“What About The Jews ?”
By : Dr. Maurice Sklar
Nearly every nation and culture that has had the privilege of having Jews among
them has asked this question. The church from it's birth and
down through time has repeatedly asked the same question. "What do we do about these
Jews?" They just don't seem to fit in with any culture in any time.
They are different. They are distinct. We can't "convert" or
change them as a whole, to be like us, no matter how hard we try. They are "chosen". They are "blessed". They are separate from the nations around them. No matter how much their neighbors have
tried to change them, they just stubbornly refuse to change. They remain Jews.
Even when the Jews themselves have tried to conform or assimilate into their
gentile neighbors' culture, as a whole, they have failed to do so. They are "the indestructible people". God made them separate and keeps them that way! There is not
any other ancient culture or people group that has survived as they have to
return to their ancient homeland. Why?
When God found father Abraham and
blessed him, He promised him:
•a great nation
•a great name
•a great land
•a great blessing and the ability to pass that blessing on to whomever would
bless his descendants.
•many nations (believing gentile nations)
As soon as this blessing was given in the book of Genesis, we see
conflict begin. From then on, Abraham and his
descendants rose up and prospered whenever they walked with God and obeyed Him.
But nearly everyone around them fought and resisted them. Jewish historians
have called this phenomenon "the curse of anti-Semitism." This curse
can be summed up in one sentence: "You are not fit to live among us as
Jews." The pattern in history is as follows:
The Jews are invited into a nation because of the blessing of Abraham.
People want what they have and are carrying from God. They desire the gifts that they
possess so that they can prosper. They want the blessing
of God.
By
two to three generations, if not before, the Jews then rise up, (even if they
were impoverished from the last nation that robbed from them and threw them
out), begin to prosper and take dominion over every area of business, the arts,
medicine, finance, etc. They end up owning property, lending money, and
excelling in nearly every discipline and vocation. In short, they become
"the head and not the tail, above and not beneath". All around them that bless them also experience this same supernatural
empowerment and prosperity with them.
Whatever nation the Jews are in begins to become jealous and then to start to
oppress the Jews. "You were a stranger among us, and now do you desire to
rule over us?" They take their liberty from them, rob them of their
property and money, and try to force them to convert to another religion or to
live in a separate place (often called a "ghetto"). They are told
"you are not fit to live AMONG US, as Jews." The only way out of this
is for the Jews to somehow stop being Jews, if they do that they can have some
liberty back and continue to live "among them".
If this curse is not stopped, then the sentence is shortened to "you are
not fit to live among us." The Jews are then told that they must turn over
their property and/or leave or convert to the prevailing religion of that
particular nation. Many, if not all, then are forced to leave.
?
?If
this curse is not stopped, and there are still Jews in that nation, it then is
further shortened to, "You are not fit to LIVE." The Jews are then
hunted down, tortured and killed because they are blamed as a scapegoat for
whatever "evil" that the people have experienced.
?
?This
pattern is the testimony of history and has been repeated over and over again.
What about the bible?
Do we see this in the bible? Yes. It started there.
•Abraham
had to contend with Lot and separate from him because of jealousy.
•Isaac had to keep digging wells until his neighbors finally stopped stealing
his water and left him alone.
•Jacob was treated unfairly for twenty years by Laban. He cheated him over and
over, changed his wages ten times, and robbed from him. Yet, Laban could
not stop the blessing of God over Jacob's life.
•Joseph
was nearly murdered by his brothers, sold into slavery, unjustly accused, and
thrown into prison. Then, he suddenly becomes the second in command under Pharaoh
and saves the whole nation of Egypt by his wisdom. He then saves his family out
of famine and brings them to live in the finest part of the land of Egypt.
This is a beautiful prophetic picture of the Messiah, Jesus and the story
of His final redemption of His brothers – the Jews. It also shows
Jesus as the one who harvests Egypt in time of famine – or as the savior of the
gentile nations also.
Anti-Semitism in Egypt
The curse of anti-Semitism then manifested itself in all of Egypt during the
following generation when Moses was born. The Hebrews were enslaved by
Egypt. It had gotten all the way to the murder stage – you are not
fit to live at all. The Hebrew's children were being murdered because they were
Hebrews but God stepped to save them, as He always does. God sent Moses back
into Egypt and plagued them until they finally let Israel go from slavery. They
pursued them into the Red Sea and perished under God's judgment. I could go on
and show the same pattern throughout the judges, the kings and the prophets of
the Old Testament. It was always the same. Even during the exile in ancient
Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar, and then in Persia through Mordecai and Esther,
we see victory for the Jews from their oppressors and anti-Semitism.
