A nation against all odds: Israel and the proof of God’s promises

The story of modern Israel is filled with miracles as explained in a famous quote attributed to David Ben Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel: “In Israel, to be a realist one must believe in miracles.” But miracles predate the birth of Israel in 1948 and fill the epic tale of the Jewish people.

Created to Bless the World


The uniqueness of the Jewish people is found in many aspects of their story, but none more than in their beginnings. They are the only nation with a biblical calling that preceded their miraculous creation by an act of God. Their story begins in Genesis 12:1–3, where God promised Abraham that he would father a nation that would become a blessing to the world. The fact that Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was 99 and well past childbearing years makes the birth of their child, Isaac, a miracle—and proof that this nation is a fulfillment of God’s promise and will be used to bless the world with redemption.

Given a Specific Land


Part of God’s promise to Abraham was the bequeathing of the land of Canaan as an “everlasting possession.” While Abraham himself only dwelt in the land as a foreigner, and died without seeing his descendants inherit the land, it surely came to pass hundreds of years later. After 400 years of slavery in Egypt, the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob entered the land of Canaan and established sovereignty over it. The land was essential for the nation-building process and became the stage upon which God carried out His great plan of redemption. Though the Jewish people suffered exile due to sin, the land always remained their possession and their eventual return was promised.

Their Future Foretold


While many books in the Bible chronicle the story of the Jewish people and were written after the described events took place, the prophetic portions of Scripture foretold of many future events in the life of Israel and described in great detail how they would happen. These prophets foretold of two exiles and returns, and the centrality of the Jewish people in the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth. Israel’s story is a fulfillment of the promises and prophecies found in the Bible, and as such, provides living proof of the truth and accuracy of the Scriptures and testifies to the faithfulness of God to His word. 

 Their Survival Against All Odds

The calling on the Jewish people was to bless the world with God’s redemptive plan—and they would suffer greatly for it. The powers of evil would forever fight against God’s plan, and the best way to stop it would be to destroy the people called to bring it about and deliver it to the nations. That this tiny people group survived two exiles, centuries of persecution, and multiple attempts at annihilation is a feat so beyond the norm that it is indeed a miracle—one promised by God. Jeremiah 31:36 and Isaiah 66:23 declare that as God’s ordinances for the earth and heavens are sure, so is his promise that the nation of Israel will remain before Him always.

The Unprecedented Return

The story of the modern-day return of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland—the land of Canaan promised to Abraham 4,000 years ago—finds no parallel in human history. In the last 120 years or so, 3.5 million Jews have returned to their ancient homeland and reestablished national sovereignty there. This return from all the countries to which they had been dispersed was foretold in many verses. Isaiah 43:5–6 and Jeremiah 16:14–15 foretell of a future return of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland from all the countries where they had been scattered. This return will be so great it will be talked about more than the exodus from Egypt under the leadership of Moses.

The Miracle of Israel

The day after the State of Israel was born, five Arab countries with well-equipped armies attacked the fledgling nation. The newborn State had no unified defense force, and many fighters were newly arrived Holocaust Survivors and refugees with no knowledge of Hebrew, equipped with few guns and inadequate supplies of ammunition. Their defeat of the vast Arab armies was nothing short of miraculous.

In the 75 years since, Israel has not known a day of peace and has had to focus its investments and energy on defense, yet is now leading the world in technology, innovation, medicine, agriculture, security, and disaster relief. The good heart of the Jewish people and their innate desire to Tikkun Olam (“repairing the world”) is increasingly making them a light to the nations.

Modern Miracles

Israel suffered the worst massacre of Jews in one day since the Holocaust on October 7, 2023. What ensued was two years of war on seven fronts—Gaza, the “West Bank,” Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen—and the incremental return of all 250 hostages held captive in Gaza. It would take a book to recount all the astounding miracles in Israel’s defeat of her enemies. Extensive operations behind enemy lines and as far away as in Iran completely crippled enemies without the loss of one Israeli soldier. The civilian death toll due to 28,000 missiles fired into Israel was, incredibly, less than 40. 

The painful day that started it all is actually what saved Israel. Hamas was planning a coordinated attack with Hezbollah and Iran that could have destroyed Israel. For some unknown reason, Hamas attacked Israel alone and angered the others, so they did not immediately join the battle. While over 1,200 Israelis lost their lives on October 7, the plan was to kill millions by combining the Hamas ground operation with thousands of missiles from Lebanon and Iran. No one knows why Hamas went out ahead of the plan, but it saved Israel by doing so—another miracle in the story of God’s chosen people. 

The Future Glory of Israel

The Bible foretells a day when it won’t be good deeds and accomplishments that will shine forth from Israel, but the actual glory of God. It will be so bright there will be no need for the sun nor the moon (Isaiah 60:3, 19), and the nations will come to worship the Lord there (Isaiah 66:18, 23). 

The modern State of Israel is a miracle—and there are even more to come.