Independence Day in Israel: What does it mean to you?

Today Israel celebrates her sixty-fourth Independence Day.  When any other country celebrates their independence, they obviously are celebrating their liberation from dependence to another nation.  So the obvious question is, "From whom did Israel gain her independence?"  To answer this, we must answer another question: When was Israel last an independent country?  And to find the answer, we must go to the Scriptures, which tell us that Israel was last an independent country over 2,500 years ago.  So, from whom did Israel gain her freedom?  My answer would be, that Israel gained her independence from 2,500 years of bondage!

In sixty-four years, a people who were struggling just to survive have become one of the most vibrant and influential nations in the world.  A group of people without a home to call their own, a people oppressed in every corner of the world, a people without an army and without elected leadership became a miracle story of incredible success.  Leading in the areas of finance, medicine, science, humanitarian endeavors, one can not fail to notice the positive impact Israel has had on our world today.  Look around you right now.  Chances are that you have something near you that makes your life easier, that was invented by a Jew.  Let's start with the computer or device you're using to read this--almost surely a Jewish invention.  Do you have a refrigerator in your home?  Do you use a ballpoint pen?  How about a cell phone?  And the list goes on.

Though Jews make up only two-tenths of one percent [.2%] of the world's population, Jews have been awarded twenty percent of the Nobel prizes for accomplishments in the areas of chemistry, literature, medicine, economics, physics and world peace.  No single explanation can be given for the success of the Jewish people, except to say that they are God's chosen people, a people blessed by Him and through whom He will bless the rest of the world.

The fact that there is a homeland for the Jewish people tells me that God still keeps His promise.  That the Jewish nation has an independent country to return to is an indication that God still loves the sons of  the Patriarchs and has a plan for them.  Because Israel is independent my family and yours is given the blessing of visiting the only democracy in the Middle East in order to see the sites where our favorite Bible stories took place--something your and my grandparents could not have said when they were our age.

But the Jewish nation has not only become relevant to your and my families since 1948.  The sons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have been a blessing to the world for four thousand years!  You and I have a copy of the Scriptures, written by Jewish scribes, kings, shepherds, prophets, and fishermen.  Our Messiah was a Jew.  Our family structure was given to us by the Jews, and thankfully not by the descendants of Abraham's other son.  The democratic system of justice and governing were given us by the Old Testament writers.  The God-given principle of personal accountability was passed on to us by the Jews.

On this Independence Day [Yom Ha'atzmaut], we thank our Israeli friends for what your fathers accomplished sixty-four years ago to become a beacon of hope to a dark world.  We congratulate you for the amazing history that is yours, and we look forward to many more years standing as your loyal friends, as brothers should!

What does the miracle of Israel mean to you? 

Original article Independence Day in Israel: What does it mean to you? written by my hubby (David) on his blog In Support of Israel.