Who are the Jewish people? From whence did they come? Questions like these have been uttered through out many centuries. The hatred of the Jews has been around for the same number of centuries. A good understanding of the Jewish people starts with the fact that they are Gods chosen people. In the Old Testament, they are called “Israel” and are the offspring of Abraham through the line of Isaac. Contrary to what the bible says, Muslims also look to Abraham as their father, but through the line of Ishmael. The proof of this can be found in Genesis 17: 19 where Abraham suggests Ishmael, “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.” This passage proves the twin directions between Muslims and Christians.
Now the Jews have a very special relationship with God. Abraham was promised thusly in Genesis 12: 1-3, “Get out of your country, from our family and from your fathers house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you, and in you all the families of earth shall be blessed.”
Gods covenant to Abraham is in effect to this day; god does not take back his word. This makes me quake when I hear some politician stating he would seek a friendship with any foreign leader who makes threats and/or attacks Israel. The leaders and the people led by them should think long and hard before antagonizing Israel. Remember, “I will curse him who curses you.”
What made God choose the Jews? This is another question that can spring forth. It has the potential be answered improperly. A good perspective can be found in Luke 12: 48, “For everyone to whom much is given; from him much will be required.” The Jewish people were given much, but it came with great responsibility. God chose the Jewish people to be blessings to everyone on the earth. The Messiah Jesus would come by the seed of Abraham to save mankind from their sin. Proof of this may be found in Isaiah 42: 6, “I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles.”
Even though at the time many of the Jewish nation rejected Christ Jesus as the messiah, God never rejected them. This is a very important point. Anytime a Christian finds himself falling toward an anti-Jewish persuasion should read all of Romans 11, particularly verses 28 and 29, “concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sake, but not concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of god are irrevocable.” Summarized, the argument that the Jews should be killed because they killed Jesus is out the window.
What does this have to do with Anti-Semitism? Through out history the Jews have been hated for killing Jesus. The gentiles using the New Testament justified their actions. A person could argue that because the Jewish leaders plotted his death and arranged to have him crucified by the Romans. Alternatively, the argument could be that the Romans killed Jesus because Pilate ordered the death sentence and his soldiers carried it out. All these facts can be found in the scriptures, but for justification purposes, they are all wrong. The truth of who really killed Jesus is nobody killed him. Jesus will tell you so in John 10: 17-18, “I lay down my life that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it again.” Jesus freely gave his life to satisfy gods requirements for justice; justice for all the sins of humanity. My sin and yours hung Jesus from the cross, Jew and gentile.
Christians themselves have a long history of Anti-Semitism. No Christian that has attacked Jewish people with “it is desired by God” on their lips was led by God. No, not one of them. JESUS WAS A JEW. Never the less, Christians mistakenly persecuted Jews through out history. This was and still is terrible for both sides. Terrible for the Jews due to their suffering and the Christians because they invited curses into their lives, missing their chance to love and honor God’s chosen people. Look at Deuteronomy 32: 10.
Martin Luther was a prominent example of the 16th century. Luther restored a great truth to the church. That truth was that salvation is by faith and not by works alone. However, he failed miserably in regards to the Jewish people. Luther wanted the Jewish people annihilated and condoned and fueled persecution of the Jews during that time. Luther’s influence provided justification to men such as Adolf Hitler down through history.
The hatred of the Jewish people is easy to trace. It is traced directly to Satan. Satan comes to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy”, Says john in 10: 10. Hate of any kind stems from Satan. Unfortunately, there have been many willing participates all through history. This holds true for the Jew, black, yellow, and the red man. The Jews by far carry the most hate. They have been forced around the world. This leads us to another reason for the hatred, Jealousy.
God told Abraham that his seed would be more numerous than the grains of sand or the stars in the heavens. The Jews, for the most part, rejected their messiah the first time; Romans 11 alludes to another great in gathering of the Jews. Many people believe they will be great evangelists in the tribulation period.
