"...and I did not speak out..."

Today is Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. What should a follower of Jesus' response be on this day?

Since ancient times, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have been relentlessly persecuted by their Gentile neighbors. Haman’s decree to destroy the Jews of Persia was the precursor to the pogroms of Europe, the Jew-condemning edicts of Rome, the Final Solution of Nazi Germany, and the BDS/anti-Zionism Movement of the 21^st century.

Sadly, very few Christians defended those whom Christ called His “brethren”. In fact, when studying anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism—two sides of the same coin— both past and present, it is discovered that professing Christians are often the most virulent opponents to God’s Chosen People, usually due to apathy.

It is my conviction that anti-Semitism, which includes anti-Zionism, is not only unbiblical, it is diametrically contrary to the teachings of Scripture. In His Word, God makes it clear that believers are not only to refrain from anti-Semitic actions themselves, they are mandated to protect Jewry from the anti-Semitism of others.

Israel from God’s Perspective

Whether you are reading through a book on world history or glancing at this morning’s headlines, it is obvious what the world thinks of God’s Chosen People. They are maligned, harassed, persecuted, and often killed on a daily basis. Anti-Semitism lurks just below the surface of the world system.

As Christians, however, our concern is not with the world’s view of Israel, but with God’s view. God does not conceal His love for His Chosen People. On the contrary, if the Bible is a “love letter” to anyone, it is to the Jewish nation.

Let’s examine how God views Israel.

God Loves Israel Eternally and Unconditionally

Throughout Scripture, God makes clear that He loves Israel and always will, regardless of her disobedience. In Hosea, God speaks as a heartbroken father who is reminiscing about the early days of caring for his now-backslidden child: “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son…I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms…I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love…I stooped and fed them” (11:1, 2a, 3a, 4a,c).

In this same chapter, despite His grief and anger at her disobedience, God declares, “How can I give up Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred” (11:8).

In Jeremiah 31:35-37, God makes a very strong statement about His love for Israel. He says that if the sun, the moon, and the stars stop shining, and if the waves of the seas can be stopped, and if heaven and earth can be measured, then He will “cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done”.

Even during their worst times of disobedience towards God, He has love and sympathy for His Chosen People.

God Has a Future Plan for Israel

“For I know the thoughts I think towards you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11). While this verse is often misapplied by Christians to themselves, it is really God’s declaration to Israel that, despite their waywardness, He has plans for them.

Jeremiah the prophet also records that God will give Israel a future. In chapter 31, God promises that a “new covenant” will be made “with the house of Judah”. This new covenant will not be according to the law, but will be written on “their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Jer. 31:33).

The Apostle Paul, a Jewish man himself, writes, “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew” (Rom. 11:1-2a).

Later in the same chapter, Paul speaks of the New Covenant spoken of by Jeremiah centuries before: “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins’” (Rom. 11:26-27).

The Christian’s Response:  Imitating God

Throughout Scripture, God makes it clear that His desire for those who follow Him is that they would reflect His character. For example, we are to be holy as He is holy (1 Pet. 1:16); forgive as He forgives (Col. 3:13); live in the light as He is in the light (1 Jn. 1:7). Our lives—who we are, what we do, say, and think—are to conform to Him (Rom. 8:29).

Seeing that God loves Israel with an unconditional, everlasting love; and that He has a future plan for them, especially concerning salvation; and understanding that we are to become like Him, it is imperative, then, that we love what God loves and hates what God hates.

There are benefits to obeying this command, and consequences for disobeying this in relation to Israel. In Genesis 12, God calls and makes several prophetic promises to the progenitor of the Jewish people, Abraham. After listing those things that would be directly applied to Abraham and his descendants, God makes a significant promise that has implications not only for Israel, but particularly for the Gentile world. He says, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you…” (v.3).

One great example of this promise being played out in the real world involves an unlikely character. Joshua 2-6 records the famous account of a Gentile prostitute, Rahab, who intervened on behalf of the Jewish people. She hid the two Jewish spies from Jericho’s angry king, which saved their lives and made possible the taking of the city, and the eventual conquering of the land of Canaan.

She lied in order to save the lives of these men, and God blessed her for it. Rahab is in the genealogy of Christ (Matt. 1:5), and is listed as one of the faithful in Hebrews 11).

This promise of reciprocal treatment is God’s plan for world history in capsule form. Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Rome, Great Britain—the world empires that have persecuted the Jewish people have either been destroyed or are a shell of what they once were, demonstrating that God takes His word seriously.

As believers, it ought to be our desire to please God. It is His desire that we bless Israel, resulting in reciprocal blessing. Understanding that out of our hearts should come a desire to please Him by obedience, it is imperative that we love the Jewish people as He does.

