From Zion to Zion
Speaker: Pastor Agnes Chang
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From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines.
The Bible mentions Zion about 150 times. What is the significance of this city?
Our house bears the name Zion because it represents the calling that we have. It means that our identity is tied to those who walk on the physical land of Zion today: Israel.
The Lord calls Israel many names in the Word: dearly beloved, my treasured possession, my people. God’s name is also tied to the name Israel; His name is called as the God of Israel, the consolation of Israel, keeper and king of Israel, among many others.
The word makes it evident that God cares for Israel, and that He chose them for His purposes; many of His promises in the Word are directed with great passion towards them. Through Christ, we were grafted into those promises; however, they are first applied to the land and people of Israel; our spiritual ancestry is rooted in this nation. Therefore, we must honour His chosen people.
We also pray for Israel because of the price they paid as God’s firstborn. They carried the seed of Jesus and the purpose of God, and have suffered much because of this. Yet still, they keep their faith and celebrate their feasts each year.
It is written in the Word that Israel has prayed for our salvation for thousands of years. When Solomon dedicated the temple in Jerusalem, he also prays for us to hear His voice and access His dwelling place, because He knew that the heart of God included those outside His chosen people.
In these times, it is important for us to pray for the Jewish people and receive the revelation of God’s heart for them; to lift them up in the midst of the persecution that they face.
The Word states that Jew and Gentile will become one new man. We are in a covenant relationship, both with Jesus and resultantly His people. We are called to walk with Israel. God longs for His table to be complete, which means that both His firstborn and all those who came after must be a part. If we are to walk in covenant with God, we must also walk with His people.
May His salvation go from Zion to Zion!