Exceptionality of Israel

G. Thomas Sharp • January 27, 2020

I was recently reading the book of Amos, which contains a prophetic statement concerning the Jews and the land of Israel that is presented in Amos 9:14-15. Though I have read this passage numerous times, it took on a special significance during this reading that I heretofore had never noticed!

We need to refresh our memory about these verses before I go on with the article: “And I will bring the captivity of {i.e. I will release from captivity, Amp. Ver.} my people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; and they shall make gardens and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, says the LORD thy God.” (Amos 9:14-15)

The personal pronoun “I” is meaningfully used in these two verses three times, so that there can be no confusion concerning who it is that is making these declarations. The last five words of the passage settles any unnecessary confusion about His identity: “says the LORD thy God.” In fact, the word “LORD” in all caps is repeated 15 times in Jeremiah chapter 30, and this chapter has only 24 verses. This repetition plainly emphasizes that this divine actor is no one other than the Great Jehovah God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things!

He says that He will again bring His people Israel to their land, so they can rebuild its cities, farms and lifestyle that was enjoyed during their rich past. Moreover, He makes it unambiguously clear that they will never again be “pulled out of their land.” And I personally believe that this transition began in the latter part of the 19th century and continues now and will not terminate until it is totally complete!

Of Scriptural importance to this aspect of Israelite prophecy are such passages as Deuteronomy 30:1-6, Ezekiel 36:28 and Jeremiah 30:1-24. I also found it interesting that the land mass of modern Israel is approximately 1/19,700th of the total land mass of the earth; by comparison the USA has a land mass about 3.8 million square miles, which means the USA is 473 times larger than Israel. Additionally, Israel is 5.2 times the size of Rhode Island and 1.5 times larger than Connecticut, about 8.3% smaller than New Jersey and 24.3% smaller than Massachusetts, etc.

So, what’s the point? There are several casual observations: 1. Israel has overcome overwhelming difficulties, wars and constant bombings, yet she is incredibly successful in all matters of life. Israel has a significantly large air force; in many points of comparison her air force is second only to the USA. 2. She has a thriving economy based in agriculture and science, in the top 5 to 10 of world leaders. 3. She has a significant number of Nobel prize winners. 4. She houses the location of the birth of the Savior, as well as His return; and she provided the people to which He came, from which He is racially associated. 5. To only Israel is the great Creator called the “God of Israel”. Never have you read that God is the God of America, or of Canada, or of England, etc, 6. She is responsible for the authorship of the holy Scripture, and the location of the descending of the Holy Spirit. These descriptions can go on and on, but my page is full…These divine endowments, holy accomplishments and eternal purposes, all provide a level of exceptionality that makes Israel (including her God, her history, her people and her land and her future) incredibly superb – the people of God!

By Bob Dugas August 6, 2025
Flag
By Ryan Cox August 6, 2025
NEW VBS FOR 2026 Celebrating America 250
Scottsbluff National Monument Picture
By Matt Miles August 6, 2025
Summer of 2025 is two-thirds finished. We have taught at 7 different camp weeks along with 6 VBSes. Ryan and I have had a busy summer for the Kingdom. Our travels have stretched from Ohio to Colorado and all points in between. We have taught in churches and connected with many supporters and friends. This summer, as usual, ministry has taken us away from family for periods, but there has been great returns for the sacrifice - more than fifteen souls have been added to God’s eternal Kingdom and even more seeds planted with life-changing fruit produced, from the young to old. Again and again we encounter students that are fired up with a passion for knowledge of the Word of God. As these students have found answers to questions or faith-challenging issues, they are better equipped to share their faith. This summer we have had the opportunity to reconnect with many students whom we taught at a younger age. Now they are in their teens or heading to college. Their testimonies of strengthened faith because of the mission God has called us to is more than rewarding. It never gets old to meet grandparents, or even great-grandparents, during VBS that have lived their lives as followers of Christ yet have never seen the impact of Genesis to the Gospel. Just yesterday this happened with a grandmother who was overjoyed and appreciative of our teaching and message. Knowing more about dinosaurs Biblically allows for them to have new lines of communication with their cherished grandkids. Our ability to give these great warriors of the faith answers that can impact their families for eternity is priceless to us.  Please continue to lift us up in prayer as our summer is not over yet. As always, know that your support is making an impact for the Kingdom that we are eternally grateful for. If you are thinking about having us come next summer, don’t hesitate to contact us as summers fill quicker than the rest of the year. Summer has and will continue to be a crazy busy time for Kingdom work. Blessings.
Show More