When I was a young Jewish child, I learned quickly that we were different, and also that we were hated. I never understood why so many children in my school hated those of us who were Jewish.
My dad used to say to me that the Jewish people were the world’s scapegoats. But that only led to more questions in my mind. Scapegoats? Why were we blamed for the world’s problems? It made no sense to me.
We were members of a conservative synagogue. I remember our Rabbi would stress over and over how we needed to marry other Jews. Marrying non Jews was forbidden. Back then, I didn’t understand the rationale behind this admonishment, but I see now that God was merely preserving His people.
I was born again in 1983. As I studied the Word of God, I read so much about my people. In the synagogue, it was not stressed for us to read the Bible. It was amazing to me all that I missed about the history of my own people. It thrilled me that when Jesus walked this earth, He did so as a Jew!
While I was growing up, I experienced so much anti-Semitism. Name calling – “Dirty Jew” and even “Jesus killer.” I had not read the new Testament as a child, so I wasn’t really sure why I was called a killer of Jesus. It was all so confusing.
After I was saved, I thought to myself that I wouldn’t have to hear anti-Semitic remarks any longer. The people who led me to Jesus loved the Jewish people. That thought thrilled me. But it wasn’t very long until I realized that even in church there were those who still hated my people.
My husband and I have searched for a church where we would feel loved and wanted. He is not a Jewish Christian, but he is very protective over me and my feelings. I’m sad to say that today we worship at home. We watch our favorite preachers for spiritual teaching. We do miss the fellowship, but the hurts from certain individuals in the churches we attended have left scars on us both.
As I grew in the Lord, I still had that question in my mind and heart: Why does most of the world hate my people?
I have come to love and trust gotquestions.org for answers to many questions about the Bible and and the Christian faith.
FROM GOTQUESTIONS.ORG
Question: “What is the cause of all the anti-Semitism in the world?”
Answer: Why does the world hate the Jews? Why is anti-Semitism so rampant in so many different nations? What is so bad about the Jews? History has shown that at various times over the last 1,700 years the Jews have been expelled from over 80 different countries. Historians and experts have concluded there are at least six possible reasons:
• Racial Theory – the Jews are hated because they are an inferior race.
• Economic Theory – the Jews are hated because they possess too much wealth and power.
• Outsiders Theory – the Jews are hated because they are different from everyone else.
• Scapegoat Theory – the Jews are hated because they are the cause for all the world’s problems.
• Deicide Theory – the Jews are hated because they killed Jesus Christ.
• Chosen People Theory – the Jews are hated because they arrogantly declare they are the “chosen ones of God.”
Is there any substance to these theories?
• With respect to the racial theory, the truth is that the Jews are not a race. Anyone in the world of any color, creed or race can become a Jew.
• The economic theory citing that the Jews are wealthy doesn’t hold much weight. History has shown that during the 17th through the 20th centuries, especially in Poland and Russia, the Jews were desperately poor and had very little, if any, influence in business or political systems.
• As for the outsiders’ theory, during the 18th century, the Jews desperately tried to assimilate with the rest of Europe. They had hoped that assimilation would cause anti-Semitism to disappear. However, they were hated even more by those who claimed the Jews would infect their race with inferior genes. This was especially true in Germany prior to World War II.
• As for the scapegoat theory, the fact is that the Jews have always been hated, which makes them a very convenient target.
• As for the idea of deicide, the Bible makes it clear that the Romans were the ones who actually killed Jesus, though the Jews acted as accomplices. It wasn’t until a few hundred years later that the Jews were cited as the murderers of Jesus. One wonders why the Romans are not the ones hated. Jesus Himself forgave the Jews (Luke 23:34). Even the Vatican absolved the Jews of Jesus’ death in 1963. Nevertheless, neither statement has diminished anti-Semitism.
• As for their claim to being the “chosen people of God,” the Jews in Germany rejected their “chosen-ness” status during the later part of the 19th century to better assimilate into German culture. Nevertheless, they suffered the Holocaust. Today, some Christians and Muslims claim to be the “chosen people” of God, yet for the most part, the world tolerates them and still hates the Jews.
This brings us to the real reason by the world hates the Jews. The apostle Paul tells us, “For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised!” (Romans 9:3-5).
The truth is that the world hates the Jews because the world hates God. The Jews were God’s firstborn, His chosen people (Deuteronomy 14:2). Through the Jewish patriarchs, the prophets, and the temple, God used the Jews to bring forth His Word, the Law, and morality to a world of sin. He sent forth His son, Jesus the Christ, in a Jewish body to redeem the world of sin. Satan, the prince of the earth (John 14:30; Ephesians 2:2), has poisoned the minds of men with his hated of the Jews. See Revelation 12 for an allegorical depiction of Satan’s (the dragon’s) hatred of the Jewish nation (the woman).
Satan has tried to wipe out the Jews through the Babylonians, the Persians, the Assyrians, the Egyptians, the Hittites, and the Nazis. But he’s failed every time. God is not finished with Israel. Romans 11:26 tells us that some day all Israel will be saved, and this cannot come to pass if Israel no longer exists. Therefore, God will preserve the Jews for the future, just as He has preserved their remnant throughout history, until His final plan comes to pass. Nothing can thwart God’s plan for Israel and the Jewish people. [1]
Isn’t it amazing that through all the centuries, the persecution, the slaughter and rabid hatred of the Jews, yet we are still a people? Not only that, but God brought my people back to their land – Israel! It was prophesied in the Bible. He would bring back the Jewish people from the four corners of the earth – back to their own land in Israel.
IT WAS SATAN ALL ALONG
At least now I know the real reason for the hatred, persecution and slaughter of my people. The father of lies…..the author of confusion…..the accuser of the brethren HATES the Jewish people, because he knows that through their lineage, the MESSIAH of the World would come! He actually thought that he could thwart God’s plan of Salvation by killing off the people from whom He would come.
THE WHOLE WORLD HATES ISRAEL
Because of the hatred that Satan has poured into the hearts of unbelieving men and women for Israel, the whole world now stands against her. The Nuclear agreement with Iran was the world slapping Israel directly in the face, and saying loudly that their hope is for her total annihilation.