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“I know where I stand. And the reason I know is because I stand on the Word of God. I believe God is real, and His direction matters more than anything else in my life.”
These powerful words form the image of a person who loves and respects the Lord deeply. They show a commitment to God’s principles rather than the world’s. However, former two-time presidential candidate Ambassador Mike Huckabee believes that serving God isn’t just about well-intentioned words and ideas–it’s about action. This is why he was chosen as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, a position the Senate just recently voted to confirm him for. In a statement made shortly after he was elected, President Trump enthusiastically declared, “He loves Israel and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.”
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It could be said that this is Ambassador Mike Huckabee’s “such as time as this” moment. In fact, his entire life led him to this critical juncture in history, where he could be in a position to truly bless the Jewish people. “And in Genesis 12, if you bless Israel, you will be blessed. If you curse Israel, you’ll be cursed. That’s pretty clear,” stressed Amb. Huckabee in an interview with CBN.
A Man After God’s Own Heart
Finding politicians with a passion for God, His Word, and the Jewish people isn’t easy to come by, but it’s something Christians hope for. Interestingly enough, Amb. Mike Huckabee’s journey to becoming the U.S. Ambassador for Israel began 69 years ago in Hope, Arkansas. The devoted father of three was born into a conservative, working-class family, and at an early age, he developed a strong faith, a love for the Word of God, and a gift for public speaking. Before long, he broadcasted on radio stations and preached sermons, all before the age of 17.
Amb. Huckabee knew his life’s mission was to serve God, so after high school, he enrolled at Ouachita Baptist University, where he majored in religion and minored in speech. Next, he would attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, eventually becoming a minister at Immanuel Baptist Church and then at Beech Street Baptist. Amb. Huckabee established church-based TV stations while pastoring and became a popular, well-liked personality. In no time, he was elected president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, where his outstanding leadership skills were showcased.
From the Pulpit to Politics
AMb. Huckabee enjoyed his comfortable life as a pastor, but he sensed the Lord calling him to something new. He believed the country needed governmental leaders with a Christian background and strong morals. In response, he ran for public office in 1992 but ended up losing his first Senate race. This didn’t slow him down, however, and he would go on to win a position as the Arkansas lieutenant governor, where he served for several years.
In 1996, Amb. Huckabee’s life would change when a criminal conviction caused then-Governor Jim Guy Tucker to resign. Amb. Huckabee was sworn in as Governor of Arkansas, remaining in that position until 2007 after winning elections in 1998 and 2002. During his tenure, Amb. Huckabee would make his mark in many ways, but he became well-known for his defense of marriage and family. He was instrumental in the passing of the Covenant of Marriage Act of 2001, which gave couples the option of entering into a legally distinct kind of marriage that required marital counseling and offered limited grounds for divorce.
On Valentine’s Day in 2005, he and his wife Janet converted their 30-year bond into a covenant marriage at a large gathering that included over 6,0000 Arkansans. Throughout his governorship, Amb. Huckabee publicly stated, “Marriage is a relationship between one man, one woman, for life,” and maintained that he would support a constitutional amendment to affirm this fact.
Amb. Huckabee’s legacy of education, health, and economic reform, as well as his staunch pro-life, pro-family stances, gained him national attention, and in 2008, he decided to run for president. Ultimately, he would bow out of the race, but instead he would go on to host his own talk show on Fox News called Huckabee, which ran many years on both Fox and later the Trinity Broadcasting Network.
In 2016, Amb. Huckabee would make yet another run for president, but it wasn’t meant to be. Subsequently, his daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, joined the Trump campaign as a senior advisor, helping lead Donald Trump to his first victory as President of the United States. Later, she served as the White House Press Secretary.
God Had Other Plans
Amb. Mike Huckabee did not become president, but God wasn’t finished with him. The author of over 14 best-selling books would continue to host the Huckabee show and appear in many interviews. But a new opportunity was waiting in the wings, and this would perhaps become his greatest challenge and ultimate triumph.
Throughout his political career, Amb. Mike Huckabee has never been shy about voicing his support and love for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. He unapologetically states, “I worship a Jew! I have a lot of Jewish friends, and they’re kind of like, ‘You evangelicals love Israel more than we do.’ I’m like, ‘Do you not get it? If there weren’t a Jewish faith, there wouldn’t be a Christian faith.’” He adds, “Everything that I embrace as a Christian is rooted in the promises that God gave to the Jewish people.”
