Is God Through with Israel? Discerning the Covenant, the Country, and the Crisis of Confusion

There’s a rising tide of biblical language in American politics, but much of it lacks theological integrity. With the recent U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear sites and Senator Ted Cruz invoking Scripture on The Tucker Carlson Show, it’s time for the Church to slow down and ask an urgent question:

What does the Bible actually teach about Israel—and does modern political Israel fulfill that vision?

This is not just a theological curiosity. It’s a test of our biblical literacy, political maturity, and gospel-centered witness.

1. Biblical Israel: A People of Promise, Not Just a Place

In Scripture, Israel is first and foremost a people, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, chosen by God to carry His covenant and reflect His holiness. God’s promise to them in Genesis 12 was unconditional in origin and missional in purpose:

“I will make of you a great nation... and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”—Genesis 12:2–3

Throughout the Old Testament, Israel was called to be different:

“You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”—Exodus 19:6

“I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”—Isaiah 49:6

Yet Israel continually drifted, often becoming indistinguishable from the surrounding nations:

“They mingled with the nations and learned to do as they did.”—Psalm 106:35

2. Remnant Israel: Faithful, Not Just Ethnic

By the time Paul writes Romans 9–11, he reframes the discussion around remnant theology: God has not rejected His people, but only a faithful portion is walking in obedience and recognizing Jesus as Messiah.

“Not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel.”—Romans 9:6

“God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.”—Romans 11:2

God’s covenant is intact—but it is fulfilled in Christ and extended through grace, not heritage alone. This “remnant” is the faithful, believing Israel. It includes Jewish believers in Jesus and Gentiles grafted in by faith (Rom. 11:17–24).

3. Modern Political Israel (1948): Real, But Not Righteous by Default

The modern state of Israel, established in 1948, is a geopolitical reality born from the trauma of the Holocaust and centuries of exile. It is a homeland for Jewish people, and in many ways a miracle of survival and resolve. But we must be honest: Modern Israel acts like any (every) other nation.

It defends its borders, protects its interests, forms alliances, and wages war. It is not a theocracy. It is a secular democracy filled with religious diversity, political factions, and all the complexities of modern governance.

It is not acting as a “kingdom of priests” or a “light to the nations.” It is not bound by Torah faithfulness or prophetic calling. While many Jews within Israel are people of deep faith, the nation itself behaves, politically, militarily, and economically, like any other. There is no distinction of honoring YHWH Adonai nor adhering to His way

4. Righteousness Cannot Align with Unrighteousness

This matters. Because when Christians blindly endorse the actions of modern Israel as if they’re automatically righteous, they ignore Scripture’s own warnings.

“Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity... they have forsaken the Lord.”—Isaiah 1:4

“What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what partnership has light with darkness?”—2 Corinthians 6:14

The prophets consistently judged Israel not for being too weak—but for being too much like the nations around them. God’s blessing is not attached to national might, but to covenant faithfulness. We should never baptize political decisions, whether made in Tel Aviv or D.C., as "God’s will" without evaluating their alignment with justice, humility, mercy, and truth (Micah 6:8).

5. The Cruz–Carlson Interview: Misapplying the Bible in Real Time

In a widely discussed interview, Senator Ted Cruz appeared on The Tucker Carlson Show to defend U.S. military action against Iran. He claimed America must “bless Israel” by toppling Iran’s regime—invoking (misquoting) Genesis 12:3 in the process.

But when Carlson asked for details about Iran’s population or religious diversity, Cruz faltered. He couldn’t cite the verse. He couldn’t answer basic questions.

“You don’t know anything about the country whose government you want to overthrow.”—Tucker Carlson Watch the full interview

This moment wasn’t just a political misstep. It was a theological one. And one that the modern church has made since 1948!

Genesis 12 isn’t a military mandate. It’s a missional promise pointing to Jesus, the ultimate seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16), through whom the nations would be blessed—not bombed.

6. Blessing Israel ≠ Endorsing Everything Israel Does

To bless Israel biblically means:

• Praying for peace in Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6)

• Opposing antisemitism in all its forms

• Preaching the Gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike (Romans 1:16)

• Standing with the remnant who follow the Messiah

  
  

It does not mean rubber-stamping policies, justifying violence, or assuming spiritual favor based on political alliances. God’s covenant with Israel remains; but His call is always toward righteousness, justice, and faith in the Messiah.