How Israel Has Blessed All Nations

When Israel’s enemies today have vowed to wipe Israel “off the map,” they are only fitting into the historical pattern of hatred for the Jews.  The Psalmist describes the enemies of Israel over 3,000 years ago in this way: “They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation: that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.” (Psalm 83:4)

The nation of Israel comprises only about 10,000 square miles.  The surrounding Muslim nations occupy about 5,392,000 square miles.  The conflict over Israel is not about land.  It is about hatred.

Did you know that God said Israel would bless the nations?  Israel has not yet come back to the Lord in repentance and belief, but God is using them to bless others.  “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:” (Genesis 12:1-2)

Before Israel became a nation in 1948, various writers described the land in the following ways: The Jerusalem Post gives documentation in  “The Jerusalem Report” dated March 10, 2022:  Mark Twain, in his 1867 book, The Innocents Abroad, described Palestine as “a hopeless, dreary, heart-broken land.” On the approach to Jerusalem, “There was hardly a tree or shrub anywhere.  Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.”

Other writers gave similar descriptions: Fredrik Hasselquist, Swedish Doctor and naturalist in the 1750s, William Turner, British diplomat, 1820; American economist Fred M. Gottheil, 1875; And Felix Bovet, a Christian theologian, 1858.

Contrast these earlier descriptions with today’s accomplishments.

In all of the riots and hatred spewed out against Israel, how many have taken time to consider Israel’s contributions to the world?  In researching and writing about this issue, there are so many blessings from Israel that it is difficult to determine which ones to include.  I have selected a few.

1. A desert-friendly irrigation system called drip irrigation. It was developed in 1965 by the engineer Simcha Blass.  By 1967, using this new method of irrigation, the firm Netafim (drops of water) had improved crop yields by 70% while reducing water usage by 5%.  Today, the Netafim irrigation system is used in 110 countries, watering plants in arid climates.

2. Watergen – (developed in 2010) produces drinking water from thin air. It is a unique technology that extracts fresh drinking water directly from the air.  The Watergen portable generator cools and liquifies the air vapor, producing up to four litres of water for every kilowatt-hour of electricity.  It is a life-saving device used in disaster zones around the globe.

3. PillCam – a digestible, disposable medical camera designed to be swallowed. It helps diagnose and treat infections such as intestinal disorders and digestive system cancers.  It transmits data to an external receiver as it accesses areas out of range during a conventional procedure.

4. The ReWalk Exoskeleton helps people with paraplegia walk again. It is operated using a wristwatch and allows patients to recover the ability to walk, stand up, and climb stairs.   It has been available to the public since 2014.

5. SniffPhone – smells disease.  NaNose is a breathalyzer that can detect cancerous tumors, Parkinson’s dementia, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases by smell.  Its degree of accuracy ranges from 86 to  93%.  The Israeli-Arab Professor Hossam Haick developed the SniffPhone.  It is accessible via a plug-in attached to a smartphone.

6. Do you have a USB drive or memory stick? It was invented in 1999 by the Israeli company, M-Systems, and was initially called a “DiskOnKey.

7. The Mobileye camera system warns you of hazards in front, behind, or beside your vehicle. It was invented and developed by two Israeli men, Amnon Shashua and Ziv Aviram in 1999. Twenty-five global automakers now use Mobileye in their cars.  It has saved countless lives.

8. Waze – Israeli engineer Ehud Shabati invented this navigation device. His company started in Israel and was then sold to Google in 2013 for $1.1 billion.  Waze became the world’s largest community-based traffic and navigation app, sharing real-time traffic and road info.

9. Outside of the inventive and technological developments are these outstanding accomplishments:

a.    Israel is the only state in the Middle East ranked “Free” by Freedom House.  This organization evaluates countries according to their political rights and civil liberties.

b.     Hebrew, once considered a dead language, was revived for everyday usage.  It is now Israel’s mother tongue.

c.     Israel is the only Middle Eastern Country where the Christian population is growing.

All of the above accomplishments and many others are listed in more detail in these two articles:  “12 Israeli Inventions that Changed the World,” and “ISRAEL – 70 Achievements in 70 Years.

Always keep in mind God’s promises to Israel.  ”And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also 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, saith the LORD thy God.” (Amos 9:14-15).

Finally, the ultimate blessing to all nations comes through Christ and is available to all.  Jesus gave the command to make disciples from all nations.  (Matthew 28:19-20).  He is not willing that any should perish.  (2 Peter 3:9).  When we are created new in Christ Jesus at the time of our salvation, we put on the “new man.” “There is neither Greek nor jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all and in all.” (Colossians 3:10-11).

You can experience this ultimate blessing today by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  Trust Him today.