“I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew” (Romans 11:1-2).
“Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:28-29).
As in the time of Nazi Germany, Anti-Jew has risen to the forefront. And this sentiment is global. Nations that were anti-racist are now openly hostile, not just to the Jews, but anyone who disagrees with the New World Order. They are sowing chaos like unchecked weeds in a garden. Everyone is hated: Christians, Jews, white people, westerners, nationalists, etc. But like it was in the time of the Third Reich, the Jews are at the top of the hate list. The Jews seem to be like a thermometer: as the antisemitic attitude grows, so war and chaos grows. I see nothing but tribulation on the horizon.
Most disturbing is the hateful attitude Christians are taking toward the Jews. To be clear, I’m not saying we need to agree with everything Israel does. Not at all. I don’t trust Israel anymore than I trust my own government. But this isn’t about trusting nations states or politicians. This is about how we, as Christians, should take up with God’s plan and attitude.
An interesting event took place just before Joshua attacked Jericho:
“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, ‘Are You for us or for our adversaries?’
So He said, ‘No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.’
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, ‘What does my Lord say to His servant?’
Then the Commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, ‘Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.’ And Joshua did so” (Joshua 5:13-15).
If you haven’t discerned already, the Commander was the pre-incarnate Messiah, Jesus. This Commander received worship and made the place He was standing holy. But what I really wanted to bring out was the Commander’s reaction to Joshua’s question, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” His response was, “No!” What does that tell us? It tells us we are to be with Him, on His side, and it’s not Him on our side. He’s the one in charge, it’s His plan, and we are to take His lead.
This is exactly the attitude we, as Believer’s, are to have toward the Jews. It’s not what our denomination says, or how we feel, it’s about what God is doing. God is closing out this era, and the Jews are in God’s plan. God has brought Israel back from the dead. They were scattered across the globe for centuries, and do we think they resurrected themselves? Not hardly. There’s much to say about the future of Israel in the Millennial Reign of Christ, but this isn’t the time to say. Nonetheless, we need to be discerning what the Commander of the Lord’s Army is doing today. We don’t want to be fighting against His plan.
Something to understand is revealed in our opening scriptures. Notice God called the Jews “His people” in our opening text? God also said they are “beloved.” God has not cast away His people that He FOREKNEW, and they are beloved by God for the sake of the fathers: That is Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and a host of others that trusted in God’s covenants. These fathers are our fathers also, because we’re of the same faith as theirs.
We’re no different as parents. When our children are rebellious, they don’t stop being our children. Likewise, the rebellion of Israel doesn’t negate the covenant God has with the fathers. Why were the Jews exiled? Because of unbelief and rebellion. Our children that may be rebellious must face the consequences of their actions, but we still love them, and if they repent, we’re there for them. Do we condone their actions? Certainly not. So it is with the Jews. Are they going to be with the Lord when they depart this earth? No. But it is God that judges His people not us. And they are God’s people by covenant. Not by the new birth. We are God’s people in Christ Jesus by new birth. We’re saved by grace. They desire to live by the law of righteousness and fail:
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:1-4).
They are in rebellion against God, but they belong to God, and God will deal with them according to His wisdom. It’s not our place to punish God’s people. Contrary, we should be praying that “they may be saved.” If a loved one is going to hell, do we cheer them on to their death? Not if we love them we don’t! No, we pray for them and are patient so, if possible, they may repent and come to the knowledge of the truth.
Remember the incident when Jacob fled in fear from Laban his uncle?
“And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead. But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad’” (Genesis 31:22-24).
If someone is having difficulty with Israel or the Jews, do what God told Laban:
‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad” (Genesis 31:29). Let God deal with the children of Jacob, and pray that they may be saved.
These are the days of great deception. If we can be moved from the faith, we will be moved from the faith, and we will give an account on the day of Judgement. We want to be found faithful. The commander of the Lord’s Army, Jesus, is the one we should be focusing on. What does He instruct?
We’re not in a contest of who belongs to God and who doesn’t. If we know Messiah, we belong to God. Jesus is returning soon, but before then tribulation shall come. Let’s not be carried away with distractions of no importance in the great scheme of things. We should be attending to the word of God, prayer, and keeping ourselves in the love of God. The world is on a collision with destruction, and there’s enough evil for the day. The Jew’s aren’t the problem, and they’re certainly not our problem, they are God’s problem.
The great deceiver, Satan, is the root of the problems. And if it’s not hatred for the Jews, Satan will bring hatred for some other group. In fact, it’s already happening.
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh” (Jude 20-23).
Stay strong and vigilant.
A Journal of Edification and Exhortation 