Okay, I am drawing the line in the sand.
Choose Whom You Will Serve:
“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24: 14-15)
As I read this passage of Scripture, I see that God is addressing the various gods being served – perhaps in this case, anti-Semitism learned from parents can be a god; but He is asking for a choice: Serve Him or serve other gods.
But choose!
On one side is God’s Word and His Son who brought the better covenant of grace to a sin sick world, and offers this grace to whomever will repent and trust Him.
On the other side is everything else which seems right to humanity.
“There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).
When you came to Christ in repentance, and you acknowledged that you are a sinner, and trusted Yeshua for salvation—you did well. But did you ever think that because the Lord saved you, that it is of utmost importance for you to love that which He loves?
God’s purpose from the beginning was to bless the whole world using His people Israel.
“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8 emphasis added).
When you came to Jesus, did anyone disciple you? Did anyone tell you the importance of reading the Word for yourself? Some would say “But I was never taught that I should love the Jews and Israel.” Were you taught to read in elementary school? If that sounds harsh, it’s meant to be.
“These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him” (1 John 2: 26-27).
Did you see that? His anointing (The Holy Spirit) teaches you about all things! Read His Holy Word and learn from the heart of God.
He will teach you!
Salvation is from the Jews:
To the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus said:
“Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:21-22).
The entire Bible was written by Jews. Perhaps I’ll say that again:
The entire Bible was written by Jews (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit).
Our Savior Yeshua walked this earth as a Jew!
Now some will say, “But Israel is a secular nation—not caring for the things of God!” Indeed, they are. But the Word also says this:
“In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice” (Romans 11:5).
Some will say “But the Jews rejected Jesus!” And Paul explains why:
“I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.”
But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not and ears to hear not, down to this very day.” (Romans 11:1-8).
“I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!
But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too” (Romans 11:11-16 emphasis added).
The Jews rejection of Jesus made it possible for the Gentiles to be reconciled to God. What’s NOT to love about that?
Jews are the chosen people of God, and dearly loved by Him. Another reason why Christians should love the Jewish people is because of the Abrahamic Covenant the Lord God made with them.
Genesis 12:2-3
“And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
God Poured out His Love upon Israel
HE made them a great nation.
HE blessed them.
HE made their name great.
HE brought salvation to the world through His Son Yeshua.
God is faithful. It’s because of HIM that this covenant is everlasting. It has nothing to do with Israel being good enough to remain God’s people. It is GOD who made the covenant, and HE cannot lie. The plan was always that salvation would come to the entire world through the Jews.
So the next time you claim to be a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, and in the next breath you say evil things against the Jewish people, know this: You are cursing the Jewish people and Israel – GOD’S people. God is not mocked:
Psalm 83 Is an Imprecatory Prayer for God to Destroy the Enemies of Israel
Psalm 83:1-5
O God, do not remain quiet;
Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still.
For behold, Your enemies make an uproar,
And those who hate You have exalted themselves.
They make shrewd plans against Your people,
And conspire together against Your treasured ones.
They have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation,
That the name of Israel be remembered no more.”
For they have conspired together with one mind;
Against You they make a covenant.
Are YOU an enemy of Israel?
So, I ask again —
You say you love Jesus, but you hate His people?
Shalom Yerushalayim! (Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.)