An Exercise in Frustration

I have always wondered why there is so much vitriol and harassment of the Jewish people, most recently by some in the Islamic community. [i] The current tensions in the Middle East are nothing new. Now this blog isn’t about politics, but about theology. So when the conflicts between Israel and her surrounding neighbors is analyzed, I recognize it is a multi-faceted problem, and one that is worthy of thoughtful discussions elsewhere. I know that there are political reasons. I know that there are social reasons. I know there are religious differences that add fuel to the fire. So from a pragmatic standpoint, there is no question that peace between the Islamic community and Israel has been more than elusive, indeed the problem has been intractable. Yet this isn’t really a surprise to those of us who minor in Biblical prophecy (Zechariah 12:3).

As a Christian, I read all about God’s special role for the Jewish nation, both in how they were blessed, and thus entrusted to bring God’s message to the world in the Old Testament (Psalm 67:1-2), how the Messiah would come through the lineage of David (Jeremiah 23:5-6), and how they will hold a prominent role in end time events (Zechariah 13:9).

I take God’s word very seriously. Perhaps one of the most critical passages regarding how we should treat our Jewish friends is found in Genesis 12:2-3. As we go about life, we have two choices. We can choose to bless Israel, and subsequently receive God’s blessing. Alternatively, we can choose to curse Israel, and subsequently receive God’s curse. It seems very straightforward to me. I want God’s blessing, and I would hope everyone else does as well.

And yet there have been attempts in the past to entirely wipe out the Jewish people. I cannot even comprehend the horror or magnitude of the Holocaust. I just can’t. Spending a day at the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. was as much as I could emotionally handle. It’s nearly impossible to understand why any person or group of people would engage in such an unspeakable evil. Yet while other attempts of genocide have had various degrees of success, this one was doomed before it began. God promised that no such attack on Israel would ever be successful, no matter how systematic or brutal. In the book of Jeremiah, chapter 31, God gives this promise regarding Israel.

35 Thus says the LORD,
Who gives the sun for light by day
And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,
Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar;
The LORD of hosts is His name:
36 “If this fixed order departs
From before Me,” declares the LORD,
“Then the offspring of Israel also will cease
From being a nation before Me forever.”

Here we see that trying to dismantle the Jewish nation is no more possible than trying to make the sun stop shining. Even during Israel’s time of unfaithfulness to God, these promises stand (Amos 9:8). Many other verses speak in such terms, such as Isaiah 54:10. As Christians, we know these promises of God are true, and the last thing we would ever want for anyone is to see them fighting against God by attempting to undermine His promises.

Any religion which has the tendency to denigrate or even hate the Jewish nation and then act upon that is doomed to endless frustration. What could possibly be more exasperating than having a religious directive to accomplish the unaccomplishable? It’s an exercise in futility. Yet one of the teachings of Islam is that eventually the entire Jewish nation will disappear.

When Hadhrat Isa (A) comes down, leading Muslims to fight against him, he will flee, and will be killed near the entrance of the present day Lod. The Jews will be killed, and Judaism will perish at the hands of the true Messiah. [ii]

The Muslims are given this promise which is exactly antithetical to God’s promise! Instead of the Jewish nation existing forever, Muslims are told Judaism will someday perish. Exact opposites. Followers of Islam are given a goal that can never be reached. God is constantly nullifying their plans and thwarting their intentions (Psalm 33:11). Who might be sadistically watching the Islamic nations repeatedly attempting to achieve the impossible by aiming for the destruction of the Jews? This is the mark for which Muslims must strive, but it can never be attained. Is it any wonder that we see exasperation and frustration from Muslim countries regarding the state of Israel?

I leave it as an exercise for the reader to figure out why such reversals exist, and where they might originate.


[i] For those who disagree that Jews have not, and are not currently threatened, there isn’t time to argue the point here. Given past pogroms over the centuries by multiple nations, the holocaust, and recent threats to Israel by Muslim leaders, I would simply invite dissenting opinions to post comments to this article.

[ii] http://www.al-islam.org/day-of-judgement-sayyid-akhtar-rizvi/4.htm

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2 Responses to An Exercise in Frustration

  1. Bob Shair says:

    Glad as I would be to see the Jewish people survive, I don’t see any difference between your argument and that of Muslims on this issue. Our book, which we know to be the Word of God, says the Jews will last. No, Our book, which we know to be the Word of God, says the Jews will perish.

    Is there some objective reason to accept the veracity of one, rather than the other. (Beyond the general tendency of the Koran to produce just the revelations that the prophet Mohammed needed when he needed them?)

  2. That’s a fair point. The article doesn’t address the veracity of one claim with respect to the other. I hope to write such an article at some point in the future. The main thrust of this comparison is not to determine which view is correct, but that the views are total opposites. Islam and Judaism/Christianity have completely antithetical perspectives on dozens, if not hundreds of theological and practical points, in this case the Jewish nation.

    I leave it as an exercise for the reader to make their own determination on which view seems more viable.

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