By Van Yandell
Zechariah 2:8 “For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.”
For centuries the Jewish nation has been criticized, hated and many murdered by the misinformed. To base an opinion of a culture, nation or religion on generational thinking rather than truth and fact is unwarranted and unjustified. Results of those misunderstandings have been catastrophic. The support of Israel against their 4,000 year old enemy is imperative for Judeo-Christians.
Thousands of deaths on both sides of the conflict have been cataclysmic. Cultures, in many cases, do not coexist in harmony. Tolerance and a “live and let live” philosophy do not appear to be possible. Dating back to Sarah (wife of Abraham) and Hagar (servant of Sarah) the disdain (Genesis 21:8-14) between the two factions has never ended.
While America was not founded based on Judaism, the foundation of the Christian faith is based on the Old Testament teachings. One of the American founding father’s admonitions to future generations was a high regard for rights and particularly, the rights of others. One of those basic rights was freedom of religion.
America has many freedoms including freedom from oppression. Christianity through the concepts passed to us by the Jewish nation gives Christians freedom from the bondage of sin. The first pioneers/settlers on the shores of the western hemisphere were Christian and their religion was Christianity. To be hated or intimidated by another belief is not freedom.
To allow the infiltration of the new country by other religions was essential but problems have been spawned. Over the years those problems have escalated and a solution for coexistence is doubtful. Jews first arrived in New Amsterdam (now New York City) from Brazil in 1654. The inquisition in Brazil was by the Portuguese, refusing to accept religious tolerance. Over 600 Jews fled Brazil. Many went back to Europe but twenty-three went to the new world, now America. The influence those Jews had on the settling of the new world was mostly positive. They assimilated into the population and very little, if any, conflict existed between them and the Christians.
As we consider the history and expansion of the Jewish people throughout the world (Ezekiel 36:19), we must realize their influence on the rest of us is immeasurable. Our history has a connection to Jerusalem more than any European city or country. Our blood came from Europe and other parts of the world but our connection to God came from Israel. When Moses went onto Mt. Saini and brought down the Ten Commandments, the stage was set for the formulation of many of man’s laws written yesterday and today.
Those laws (commandments) established by God, connected today’s world to the Jews, in a way that can never be severed or disputed. God established the Jewish nation and their land around 4,000 years ago. Their purpose was to provide the world with a Savior (Isaiah 49:6).
Savior Jesus came nearly 2,000 years ago to make eternal salvation a result of a faith-based belief in Him. John 3:16 states “whosoever believes in Him” will have eternal life. What was a horrifying ordeal for Jesus makes eternity simple for us.
For anyone to discredit the Jewish nation for providing the world with a Savior, a great misunderstanding does exist.
Genesis 12:2-3 “I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
We can see from verse three, to condemn and hate Israel is extremely dangerous. That great blessing noted in verse three was to be Savior Jesus. The Jews set the concept of the blood sacrifice. The practice of the Jews in Old Testament times was to take an animal to the altar and bleed it. That blood sacrifice was for the atonement of their sin.
Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”
This verse also offers a biological fact. Blood is literally alive. To analyze the implications of our blood by its characteristics and abilities would fill volumes. Our blood furnishes oxygen and nourishment to all of the thirty-trillion cells in our bodies, one atom at a time. The shedding of blood and that being associated with death signifies the salvation connection with Jesus’ death on the cross.
Hebrews 9:22b “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.” The writer of Hebrews was explaining the Old Testament-New Testament connection.
That practice was followed for 1,500 years before Christ was born. He became the blood sacrifice for the sin of the world. When examined in detail, we see how the world is connected to the Hebrew people. Sad to say, billions do not realize this and the hatred of that people will continue.
One of our greatest enemies is misunderstanding. As long as misinformation is passed from generation to generation, the lies and deceptions will continue. Read and study the Bible for yourself.
John 1:17 “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” Jesus gave us eternal salvation by grace and mercy by being a believer-follower of Christ Jesus, crucified and resurrected.
Van Yandell is a retired Industrial Arts teacher, an ordained gospel evangelist and missionary, His email is vmy3451@gmail.com
