God’s miraculous warning

In our previous blog we discussed the hatred against the Jews which is based on the hatred against Jesus, a Jew.  It is another amazing fact about the Bible that the world still acts out events described in the Bible thousands of years before. 

Let us take another look at the Jews.  More specifically at their ancestor Abraham and his history.  God called Abram to move to what was then known as Canaan.  God made this promise to Abram (later called Abraham), 

‘I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you.  I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;  and all peoples on earth will be blessed by you.’  Genesis 12:2-3

This was written more than 3,500 years ago.  Only an omniscient God could promise that to Abram.  Has the hatred against the Jews and Jesus ever abated?  No!  That is another remarkable evidence of the supernatural origin of Scripture.   

Does God’s curse work?  Ask Haman and Hitler. 

Does His blessing work?  It is more difficult to answer.  Before the Judgment Seat of Jesus the Jew, the records will reveal it.

Why is Israel hated?

It is obvious from the news that the Jews are hated.  This is not a new phenomenon.  Hatred of the Jews has been around for quite a long time.  The hatred against them is rooted in Jesus,

‘…from them [the Jews] is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, for ever praised.’  Romans 9:5b

This amplifies what Jesus said, 

‘…They hated Me [Jesus] without reason.’  John 15:25b

Israel is a tiny nation with only about 9 million people.  It does not feature among the ‘giants’ like China, Russia or the United States.  It does not arm itself to conquer neighboring nations.  Yet a country like Iran’s aim is to wipe Israel off the map.  Why?  The above Bible verses explain it.   

Hatred against the Jews is given in outline in the Bible book, Esther.  The history is as follows: Haman, in the time of the Persian king, Xerxes, demonstrates the fundamental desire to destroy the Jewish nation.  Haman was not successful.  He lost his life and God provided for the escape of the Jews through Esther.  The ‘Haman’ episode has been repeated many times in history.  Hitler was the last very famous ‘Haman’ who failed as well.    

The fact that God is not mentioned in the book of Esther seems strange to many followers of Jesus.  Yet it is logical when we look at it as a ‘universal’ book.  The Bible is written to believers, but the book of Esther applies to all, believer or not.  The message is clear: do not meddle with God’s people — you will lose.   

Conclusion

The Jewish nation still stands as a visible testimony to the living God of the Bible.  They are a reminder to the world that there is a Creator God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The miracle of Psalm 83

The divine inspiration of the Bible is quite obvious when we look at the nation and country of Israel in 2022.  To illustrate it we want to discuss part of a psalm that was written around 3,000 years ago.   It begins with a plea to God, 

‘O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still.’  Psalm 83:1

Why the plea?  

‘See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads.  With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish.’  Psalm 83:2-3

Note: Your [God’s] enemies are astir and God’s foes rear their heads.  They plan to attack God’s people, Israel.

“Come, ‘they say,’  Let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.'”  Psalm 83:4

In this Psalm certain nations wanted to annihilate Israel so that they will no longer be a nation.  These events happened thousands of years ago.  It is an ongoing lingering desire of some nations and individuals to destroy Israel.  The Bible explains that it is rooted in hatred towards God.  

Today we relive the events of Psalm 83.  Iran makes no secret of it that they want to destroy Israel.  Through the ages many attempts have been made to destroy God’s people, the Jews.  None of the past attempts, of which Hitler’s is a major one, have yet succeeded.  

Verses 5-8 relate,

‘With one mind they plot together, they form an alliance against You….’

The fight is not primarily against the Jews, but against God.  The psalm ends with the following, 

‘Let them know that you, whose Name is the Lord — that You alone are the Most High over all the earth.’  Psalm 83:18 

The hatred for Israel is a recurring war against God that has led to much pain and bloodshed.  It proves that to resist the Lord Most High is the biggest mistake anybody can ever make and it has dire consequences.