For this tidbit, I will continue to use Derek Prince’s book ‘The Key to the Middle East’ to show how Christians ought to treat Jews using the model of Jeremiah 31. On page 121, Derek Prince offers four action items for Christians “to provoke them (Jews) to jealousy” in order to fulfill Romans 11:11: 1.to praise; 2.to proclaim; 3.to pray, and 4.to comfort. In this tidbit series, I endeavor to answer the question: how should Christians treat Jews?
  Last time I examined Prince’s first point: 1.to praise. Today, let’s look at point 2:
 
2.To Proclaim:
Jeremiah 31:10: “Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.”
 
First, notice ‘to’ whom this passage is addressed: “O ye nations”! In Jeremiah 31:10, God is giving a commandment, not to 'a' nation, but to the world's nations! In other words, this passage teaches how God expects the NATIONS of the world---not just Christians--to treat Israel!!! So, God will hold the nations and the Christians in those nations accountable to this passage!
   The first phrase of Jeremiah 31:10 is evidence of God’s expectations: “Hear the word of the Lord…” God commands the nations of the world---as well as Christians--to hear His word!!!
  The next phrase in 31:10: “declare it in the isles afar off” reveals the location where the “nations”, and their Christians are to make their declarations/proclamations: “the isles afar off”!
  The Hebrew word for “declare” is nagad.* I love its first definition: “stand boldly out opposite”. In other words, at the command of the Sovereign God, the ‘nations of the world’ are instructed to make a bold, unashamed declaration….’FOR’ Israel!
  Considering the political climate of the world today with its obvious hatred towards Israel, it is a sign from God that Strong’s Concordance used the phrase “stand boldly out opposite” as one of its entries. In other words, in the providence of God, the writer of Strong’s Concordance, which is merely a simple Hebrew/Greek dictionary---and obviously without any foreknowledge of how the word nagad would apply to this present day—offered “stand boldly out opposite” as its first definition! When the Holy Spirit inspired ‘nagad’ in Jeremiah 31:10 over 2500 years ago, the only Sovereign God perfectly understood the conditions for ‘nagad’s’ application to Israel…in this day!!
  Therefore, for a nation or a Christian to obey Jeremiah 31:10’s injunction: “to declare”, or ‘To Proclaim’--- on behalf of Israel---according to Strong’s Concordance, it will require that nation or individual to “stand boldly”! Why? Because Israel has been identified as THE enemy in this day! Therefore, to stand in favor of what nearly the whole world detests requires great courage, as those who hate Israel begin to hate you!
  Yet, another confirmation of this fact is the last two words “out opposite”. These last two words of Strong’s phrase “stand boldly out opposite” indicate that what the nations--including Christians--will have to “stand boldly” on behalf of, will be the opposite of everyone else! I repeat, this reveals that only the very courageous will be able to obey Jeremiah 31:10!
  Finally, ‘what’ God instructs the nations to declare “in the isles afar off” is the climax, and THEEEE reason the nations (and Christians) that choose to obey Jeremiah 31:10 will be so strongly opposed, i.e.hated. The text clearly says God commands the nations to proclaim: “He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock”!!!
   WOW!!! This is prophecy! It is a special Word from God, not only instructing what the Gentile nations should proclaim but it is also a prediction of what God will do in the latter day ‘for’ Israel!!! This phrase teaches:
1.God judged Israel and scattered them. This refers to the diaspora in
135 AD when Bar Kochba declared himself to be the Jewish Messiah,
and raised up an army to fight the Romans. The Romans slaughtered
over 1 million Jews, and scattered many other Jews into the nations
of the world---which is now known as ‘The Diaspora’.
2.Because God made a “forever” covenant (2Sam7:22-24; Ps105:6-11)
with Israel, the same God that scattered the Jews in judgment will
re-gather them to fulfill His covenant. Of course, this began
with the re-gathering of the Jews into their own nation in 1948.
 
