The Call of the Roots

Did you know that an olive tree’s roots never die? Trunks of the olive tree may last about 800 years, but even though the lives of the trunk end, there are always young shoots off the old tree that form new baby olive trees.

I realized our ancestral roots never die either. No matter who you are, or where you’ve been, you most likely have a rich history, and it’s important to know where you came from.

God has been calling me back to my Hebraic roots for a few years now. I found a Jewish cousin who put together a genealogical family history of my father’s family, the Adler’s, and I was able to see when my Jewish grandfather migrated to the United States, and pieced together some of the missing parts on this side of my family.

Roots spread.

This year, God led me to a new Bible study outside the church. I didn’t understand why initially, but the study’s theme was “roots,” and it forced me to think about my own personal roots again. I believe it was the Lord’s way of continuing this wooing to my Jewish past. God has a tendency to only reveal in part until his timing is right. It’s always amazing when he allows the larger picture to come into focus. That’s when we recognize the repeat messages, and see more than just a short stretch of the road.

Roots cry out.

One day the call of God to my roots was so overwhelming that I prayed for an opportunity to go to where the roots are planted, Israel. One week later, God provided the opportunity to travel to the Holy Land with a Messianic Jewish rabbi, and a group of pastors, for half of what it normally cost.  It was an immediate answer to prayer, and an invitation from the Lord of Hosts himself to learn from him first hand why my roots are important, and to dig deeper into their history.

A Hebraic studies author and teacher that we met in Israel, Moshe Avraham Kempinksi, confirmed that we might think we are the ones who make the decision to come to Israel, when in fact, we only come to Israel at God’s invitation. A confirmation. If you’ve already traveled to Israel, know that you were the Lord’s guest.

God creates the roots.

“You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land” (Psalm 80:8).

This photo was taken from the Mount of Beatitudes, one of the many places where I felt a strong presence of the Lord. There is something supernatural about Israel. It is the land God chose for himself, and his chosen people, the Israelites. It is where YHWH himself dwelled in the Holy of Holies. It is the place the Lord of Hosts sent his son, Jesus Christ, the root of Jesse, to walk the earth, and to eventually die so that we might live. The roots of Israel are deep, and ask for our attention, and understanding. They desire to take hold in our hearts.

Before I left, friends told me I’d never be the same after I experienced Israel, and now as I head home to Texas, I know they were right. It is even more powerful for a daughter of Abraham. The roots are alive, and have taken on a new meaning in my life.

So what am I supposed to do with this? How does God want me to cultivate my Jewish roots?

I think he’s telling me it’s important to examine scripture through the eyes of his people, through Jewish eyes. I feel a pulling to study Hebrew, because some passages don’t translate accurately into English. Most importantly, I need to pray for God’s chosen ones, the land and for the peace of Israel. I need to love his people like he loves them, something we are all called to do. Genesis 12:3 says, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

When we love the root, we love God.

God still chooses Israel, and has a magnificent plan for its future. Scores of Jews are returning to the land, and are rooting themselves there. The land of milk and honey is thriving agriculturally, and the veil is being lifted off the eyes of the people. Many are now believers in Jesus Christ. While there will always be opposition to this tiny country, I believe the all powerful Jehovah God, once again, has his covering over the land.

“I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon. They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon” (Hosea 14:5-7).

Over the next week, the devotions on the Pearls of Promise website will be inspired by my visit to Israel, and will hopefully inspire you, as I attempt to capture some of the lessons I learned from standing where the early Israelites gathered, and walking where Yeshua walked. I hope you’ll join me on this journey as we travel back to the root of Jewish history together.

On Thursday, we will begin by looking further at the significance of the olive tree. (LBW)