In between the Old and New testament, the light of the Jewish presence in
Jerusalem had nearly gone out. We see, through the miracle of Hanukkah and the
flame that would not go out for eight days in the temple at Jerusalem, God's
hand in preserving His presence among the Jews even in their darkest hours.
Anti-Semitism in the
New Testament
The curse of anti-Semitism would rear its' ugly head over and over into the New
Testament. It was anti-Semitic hatred that caused Rome to scourge, torture and
crucify Jesus. Why? He was accused of being "the King of the JEWS".
After the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, Jerusalem and the temple were
desecrated and destroyed in 70 A.D.
The
Jews were mocked, killed, raped and plundered before being sent into exile,
then, at the top of Masada in the Judean desert, the heroic Jews took their
last stand and held out under the vast armies of Rome for several years! The
Roman legions could not conquer them and had to build as massive ramp up the
mountain before they finally took it. These brave Jews died as martyrs rather
than bow their knees and surrender to the pagan idols of Rome.
The
Israeli Defense Forces are taken to Masada to this day after they are trained
and every Israeli soldier – both mean and women - takes the oath and swears,
"Never Again!" They swear upon the blood and the memory of those that
fought and died at Masada, in the name of Almighty God, that they will fight to
the end like their ancient ancestors. The holocaust will "never
again" occur. Israel and the Jews will fight and die before allowing the
destruction of their land or their people.
Thank God, we know from the promises of the prophets in the bible that this
will truly "never again" happen. Israel as a nation will never fall.
The Messiah is about to return and to sit upon the throne of David and to rule
from Jerusalem. Hallelujah!
However,
the "Diaspora" began as the pagan calendar changed and so did Israel.
The Jews were banished from their homeland and wandered through the gentile
nations. For nearly two thousand years, they were
supernaturally preserved, blessed, and helped by God, as the scriptures
promised, then, in a last desperate attempt of Satan to destroy God's chosen
people before they became a nation again, the holocaust occurred. Six million
Jews were murdered by the Nazis in Europe.
In 1948, bible prophecy was fulfilled, when Israel once again came back to
their land. The greatest miracle of the 20th century was the supernatural
restoration of the ancient people of Israel in their nation again! In another great miracle, the city of Jerusalem was restored into Jewish
control again in 1967, just like the bible predicted long ago.
What about Israel and the Jews?
The church has a terrible history of the very worst anti-Semitism of
all. We have to change and welcome the Jews AS JEWS.
We must love them as God does. We must help them to return to the land of
their fathers. We must show them the love of Jesus, their Messiah to them – not
just in words, but in our love and our actions. We must right the wrongs of
"Christian" history by embracing the God of the Jews and humbling
ourselves under His mighty hand.
As
Ruth did, we must as Christians, say what she said and do what she did. She
cleaved to Naomi, and went with her back to her land and cried, "Your God
is my God." The God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob is the one true God. There is no other. To honor Him is to honor and love His chosen
people, Israel and the Jews. To love Him, is to embrace and bless whom He has
preserved, blessed and chosen. We must become lovers of the Jewish people
and Israel if we are to be true Christians. You can't say that you love Jesus
and then hate the Jews and try to take their place and blessing. You can't take
it anyway. It belongs to them.
We must stand boldly with them and for them without shame
before their many enemies. We must pray for them and help them and love them.
We must stop trying to replace them, then, and only then, will we see true
revival in the church. We will then see the Holy Spirit poured out upon us in
great glory and power. When the true church rises up and unites in love with
the Jews and Israel, then and only then will she be united with herself. The
true church of Jesus will unite with the Jews and Israel, for He is the true
Jewish Messiah to come.
The false church, "the harlot" of the book of Revelation, will
unite in its' hatred of Israel, the Jews, and the true believing church.
The spirit of Babylon will continue to seduce and to satanically ensnare
millions through the world systems of finance and false "new-age"
religions. God will judge and destroy Babylon in His mighty wrath
and set up His Kingdom forever upon earth. Blessed be the Most High God forever
!
If God hasn't forgotten the Jews, then we cannot either.
Pray
for the peace of Jerusalem and Israel.
Pray
for the success of the nation of Israel.
Pray
for the return of the Jews from the ends of the earth back to their home.
Pray
for God to pour His love into you for the Jews and change your heart to become
like the heart of Ruth.
Only
God can do this for you.
Help
in any way you can to bless Jews and those in the church that minister for them
and to them in the true love of Christ.
Bless
them with your prayers, your love, your good deeds, and your finances!
THAT is God's answer to the church for – "What about
the Jews?" He hasn't forgotten them. You don't forget them either!
May
God give you the heart of Ruth, dearly beloved, to love Israel and the Jews as
He does!
Love
in Our Messiah,
Maurice
Sklar
