Does the Bible command Christians to support the State of Israel?

Does the Bible command Christians to support the State of Israel? This is an important question for our time.

Let me answer the question from the outset: No. Christians are not under a biblical command to support Israel. However, they are under a biblical command to not be arrogant towards Israel. Whatever one thinks of Israel, Christians are absolutely under the biblical command to love Jews, just as they commanded to love people of any race. Christians are called to love their neighbor and their enemies (cf. Matt 5:43-48).

But why is this even a question? What is behind all of this?

For those paying attention, there’s a growing number of Americans taking an anti-Israel stance, and with this comes an all-out assault against any thinking that inclines one to believe that Christians have a biblical obligation to support Israel. “The Church is Israel,” they’ll retort! The message is, “God’s chosen people are Christians. Love the Church! Not the State that rejects Christ and was responsible for His very crucifixion!”

Coupled with this is a strong stance against Dispensationalism that teaches that Israel remains “God’s chosen people.” It follows a literal approach to the text — when God told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3); meaning if Christians bless Israel, they’ll be blessed, and if Christians don’t, they’ll be cursed. No one wants that, right?

All of this is relevant to the question because the Bible is concerned with our attitude that stems from what we should believe about Israel, rather than the political stance we take regarding them. We must redirect the question from the political to the theological. It’s not about whether the government of Israel commits sin (they do, as all governments do), it’s about if Christians should be arrogant towards them.

For example, in Romans 11:18, the apostle Paul writes, “Do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.” In context, Paul addresses whether God is done with Israel. He answers no and points to himself as proof, being that he too is a Jew, and then refers to Israel’s future restoration where “All Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26).

Without addressing the theological debates surrounding this, it’s clear that the branches are the offspring of Abraham, for in the previous verse, he contrasts the Jews who reject Christ with the Gentiles who accept Him. “But if some of the branches were broken off and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree” (Romans 11:17). Thus, Paul tells Christians to not be “arrogant towards Jews,” which is to say, “don’t think you’re better than Israel because you’ve accepted Christ and they rejected Him.” The reason for this is that Christians don’t support the root, but the root supports us. Meaning, salvation came from the Jews first, and then to the Gentiles (cf. Rom 1:16, 2:9-10, 3:1-2, 9:1-5).

This is fitting for our time, with those bearing the fruit of contempt towards Israel as they justify it with slogans, “The Church is Israel!” This may be biblically accurate in that God’s spiritual people are based on faith and not race, but it’s often a mask to incentivize racial hatred towards an ethnic group.

To use the language of Genesis 12:3, then, even though this blessing is for believers (cf. Gal 3:8-9), nevertheless, one is not going to receive God’s spiritual blessing by disobeying His command to not be arrogant towards Israel, and then justify it because the Jews rejected Christ.

You can disagree with Israel politically and argue what is morally acceptable with their political affairs (by the standard of God’s word, of course), but you cannot disagree on this biblical fact: Christians must not be arrogant towards Israel. If you’re breaking this command, repent, love, and pray for Israel, and I encourage you to meditate on Romans 11 and its binding truth for Christians. We can’t afford to miss the mark on this question. 

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