The Christian’s Response: Refusing Indifference

Famed author, professor, and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel once said, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference”. Perhaps the greatest crime of the church during the Holocaust was not that they hated the Jews; most Christians did not. Their crime was that they were apathetic towards their Jewish neighbors. They would not speak up.

The Christian’s response to anti-Semitism can never be the silence of indifference. Throughout Scripture, God implores men and women to defend the defenseless. “Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy” (Prov. 31:8-9).

In Psalm 82:3, God says, “Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy”. The victims of the Holocaust were the poor, the downtrodden, and the orphans.

The Christian’s Response: Obeying God

Perhaps the greatest response to anti-Semitism and persecution is to obey God. In Matthew 25:40b, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, My brethren, you did it to Me”.

We often use this verse in relation to the poor, the unborn, the elderly, etc. Certainly, these are not improper applications of the verse; but Jesus is talking, here, specifically about the treatment of the Jewish people during the Tribulation (Matt. 24:29). He says that to feed, house, clothe, and care for one of His Jewish brothers is doing those things for the King Himself. Should we not do these things for His Chosen People during the tribulations prior to the final one?

In addition, God tells us that we are to obey the government, regardless of whether or not we agree with their policies, unless what they are commanding we do violates God’s commands.

"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities...Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves..." (Rom. 13:1a, 2). "We ought to obey God rather than men..." (Acts 5:29).

We are to be obedient to the government God has put in place unless doing so requires us to disobey God. To refuse to intervene for the Jewish people would be sin; therefore, civil disobedience in this case is not only acceptable, but mandatory.

Conclusion

When the flames of the world’s anti-Semitism are burning with white heat, it is tempting for the Christian, like the majority in Europe in the 1930s and ‘40s, to remain silent. It has been proven, however, that Christians not only ought to defend the Jewish people, they have a biblical mandate to do so.

To choose silence and inaction is to reap God’s cursing, to reject divine blessing, to accept indifference, and to disobey the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

What Should We Do?

The Holocaust was awful. Christians were partly at fault for the genocide. We know that Christians must work to prevent it from happening again; but how?

Here are 5 ways Christians can ensure people never forget the Holocaust, preventing it from happening again:

1.   Be Educated and Educate—Many in the Jewish community often cite education as the number one preventive measure against people forgetting the Holocaust. If men and women of the world read books, watch video clips, and hear testimonies of the Holocaust, they are much more likely to remember the horrors. As Christians, we must educate ourselves on these matters, so we can share them with others.

2.   Talk to a Survivor—Secondhand information about the Holocaust is often how we learn about it. However, if possible, talking to a survivor of the Holocaust is a potent, memory-ingraining experience. To be able to say that your friend survived Hitler’s war on the Jews is not something you are soon to forget.

3.   Use Your Influence—Most Christians have some realm of influence. Whether we teach Sunday School, host a Bible study, or help out at AWANA, we influence other Christians in one way or another. We need to use our influence to ensure that others do not forget the Holocaust. This could mean having your Sunday School class learn about God’s plan for Israel and Satan’s opposition to it. It could also come as a practical way for your Bible study or AWANA group to support the Jewish people in your community. If they learned what the Holocaust was all about, then honored survivors or other members of the Jewish community on Holocaust Remembrance Day, the memory would stick.

4.   Learn About the Resistors—Christians are often inspired by the stories of how God used missionaries in far flung parts of the earth. But how often do we take the time to read about fellow believers who risked their lives for the sake of God’s Chosen People? Reading about the faith of people, like Corrie Ten Boom, not only causes people to ask what they would do if they were in the same situation, but also strengthens their faith in the Lord.

5.   Use Social Media for Good—We’ve all heard about how terrible social media is. “It’s causing us to be an anti-social society!” “We spend all our time looking down at our gadgets, and never enjoy the beauty around us!” But what if we use this tool for good? Social media has proven to be a great way to spread news—good and bad. As Christians, we should be harnessing this tool, sharing status updates and pictures on major Holocaust anniversaries, as well as showing our support for the modern state of Israel. More often than not, those seemingly insignificant “shares”, “likes”, and comments generate dialog both on and offline.

On this Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah), I implore my fellow believers in Jesus the Messiah to open your eyes, your ears, and your hearts to your Jewish neighbors. Never forget that the God you worship, the Messiah you love has a special love for His Chosen People.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— 

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— 

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

~Pastor Martin Niemoller, Holocaust Survivor

For Such a Time as This

In just a few weeks, we will see Jewish people of all ages dressed up in costumes, throwing festive parties, and sending baskets of food to friends. No, the date for Halloween has not been changed--it’s the celebration of the Jewish holiday Purim (pronounced “Poor-eem”).