The persecution of the Jewish people is a great cycle. Hardly a time passes when the Jew is not persecuted in some way. However, a second cycle flows along with the first. This cycle is gods continued favor for his chosen people. The fact that there remain a people called Jewish is extraordinary. These people have remained a distinct group even though they ceased to have their own homeland in 70 AD. They have been scattered over the world ever since the loss of that homeland. No matter what country they adopted, they held together. Simply miraculous. The Jewish people prospered no matter what was done to them. Attacks, persecution, the holocaust, nothing could or can stop them. They always found a niche in the hosting country they could fill and filled it excellently. They have a tremendous share of talents both culturally and intellectually. The Jewish people have been stamped having an astuteness in business and the handling of money. If I was a Jewish man, I would be very proud of that label. This label is true, and it was brought on by necessity and the blessings of God. The Jews were barred from owning land and operating in certain trades due to their proficiency. In turn, they turned to managing business and money prospering the whole way through out history. Naturally, this ended up with the host country becoming jealous and the persecution began. I firmly believe jealousy is relative to anti-Semitism. People can sense that the Jews are special and hate it. God will not allow the Jews to be annihilated. It just will not happen. God remains faithful to the covenant he made with Abraham. The holocaust, as horrific as it was, turned into a blessing; the outrage was so terrible that Israel became a nation again in 1948.
The best advice for any Christian is to love and stand by the Jewish people. Remember, “I will bless those who bless you.” We all have a spiritual heritage with the Jews, and we too call Abraham our father. God did not abandon them and if we stand with them, he will not abandon us.
September 30th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Webster’s Dictionary defines a jew as…
September 30th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Good article.
September 30th, 2008 at 11:48 am
I get my info from the Bible not webster’s dictionary.
September 30th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
So do you agree that if someone works on the Sabbath, they should be stoned to death? Just sayin’…
September 30th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Are you aware that Muslims also trace their heritage to Abraham?
You see, Abraham’s wife Sarah was having trouble getting pregnant, so Abraham cheated on her with the maid, Hagar. Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, and everyone was happy because Abraham had an heir.
But then Sarah got pregnant and had a child, Isaac. Now that their child problem was solved, Hagar and Ishmael were thrown out of the house. Ishmael became father to the Muslims and Isaac became father to the Israelites.
September 30th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
kylejack, you did read the article didn’t you? That is probably why God establised his covenant with Isaac and not Ishmael who’s line the muslims follow.
nos0up4you, yes, I think someone should stone you. Try reading the bible before you make a fool of yourself. It stings a lot less.
September 30th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I do read the Bible… hence, my question to you:
Exodus 31:15 – Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Numbers 15:
32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. 33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. 34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. 35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. 36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.
So since you “get your info from the Bible”, is this correct?
September 30th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
You always cracka meh uppa, Affable. Man, if only I had a Jamaican accent… anyway. The Jew’s are Gods chosen people and it clearly states that in the Bible – Romans 3. That’s why we have Israel’s back, homie. Why do you think all countries, besides the U.S., are against it? Because Satan is against God, duh. Satan can also be identified in Iran’s president. You know the President that would like to wipe Israel off the map? Duh, again. Get real. The Bible is real, God is true and He loves you and wants you to not suffer what Revelation says unbelievers will endure. What’s that you ask? Just take a peeksies at Revelation 9. Now that should be the definition of the fear of the Lord. Ahhhhhmen.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:23 am
nos0up4you, Good Job. Now, try reading a little in the New Testament.
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:39 pm
OK, but you cite books of the Old Testament in your article… why wouldn’t my citations of the Old Testament be just as valid? I was under the impression that the Bible was the Word of God, and hence infallible.
October 2nd, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Hot or cold, left and right, one side of the fence or the other. You seem like the type who will come to what side that will benefit you the most. As for your other comment regarding the books of the bible, if you had read the New Testament you would not need to ask some of these stupid questions you ask. Tell you what, since you favor the childish “I know you are, but what am I” rhetoric I will ignore all of your comments from hence forward. I find it exasperating trying to teach a rock it cannot swim.
October 2nd, 2008 at 2:59 pm
If you cannot effectively defend the book that you say you believe in, then you shouldn’t use it to make your points so often.
