Evangelicals – as Israelis vote, pray God will raise up leaders like the sons of Issachar, ‘men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do’
JERUSALEM—My wife, Lynn, and I got up this morning and headed immediately for our neighborhood polling station.
But I’m not going to tell you who we voted for. After all, I’m a journalist now, not a political activist.
What’s more, ALL ISRAEL NEWS isn’t a partisan news site. We are nonprofit and nonpartisan.
And we are not here to tell readers to vote for a specific candidate or party.
Rather, we’re working hard to cover the major candidates, parties and issues fairly and honestly.
We’re here to analyze the strengths and their weakness of our national leaders and explain why Israelis love them and or hate them.
Why?
So that you’re more knowledgeable and able to pray more effectively.
You can also click here for articles we’ve published on how Israeli Messianic Jews and Arab Christians are likely to vote and the issues they’re focused on.
I hope you will take time to read through our coverage.
Then, I ask you to pray faithfully and without ceasing for Israel today and in the days ahead.
We are facing a very painful deadlock in our political system.
And the issues are very serious and the stakes are very high:
Iran is getting closer and closer to The Bomb
Russia is building a dangerous and potentially prophetic alliance with Iran and Turkey
Gasoline here is more than $7 a gallon
One-in-five Israelis live in poverty
Housing prices are sky high and it’s hard for young people and young married couples to buy their first apartment
Violence in Judea and Samaria is spiking
Many Israeli Arabs feel left out of society – and are scared by the sudden and rapid rise of a far-right wing extremist political party.
….to name just a few.
In light of such things, I ask Evangelicals all around the world to pray based on three passages from the Bible.
1 Chronicles 12:32 – Let us ask the Lord raise up leaders like the sons of Issachar, “men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.”
Daniel 2:21 – Let us trust in God’s sovereignty to oversee the entire process, since the Hebrew prophet Daniel teaches us that ultimately it is God who “removes kings and establishes kings.”
1 Timothy 2:1-4 – Let us also be praying for Israel’s current prime minister, our past prime ministers and all those who serve in the Knesset. As the Apostle Paul commanded us, “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
As we reported earlier this week, “voters in Israel’s parliamentary system cast a ballot for a party of their choice. There are 6,788,804 Israeli citizens eligible to vote, but it remains to be seen how many will turn out on Election Day. Included among them are 1.3 million Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jews and about 2 million Arab Israelis; populations that constitute more than 35% of the Israeli public. Their showing at the polls could be the decisive factor for which lawmaker receives the mandate to form the new government.”
Someday, the Messiah will come and govern us in perfect justice and mercy.
Until then, we need to pray that the Lord will raise up leaders who will at least do a decent and honest job.
Joel C. Rosenberg is the editor-in-chief of ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS and the President and CEO of Near East Media. A New York Times best-selling author, Middle East analyst, and Evangelical leader, he lives in Jerusalem with his wife and sons.