  In other words, this magnificent prophecy of Jeremiah31:10 not only instructs the nations** what to “To Proclaim”, i.e.“to declare”, but the ‘scattering and regathering’ aspect of this prophecy is a sign (Gen1:14; Heb2:4) that directly connects historical Israel to the modern state of Israel, which began in 1948…to the Providence of God! I repeat, God sovereignly scattered Israel, and God sovereignly regathered Israel!!! Christians must include this truth as part of our proclamation of the gospel to the world!! AND…this is the reason God instructed the Great Commission…“to the Jew first”!!!
  Incredibly, God has given the nations---which must include the Christians in those nations—this great mandate to tell the world of this great prophecy! But this is not yet the end of Jeremiah 31:10. The final phrase declares: “and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.” Prince writes, “In the closing section of the proclamation, Jeremiah says that the Lord will also “watch over his flock like a shepherd.” The word translated “watch” over also means “keep” or “guard.” Here is further confirmation that this second regathering of Israel will not be something temporary or transient. Once God has gathered them, He will continue to watch over and protect them. As their Shepherd, He will accept responsibility for their permanent security and well-being.” (pg 126)
  WOW!!! Tragically, over the centuries, so far has the church missed this aspect of our great calling…to the Jew first!!! May God yet have mercy!!!
 
*nâgad, naw-gad´; a prim. root; prop. to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by impl. (causat.), to manifest; fig. to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); spec. to expose, predict, explain, praise:—bewray, × certainly, certify, declare (-ing), denounce, expound, × fully, messenger, plainly, profess, rehearse, report, shew (forth), speak, × surely, tell, utter. -Strong’s
**and of course Christians
 
 
Quotebit
Creativity is birthed and flourishes only in an atmosphere of the reality of an infinite God, Who exists as more than enough.   -Derrick Jackson

How are Christians to “provoke them (Jews) to Jealousy”?
  In Derek Prince’s insightful book “The Key to the Middle East” " he offers a great answer on how we can accomplish the bewildering statement in Romans 11:11- “provoke them (Jews) to jealousy”.
  On page 118, Prince declares Christians must accept responsibility for their past anti-semitism. It is ungodly for us today to simply dismiss the horror of supposed Christian behavior done in the past by stating, “if we were present at the times of any historic Christian antisemitism, we would not have participated in their abominations!” Dr. Prince offers Jesus’ rebuke of the religious leaders of His day in Matthew 23:29-31 who argued the same:
29.Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous,
30.And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31.Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
 
  Prince writes, “The very fact that these religious people disclaimed responsibility for the crimes committed by their forefathers against the prophets constituted an acknowledgement that they were indeed the descendants of those who had killed the prophets.” In other words, Prince believes that Jesus’ words in verse 31 directed to the religious leaders: “children of them killed the prophets” is evidence that Jesus believed they at least bore some responsibility for the murder of the prophets by their ancestors.  
  Because the religious leaders of Matthew 23 were called hypocrites by Jesus, they were hell-bound (Mat23:15). For this reason, it is very possible that no repentance for the murder of the prophets by their ancestors had ever taken place—which if true, would have been the reason Jesus accused them. Therefore, if Jesus’ accusations against these hypocrites occurred within the 3rd or 4th generation of the murder of the prophets (Deut5:9), this may been another reason Jesus held them responsible.
  Prince continues: “I believe the same principle applies to the crimes committed by the Church against the Jews. We cannot claim to be part of the Church and, at the same time, disclaim responsibility for the way the Church has treated the Jews. After all, in God’s sight, there is only one Church.” “We cannot claim inheritance in the good that has come down to us through the Church and yet, at the same time, disassociate ourselves from the evil. In particular, we must accept our share of the responsibility for Christian antisemitism, and then do everything in our power to rectify this terrible situation.”
  On page 121, he writes, “all Christians today of non-Jewish background are confronted with two questions that cannot be evaded: First, what can we do to repay our spiritual debt to the Jewish people? And second, how can we—to some extent, at least---make amends for all the evil done to the Jewish people for centuries in the name of Christianity?”
  Although different from repentance, the Scripture does instruct us to make restitution* (shalam) for past wrongs. Today’s authentic Church--that has repented--for historic antisemitism cannot be held responsible for any past sin because of Christ’s work on the Cross. However, for sake of “provoking the Jews to jealousy” (Rom11:11), it is necessary that the contemporary Church offer restitution for what happened in the past to restore relationship with the Jew.
  On page 121, Derek Prince offers four action items that are apropos for today:  1.to praise; 2.to proclaim; 3.to pray, and 4.to comfort. In the following tidbits, we will address each one; but in this tidbit, we have time for only the first.  
1.To praise.
-Jeremiah 31:7-8 (NAS)
7.For thus says the Lord, “Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, And shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people, The remnant of Israel.’
8.“Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; A great company, they will return here.                                 
  This passage refers to the latter day. The following three points inform us to whom we are to direct our attention when obeying Jeremiah 31:7-8:
           i.the remnant of Israel
           ii.I will gather them from the north, and remote parts of the earth
           iii.A great company, they will return here
Because these three statements refer to God bringing Israel back into the land in the latter day---obviously, the passage must refer to Israel, i.e.the Jew.
  Next, this passage teaches five things that Christians today ought to do, i.e.how we are to act toward Israel:
           i.To sing with joy
           ii.to shout
           iii.to proclaim
           iv.to praise
           v.to pray/say
i.The word “sing aloud” (ranan) means to cry out, to creak, to shout (Strong’s). The word “gladness”** is the Hebrew word used in the Jewish celebration “Simchah Torah” where they practice rejoicing over the law, i.e.the Word of God. Jews dance around the synagogue carrying the scrolls of the Bible singing and shouting. I have had the privilege to participate in a ‘Simchah Torah’ celebration, and the rabbi allowed me to carry the scrolls—all I could think was: “Don’t trip!” But more importantly, I still weep to this day when recalling that my Lord Jesus celebrated ‘Simchah Torah’ 2000 years ago!! Nevertheless, the context of Jeremiah 31:7-8 instructs Christians to celebrate Israel by singing and shouting FOR Jacob, i.e. Israel, i.e.the Jew!! I wonder how many contemporary Christians obey this command?
ii.The Hebrew word for “shout” is tsahal ***. It is another word meaning to shout FOR Israel. Incredibly, notice where we are to “shout”? Among the nations! How many contemporary Christians shout FOR Israel in front of the nations?
iii.The word “proclaim” also means ‘publish’. I wonder how many Christians are speaking out or writing/publishing in favor of Israel?
iv.The word for “praise” in verse 7 is the Hebrew word ‘halal’****. One definition is to be clamorously foolish in the dance. It means to flail arms, to kick legs, to shout, to run. It is the most emotional of all the Hebrew words used to describe praise and worship to God!  Incredibly, according to Jeremiah 31:7--- we are to use this same word, i.e.behavior…on Israel!!
I wonder how many Christians are praising Israel using this word?
 
