105:8-11; Rom 11:28-29). I ask God to act in accordance with His promises—not only because He is just, but because He delights in faithful love (Mic 7:18-20).

My Prayer for Israel:

O Lord, You are the faithful God who keeps everlasting promises to the fathers (Deut 7:9), and Israel remains Your covenant people—called by Your name, formed by Your hand, and beloved for the sake of the patriarchs (Isa 43:1, 21; Rom 11:28). I pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psa 122:6), that Your purposes may be fulfilled and Your name glorified among the nations (Isa 66:18-20; Ezek 36:23). For the sake of Your great name, act in mercy and power; do not let the nations say that You have forsaken Your people (Jer 33:24-26). Show that You are the God who disciplines yet restores, whose wrath is just and whose mercy is abundant (Hos 11:8-9; Mic 7:18-19). You swore to bless Abraham’s descendants and make them many (Gen 12:2-3; 15:5; 22:17), and I trust You will keep that Word, for You are God and cannot lie (Num 23:19; Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18). Until Messiah returns, raise up laborers to proclaim the gospel, to pray for Your people, and to support Israel in ways that honor and glorify You and bring blessing to them. I ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div.

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The New Covenant

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The Bible presents several key covenants that reveal God’s unfolding plan for humanity. Divine covenants are formal agreements established by God, central to His redemptive plan, and can be classified as unilateral or bilateral. Unilateral covenants are unconditional, where God guarantees to fulfill His promises regardless of human actions. Examples include the Noahic Covenant, in which God promises never to flood the earth again (Gen 9:8-17); the Abrahamic Covenant, assuring land, descendants, and blessings for all the families of the earth (Gen 12:1-3; 15:18-21); the Davidic Covenant, promising an eternal throne through David’s lineage (2 Sam 7:12-16; Psa 89:3-4); and the New Covenant, offering forgiveness and a transformed heart (Jer 31:33-34; Ezek 36:26-27). Bilateral covenants, on the other hand, are conditional, requiring both parties to fulfill specific obligations. The Mosaic Covenant is a key example (Ex 19-24), where Israel must obey God’s law to receive blessings and avoid curses (Deut 28). Unilateral covenants highlight God’s sovereign grace, while bilateral ones emphasize human responsibility in maintaining covenant faithfulness.

The New Covenant was made between God and the nation of Israel (Jer 31:33-34; Ezek 36:26-27). Unlike the Mosaic Covenant, which Israel had broken, the New Covenant promises an internal transformation, with God’s law written on their hearts, a restored relationship with Him, and the complete forgiveness of sins. Ezekiel elaborates on this transformation by describing how God will give Israel a new heart and spirit, removing their heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh, and by placing His Spirit within them, enabling them to live in obedience. The covenant will reach its full realization during the millennial reign of Christ, when all Israel will know the Lord and experience these promised blessings in their entirety (Rom 11:25-27; Zech 12:10).

The church is not a party to the New Covenant, but it shares in its spiritual blessings through its union with Christ (Rom 11:17-24; 1 Cor 11:25; 2 Cor 3:6). At the Last Supper, Jesus declared that His blood inaugurated the New Covenant (Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25). Fruchtenbaum states, “By His shedding of blood, He [Jesus] inaugurated the New Covenant. He replaced, by His sacrifice, the old system and established the New Covenant.”[1] Constable states, “Jesus ratified the New Covenant when He died on the cross, the blessings that will come to Israel did not begin then. They will begin when Jesus returns and establishes His kingdom on the earth. However, the church enters into some of the blessing of the New Covenant now.”[2] Hebrews 8-10 affirms that Christ is the Mediator of a better covenant, highlighting the superiority of His sacrifice over the Old Covenant system. However, to be clear, the church does not replace Israel but is grafted into Israel’s spiritual blessings (Rom 11:17-24). As a result, believers in the church age experience forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7) and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19)—blessings that flow from Christ’s New Covenant work. Fruchtenbaum states, “The Church is merely partaking of the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant as she is partaking of the spiritual blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant.”[3] The full realization of the covenant remains future, awaiting Israel’s national restoration at Christ’s return (Rom 11:25-27). Showers notes, “the Church is partaking of the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant, the material and national promises of that covenant are not being fulfilled with the Church.”[4] Fruchtenbaum states:

“There is only one New Covenant which is made with Israel. Like the Abrahamic Covenant, it contains both physical and spiritual promises. As with the Abrahamic Covenant, the physical promises are limited to Israel but the spiritual were promised to go out to the Gentiles. Gentile believers have become “partakers” of the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant as they are of the Abrahamic Covenant.”[5]

Since Israel has not yet accepted the Messiah as a nation, the New Covenant awaits its complete fulfillment in the millennial kingdom. The New Covenant’s full intent is national and eschatological—meaning that while believers today experience aspects of its blessings (such as forgiveness of sins and the indwelling Spirit), its covenantal structure remains distinctly tied to Israel’s future national restoration. Fruchtenbaum notes, Jesus “will some day come back, judge, and bring in the Millennial Kingdom with the full application of the New Covenant.”[6] During this time, Israel will be fully restored to their land (Ezek 36:24-28), experience national regeneration (Jer 31:34), have God’s law written on their hearts (Ezek 36:26-27), and see the Davidic kingdom fully established with Christ reigning as King (Jer 33:15-17). This perspective maintains the essential dispensational distinction between Israel and the church, affirming that God’s unconditional promises to Israel remain intact and will be fulfilled in the future. Fruchtenbaum notes:

“The Church is related to the New Covenant only insofar as receiving the spiritual benefits of the Covenant (salvation benefit), but the Church is not fulfilling it. The Church has become a partaker of Jewish spiritual blessings, but the Church is not a taker-over of the Jewish covenants. The Church partakes of the spiritual blessings and promises, but not the material or physical promises or blessings.”[7]

For the church today, Christ’s inauguration of the New Covenant means we share in its spiritual blessings, such as forgiveness of sins, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but without nullifying God’s future plan for Israel. This distinction is critical. God’s faithfulness to His unconditional covenants with Israel guarantees that He will also fulfill His promises to the church. Failure to distinguish between Israel and the church leads to serious doctrinal confusion, including the false doctrine of replacement theology. By maintaining this biblical separation, believers gain clarity regarding God’s eschatological timeline and the future fulfillment of all covenantal promises during the millennial reign of Christ, when Israel’s national restoration will occur, and the Messianic Kingdom will be established.

Dr. Steven R. Cook

If this article has enriched your understanding and walk with Christ, and you feel led to support my ministry, your generosity is greatly appreciated. Your gifts enable me to continue sharing the gospel of grace and providing in-depth biblical teachings. Thank you for partnering with me in this mission.

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[1] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Messianic Jewish Epistles: Hebrews, James, First Peter, Second Peter, Jude, 1st ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 2005), 133.

[2] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Matt 26:28.

[3] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, Rev. ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1994), 359.

[4] Renald E. Showers, There Really Is a Difference!: A Comparison of Covenant and Dispensational Theology (Bellmawr, NJ: The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc., 1990), 107.

[5] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology, 364.

[6] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Messianic Jewish Epistles, 183.

[7] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology, 636.