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Punkin, we’re not supposed to defend it. Being defensive in regards to the Bible is actually a sin. I think one of my favorites is how Jesus talks about how we, as believers, will have to endure hardships in our walk. John 17-20 This is my command: Love each other. The World Hates the Disciples. If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ And zaaat is why I love you! And He loves you, no matter what!
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:11 pm
My love for the world’s inhabitants is so great that I try to steer them away from silly superstitions and towards logic. The world doesn’t hate me or you… if you think it hates you, you’ve got a serious persecution complex.
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Nerp. Just Gods lurve. Try it, see how much the world (a.k.a evil) can hate a Christian. Unbelievable. But we manage :)
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Tell me more about this hatred the world has for Christians. I’m very interested in examples.
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Yay! Awesome that you asked. I’m reading a book that just gave examples. And I quote, “In Sudan water is systematically withheld from Christians as they die of thirst and malnutrition, while desperate attempts to visit wells are met with murder, rape, or kidnapping. Fresh reports come every month concerning the destruction of Christian churches and the arrest of pastors in China. In the last decade, over five hundred Christian churches have been destroyed in Indonesia. Missionaries are at risk all over the world.” If you’d like more examples, I suppose I can proceed with Iran’s president becoming quite famous lately for having those who convert to Christianity beheaded?
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:30 pm
breanna, I would just ignore nos0up4you. He is just a poor soul who wants to argue. He claims logical positions, but in realality he searches daily for himself. It is good how you respond to him so nicely, I myself have chosen to ignore him. He lives in a free country where the gospel is spread in all directions. He himself states he reads or has read (very hastily, in my opinion) the bible. The christian’s duty is accomplished. If he choses to refute the word, well then I am sorry to hear it. His guilt wants freedom yet his pride keeps him from deliverance. I do wonder why a self proclaimed atheist worries with the Bible or religion columns
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:42 pm
breanna, I would like to give you a website that I think you might enjoy. They have very good articles, and multitudes of cost free literature. I performed some “human resouce” work for them to enter several communist countries safely; so they could spread the word of God and make it back home. It is located in of all places Philadelphia. Their website is: thetrumpet.com
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Aw, you’re awesome, Affable! I’ll have to check that out. I’m trying to save up for a missions trip to Kenya. I suppose you’re right about trying to ignore him. I just find it sad when people don’t fully understand the word of God and His love. The distinction between us is the Lost and the Saved and most don’t understand that. Atheism is contradictive. You don’t believe in God, but you’re against God? Strange. Science cannot state that there is no proof of Gods existence, either. Just gotsta point to the cross and the One who gave it all, I guess. And do just as Colossians 3 says – clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
October 2nd, 2008 at 4:00 pm
If you are serious about missionary work, try this site http://www.persecution.com. These guyS wrote the book on this work. I have helped some of their more senior missionaries and they had even me sweating on some of their trips.
October 2nd, 2008 at 4:49 pm
I’m not “against God”, I simply don’t believe in the concept. I do see the value of religion and spirituality in some people’s lives (some NEED it for guidance), but I also don’t get it when people can’t discuss the concepts without pulling the “I’m saved/you’re lost” arguments. I think a better description for me is a “secular humanist”, to be honest… I’m doing a disservice to myself by identifying as an Atheist so that the uninformed can make generalizations about who I am as a person. I’ve studied Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism & Sufism fairly deeply, and I have copies of many religious texts in my house… I find them to be some of history’s greatest works of fiction.
October 2nd, 2008 at 5:01 pm
And breannawanna, your book gives no examples, only vague descriptions of incidents.
Keep in mind, though, that persecution of one religion by another is fairly common in developing or underdeveloped nations, especially those that have a state-sponsored religion. The “world” does not hate Christians, and Christianity is still the world’s largest & most followed religion… and it was also spread through violence & persecution of people who didn’t hold believe in it. It’s not because they’re “Christian”, it’s because they’re not part of the religion that the country’s power structure is based on.
However, there is a HUGE Christian and Catholic population in Sudan (especially in Khartoum). The reality is that there is a human rights crisis in Sudan that transcends religious belief.
In China, all religions are “kept in check” by the Communist government, at least as much as they can… but Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Buddhism are all practiced there, even openly (so long as it’s state-sanctioned). Not the best situation, but that’s generally what happens in Communist nations.