v.Say/pray. Jeremiah 31:7,8 declare we are to “say, O Lord, save thy people!” Lastly, I wonder how many contemporary Christians are crying out: “O Lord, save Israel”?
 
  In spite of these clear instructions in Jeremiah 31:7,8 on how Christians are to behave toward Israel, i.e.the Jew, tragically, in these days, too many Christians have “departed from the faith” (1Tim4:1), i.e.rejected THIS (Jer31:7,8) word of God! How’s that? Far too many churches either ignore Israel/the Jew altogether or what’s worse, follow the world to the streets to protest God’s people!
 
Is there any wonder why Jews have NOT been “provoked to jealousy”(Rom11:11)?
 
In conclusion, although Jeremiah 31:7-8 addresses three out of the four words (1.to praise; 2.to proclaim; 3.to pray,) I plan to offer even more scripture to teach Christians how to treat Jews/Israel!
 
 
* restitution- is shâlam, shaw-lam´; a prim. root; to be safe (in mind, body or estate); fig. to be (caus. make) completed; by impl. to be friendly; by extens. to reciprocate (in various applications):—make amends, (make an) end, finish, full, give again, make good, (re-) pay (again), (make) (to) (be at) peace (-able), that is perfect, perform, (make) prosper (-ous), recompense, render, requite, make restitution, restore, reward, × surely
                                                           -Strong’s
(Ex22:3,5-6,12)
** simchâh, sim-khaw´; from 8056; blithesomeness or glee, (religious or festival):—× exceeding (-ly), gladness, joy (-fulness), mirth, pleasure, rejoice (-ing).
 
*** tsâhal, tsaw-hal´; a prim. root; to gleam, i.e. (fig.) be cheerful; by transf. to sound clear (of various animal or human expressions):—bellow, cry aloud (out), lift up, neigh, rejoice, make to shine, shout.
 
**** haw-lal´; a prim. root; to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causat. to celebrate; also to stultify:—(make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool (-ish, -ly), glory, give [light], be (make, feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, [sing, be worthy of] praise, rage, renowned, shine.
  
QuoteBit
God connects His glory to meeting Your need. (Phil4:19)  -Derrick Jackson