A True Friend to Israel
Over the years, Amb. Huckabee has made over 100 visits to Israel, leading many tour groups and meeting with leaders like Benjamin Netanyahu. He speaks without reservation about the importance of the biblical land and its connection to the Jewish people. While the legacy news media propagates the idea that this land belongs to the “Palestinians,” Amb. Huckabee has no problem saying, “There is no such thing as a Palestinian. That’s been a political tool to try to force land away from Israel.” He adamantly opposes a two-state solution and refers to the West Bank by its biblical name of Judea and Samaria. For him, any agreement that would involve the surrender of the Jewish people’s biblical inheritance is a deal-breaker.
The October 7 Attacks Solidified Amb. Huckabee’s Support for Israel
Amb. Huckabee believes it’s imperative for our Jewish brethren to know that “You do not have a better friend on earth than Christians around the world, who know where we have come from and know who we must remain allies and friends with.” When the October 7 attacks happened in 2023, he condemned the acts as “horrific” and “beyond anything I’ve ever witnessed in my lifetime.” After seeing images spread by Hamas online, he stressed, “As horrible as the Nazis were, they weren’t posting their atrocities on social media and trying to trumpet what they were doing to the world, which is what makes this horrendous thing Hamas has done so much, to me, worse, because they want everyone to see what they’ve done.”
Ambassador Huckabee Chosen as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel
Amb. Huckabee’s staunch defense of Israel and the Jewish people throughout his entire career didn’t go unnoticed. When the time came to nominate someone as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, President Trump had no reservations about naming Amb. Huckabee as his first and best choice.
At his confirmation hearing in late March, Amb. Huckabee faced the fire as protests erupted at the beginning of the proceedings. While he delivered his opening statement, several protesters had to be removed as they shouted messages like, “Stop the ethnic cleansing” and “Free Palestine.”
Amb. Huckabee voiced support for Trump, saying he would “carry out the President’s priorities” and not his own. He cast doubt on the idea of a two-state solution, testifying, “A two-state solution, everyone living together, sitting around the campfire, toasting marshmallows and singing ‘kumbaya,’ (will not happen) if one of the sides doesn’t believe the other one has a right to exist.”
Amb. Huckabee also emphasized the importance of placing “maximum pressure” on Iran as the regime comes dangerously close to building a nuclear weapon. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and it is better to bankrupt them than it is to bomb them,” he stated.
Ambassador Mike Huckabee Needs Your Prayers
Amb. Mike Huckabee’s life experience and love for Israel have prepared him to enter into this important position. Now that he has been confirmed, we must pray that he will fulfill everything that God has ordained for him to do. We must also pray for his protection, as well as his family because the job he’s taking on makes him a formidable threat to the enemies of Israel and to the Kingdom of Darkness.
Lord Jesus, we pray that you would send angels to guard Amb. Mike Huckabee and his family as he seeks to do Your will in a diplomatic way. Help him build strong relationships with the leaders in Israel and gain the trust of those around him. Give him excellent negotiation skills, but help him pursue and enact Your will before his own.
We pray that Amb. Mike Huckabee would never compromise when it comes to protecting and securing Israel’s biblical homeland and that he would be fair and just when dealing with conflicts and complex geopolitical issues. Give him discernment and wisdom in handling foreign policy, and show him Your path to peace and security.
Help Amb. Huckabee to be a voice for the Jewish people, preserving their best interests while also ensuring that Americans working as embassy personnel are protected and managed properly. Give him a vision of what needs to be done and how it should be accomplished.
Lord, we know you have great plans for Amb. Mike Huckabee. Let nothing stand in the way of what needs to happen in the life of this godly man. Use him as Your instrument, granting him favor with Your chosen people. Above all, show him how to bless Israel with unwavering conviction and courage.
Are you encouraged that Amb. Mike Huckabee is the U.S. Ambassador to Israel? How are you praying for him?
Angela Rodriguez is an author, blogger, and former teacher who studies the historical and biblical connections between Israel and the United States. You can visit her blogs at 67owls.com and 100trumpets.com. She is also the author of Psalm 91: Under the Wings of Jesus and Hallelujah’s Great Ride. Photo Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images.