Purim is the celebration of God’s deliverance of the Jewish people from the Persian anti-Semite Haman. The account Purim celebrates is found in the Book of Esther. A series of providential events leads to the banishment of Persian Queen Vashti, and the exaltation of the young Jewess, Esther, to the throne.

Haman, King Ahasuerus’ right-hand man, became angered at Esther’s uncle Mordecai, who would not pay homage to him. Haman’s cronies told him that the reason Mordecai would not pay homage was that he was Jewish. Haman became enraged, and sought to kill not only Mordecai, but all the Jewish people of Persia.

Mordecai tells his niece of the impending holocaust, and urges her to use her position of power to save her people. In one of the most compelling parts of Esther, Mordecai says to Esther, “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Est. 4:13-14).

Esther gives the command for the Jews of Shushan to fast for her for three days. The brave young queen decides to go before the king without his sending for her, an action that could very well cost her her life, according to Persian law. Despite her fears, she goes to the king saying, “If I perish, I perish!”

In the end, Esther informs King Ahasuerus of Haman’s plan for holocaust, which results in Haman being hanged on the very gallows he constructed to hang Mordecai on. Because Persian law is irrevocable, even by the king, Ahasuerus is unable to take legal action against the planned slaughter of the Jewish people; but he does allow the Jews of Persia “to gather together and protect their lives—to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them…”

The book closes with the exaltation of Mordecai to Haman’s former position, and a celebration for the Jews’ victory over their enemies. “…the Jews established and imposed it upon themselves and their descendants and all who would join them, that without fail they should celebrate these two days every year, according to the written instructions and according to the prescribed time, that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, and that the memory of them should not perish among their descendants” (Est. 9:27-28).

Although God’s name is not mentioned once in the Book of Esther, the movement of His hand “behind the curtain” is very evident. He raised up a young woman to defend her people against anti-Semites, and proved His faithfulness to His word, that the seed of Abraham would never depart from before Him (Jer. 31).

While we would hope that the world would have learned its lesson about touching the apple of God’s eye, it has been proven that they have not. The Holocaust of the 1930s and ‘40s resulted in the destruction of more than 6 million Jewish lives.

The anti-Semitism of Esther’s day and that of 1930s Germany has never fully gone away. It has always lurked just beneath the surface, ready to rear its ugly head whenever a conspiracy or scapegoat is sought out by the world for calamitous events.

Now, the anti-Semitism that has been brewing for over 70 years is coming to a rapid boil. Take France, for example. According to one report, “In 2014, the number of anti-Semitic acts recorded on French territory has doubled. It is 851 against 423 in 2013. This represents an increase of 101%. 51% of racist acts in France in 2014 were directed against the Jews. The Jews are a little less than 1% of the French population. Less than 1% of the citizens of the country is the target of half of racist acts in France.”  Jews are fleeing France en masse—about 7,000 in 2014 alone.

What will the Church do about this?

During the Holocaust of the 20th century, the world was silent. As horrible as that is, however, the worst thing is that true Christians, the Church, were largely silent. Sure, there were some, like the Ten Boom family, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, of which I am proud to be associated, who stood up. But there was no unified outcry from the Church.

Today, many of those who claim to be followers of the Jewish Messiah, Jesus, are anything but supportive of His Chosen People and their right to the Land God gave them in Genesis 12. In June 2014, for example, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted to divest from three corporations that are reported to do business in Israel.  Although PCUSA leadership denies that their actions are anti-Jewish, the Jewish community thinks otherwise.

Renowned pastor and author John Piper, in a message entitled “Israel, Palestine, and the Middle East”, stated, “… the secular state of Israel today may not claim a present divine right to the Land, but they and we should seek a peaceful settlement not based on present divine rights, but on international principles of justice, mercy, and practical feasibility.”

The apostle Paul, a very learned Jewish man, warned against such statements in Romans 11: 18, “…do not boast against the branches [the Jewish people]. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you”.

Today, perhaps more than ever before, believers in Jesus the Messiah of Israel must stand with the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.

"But doesn't God love Arab people?" Absolutely, He does. "Is God happy with everything the modern State of Israel has done?" Of course not. But the fact remains the same: God has stated that Israel will never cease from being a nation before Him (Jer. 31:35-36); and that “he who touches [Israel] touches the apple of His eye”.

Christians, as our Jewish friends prepare to celebrate God’s faithfulness to them, and as the age old curse of Jew-hatred marches on, perhaps the Body of Christ as a whole should reconsider how we view and treat them. And may the words of God to Abram, found in Genesis 12:3, be forever etched in our minds, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you…”

" For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place...Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 

--Esther 4:14