I’ll give you Indonesia, though… their government is highly corrupt and violence against anyone who isn’t a Muslim is generally tolerated.
I think that missionaries would have a much easier time in the world if their main goals were simply humanitarian and didn’t include converting someone to a different religion.
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:34 am
‘Only vague descriptions’… I did not realize you needed pictures of these events. As if killing someone is completely humane. Anyway, I’ll keep praying and being nice. And we’re only spreading the word, not spitting in people’s faces for not believing in what we see as the right way. That whole spitting thing happened to my sweets who went over to London and had some Muslim guy spit in his face for not believing his way. We do it through love, not killing. I don’t know who wouldn’t want to believe in such a kind ‘religion’. Holler.
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I’m not asking for pictures, just a more detailed description of events. I can state that “thousands of Atheists are being murdered in the streets of [name a country here] every day”, but that doesn’t make it true unless I can cite sources or specific events. Everyone can claim the persecution card and provide examples.
October 3rd, 2008 at 1:13 pm
You would think some people would get of their lazy rears, and do their own research. but thats what people want these days. Someone to do their work and they sit back collecting their freebies. Sounds alot like a liberal wouldn’t you agree. Some people want it handed to them on a silver platter.
October 3rd, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I have to do MY research on a point that SOMEONE ELSE is trying to make? The burden of evidence is on her, not me.
Affable, please explain to me what “freebies” I’m receiving. I’m really interested in your perception of who I am.
October 3rd, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Apparently, some people believe the world revolves around them. Everyone, please review my comment below. Was it aimed at any one person? no, it is aimed at anyone claiming to be liberal. I can,t help it if most liberals want to destroy society or deadbeats are attracted to liberalism.
October 3rd, 2008 at 1:51 pm
I think what I’m going to do is just sit back, relax, and drink a V8 Splash (I love those things) I’m extremely parched from these back and forth, never-ending battles of whom could be right. All I know is that one day the evil will bow to good and I’ll be smiling from Heaven, hopefully drinking a V8 Splash!
October 3rd, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Oh WOW affable… you want to pretend that you weren’t talking about me? WHO ELSE could you have been referring to in this thread about “research”, which then somehow segued into “liberal” and “freebies”.
Tell me more about how liberals want to “destroy society”. I would think, based upon your description of “liberal”, that we’d be far too lazy to take up such a task.
October 3rd, 2008 at 1:57 pm
I would like to apologize to everyone. I know this is a site where people may write articles about how they feel in regards to the world in their own words. A site where a person may express his or her opinion and recieve feed back. It is not a place to carry on arguments. As soon as I hit enter I promise I will ignore all of the argumentative types, who do not just state their comments, but want only to argue for the sake of it. I will take up no more space or your time beating dead horses. It is very unproductive. The temptation will be removed as I am going out of country tonight and where I go no electronics can. I do wish some of the argumentative types could (or would) go with me. Their perspective of the world would be changed instantaneously. Again, I apologize.
October 3rd, 2008 at 2:01 pm
“All I know is that one day the evil will bow to good and I’ll be smiling from Heaven, hopefully drinking a V8 Splash!”
Sounds a bit prideful, no?
October 3rd, 2008 at 2:03 pm
That’s right… if you can’t take someone challenging your ideals and beliefs, then leave. If you’re willing to give your opinion, you should count on someone questioning or outright disagreeing with it. The “comments” feature isn’t here so that people can just say “I completely agree!! 5 stars!!!”.
October 3rd, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Someone needs a little humor in their life…
October 3rd, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Yeah I think I’ll go home and watch some Eddie Izzard & have some laughs.
November 11th, 2008 at 1:54 am
affablepenman: Nice job Brother! Iam impressed on the comments that you got! Do you currently work for any journalsitic organization like newspaper-magazine ect. God Bless Your work!
November 25th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
andreybigb, I barely even buy newspapers much less be employed by one. My profession is freelance executive protection specialist. I am self employed so I can focus mainly on missionary ventures. I help missioners ingress and egress countries safely, as well as protect them while they are in country. Thank you andreybigb for the nice comment. God Bless you and yours.